The Christmas Spirit

I haven't much been into the Christmas mood lately. I have been wrapped up in my own little baby world that I didn't give Christmas much thought until December was here. Then all of the sudden I realized I needed to do about a million things. Christmas definitely changes when you are the one that is planning and preparing the Christmas fun. It is a lot of work. I appreciate my parents and applaud them for not going insane. Eight kids...that's nuts. I love them so much and can remember to this day the buzz of anticipation in my stomach all Christmas Eve. No wonder they told us we were not to come out of our rooms and start the festivities until at least 6 a.m.( It's hard to believe that I ever wanted to be up at that insane hour) I now understand the tired parents on Christmas day. Well I decided that I am going to do everything I can to enjoy Christmas and about a week ago I began to feel that buzz in my stomach.
I would have to say that Jason helped me out by making me laugh so hard that I cried the other night. We went driving around our neighborhood to see all the lights. Gavin feel asleep after about thirty minutes of looking at all the lights. So Jason decided to find a hill and sled, with our new sled that was still in the back of the car. He had no coat so he wore my girly white pea coat. He hiked up a hill in my coat, with no gloves, hat or anything sled worthy. And came plummeting down the hill. It was hilarious, I wish I would have had my camera. I love that crazy man for helping me find my Christmas Spirit.
So we hung lights in our window and in Gavin's window. The first few nights we had the lights on when Gavin went to bed. But a few night later he was just awake having a party in his room. Singing and playing with toys until 11 pm. Needless to say Gavin loves all the Christmas decor and is truly getting into the Christmas spirit. He loves to listen to the classic Christmas songs. He is so good at memorizing lyrics and has even stopped and corrected me when I sang the wrong lyrics to Jingle Bell Rock. What a little smarty pants. We took him to see Santa the other night and he him. I was relived because you never know if a two year old is going to cry or love Santa. Well Gavin, sat upon his lap and had himself a nice conversation. I bet he gets everything he wants. Santa said Gavin was a cute little guy.

Today we went and bought Jason a present from Gavin and Owen. Gavin and Owen helped pick out the present and Gavin talked about it the whole way home. Then he announced to daddy at lunch time that we got him a present. I had to stop him and tell him it was a surprise and not to tell daddy. So we wrapped the first presents of the season and put them under the tree. Gavin hugged one of the present and said, "I love my present!" Oh Christmas, what an exciting time. I can't believe it is almost here. Yeah!

All I can say is thank goodness for Christmas this year. It has brightened the cold dark nights and made my heart feel a little lighter!

Merry Christmas to All and to All a good night!
Tate

MTC Day For Elder Gearhart

I am very behind in my blogging. So the next few blogs my be out of order and from weeks ago. So, my youngest brother Taft entered the MTC a week and a half ago. My sister Tenille came down from Idaho to help take Taft to the MTC with me. It was fun to take him and see him off. Taft is going to be an outstanding missionary. I love that guy, he has a heart of gold. My mom told me a few weeks ago that Taft had been praying and working on one of his eyes that he has always had issues with. After a doctors appointment, he came home ecstatic because his vision had improved greatly. I didn't even know that it was as bad as it was. But he spent months working on improving it and praying. He is such a great example to me. His faith is unwavering, he knows and trusts in the Lord. Taft said he was nervous before he entered into the MTC (so much so that he could hardly eat his last, pre-mission requested, Bugers Supreme meal!) but when the time came he was the first to say goodbye to his goofy sisters and head out the door without a tear to start his mission. Oh and Gavin watched the whole movie and was pretty good while we were there. He didn't want to say goodbye. Gavin hates goodbyes. During the movie they show I wispered in Gaivn's ear, "don't you want to be a missionary someday?" He wispered back, "No" That's ok by me for now too soon to even think about my baby leaving. Oh then I would be bawling. Tate

Baby Bliss

I don't even know where to start so much has happened. I have so many things to post but I would rather sit and stare at my baby and toddler sleeping in my bed. I love being able to be lazy and just enjoy this new time in my (our) lives.
Gavin loves Owen or as he sometimes calls him Goo Goo.
Over the last two weeks we have been showered with so much love. Thanks for all the phone calls, visits, gifts, treats and meals. It has made the last two weeks so enjoyable. I will post more stories and such later. Here are some more pictures that some of you requested. Owen now weighs 7.5 and is 19.3 inches long.

Owen is here!

Baby Owen was born around 1:30. Labor was about 3 hours. He was 6 lbs. 11 oz. 18.5 inches. Mother and baby are doing awesome!

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween is so much fun! I love it. I don't know if Gavin is too excited about the dressing up part, but he is excited to get candy. We went to the store to pick up a bag of candy to pass out and a lady was passing out candy and he knew what to do right away. "Trick or Treat," he said and gladly ate the candy. Ahh...just like his dad. All about the candy without having to dress up. This year we found a skunk costume. He wore it once to our ward party crying for the first five of the 45 minutes that he had it on. Maybe he doesn't want to be a stinky skunk. But he sure is a cute one. He had fun going door to door in our neighborhood and at his grandparents. Oh and the other day we had our neighbors (Cari, Patrick and Jacob) over and carved pumpkins. They are way more talented and creative in the pumpkin carving area. They carved Bill Cosby, John Wayne and Lightning McQueen. We carved ours from a stencil/pattern book. We did a spooky house, a scarecrow and a classic pumpkin face for Gavin's. Owen's was too mushy to try and carve it so we wrote his name on it. It was a lot of fun to carve pumpkins together. We love our twinkie neighbors that we seem to have so much in common with. Cari has become such a good friend of mine. It has been nice to have someone that we can call and hang with, go shopping with, eat out with or switch babysitting with while we have our baby appointments and make our bellies into pumpkins. She is due with her second boy, like a week after me. And our two year olds are the best of buddies. I feel so blessed to have them for neighbors. Anyways Happy Halloween and we hope everyone eats so much candy you feel sick!

My First Tag

My sister tagged me, normally I don't do these but this was actually kinda fun. Tagged be the sevens.


7 Things I Can’t Do:
Watch a scary movie without peeing my pants, having nightmares or needing to have someone sleep right by my. Ask my sister Tamzen, my cousin Sara, or my hubby.
Remember to fill the Brita Pitcher back up.
Be without my boys (Jason, Gavin and of course Owen).
Follow written directions. Ya know like step-by-step Ikea or sewing directions.
Text fast with my new BlackBerry. Man I miss my Razor.
Stand for things to be out of order in my house. Everyone has OCD a little bit right?
Budget, I hate numbers, math and number crunching. Good thing I married Jason.


7 Things I Can Do:
Do a double, reverse, or inward flip on a diving board.
Swim the length of a meter pool without taking a breath.
Make-out pretty good. (I can tie a cherry stem and unwrap a starburst with just my tongue.) That’s proof enough, but you’ll have to ask Jase he’s the only man that knows.
Quilt a new hobby of mine that I love.
Clean a car better than you can pay a guy at a professional car wash.(inside and out)
Make cute babies(well that depends on what this one turns out to look like, well see)
I can play a few ditties on the guitar. (Not great but at least I can).


7 Things that attract me to Jason:
His gorgeous brown eyes and eyelashes.
His laugh, especially when he can’t stop laughing.
His calm cool collectiveness, he can go with the flow and I love to just be around him.
His random wackiness when I least expect it. Like the time he sang me a bunch of crazy kid songs to cheer me up. He still surprises me with the things that are stored up there in his brain. His goodness, he is a good guy through and through, his standards, his goals, his kindness to people around him etc.
His love of family. He always puts family first.
His little bit of nerd; he would be the one for me without it. He gets me.


7 Favorite Movies:
Stick It
The Other Sister
While You Were Sleeping
Home Alone/Elf/A Christmas Story (Tie)
Steel Magnolias
Some Kind of Wonderful (Thanks Steph)
School of Rock


Favorite Foods:
Café Rio (Chicken Salad)
Taco Bell (7 Layer Burrito)
Los Hermanos (Smothered Burrito & Chips & Salsa and smoothies)
Bangkok Grill (Pineapple Curry)
My Mom’s Sweet & Sour Chicken Recipe
Tamzen’s Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe
Lettuce Wraps and Dan Dan Noodles

7 Things I Say Most Often
Siiick!
Oops a daisy.
What in the WORLD!
Can you do me a favor…
Don’t judge me.
Love you.
Do you need to go potty?


7 People I Tag:
Ben Afleck
Jason Mraz
LC of the hills
Tina Fey
Robert Downey, Jr.
Mark Walberg
Anyone who really wants to do this that is my friend.

Pack's Pumkin Patch

Jacob and Gavin watch out everyone!

Scary Scarecrows!

Nikki was supposed to be hiding my belly...
where were ya on that on Nikki?

Gavin picked out a little green pumpkin and
a orange one. Later we decided he was think
ing of his little bro. How thoughtful...and we
didn't even know it.

"What dis Mommy?"



I swear I am not smuggling a Pumpkin out in
my shirt.

Gavin so excited he made it out of the little
corn maze.

Oh, how I love this time of year. It is my favorite time of all. On Saturday we went to Pack's Pumpkin Patch in West Farmington. We went there last year with Val, Ross and Logan. We loved it so much we headed back there again. This year was even better. Gavin and Logan were able to enjoy it on a whole new level. Plus our cousins Spencer Nikki and Miles joined us. Miles just looks cute out there in the field of pumpkins. Our neighnbor Cari, Patrick and Jacob came to. Jacob and Gavin are the same age and best of buds. We got some cute pics of them enjoying the festivities. It was the perfect afternoon so bright, warm and nice. Sorry the video is on it's side. Tilt your head it's worth it.

Quilting and Nursing Covers

My Cuddle Bug trying to find some space
on my lap without squishing my belly to much.

I couldn't resist taking this pic. Gavin is so cute
when he sleeps super hard.

Baby Owen's Quilt

Cute Nursing Cover

So,

I think I have everything ready for the baby to get here. I am getting anxious and ready to have the baby! I finished a quilt for him a couple of weeks ago. I made a nursing cover last week, with the help of my oh so talented mother-in-law, Jenise. It turned out to be pretty cute (ok super cute). Whoever came up with this idea to have a cover was a genius. I wish I woud have had one last time when Gavin was trying to kick off my blanket in front of people. Some things should be kept covered up ya know. I also have all his clothes washed and ready and his diaper bag ready too. We picked out the paint for his room, set up the crib for him and everything. A couple of day ago I decided we need to paint and we have been painting a little bit every night. With all the recent stuff we have been doing I was hoping to bring him here asap. But with my luck he will be a week late.

Jason, Gavin and I watch a little video about him having a new little sibling. It was so 1987. Needless to say we watched it once. But he is so excited and ask to see/touch/squeeze/talk to Owen inside my belly. I think Gavin and Owen are already best of buds. And Owen must be pretty tough for all Gavin has done to my belly already.

Well maybe next post will be one of Owen. Maybe not.

Tate

Our Friend Micheal

We have a little friend in our neighborhood. His name is Micheal and he is about six. We met on a cool evening and he became fast pals with Gavin. He likes to entertain Gavin, push him in the swings and go down the slides with him. It is pretty cute. Gavin loves older kids so it's kinda nice to have Micheal out at the park so often.
One late summer evening we were all outside. Jason brought out some Watermelon and we shared it with Micheal. I think that was the night he bonded with us. Since then he has sold me on a School Fundraiser and comes over often to ask if Gavin can play. There is only one tiny problem. He wants to come in and play in our house. Which he has and that's fine with us he is a nice kid. But it made me nervous, because I have never met his mom or siblings or anything. He is always outside alone for long amounts of time. He even gave me his mom's # the night he came in to play. I called her to tell her who I was and where Micheal was and that we would like to meet her. If I was his mom I would want to know the people's house he was at. I haven't heard back from her since. So tonight when he asked to come in and play I said that we wanted to play outside. He is so nice I don't want him to feel rejected.
He took off his shoes to play and only had on one sock. I asked him why he had only one sock and he said the other was at home. Oh, o.k. that makes sense. So Gavin had to take of his shoes just like him to play. The kid who freaks out if a wood chip gets in his shoe was barefoot running around without a care. I hope he is not so easily influenced later on.

Risky Business

Here is a video of Gavin dancing in his undies. I have to secretly get photo's and video's when he is not looking. So I was trying to not crack up while I was getting this.

I'm Yours

Gavin's has become quite the singer. He can actually carry a tune pretty good and pick up lyrics fast, even when I am sure he has no idea what they mean. Oh man, I guess I have stop listening to my explict music.

Good Old Fashioned Family Fun

So,

This Saturday we decided to go up the Farmington Canyon for a campfire. Jason and I have been craving camping and hiking and all that fun stuff. Well actually Jason more than me. But for obvious reason's I have been putting it off. I decided that we don't have anymore time to try to do some camping and such before it gets too cold.

Jason packed up the car and all the gear. We bought things to roast on the fire and set out. There was a slight drizzle going on outside on and off most of the day. But we thought we would try our luck. I thought we would drive for a few minutes and then pull into a nice campground. Little did I know we were actually going to drive up the mountain. A one way, barley enough room for your car, 30 min. drive of insanity. I was so nervous. At one point I was asked, "how, much longer, I didn't know we were going to drive up the actual mountain!" I don't know why I was such a nervous wreck. I used to be such brave adventerous,thrill seeker. All I was thinking was, one wrong move and my worst nightmare of flying and then rolling down a cliff with my family could come true. Maybe I have some extra maternal instinct to protect right now. I don't know but it was scary.

However, when we got to the top and pulled into the campground it was pretty cool. Gavin went to look for dry wood with his dad, and loved it. He even tried to help the fire get going. He had his camping chair and was all set to roast some mallow's.

We were there for about 10 minutes before it started to down poor. We knew the already damp wood would not make it. So we headed back down the scary drive. At the bottom of the canyon there is a duck pond and we stopped to feed the ducks. Just as we jumped in the car to head home another down pour began. I love rainstorms, just as long as I am in a dry place watching it. So much for our attempt to have some good old fashioned family fun.

Random Happiness

I have been especially moody and not myself latley. But I decided to think of all the things that made me happy today.

• Quilting/Sewing, I know it may seem a little boring but I love to pick out cute fabric and try and make something out of it. Today I finished some burp cloths and a blanket for my sister-in-law Jolene, who is having her baby boy next week.
• Gavin cracked up at the word latley. I said to him, "Why are you being such a stinker to Mommy latley." He walked around saying, "latley, latley" in a silly voice laughing. Mocking me perhaps but it was so cute I forgot what it was he was doing before.
• Taco Bell...need I say more.
• Gavin slept through the night in his big boy bed for the first time ever on the first attempt. I actually think he likes it better because he has more room to wiggle around. He was in a different position each time I checked on him.
• Staying in my PJ's today until Jason got home from work.
• Feeling baby move a lot. I think I can feel feet and hands.
• Swimming in the Kiddie Pool with my family on the 18th of September.
• Hanging our first picture frame on the wall in our home. That's right we have been here for 6 months now, but it has like 2o something 4x6's in the gigantic frame. Full of some of our favorite moments and people over the last few years.
• I started Breaking Dawn and had some time to read a few pages while Gavin played with his new B-Day toys. Then he realized I was trying to read. "Mommy, mommy," everytime I tried to read a paragraph. Oh well he is more fun than some sappy book.
• A phone conversation with my sister about life.
• Watching an old Psych episode with my hubby and hearing him laugh really hard. He has the best laugh!
• Seeing a preview for the new Grey's season. (Or any of my favorite fall shows coming back soon!)
• My hubby making fun of me for writing something sappy about him in this post.

So I guess life is good here!

The Big Two

Here are some of the picture from his party. He was so excited, and loved all his presents. He was so hyper at his party, probably due to going to bed at 11 the night before and having no nap. He is super funny when he is like that though so it made for a fun party!

Gavin turned two yesterday! Sometimes I can hardly believe that he is two. And sometimes I can hardly believe that he is only two. It doesn't feel like he has been here longer than two years, but he acts like he is older than he really is sometimes. For instance, that boy can talk. He has full conversastion with me and anyone that he can find. Granted it is not all understood, but I am amzazed by what he can say. When I was on my way to the airport on Friday, he was in the car for a really long time and had an accident. He said, "Mommy I peed-ed." I was a bit frustrated because that rarley happens and we had no where to stop and pull over. I think he sensed my frustration as he said, "and that ok, accidents happen." This is a line Grover says from Elmo's Potty Time. He picks up on everything so fast, he amazes me.


Also as he has gotten closer to two he has become quite the comedian. He loves to make Jason and me laugh. And laugh we do, he makes the best silly faces and has awesome dance moves. Well, we love Gavin so, so, so, much and we are so glad he is ours. Happy B-day Gavin!

Back in Dekalb

Hi Everyone,
So I finally got the chance to come and visit my parents out in Dekalb. I have been dying to thier new home. And it is even more beautiful than the pictures that I have seen. More than seeing it there is a feel to it that feels like home to me. It's weird, I know, because I have never been here before. But it has a cozy, quaint, feel to it, just like the home I grew up in back in Colorado. It has been a little cooler here too. So it feels like autumn time has already settled in here. There is a patch of leaves that have already fallen on the ground that are the perfect shades of red and orange. Yesterday, we even went to an apple orchard and a pumpkin patch today. I love it here. And everywhere you go there are fields of without end of corn and soy beans. My mother tried to talk me into going over to a field by a store and getting some with her. My own mother wanting me to snatch up some beans. See where I get my wild side from.

And now ready for this...I saw Wicked! Can you believe that I finally got to see it. My obssession with the musical began back in 2004 or 5 when Stephanie's (my old roomie) sister gave her the music. We used to blare that music everywhere and sing at the top of our lungs. I think we were pretty good back in the day. Anyways, now years later I finally saw it. It was Wicked, I wish I could see it again tonight.

We rode a train from Elburn into Chicgago. Downtown was cool, I rode in my first taxi, and saw the L-Train and were they filmed parts of the new Batman movie that I am afraid to go see. Being in downtown and riding the train makes me feel all shabby shick. I was a fun night.

Meanwhile Taft watched Gavin. I was a little nervous to leave him because he has recently been potty trained. But Taft was a champ and Gavin loves "Uncle Taft" so much. He even wanted to put on his shoes and go to work with him this morning. I think he missed his Dad too. Jason is working in Arizona this week. Tonight he was acting like he was playing hide and seek and looking for his dad.

Well, we leave tomorrow and I can't believe it. It was a short trip but I am glad we were able to make it out here. Gavin was an amazing flyer on the way out here. Flirting with the flight attendant and anyone that looked his way. He made so many friends. And tomorrow is the last day he can ride free. What a way to ride out his last day of being a 1 year old.

More to come soon,

Tate

That's How we Roll

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Elko, Who Knew?

So,

On Thursday, we all took a mini road trip to Elko, Nevada. Jason had to check out some sites along the way for his job and had a few meetings. So Gavin and I decided that we wanted to tag along. We have been there once before and the hotel has a decent swimming pool and hot tub. Gavin and I went swimming while Jason was working that afternoon.

I must say that I didn't have super high expectation for an amazingly fun trip. It was just a way to all be together and get out of the norm. About five minutes into the trip we got a flat tire, and I was thinking oh this is going to be a great trip.

But it was a super fun vaca. We had a fun 3 and a half hour car ride down, much to my surprise. Gavin was quite entertained the whole way. I had some stickers that I forgot I left in his coloring book. They are his rewards stickers I use at home. Like if he throws away his diaper or sits in the shopping cart while I shop. He loves them and since he only gets one at a time I am sure he was in Heaven. I looked back and he had them all lined up, saying his letters what a funny kid.

He also thought it was fun to sing a lot of songs along the way. Like Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, My name is Giraffe(one I made up), and the muppets song that I have no idea how to spell. He was laughing so hard and wanted us to sing it again and again and again. He got a little camera shy cause he was laughing way harder before I tried to get this video.

After Jason got back we from work that night. We went to dinner at the only sit down place in town, Wingers. I had wings in honor of my dad. Wingers is his favorite place to eat at when he comes to Utah. My favorite thing is the desert. Asphalt Pie is the bomb, I recomend it to everyone.

So then we went out to find a park. And we found maybe the coolest park I have ever seen. It was all wooden with towers, slides, teepees, boats and lots of space to run around in. The park had signs on it every where you turned with the people that donated money to have it built. How cool is that? I want to build one here. Or wherever I live. Here are some pictures. We had to go back the next day before we left to take pictures of the place in the daylight. And to play one last time before we left Elko. Even though it was a short trip to what would seem like a not so great town it was an awesome family get away.

-Tate