Halvorsen Family

growing up

2011-12-19T09:25:00.005-07:00

It seems like time goes by so fast. Our boys are getting so big! It's crazy to me to think that these are my boys and they're a part of Eric and I. I love them so much and they're both so creative and so much fun! We giggle everyday together! They love to do crafts and build things. They're such good buddies...but have their moments. I wish they would just stay liitle.

Tige is 3

2011-12-19T09:02:00.007-07:00

Happy Birthday to Tige! We celebrated his birthday on Dec 15. He had joy school that day and had a Christmas party. After school we went to Wendy's and got a kids meal for him and his brother. He wanted us to sing to him all day long! :)

Things about Tige:
Still hates dressing up for Halloween
Loves changing his clothes 20 times a day
Loves his turtle Jammie's and snowman Jammie's. He wears them everyday all day
He likes things just his way
Loves Loves his daddy, he would pick daddy over mommy any day of the week
Still 75% for height and 50% for weight
Loves to wrestle his brother and calls him bubba, they're good little buddies
Loves to build things
Can be a stinker sometimes :)
Loves to cuddle

He is our boy. Tige we love you so much and are so glad you're in our Family. You bring so much joy and laughter and humor to our lives. We hope that as you grow up you develope a Testimony of the Gospel and always know your parents and siblings are here for you. We love you and are excited for all the adventures ahead of you. Happy Birthday sweet boy!

fire station

2011-12-08T13:07:00.003-07:00

Last week Kaden's Pre-School had there annual Fire Station Field Trip. Tige was excited to tag along. They watched a movie and then got a grand tour of the Fire Station. The fire fighters gave them red hats and glow sticks!

Halloween

2011-11-23T07:55:00.007-07:00

We had a great time this halloween. Chelsey won the ward's best costume. Kaden has really started to like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Tige still does not like costumes.

Birthday

2011-11-20T20:06:00.007-07:00

Kaden turned 5 this year. We can't believe how old he is. He is such a great little boy and we are so glad that he is a part of our family. Kaden wanted to have a Cowboy party so we played some cowboy games and all the kids dressed up. My dad provided the lassos and taught the kids how to rope a horse.

Family Reunions

2011-11-20T19:43:00.006-07:00

We have a number of extended family activities throughout the year. Some of our favorites are held in the summer. This year we went to the apline slide in Park City and the Heber Valley Girls Camp just a week or two after our ward girls camp.

Soccer

2011-11-20T19:39:00.005-07:00

Kaden played soccer this fall with a neighborhood team and really enjoyed it. This was his first season playing. The team name was "green fire" and was comprised of 4 and 5 year olds.

Project

2011-11-20T19:36:00.003-07:00

We built some garden boxes this year. The boys love to help Eric with these projects. They lend a hand where possible and just give encouragement.

California

2011-11-20T19:29:00.006-07:00

We went to california to visit family this summer. The boys had a blast swimming and hanging out with their great-grandparents. They loved riding a family friend's pony named Happy.

Boating Trip

2011-11-20T14:18:00.007-07:00

We've been really slow to update the blog, but we finally found some time. Eric has been going to night school at USU and I've been busy with the kids. During the summer we spent some time with my family at Flaming Gorge. We all had a great time.

Beautiful Day

2011-05-26T20:41:00.002-06:00

Before all the rain came, the weather was beautiful. Hot days with the sun shinning. We thought Summer was just around the corner. We got out the pool and swam for two days straight. Kaden and Tige loved it.

T-Ball

2011-05-26T20:28:00.005-06:00

This year we signed Kaden up for T-Ball through Dimple Dell. He has loved every minute of it. We signed him up with our next door neighbor Hunter, those two can be crazy together. Before the first game I was trying to explain how to play. I explained that after you hit the ball you run to first base. Well the first game, he hit the ball great and then ran after the ball to try and get it. It was so cute. Soon after he started getting really good, and loved playing. The last game was on Tuesday and he received his trophy shaped like a Baseball glove. He was so excited!

Easter 2011

2011-05-26T20:18:00.009-06:00

We had a great Easter this year. Spending time at both grandparents and having many Easter egg hunts, with lots of candy. Kaden and Tige were so in to it this year, it was fun to see them run around and get so excited about were the Easter Bunny left all the eggs. It was a beautiful day, the flowers were so pretty. It couldn't of been more perfect.

Happy Easter from our Family to yours.

Coloring Eggs

2011-04-27T14:41:00.005-06:00

Sunday afternoon we colored our eggs. The boys had a blast digging their hands in the cups full of color. It was a big mess, but that's what growing up is all about. Remembering all the fun things we do as a family every Holiday. After a while we needed a bath desperately. It took a while for the dye to come off them, but finally did.

Farm Country

2011-04-27T14:37:00.003-06:00

Last friday Eric had the day of being "Good Friday". So the boys wanted to go to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. They had all the baby animals out and they even got to pet a baby lamb. I couldn't believe it though, they raised the price from 3.50 to 5.00 we went there a lot in summer, but I think we won't be visiting as often anymore.

our builder

2011-04-27T14:32:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Kaden wanted so badly to build something. We had gone to my parents house that weekend, and Kaden collected a bunch of sticks. One night Eric got home and Kaden being so excited asked him to help build a Fort. So they nailed a piece of bead board to a box. Kaden would get frustrated at times when it wasn't working his way, or looking like he had pictured in his mind. It was fun for Eric and I to see how consistent he was and not giving up on something he wanted to accomplish.

our sweet rosie

2011-04-11T19:28:00.004-06:00

Back in January Eric called me from work and told me that there was a little Shiz Tzu puppy on KSL and he thought we should look at the add. Well BIG mistake, Kaden and Tige and I looked at the add and fell deeply in love. So after a couple of hours, and making a very long list for what we would need for our dog, we headed up to Bountiful to pick the puppy up. She was so cute and her coloring was Red with some black. We named her Rosie. We then found ourselves at Pet Smart getting her first puppy haircut and bath. She smelt like Raspberries. We brought her home and we were in heaven until night time. That night she cried all night long for her mommy, it was heartbreaking. Every morning Kaden would wake up and go straight to her kennel. She would kiss him all over and get so excited. We potty trained her on the bell on our back door. She did great she was potty trained in two weeks.

Now the sad part. After two weeks, it was getting to be a lot of work. I was realizing how much work it was to have a dog and two wild boys around the house. After many tears and talking with Eric, we decided to sell her. We posted her on KSL. Kaden was so devastated, and I am sure you all are wondering why in the world did we get a dog! Well now that we've learned how much work it is we talked to the boys and let them know we will be getting another dog just like Rosie, after all our brothers and sisters are born. It was so hard for me to make a decision that would break my boy's hearts, but I knew for my own sanity I needed to sell Rosie.

To this day our sweet Kaden and Tige are still talking about her and begging for a dog this summer. We miss our little Rosie and someday we will get another Roise.

Big 29

2011-03-28T20:57:00.005-06:00

Today was Eric's Birthday he turned 29. The boys and I started the day by making some cupcakes to take to Eric at work and packed a lunch from home to eat. The boys love going to Eric's office. Only 4 people work there so we shared our cupcakes and off we went. We got home and decorated the Kitchen and put up the birthday sign. The boys wanted to put a sign on the garage, so we wrote Happy Birthday Dad! We ended the night with Papa Murphy's pizza Eric's favorite, cake with strawberry ice cream, and presents.

We LOVE you so much! We are so grateful for you and we think you are the most wonderful father. I couldn't ask for a more loving, kind, faithful, hard working, and good looking husband. I could go on forever. Thank you for picking me to share this wonderful journey of Life together. I love you so much.

Re-Finishing Cabinets

2011-03-21T14:48:00.011-06:00

So a couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to re-finish our Cabinets...with much anticipation and watching many Lowes and Home Depot videos, I decided to go for it! Let me say I am so glad I pushed my fears aside, because I LOVE how it turned out! It brightens our whole kitchen and feels like a breath of fresh air. Eric and I started a week ago last Sat. We took off all the doors and sanded them out on the back deck. Then I went to town on sanding all the frames and then we put on the Oil Based Primer. After about two coats we then started on the fun part....painting. After a week of hard work and staying up many nights til midnight, we're so happy with how it's turning out! We now have the bottom half and the island to complete. More pictures to come in the next few weeks. We'll be attempting some fun ideas. Until now I LOVE being in our New Kitchen.

Here are the Befores, and Afters:

Listen to this playlist: Halvorsen Family

2011-02-26T09:40:00.001-07:00

Little moments

2011-01-13T14:36:00.003-07:00

I peeked in on this....

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T22:04:00.016-07:00

Christmas 2011 was so fun; our boys are getting older and they understand things much more this year than they did last Christmas. For Christmas Eve this year we went to my parent’s home and had a fabulous meal which included yams with marshmallows, vegetables on a cloud, homemade rolls, and honey baked ham. Let’s just say "yummy"! My grandparents came from California and it was so fun to have them here this year.

We woke up Christmas morning and had our own family time opening presents and making a wonderful hot breakfast. Kaden requested homemade muffins, which were Lemon Poppy seed, eggs, and juice. It was so funny when Kaden realized that he gets to have Christmas every year, until he is as big as daddy! He was so excited he couldn't believe it.

This year I was so excited to give my family and Eric a special gift. I gave “Hand Impressions” of our boys holding each others hand; it was so special to see how everyone loved them. I had three very different pieces done and the boys did so good; since they did so well afterwards we got a In-N-Out shake. The picture doesn't really do justice, but they turned out amazing.

Christmas afternoon we went to Eric's parents where we exchanged gifts and the boys got a Geo Trax. It's our first with Geo Trax, and so far it's been a big hit. They also received Toy Story 3; Kaden was so excited. After a couple of hours of good company and some yummy food, we headed over to my parents for a gift exchange. This year my parents gave us a Vintage Popcorn maker which sits on wheels. So we’ll definitely been having some parties!

For Christmas dinner we headed over to my Aunt Becky's house for a delicious dinner and good conversation. After a long day and lots of treats our boys about had it; we headed home in order to get to bed at a descent hour.

It was a great Christmas this year. We loved every minute of it. Thanks to the amazing food, I think we gained about 10 extra pounds last week.

Our Snow Angels

2010-12-27T21:57:00.007-07:00

Last week when we had a lot of snow; we only had a couple days with sun shine so the boys got all geared up and ready to play in the backyard. They loved playing in the snow and Kaden was so proud that he could make snow angels. Tige would follow Kaden wherever he went around the yard, just trying to keep up. We LOVE our boys.

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-27T21:41:00.011-07:00

This year on Christmas Eve Eric and I thought it would be a brilliant idea to go snowmobiling and sledding. We were so excited! Santa Clause even dropped offer an early present while he was flying around checking things out on the 23rd. The boys found their first sled on the front porch. We headed up American Fork Canyon with the family my Dad and brother Riley. My Dad brought his snowmobiles and we brought the hot chocolate. We had a blast! The boys loved riding on the snowmobiles and sledding down the big hills. We decided to make it a Tradition and plan on heading out again next Christmas Eve. There must have been three or four feet of show in the canyon.

Tige turned 2!

2010-12-27T21:32:00.007-07:00

On the 15th of this month Tige turned 2 yrs old! We celebrated and had family over and ate pizza which happens to be his favorite. Afterwards we ate chocolate Mickey Mouse cake. Thanks to my sister Brooke for making the cake. We then ended with presents. Tige LOVED all the attention and all eyes on him. We LOVE you Tige and are so blessed you're in our family. May this year bring much joy and happiness to you. We Love you.

Dear Santa...

2010-12-14T12:30:00.003-07:00

Kaden's List 2010

1. 4 Reindeer
2. Santa Costume
3. Gun with a holster from Cabela's
4. Woody and Buzz suitcase
5. One more Reindeer
6. A new short sleeve Buzz Light year shirt
7. Pink collar and blue leash
8. Black collar and black leash
9. Santa would you bring me balloons and cookies for Christmas?
10. One more buzz suitcase and Mickey ball
11. White rubber gloves
12. Blue rubber gloves
13. A BIG Santa blue rope
14. My own reindeer not Santa's reindeer. Also a sleigh not Santa's sleigh
15. A red Santa rope

Mail Man would you take this up to North Pole? I have been a very good boy...

Love, Kaden

Fire Station

2010-12-02T15:10:00.010-07:00

Kaden's Pre-school had a Field Trip today to the Fire Station. They learned about what they should do when the fire alarm beeps and were you should go when there's a fire. They learned about 911 and how Firemen are so nice and not scary. They got to watch a short movie on how fire alarms work. Afterwards we went out into the BIG garage to see the the clothes they wear. While we were there the firefighters got called out, it was fun for all the kids to see them rush away. Oh and the best part was we got FREE firemen hats!

Bathing in clothing

2010-11-23T21:01:00.003-07:00

A couple of days ago while Kaden was at Pre-school I thought I would try and get some cleaning done around the house. While I was cleaning the bathrooms, Tige felt like getting into the bath. I looked over and he had pulled up his sweats and was rubbing soap on his legs. Then came his hair. I then stripped him down and gave him a real bath to get all the soap off. What a funny boy, and always so happy.

Pre-School Parade

2010-11-02T11:05:00.005-06:00

This last week Kaden had a parade for school, he was so excited to wear his Woody costume. Also he was the front of the line, which he couldn't of been happier. All the kids walked down the side walk and back up again. It was so cute to see all their excited little faces. Tige loved playing in the snow and running in the mud while I was trying to get some pictures, tis the reason for not getting very good ones. In the end it was still so fun.

Happy Halloween/Carving Pumpkins

2010-11-02T11:00:00.013-06:00

We had so much fun carving pumpkins this year. Tige was so into carving a piece of a pumpkin he had a plastic knife and was at it for along time. Kaden this year didn't like touching all the gooey stuff and it being all over his hands. But he did like taking a plastic knife and digging in to the side of the pumpkin. In the end we all had fun laughing and enjoying being together.

On Sat night we went "Trick or Treating", and my sister Brooke came with us. It was freezing cold, but we were glad that we waited until the rain stopped. Kaden and Tige were so excited to pass out candy to all the other kids. In 5 years of being married we haven't ever passed out candy because we have always gone to our parents. Eric's parents made it over for a quick trip to see them dressed up. We finished off the night with some hot chocolate and homemade brownies. We all sat on the couch and with a warm fire and good company, life is great.

Oh and for the record Tige refused to dress up this year. Everything scared him and he would not put on a costume. In the end he was a Cowboy and wore a plaid shirt and cowboy hat. And sadly but truly we didn't get a picture. Next year we will be much better.

Sunday best

2010-10-22T20:41:00.005-06:00

Last Sunday, we got all ready for church and Tige wore a tie for the first time and it lasted all 3 hours of church. Kaden also wore a tie and both looked so handsome. Eric had a great idea to take some pictures before church and I am so glad we did. We love our boys so much. They're so sweet.

halvorsen cabin

2010-10-22T20:28:00.008-06:00

This last weekend we went up to Eric's parents cabin which is about 10 mins from Fairview canyon. We had such a wonderful time, all the trees were changing color and looked so beautiful. We got there on Friday around 5pm and ate dinner then sat around the fire and roasted marsh mellows and talked while Eric's dad played hide n seek with the boys. They have this skeleton thing on the wall and Tige would get so nervous, and then when Eric would turn on the light inside, Tige would start to cry, it was so sad to see his little face. The boys had fun riding the four wheeler and playing in the dirt. Thanks again to Eric's parents for a fun and relaxing weekend.

Happy Birthday Kaden!

2010-10-12T10:43:00.010-06:00

Kaden is now 4!! We can't believe how time flys by so fast. He is our little man with so much Zest for life and he is such a good boy. We're so blessed to be able to be his parents in life and hopefully we're doing a good job, we sure do try.

Since his birthday was Sunday, we had family come over for dinner and ate Mashed potato's and corn,rolls,and roast. We then opened presents and Kaden LOVED all his gifts from both grandparents and his Aunt Brooke. Then finished the night off with some yummy chocolate cake and Mint Ice cream. Kaden was so excited for us all to sing to him, he requested, "You've had a birthday shout hooray". In Primary that's also the song he wanted. It was so cute when he was opening his presents he would yell out,"Oh my heck this is always what I wanted!". Although we work on not saying that word he was showing his excitement for his presents. Thanks to those who came and brought food and gifts, he hasn't stopped playing with them.

Yesterday Eric had the day off so we went to Cornbellys. It was the first time we have gone and we have a membership to Thanksgiving Point, but never really gone to the Fall activities. It was so much fun and the boys had a blast! They had so many fun things for the kids to do. We will definitely be going again next year.

For Kadens gift this year we gave him a huge horse! As many of you know Kaden is a huge cowboy all around. He loves everything about cowboy's. So we got this horse and for Halloween he wanted to be Woody. We got his costume and has been riding his horse with his costume and loving life! He is so funny...

This last month...

2010-10-12T10:12:00.012-06:00

This last month has gone by so fast. Kaden started Pre-school, and LOVES it. He goes every Tuesday and Thursday and he can't get enough of it. His teachers are so nice and fun. A couple of weeks ago Eric was trying to fix the closet door in Tiges room and the boys decided to use the door as a slide. THey had so much fun going up and down that thing. We just might need to tell Santa we need a slide at our house. :)

This last week Eric got a New Job! We're so excited for him and can't wait for him to start his New Career Path with Stokler and Osler. They're based out of Arizonia, and No we aren't moving, he will be working in Salt Lake one block down from were he is now at Zion's Bank. This job will get him on the right path for what he would like to do long term. And the good news is our Insurance went from a 9,000 deductible to now only 750!!! We're so excited about that. We love you daddy and thanks for supporting us and always having a great attitude about life. Love you.

A couple of days ago I was in the other room and I heard laughing, and so I came in the room and the boys were giggling, they drew all over eachothers faces with marker. They were having so much fun! They are such good buddies and I love them so much. Life would be so boring without them.

Also this last weekend we had Eric's grandpa's 90th birthday celebration up at Timp Lodge in Sundance. It was so fun to see everyone and to relax and catch up. We went on this 2 mile hike to a waterfall! It was beautiful! Of course the water was freezing. But nothing would stop all the kids from climbing in.

Our New Home/Project

2010-09-16T21:22:00.007-06:00

Here is a picture of our New Home, we moved in about 3 months ago. Time flies by so fast when we have been trying to get the yard put together and extending the front flower bed and painting the shutters and fixing part of the grass. It seem like it never ends, but we LOVE it and would never go back. Lets hope that never happens. I will post more picture of the inside as I get things more done and organized. :)

Also I bought this really old Buffet table off KSL and put it in our Entry way. Before it was old looking not very cute, so I spiced it up a notch and Spray painted it yellow and I LOVE how it turned out. It took 3 cans of white primer and then 3 cans of yellow spray paint. One of my best friends from college told me about this website called allthingsthirfty.com.On there she tells you how to do all sorts of cool stuff. I was so excited when I realized I didn't have to sand the entire thing and paint it. I could spray paint instead. It was my first real spray paint project and I am so proud how it turned out.

Family Pictures

2010-09-16T21:15:00.006-06:00

We had Family pictures taken awhile back the end of July. But never got around to posting since we have been so busy working on our house and the yard. Here are some pictures of the boys. They looked so Handsome! I must say their wives are very lucky girls. Eric and I did some good work! :)

The last month!

2010-09-16T20:55:00.009-06:00

This last month has been CRAZY busy in the Halvorsen household. Over Labor Day weekend we had our BIG family Reunion that we always have. This year my Family was in charge of it. Our theme was "Pass It On". We had a blast! My little brother ended up making a slide show of all the 69 people who came and it turned out awesome. We had all the family members send in pictures of them and their children, and a quality. My brother then put the quality on the "Pass It On" slide show with there quality. It was so neat to see all the different personalities and people we have within our Family ties. Some of our favorite are, homemade ice cream, homemade fruit roll-ups that my grandma slaves over making for everyone, the saw dust hunt. We have done this every since I was a little girl. My grandparents always bring up a big pile of sawdust then fill it with money and candy for the kids. We divide up by age and each group gets a turn to DIG in. The programs we have in the mountains at night are beautiful! Just being with everyone is so much fun. You start to realize what life is all about. So hip hip hooray! We did it and aren't in charge for 4 more years! One more thing we had Hoe Down this year and it was so much fun! Our cousin Brett who is in the picture dressed up and it was HILARIOUS!! We had a blue grass band and the hole shebang!

Happy Birthday!

2010-07-18T12:45:00.008-06:00

Yesterday I turned Big 25! Eric planned out the day, we started off by going to the Drpaer Parade in the morning and then went up to Sundance for the afternoon. We rode up the chair lift and hicked around for a bit and then rode back down, and finished off our Pizza for lunch. Then for Kaden's present him and I went to see Toy Story 3! It was a very cute movie and we loved it. We will defenitly be buying that one for sure. We then we to my parents house for dinner and they were hard at work while we were enjoying th movie, and made Alfredo and Asparagus and grilled chicken. It was fabulous! My sweet husband made me a Chocolate cake with white frosting and sprinkles. It was a great day and we had so much fun. Thanks Eric for all the planning to make it so specail. Love you.

Once Upon a Time....

2010-07-18T11:36:00.025-06:00

For July 4th, we met my family in California and stayed there for a week! We had a Blast!! We did Disneyland for one day and the boys loved it. I must say I now understand why parents take there kids for a couple of days, and not just one day, cause it gets exhausting! Kaden never got a nap in and Tige did take a little nap, but it was all worth it! We loved it! Kaden was so excited to See Woody and Jessie. At first he was nervous to see all the characters, but then he started getting more comfortable. We would wait in line to say hi and Kaden would get up there and say, "Hey dude", give a big hi-five. and then run off. And he wanted to see Minnie which we were a little surprised. :) It was definitly HOT! So we stopped to get an ice cream, and I love those frozen bananas dipped in chocolate with nuts on top, and Kaden got a Mickey Mouse ice cream in chocolate, and by that time he was soooo tired can you tell in the picture.

Then came time for the BIG parade! We had so much fun dancing and singing along. The people in the parade asked for kids to dance with them, so me being a FUN mom, pushed Kaden out there and he loved running around the float, whiling the guy in the parade chased him! And he ran around like 10 times! It was so funny. We were so glad we got it on video.

We also did the beach a couple of days, and the boys loved the sand and running into the waves. We beat my family there by a couple of hours and so to past the time, we went to the beach with my sister, and the boys were so excited to cool off and play in the water, Eric took them down and it was so sweet to see all 3 of them playing in the water and Kaden ended up without his shirt and shorts on cause he got soak in wet! And Tige in a very saggy wet diaper. A couple of days into the trip my parents rented bikes for all of us to ride on the board walk. Kaden thought it was so cool to ride right behind Eric and go so fast. And I was not thinking very clearly cause I wore a skirt and it kept on flying up and my garments were showing the entire time I was peddling. It was so embarrassing! So finally I took my dad's blue jacket and tied it around my waist to cover my garments as much as I could.

By the end of the trip we had a blast and were so grateful to my parents for taking us and paying for our Hotel. We love you guys and Thanks again for the wonderful memories!

Update

2010-06-16T08:48:00.008-06:00

The last couple of weeks have been busy for our little family. First of all we closed on our house this last Friday! We are so excited!! We have been moving our stuff over the past couple of days, and wow it's so much work! Eric took the day off yesterday so that we could finish up taking most of our stuff over there. We would like to give a BIG shout out to all our family who helped us sooo much in moving! Thank you guys we appreciate it soo much! We LOVE you. I will post pictures soon, after we get everything a bit under control.

Last weekend we went up the Canyon and ate lunch with my family, and rode the 4-wheelers. It was so much fun to take a breath of fresh air for an afternoon. The weather was perfect and beautiful. Thanks mom and dad for letting us join you. We had a blast!

This past Thursday we jumped on the opportunity to the Zoo. My sister-in-law Cathy has a pass, and so we came along, and the boys LOVED it! We had so much fun looking at all the animals, and most of all the boys loved just being with there cousins. When I told Kaden and Tige to get together for a picture, they put there arms around each other and both said, "Cheese"! It was the cutest thing ever! I love my boys soo much! They're so much fun to be around and full of life. Thanks again to Cathy for letting us come along.

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks, and we will post some of the house soon. Until then.....Hope all is well.

One more quick thing, we were telling the boys that this past Sunday we would be attending our new Ward, and Kaden was so excited because they always sing to new people in the ward. Well Kaden told Grandma and Grandpa, that when in Primary they ask if there's any new "Customers" and he will raise his hand and they will sing to him, cause he's a new Customer. It was so sweet.

Making Progress

2010-05-25T09:07:00.004-06:00

It's always nerve raking to have an inspection on a home that you LOVE. You want everything to be perfect and NO flaws. Yesterday we had our Inspection on our Home, and everything went so well. There were a couple of things, but no major problems! We walked away feeling relieved. We're so excited and absolutely LOVE our new home. The boys LOVED running around in the backyard and Kaden picking his new room. It felt so nice to have space and a place to call our own. We can't wait to move in. We're still waiting on the final contract from Bank of America, but as soon as we get the paperwork we will be able to order our appraisal, and then close! We're hoping to move in soon! We'll keep everyone posted, but until then we will continue dreaming about our home.

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-09T20:58:00.003-06:00

We're so excited to announce that we finally found out about our home last weekend. We have been waiting for a home on Traverse Mountain, since Nov. 2009. The bank responded two weeks ago and asked for an additional $20,000. Of course we said "No Thanks", and stuck to our guns. The last two weeks have been horrible waiting and hoping the bank would accept our offer. My Aunt is our Realtor and she called us on Friday afternoon to tell us the exciting news! When I answered the phone, I was a little nervous and then I started screaming and jumping up and down. Then it all set in the emotions of having our own home again. I couldn't help but start to cry. I couldn't believe it was happening. Although we have lived with Eric's parents the last 8 months, and what a blessing it has been, the feeling of having our own home again is indescribable. We can't wait for the memories we will create with our children in our new home. A couple of nights ago, Eric, Kaden and I were lying on the bed talking about having Christmas in a new home and Kaden having his own bedroom. Oh the joys of having a back yard will be amazing! (All the people who live in a Town Home know exactly what I am talking about.) We can't wait to start this portion of our journey through life with our little family in our new Home.

We want Eric's parents to know how grateful we are for all their support. They have been extremely willing to let our family move in and, well, take over there home. Also for their patience in this hole process. We know at times it's not been easy, but what a HUGE blessing it has been to be able to save our money and get a "jump start" on life. Thanks again Mom and Dad for all the support and love you have shone to us. We love you!

I just also want to tell my mom "Happy Mother's Day". I love her so much. She is an amazing lady. She is so dedicated to her family and her Savior. She is always positive about everyone she meets, she never finds anything negative. She is so Christ like in many ways. What a great example she is to me. As I get older, and have children I realize that being a mom is the most exhausting career, but yet so rewarding in every way. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am so grateful for all the times my mom has comforted me and made me feel safe in her arms. I love you mom and thanks again for everything you do for me and my little family.

What a Beautiful Day!

2010-04-26T20:29:00.008-06:00

Today was such a beautiful day, so we decided to meet my mom and grandparents, and aunts and some of our cousins. We had a great time and Kaden loved being able to play with the kids. In fact in the picture that Kaden's not wearing a shirt, he got soaking wet in the Secret Garden and so we took his shirt off and he was shirtless the rest of the time. He loved it! My grandparents got to ride on the Golf cart, and so all the kids wanted to take a ride! Tige just enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It was fun to be outside and can't wait for the warm weather!

2010-04-25T12:40:00.008-06:00

Some of Kaden's favorite things are dirt bikes and four wheelers; in fact if asked what his favorite website is he will tell you Honda.com. He has an electric four wheeler and he loves to ride in the back yard. He enjoys looking at anything with an engine and wheels. Kaden and Eric share this interest and can't what for it to warm up so they and go dirt biking and four wheeling.

The past week

2010-04-20T08:50:00.008-06:00

This past week there has been a lot that has happened. First off Kaden had his first Dentist appointment! He did so awesome! Eric's little sister is a Dental Hygienist, and so we took Kaden to her office. He brought his Woody doll so that he would be ok. They cleaned his teeth and then the Dentist came in to check for cavities, and he was cavity free!! I was so excited and proud that he had NO cavities. Another cute thing is, on the way to the Dentist Kaden asked me, "Mom after Grandma B is done in Heaven, she will come back and live in the basement and we can go down there and play with her right"? It was so cute. I know those two are so close and I am sure Grandma is watching over Kaden and will throughout his life.

We also heard some more news about our house that we have an offer in up on Traverse Mountain. This past Thursday my Aunt called and said that Bank of America would be looking at our offer Monday morning, which was yesterday! We still haven't heard anything, but lets just say we are so excited! After leaving our last home in Pleasant Grove we moved right in with Eric's parents. It's been a huge blessing to be able to save our money for the past 7 months. But now it's time to be able to have our own space and home. We can't wait. As soon as we find out we will let everyone in the world know!

This past weekend we went to my parents and had fun roasting marsh mellows and sitting around the fire with our boys. I love love the beautiful summer nights. It is so much fun to be able to spend time outside.

Last night we went to Thanksgiving Point Gardens for FHE. The flowers were beautiful! We have a season pass to Thanksgiving Point and the boys LOVE feeding the fish in the pond. Eric's parents came along for the ride. We can't wait till the weather is warm all the time. Bring on Spring.

Happy Easter Weekend

2010-04-06T08:27:00.007-06:00

We started out the weekend by enjoying our daddy being home on Friday with us! So we decided to make some Easter succors. I bought a kit and it came with everything. Kaden had a blast making them. Then we also decorated some cool eggs after we were done Kaden wanted to eat all of them, we let him have a few and then saved the rest. On Sunday between sessions we went to my parents house and had an Easter egg hunt. The boy LOVED it! Tige kept trying to take Kadens eggs, but then he was happy as long as he had two tootsie rolls in each hand he was a happy boy! We were sad that the weather was to cold Sunday to be able to have the egg hunt outside, but we had fun and the boys did to. That's all that matters. Happy Easter!

Happy Happy Birthday!

2010-03-29T19:59:00.009-06:00

Eric turned the big 28 yesterday!! We started off the day by teaching our Sunbeam lesson, and then later on went to my parents house for dinner, cake and ice cream. My sister Brooke made the cake for Eric and since he works at Zions Bank she thought it would be fun to make an investment cake. Eric has always had a dream to start his own business and call it "Halvorsen Investments" so she wrote his dream business on the cake. Our little Tige woke up yesterday with a horrible fever and didn't look like he was having to much fun. Kaden as you can tell loved eating the cake and ice cream, grandpa put ice cream all over his face and Kaden loved it. Happy Birthday Eric; I am the luckiest girl alive to be married to you, what an amazing husband and father you are to our children. I love you so much and thank you for all your hard work and for always being so positive. I am so grateful that we can be together forever for all eternity. We love you.

Sunday get togethers

2010-03-22T10:49:00.004-06:00

Eric's brothers and our sister in laws came over yesterday to grandma and grandpa halvorsen's to celebrate an early birthday for my sweet,good looking, and fun husband! His birthday isn't until this Sunday, which we will post more then. Kaden had a blast playing with his cousins! He gets so excited when they come over to play. It's so fun to have cousins close in his age, they all play so well together.

We LOVE Spaghetti

2010-03-22T10:44:00.003-06:00

Tige had some Spaghetti for the first time the other night, and I think he had more fun playing then eating his dinner. Silly Boy.

Family Pictures From Christmas

2010-02-26T20:40:00.009-07:00

These pictures were taken at Christmas time when we all got together. I bet you can't find me!! The colors were supposed to be fall colors and it looks like I was the only Fall color! So I guess that's what I get for wearing a BRIGHT sweater.

A Special Weekend

2010-02-26T20:10:00.007-07:00

We always have so much fun when our Grandma Jan and Grandpa Blayne come to town to visit. Last weekend we had fun watching the boys ride the horses and Kaden on the little 4 wheeler at Pa Pa's house. Then we topped it off with a Fabulous Lunch at Wendy's. We feel so blessed that Kaden and Tige get to have as much time as they do with there Great grandparents. We love them so much!

Best Buds!

2010-02-26T20:01:00.004-07:00

These two LOVE eachother so much! Tige will follow Kaden everywhere he goes. A sweet experience that happened the other day was, Tige was taking a nap and Kaden heard him start to cry. Kaden run up and I was right behind him. As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard Kaden singing "I Love to see the Temple" Tige was just smiling at Kaden and I couldn't help but get a little choked up. These boys are the Eric and I's world. We love them so much and are the luckiest parents to have them as part of our Eternal Family.

Steal of a Deal!

2010-02-19T12:44:00.003-07:00

So yesterday we went to Kohl's, and we were walking down the clearance isle,out of the corner of my eye I saw some Woody cowboy boots. The last couple of months Kaden has been into Toy Story, and it's so fun to see his imagination take flight. He was so excited to get the boots. They were normally 34.99 and I got them for 70% off! Which made them only 10.00! He hasn't taken them off since. Oh and the best part is, they light up when he walks!

I love these Boys!

2010-02-19T12:35:00.004-07:00

Tige had a Blast wearing his Construction hat! He would walk everywhere for 10 mins and then when I tried to get a picture he wouldn't put the hat back on, stinker. Kaden decided to dress himself yesterday and wanted to wear Tige's overalls underneath his clothes. That boy loves to dress like a cowboy!

Thanksgiving Point Farm

2010-02-08T09:37:00.010-07:00

Our family loves going to the Farm! It's Kaden's favorite place in the world. Kaden is thrilled as long as there are horses, reins, saddles and saddle blankets for the horses’ backs! One of Kaden's favorite movie characters is Jim Craig from "The Man from Snowy River" which also happens to have been one of Eric's favorite childhood movies. Kaden and Eric and sit and watch it over and over again.

Last weekend was so nice we thought we would get outside and have some fun. Kaden and Tige were both able to ride the horses. Eric and Kaden talked to the local authorities and were able to bust Tige and I out of Thanksgiving Point jail. We can't wait for the warm summer air to arrive so we can play outside everyday!

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2010-02-08T09:22:00.007-07:00

Last Thursday was my dad's 50th Birthday! We all celebrated at Wingers which is one of our favorite restaurants. Eric likes the chicken finger and all you can eat popcorn; Kaden gets macaroni and cheese and then eats Eric’s fries and chicken fingers and I get something different every time. My sister Brooke made the spider man birthday cake; she did a really good job. After dinner we went to Avatar which was the first 3d movie Eric and I have seen. We love you so much dad and hoped that this year will bring you much success and happiness! Happy Birthday!

California Christmas

2010-01-31T20:22:00.009-07:00

We love to go visit the ducks when we go see the kids great grandparents. During the last visit we went to one of our favorite places in California. We love to visit the ducks; the ducks came from the opposite side of the lake to see Kaden and Tige. We also were able to take pictures with grandma and grandpa. We all had a blast!

Sledding

2010-01-28T21:50:00.002-07:00

We had a great trip to Eric's parents' new cabin. The boys loved playing in the snow with Eric and their cousins.

Finally!

2009-10-18T21:22:00.003-06:00

Well I can't believe how bad I am at making new posts!! I know everyone is been so mad at me for not updating. I apologize to all you ladies out there. I will be posting some fresh new pictures soon!:)

To give a quick update, we finally sold our home! It took us a 1 1/2 but we did it, and now we're living at Eric's parents home to save up some money. They are so sweet to let us live here and feed us great homemade meals. We appreciate them so much.

I have always loved photography. Which I know you're all laughing, because I never post any pictures on this blog! :) But I have always thought it would be sooo much fun to do Wedding pictures. Well this last weekend I had the opportunity to follow a photographer around at a wedding for 3 hours. I had a blast! At one point in the night she handed me her camera and let me take picture for 20 Min's! I was so excited I couldn't even believe it. It was so much fun taking pictures of the Bride and Groom and loved getting so cool pictures of all the white high heels on the grass. After the night was over the Photographer invited me to come with her to more weddings and follow her around. I am way excited and hope to one day in the future do some photography on the side.

It's time for me to retire and get some rest, but I will be posting those pictures soon. I promise. Until then.

My Little Organizer

2009-01-16T21:14:00.002-07:00

A couple of days ago Kaden was organizing all of his toys and gathering all the diaper bags and blankets in the house and putting them in a pile. He had everything in there own pile. I couldn't help but laugh and remember when I was younger and had to have everything perfect. I would make my bed and couldn't have any wrinkles in the bedding. My dad would come down and mess my bed up on purpose, I would get so mad, to the point were I would cry and be upset the rest of the day. I guess he was breaking me in. Also Kaden is so PICKY on what he wears. He will only wear certain clothes of his and he has the cutest clothing. It's now time for me to break my own child in.:) Funny was a 27 month old can be like at such a young age.

Natural Labor

2008-12-30T19:39:00.003-07:00

I thought it would be fun to share my Labor story. I always love hearing other women's stories about Labor and so here is mine.

It all started on the night of Dec. 14. Eric and I went to bed about 9:45 p.m. I couldn't sleep, I kept on tossing and turning in bed. At about 11:20 I started having contractions every 10 mins. When the clock hit midnight I finally woke up Eric and told him I was having contractions and the pain was getting more and more intense! I then went down stairs and was on my knees bending over the couch and with tears almost streaming down my face I was praying intensley. I couldn't bear the pain any longer. Eric called Labor and Delivery and asked about when we should start to head to the Hospital. At about 1:15a.m. we left to St. Marks Hospital which is about a 30 min drive! We stopped at Bangeter Hwy to meet my mom and trade cars with her. She ended up taking Kaden and watched him for the next couple of days. By this time I was in so much pain that I couldn't even breath. I kept on telling Eric, "Drive faster I need that epidural all I need is that epidural"!!! Well we FINALLY arrived and Eric grabbed the wheel chair and started running down the hall to Labor and Delivery! It was like the movies you see and the women is grabbing her tummy and breathing so hard! The nurses got me into the room and checked to see how far I was dilated.

Then the worst news in the world. the nurse says, "Well darling your complete"! My reaction, I started crying and telling her I needed the epidural. She told me, "You CAN'T have the epidural because the baby will be out faster then we can get it working." Then all of a sudden my water breaks and Eric says,"WOW that's a ton of water"! All of a sudden I had the biggest URGE to push, and when you are not medicated it feels like the largest POOP of your life!! :) After a few pushes Tige was born!

We arrived at St. Marks at 2:05am and he was born at 2:30am, it was fast and to the point. I am glad that it went the way it did, but would of LOVED the epidural. To this day I am still SHOCKED that I was able to give birth with NO medicine. Everything went well and we are enjoying our 2 little boys. Eric has been home for the last two weeks and we have been loving being together as a family and bonding with these precious first couple of weeks.

Baby Tige Blayne Halvorsen

2008-12-18T14:36:00.003-07:00

On December 15, 2008 our new little baby boy came in to this world; we named him Tige Blayne Halvorsen. He was born at 2:30 a.m. in Salt Lake. We were fortunate that he was born between snow storms because the hospital is probably 25 miles from our house. He was born with a full head of dark brown hair. Weighing 7 lbs 12 oz and 20 inches tall he was no small baby. Chelsey had him without using an epidural so size did mater. Both he and Chelsey are home and are both doing very well.

One Week Left!!

2008-12-06T18:10:00.002-07:00

It's almost finally here!! I can't wait to be done. The last couple of weeks of pregnancy is always the worst, at least for me. I am so anxioius to meet our little man and see what he looks like. I am dilated to 1cm and 40% effaced. They will check me again on Tues and hopefully there's been some progress. If I get to the 13th and haven't had our child I will probably opt to be induced! You gotta do what ya gotta do.:) We will let you all know when the BIG happens!

Little Man!

2008-11-01T10:58:00.002-06:00

This is our little Eric! At this age Eric and Kaden look just alike. I love this boy! He is so much fun and loves to be outside. He will be such a great BIG brother, I can't wait for the two boys to meet for the first time. I can't believe how big Kaden is getting. He looks like a little man! He's my little side kick.

7 Weeks Away!

2008-10-09T14:52:00.002-06:00

Well it's getting closer and closer. I have almost 7 weeks left, and can't wait to be done. The end of pregnancy is always the longest. I can't wait to see what this little man looks like. I hope that he has hair, Kaden had so much hair it was unreal. Our camera still doesn't work, so I can't post any pictures yet but hopefully soon. Hope all are well.

It's a Boy!!

2008-07-31T11:11:00.001-06:00

About two weeks ago we found out it's a Boy!! We're so excited and can hardly wait. I am now 22 weeks prego and can't wait for it to be over. :) Kaden will LOVE having a little bro to wrestle and play with. I can't wait to see what he'll look like. When we got our ultra sound down the lady told me,"You better start watching ESPN 30 mins a day"! I think I will leave that sport thing up to Eric. Anyways we cant wait.

Happy Birthday Eric!!

2008-03-28T13:14:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to take a moment and tell Eric, my sweetheart and love of my life Happy Birthday!! Thank you for always being there for me and for all that you do for our family. You're my best friend and I am the luckiest girl in the world! You're the best father,son-in-law,and grandson. You have accomplished so much in life and you always give %110 in everything you do. The moment you walk in the door Kaden (your little shadow) runs straight for the door yelling, "Da da da". He loves you so much and you guys are such great little buddies. We all love you and thanks for being you. Love you!!

Lloyd

2008-03-05T20:41:00.001-07:00

So a couple of nights ago, Eric and I attempted to cut Kaden's hair in the bath tub. As you can tell things didn't go perfectly like planned. I had the scissors in my hand and right as I clipped, kaden moves his head and it ended up looking horrible! Eric was laughing so hard he said the hair reminded him of Jim Carey on Dumb dumber! So pretty funny and never doing it again. Oh yeah, I did take him in the next day to get it fixed. He now looks all grown up.

Kaden's Tent

2008-03-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Last Christmas Eric and I got Kaden this little tent from Ikea, and he loves it! He likes to put all his balls in the tent and climb in and hide. The other day I found him piling everything up and laying on his belly looking at his flashcards. It was so cute!! Moments like that just melt my heart and me proud to be a mom. It makes everything worth it!

So Sweet!

2008-02-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Morning Eric had to go to Idaho for work, in the mornings Kaden always and loves helping him get ready. He gets Eric's socks, belt and tie. Then they brush their teeth together. This morning when I went to get Kaden out of his crib, he was saying "Daddy Daddy"! It broke my heart. He was looking for his BIGGEST fan and couldn't find him anywhere. It got me thinking, they're kids out in the world who's Daddy's leave and don't ever come home. I am so grateful for Eric and what an amazing husband and father he is. I am madly in love with him and couldn't of been any luckier.

Bath Time

2008-02-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

All little children love to take baths, at least you would think so. Recently it's been a struggle to get Kaden in the tub. I have to chase him and tackle him down and remove the clothing! But once he's in he loves it! This was last night we were getting "ready for Sunday, we wash our hair and we clean our clothes all to get ready for Sunday". I am sure you all know how the song goes. :) Did any of your kids go through this "silly" phase?

Busy

2008-02-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

This week has been extremely busy. Eric started a new position as a Financial Consultant with Zions Direct. He really enjoys it and likes to be back at Zions. He is going to start his Certified Financial Planner. I have been working like crazy to get my friends wedding showers in order. In the next three weeks I am going to 2 showers, 2 endowments, 2 weddings, and 2 wedding dinners. It is going to be a very long 3 weeks!

Scott and Nicole are getting ready for their next baby boy to be born. We are excited to have another baby join the Scott Halvorsen Clan. Good luck to Nicole and enjoy the new addition!!!