Lewieville

Zander Turned 3!

2012-01-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

That's right, it's someone's birthday...

I couldn't get him to hold his hand out from in front of his face so here is his THREE picture. He is such an amazing little guy. I love him so much!

He wanted a car birthday cake so this is what I ended up with. He was so excited about this cake it was so much fun! Making my kids happy makes me happy!

Everyone at his party... Grandma and Grandpa Scharmann, Uncle Ronnie, Grandma and Grandpa Lewis, Aunt Erin, Aunt Angie and cousins Madison, Emma, Dallin, Caleb and Savannah! And of course Mom, Dad and Sissy...

He kept jumping so the picture ended up blurred! Stinker

Daddy helping him bowl, he was so excited when he knocked down pins. He actually beat all the kids there in bumper bowling, Now that's a Happy Birthday :)

Opening his presents, it took him FOREVER! He had to put every piece (little piece) that he tore off in the garbage can, to move things along Jake had to bring the can closer.

Zander is truly a Superhero! He may be three but he has gone through a lot in his 3 little years and he is so strong because of it. He is amazing and everyday we wake up and thank our Father in Heaven for blessing us with Zander in our home. He is amazing, happy, helpful loving and pretty funny. We love him so much! Thank you Val and James, you are angels to us!

3 Year Stats

Height- 37"

Weight- 31 lbs

Shoe Size- 9 1/2

Clothes Size- 3T

Favorite Color- Green

Favorite Cartoon- Little Einsteins

Favorite Treat- Chocolate Chip Cookies

Favorite Toy- Monster Truck (Tonka Truck given to him by Uncle Ronnie!)

Loves to play outside

He is a complete Mama's boy! (I'm totally ok with this!)

Favortie Song- Popcorn Popping

Favorite Meal- Potato Soup and Hamburgers

New Years

2012-01-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

This year we had a very LOW key New Years. Jake was sick, so me and the kids had a little party of playing Just Dance3 on the Wii and then dancing to some music. We had a dinner of appetizers and of course some Sparkling Apple Cider in fancy glasses. Then they went to bed around 10 and I stayed up and watched the ball drop with my sleeping husband. So that's our excitement!

Happy New Year!

Green Tip!

2012-01-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

In between each color belt change there is the "tip." So before you can advance to the next color belt you have to get 100% in the "tip" of the color you're in. Well Jessalyn advanced to a Green-Tip

Here is Jessalyn's entire group. We are so proud of her and how are she works at Karate. I have to admit I wasn't very excited about putting her in Karate, it was her and Jake's idea, but seeing her grow and achieve so much make me so happy that we signed her up! She is so strong and confident and I am so happy for the little girl she is becoming.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Well this post has taken me awhile and I apologize, but I have to get caught up on my blog! So every year we have a tradition where each kid gets to put the Angel on the tree, here is Jake holding Jessalyn up to put the Angel on the tree.

And Little Man was quite squirrly up there but he had to have his turn as well. This is is so special for so many reasons, We have Zander this year, the first Christmas in our new home and the first year in THREE years we have actually been able to decorate for Christmas.

Here is Jessalyn singing for our church Christmas party. Zander was roaming around up there too but I couldn't get a picture of him because he wouldn't stay still...

Jake and I took the kids to Reno to see Santa, here are the kiddos standing in line waiting kind of patiently :) Aren't they the cutest monsters ever?!

Still waiting for Santa, an elf came around and made balloon animals for the kids in line. It was pretty cute

Here they are with the big man himself. Jessalyn asked for a Dark Purple stuffed Hippo and Zander requested a Monster Truck! (I forgot to scan in the real picture we bought before we packed our Christmas stuff up so this is all we get!)

Mom and Dad stayed busy this Christmas. Jessalyn got this massive handmade (by her Daddy decorated by Mommy) Dollhouse along with Dolls and furniture that you need inside!

Zander got all these cars that I painted for him to go with his car mat that I made. He also got a trainset! The kids also stocked up on movies and Santa brought them a Wii... its pretty funny to watch them play the Wii

Jake and I have a hard time not laughing as they dance together. Hope you enjoy!

Us

2011-12-10T00:36:00.001-08:00

Finally, we have a good family picture. Thank you to my WONDERFUL sisters-in-law Jessica and Heather. Jessica came over to my parents house Thanksgiving day and took a million pictures of my whole family, then Heather edited the pictures for us. They turned out great! I can't wait to order this to hang on my wall!

December 6th

2011-12-07T01:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Colby,
Wow! It's been three years since I last saw your handsome, contagious smile. I love you so much! I miss you so much. Losing you doesn't infeast my every thought anymore, I have healed some, but I will never stop loving you. It's hard to write this letter... I'm doing it through tender tears of remembrance and reflection.

This was the last night we had you. This picture was taken about 7 hours before I buckled you into your carseat for the last time and watched, and cried as you were driven away from me forever. I will never forget that day, I will never forget those last days. You are an amazing little boy.

So much has happened since you left. Your big sister still talks about you often, lucky for Dad and I she doesn't do it EVERY day still, but she loves to look at your picture books and tell Zander all about you. That's right, you have a little brother. I wish you were here to meet him, he is such a strong and happy little boy. He has a contagious smile and laugh just like you did. You would love exploring our back yard, there is a whole acre out there for you kids. I can't even imagine all the fun you would have, I'm sure I would never truly understand the "games" you would play.

We are healing. Everyday we are healing. I've been on edge the last week or so, the smallest thing will set me off, not at Lynnie or Zander, I've held them a little closer the last week, but with everyone else. I hate how this first week of Decemeber throws me for a loop, it does it to your Dad too. We still have a hard time handeling this week, we do it without even putting it together until exactly on the 6th, then we realize why we have been in a cranky fog for the last week :)

I pray for you every day. I know that your little life hasn't been easy. It breaks my heart that your birthfather has been (and might still be) back in jail. I hate that you have to deal with his addictions your whole life. But I want you to know that you are loved so much! I can't tell you in words how much we have always and will always love you.

As I said we are healing. We know that with you still in our home we probably never would have adopted Zander. And he is 100% our little boy, he belongs here, just as much as you did. He loves us so much and we love him even more. You would have made an amazing big brother. It breaks my heart that you will never be with your big sister and little brother, but I know that it all happened for some reason. It is my Faith in Jesus Christ that reminds me that we are never given anything we can't handle. I know that you were placed in our home for those tender 17 months for a reason, you were taken for a reason. Just because I have faith in that doesn't mean I will ever understand it all. But one thing I know for sure, I will never stop loving you!

Love,
Mom

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-11-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

This is the first year we are decorating our NEW house for Christmas. It has been exciting to actually decorate our own house. Although Jessalyn has mentioned that she doesn't think we have enough Christmas decorations... I'm sorry I love decorating and all but I don't want my house to "puke" Christmas either. But we are working on that and I am sure that my little Kindergartener will bring home some nice additions.

I am a sucker for traditions. When I was growing up my dad would always hold us up and let each of us put the angel on the tree, so thats what we do in our house now. It's so fun for the kids, I know that because I LOVED it growing up.

Thanks mom and dad for the traditions that I am able to carry on in my family! More exciting Christmas happenings coming up I am sure!

HaLloWeEn 2011

2011-11-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

How else are you suppose to start Halloween other than carving pumpkins. I will openly admit that Halloween is my LEAST favorite holiday, but I do it for my kiddos. So we only carved two pumpkins, one for Lynnie and one for Zander. Jessalyn is an old pro and this stuff so she was so excited!

Zander wasn't nearly as excited. He kept saying "Eeww gross mom, dats gross" It was pretty cute.

A hesitant smile from Zander, he HATES his hands dirty so this is a huge milestone :)

Jessalyn loves nastiness so she didn't mind at all.

See he is getting the hang of it, still a pretty forced smile though

He liked his pumpkin much better this way... all closed up and DONE!

And Jessalyn with her's. She drew the face all by herself and daddy cut it out.

Here is Scooby and Velma. Jessalyn picked out the costumes this year and she was so excited about it. She picked Velma for herself because she said "Velma is the smart one, like me :)" So of course we HAD to get Velma and Scooby.

This just shows that she would be gorgeous with any hair do! She definately made Velma look good!

And here is my Scooby. He LOVED being Scooby. He loved his costume so much that he has had to sleep with it every night since Trick-or-Treating. I love these two kids that make my life worth everything! They are the best.

Sign, SEALED, delivered :)

2011-10-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day! We had so many family members and friends! Zander is now ours for Eternity. We love him so much and we have had such a wonderful week.

I love this picture... It's rare that I love a picture of myself :) It must be that cute little boy in the picture next to me.

The only people not in this picture are my parents, they had to finish their responsibilities inside. It was a wonderful day.

Finally it's Final

2011-10-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here we are getting ready to go into the Court House in Gardnerville. We were all pretty anxious and excited for this day! We have been waiting for 6 months with Zander but Jake, Jessalyn and I seem to feel like this day has been years in the making. We are so amazingly blessed to have Zander in our life.

We are even more blessed to have such a great support system! (From Left) Aunt Erin, Zander, Emma, Uncle Brad, Madison, Jessalyn, Grandma Lewis, Grandma Lana and Grandpa Bus. (Baby Savannah was hiding in her seat on the floor).

All the papers were signed!! Our attorney George Keele, Me and Jessalyn, Jake and Zander, and our Judge M. Gibbons. It didn't take very long at all, but it was still emotional.

Legal Proof!

After Court we drove in to Carson and got some frozen yogurt! Mmmm Yogurt!

We felt so loved all day from all the phone calls, texts and facebook comments. Then we came home to balloons on our mailbox...

And a banner signed by ALL the teachers and students at Oasis Academy Charter School. Jake works with an amazing group of women and we couldn't be happier with our choice we made for him to switch jobs! Jessalyn was so excited to see all her friends had signed their names and loved her! It was just so overwhelming and sweet.

Here he is... Zander James LEWIS!!

Soccer 2011

2011-09-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

This year in soccer has been quite exciting! Especially watching this little guy "watch" the game :)
Here is our girl running hard. I think she really enjoys her daddy being her coach. Their team seems to be stacked. They win by so much every game that I start cheering for the other team. Seriously, the closest game has been 11-1! Last week was 21-1... What do you do?

Oh yeah we aren't suppose to keep score :) oops!
That's right, Jake convinced all four of his girls on the team that they should be the Purple PANSIES! He kills me.

Singing (Stalling) Before Bedtime

2011-09-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

Itsy Bitsy Spider... He cracks me up constantly!

Popcorn Popping,I love his face during this song!

She's Lost It!!

2011-09-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

That's right... Tooth number 1 is out! And can I say FINALLY!! That sucker was dangling and nasty and had to be taken out. Although it was traumatic at first, even she admitted that it DIDN'T hurt and they mom and dad were right, it felt better with it out :) I love being right! She is the cutest little toothless girl ever. She says we can call her Toothless even, Jessalyn cracks us up.

Oh and she has the best Tooth Fairy... for the first tooth (and the first tooth only) the Tooth Fairy left her a $5 bill! The dollar store was $5 happier on Saturday!

Now isn't that the smallest tooth ever?!

Here she is toothless and showing her "reptile" or as we call it. a LIZARD. After she and her dad caught it Jessalyn kept chanting, "we caught a reptile, we caught a reptile!"

We had the whole for our trampoline dug this weekend so we have a lot of extra soft dirt in our yard right now, so when all the Lewis cousins came to dinner, they all played in the mud. And they all SAT in it a really long time ;) I love this picture.

We're Busy...

2011-08-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

And it's only going to get busier! I start school this week, upside, it is the last CRAZY semester that I have. So I am very excited to it done. All I can say is that it is lucky Jake is in town this year because there is no way I would be able to keep up with this girl and her "Activities" by myself!

We have quite the stacked soccer team this year. We have some very athletic girls on our team and Lynnie is loving every minute of it! Zander on the other hand isn't the biggest fan of WATCHING, and he tries to sneak off as often as he can but I don't lose track too often :)

Anyway, like I said, I start school this week, 15 credits! So the posts might be getting a little fewer and farther between but I will try to do my best. We have a court date for Zander, Oct 14th, we are so blessed to have him in our home. He is doing amazing! You would never know we didn't have him until he was two. He fits perfectly and we just can't get past how amazing he is and how lucky we are to have him. I have a very cute video of him and Lynnie reading together I will have to post it soon... they are getting so close to each other and it couldn't make me happier.

Until next post...

First Day of School

2011-08-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

You read it right. My baby girl started Kindergarten this morning. Isn't she cute in her uniform?

She got into the new Charter School here in Fallon, its quite a change because Kindergarten goes from 8am until 2pm.

Here are the kiddos in my forced picture, they are showing you with the looks on their faces how thrilled they are with this pose :)

Jessalyn said she would be ok because her best friend was in her class... she was right, Madison kept Jessalyn very calm through out the whole day. I think they helped each other a lot with the new transition.

Yes I am that mom that took pictures of all I could. You can see Madison and Jessalyn popping their heads out so that I could see them.

Walking into the school. She is such a big girl! I love her so much.

I was lucky enough to volunteer in her classroom the first day for about an hour. I took this picture of them reading a story right before I left. Jessalyn didn't even flinch when I left.

And no I didn't cry! woohoo!!

Here is Zander and his cousin Emma. They were the one's left behind when their big sisters went to school. They were ok playing together though. I think that was great for Zander because he didn't like leaving Lynnie at school! And he asked about her ALL day long.

This is what she looked like about 10 minutes after I picked her up from school. I am thinking it was a little draining but we like to call it a successful first day of school!

In One Year...

2011-08-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

My little girl has gone from a white belt to a yellow belt

a yellow belt to an orange belt

and an orange belt to...

A GREEN BELT!! This is a picture of her right when she learned she had actually earned the green belt. She was trying so hard to contain her excitement.

She got it! We didn't know if she was going to or not, but she worked really hard, put in EXTRA practices and it paid off.

Such an excited little girl. I was so proud of her and all her hard work it was hard not to cry when she was given her belt. She did perfectly!

I'm so proud of my little 5 year old green belt, half way to a BLACK BELT!

I forgot 10 YEARS!

2011-08-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

So I feel awful that I didn't blog about this earlier but I was pretty wrapped up in our vacation and all that I didn't blog about mine and Jake's 10 year wedding anniversary on July 27th. We didn't do much, actually we spent the whole day with our kids and it was perfect! We had thought of a big trip and great big plans but when it came down to it, being with Jessalyn and Zander was perfect.

But I wanted to take a second and post that I love my husband, we have been through more together than most couples EVER have to go through, but I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to have gone through any of it without Jake. He is my rock and my security he holds me up and always believes in me. Especially as I finish my degree this next year, so much is going to fall on my Jake and I know he will do it all willingly.

I love you Jake!

Love,
Me

Arizona (Bearizona) Day 3

2011-07-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

So the last day of our adventure we went to BEARIZONA! It is a drive through wildlife park, we have never done anything like that before so it was quite the adventure.

The kids seemed to enjoy it and had fun watching the animals NOT behind a cage.

This mule came right up to our window! Lynnie and Zander both loved that!

The Alaskan wolf

Nevada's State Animal the Big Horn Sheep

White Bison

And of course a BEAR

Then after you drove through they had a walk through portion with all the baby animals and a petting zoo. Zander's favorite animal was the pig... he spoke perfect pig to it... OINK!

I thought this Linx was gorgeous

And lucky for us Marie was able to stay over nigt and spend the whole day with us! It was so nice to be able to meet her without agency workers hovering close by! Lynnie was able to ask her some questions but really enjoyed just having Marie there. After she left Jessalyn said "I think I already miss Marie!" so cute and precious I am so happy that we are able to have this open repationship with Marie, THank you for vacationing with us :) Now it is off to our LONG drive home!

Arizona Trip Day 2

2011-07-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

So today was a very relaxing day at the KOA. We were just being lazy and playing and swimming when we remembered about the Pony rides. Both the kids loved them, Zander was asking for them the whole rest of the trip! Although you can't tell by his smile... he isn't so great at the smile on que thing...

And of course I couldn't get them to turn around at the same time for a picture!

Then we rented this off-road bike for a half hour. Jessalyn was pretty good at it but needed help up hills, this toy wore dad out!

Zander couldn't be left out! Everytime Jessalyn drove he would stand at the camp site saying "I ride I ride" then I would say when dadddy comes back and he would say "its ok, ok mom its ok." So cute!

Also a very special part of this day was that Jessalyn's birthmom came up from Mesa to see us! We were all excited to see Marie and we were so happy when she got there.

Grand Canyon Part 1

2011-07-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

We Made it t the Grand Canyon, I have so many pictures that I love of the kids I am trying something a little different. I don't know how I will like it but its worth a shot right...

Now here is some of Zander

S'more Funnies

2011-07-25T21:14:00.001-07:00

My kids love S'mores even if they aren't the cleanest eaters...

Good stuff!

Just Some Pictures I Love

2011-07-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

A boy that loves his Daddy.

(Don't worry the girl that loves her Daddy is not far away)

Now how cute is a little white boy in a wife-beater :)

She was loving some cotton candy :)

Lynnie, Shelby, Zander and Faith strolling at the Farmer's Market

Swim Lessons 2011

2011-07-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

So I was feeling bad that Zander always had to sit on the side lines and watch Lynnie in Karate, soccer, swim lessons, and everything else she does so I decided to put Zander in private lessons. He is to young for the group classes so I did the private lessons. He loved it! His poor teacher Aaron probably didn't know what hit him with the wild two year old but Zander had a blast and loved playing in the water. It wasn't so bad for Jessalyn to have to sit out and watch him either!

Here he is swimming with a noodle!

Aaron asked my permission and I didn't mind but Zander loved going off the big slide. I don't think he was suppose to but he loved it!

Zander was so funny during his swim lessons. Aaron had to get pretty creative to keep Zander on task and interested but he did a great job and Zander loved it!

Jessalyn did two session this summer. She is turning in to quite a swimmer. She loves the water and has pretty much mastered the diving board. She was hesitant at the begining of the summer but by the end you can see... she even did a CANON BALL!! I am so proud of her and all the amazing progress she makes. She loves to learn anything and she really does try her hardest in whatever she is doing.

Here is that Canon Ball...

An New Scharmann

2011-07-21T01:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my little brother who is a Daddy and his wife Sam. His little girl Annabelle was born 7.11.11. She is adorable and we love her already!

July 2011 Califoria Trip

2011-07-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, you're right this picture isn't of California but we just put 2500 sq. ft of sod in our back yard and got these too cute chairs for the kiddos. They were lounging on the lawn while Jake and I packed!

Here we are at the Giants game! Jessalyn went to a game when she was about 6 months old, but this is the first she remembered, and this of course is Zander's first game. Both kids did great during the game and had a really good time. The Giants were having and LDS Family Night at the park so we couldn't pass it up. My parents, sister Terri and her family and my brothere Steve and his family all went to the game together. It was so much fun!

Here are my VERY cute Giants fans. I just love them SO MUCH!!

Daddy and his kiddos in our seats waiting for the first pitch :)

Zander and his cousin Dallin. They had a lot of fun together this weekend. Goofy boys

Cheering for a rallying in the bottom of the 9th... it didn't work but he is rocking his rally hat and raising his giants sign high!

The next day we spent a very relaxing 4 HOURS in my borthers pool. Lynnie learned how to be fearless again in the water. She was cannon balling and everything! Such a fish.

Daddy and Lynnie posing under the waterfall

Dallin, Zander and Lynnie playing in the pool.

Jessalyn jumping off the waterfall...

Zander is swimming with dolphins... ok so they are plastic but still dolphins! That's pretty cool. Unfortunately he doesn't look like he is liking it in this picture but I promise he did like it!

We had a fantastic trip! July is going to be a busy month and school starts Aug 15th so the summer is going to quick! I still have so much I want to get done, we better get busy :)

Loving

2011-06-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

I love these two kids. They make my life complete! They are getting along better every day and Jessalyn is learning how to be the best big sister. Here they are rocking in the chair before Zander went to bed. Jessalyn insisted on rocking him this night... he didn't seem to mind. I love them!

Zander Happenings

2011-06-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

He is just so handsome!

We have been potty training! He cracks us up daily!

He is doing pretty good with potty training for a boy...

In deep thought during soccer practice

Soccer Camp

2011-06-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Jessalyn had the AYSO soccer camp about a week ago. It was hot out but she did awesome!

Always smiling... most always!

We call this a success!

A guy has to relax when he is stuck watching his sister all week long! Such a good brother.

Starting the Summer with a Spark

2011-06-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well we had a scary moment yesterday. We are getting the hard ready for sod and so we needed to burn some weeds... it was not windy it was actually perfect weather to burn. So we started. We were almost done and a gust of wind came and carried the fire across the back of the property and beyond. We called 911 immediately and ended up with 4 firetrucks at our house.

Everything is fine. A couple toys were lost in it all but that's it. We were very blessed and very grateful that nothing awful happened.

Nice way to amend the morning of Jake's first day of summer.

Funny Videos

2011-06-06T23:35:00.000-07:00

A funny message for you!

Jessalyn sparing in Karate. She deleted the good video from my phone so this is the one I have right now. Too bad she gets taken down in this one... She is a fighter though and keeps going back!

And the best car dancing video ever! Don't worry I was at a stop light! Also ignore the black eye... Zander doesn't seem to be the most graceful 2 year old :)

Update (Sorry no pics)

2011-06-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Alright I don't have pictures at the moment. It doesn't have to do with me not taking them, it simply is that I haven't downloaded them and I don't want to deal with it right now.

Summer is so close we can taste it, the weather isn't helping, it has been cold here and windy and me and the kids are NOT liking that at all. We have been keeping busy, as often as we can we play outside and Lynnie has become an AWESOME fort buidler for the days when it isn't so nice outside.

Jessalyn is such an amazing little girl. She graduated from preschool and her teacher thinks she is such a "bright" little girl. We knew that but it's always nice to hear it from someone else :) She is quickly learning how to be a big sister again. She loves her little brother even though she won't admit it, she gets more attention when she is pouting apparently. But she loves to play with him, torture him, cuddle him, and she really likes him following her around! She loves going potty when he goes on the big boy toilet. Even if she has just gone to the bathroom, if he says he has to go she will run in there and sit on the toilet right across from his potty and sit their until he goes. Of course she gets an M&M too :)

Zander is an amazing little boy. He has relaxed so much in the last couple weeks we have really seen a difference in him. He is recognizing our family when they come over or when we see them anywhere. He is doing great with potty-training. #1 is easy, he has that down, but for some reason #2 is really hard for him to do in the potty. He is catching on though and we have all summer to get it down! He is exploding with his speech! He loves copying whatever we say (so we are careful) and he especially loves copying whatever sissy says. Zander is an awesome sleeper... nice especially after our 6:30 am girl! He is a major eater, and just your typical average 2 year old. He knows what he wants and doesn't like when he doesn't get it... see very typical :) We love this little guy so much and are so blessed to have him in our home.

Jake finishes school next week and we are grateful that he won't be driving to Smith Valley anymore after next Friday! Such a blessing. This year (really month) has been so wonderful for our family and we feel so incredibly blessed. I promise I will post pictures soon, there is a lot to post!

Today they are Friends...

2011-05-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Its a work in progress. Zander LOVES to follow "sissy" around the house and play with her

Sissy, is learning to love her brother and is so good with him and playing with him.

This month has been a month of transisitons, but we are doing great!

T-ball Pictures

2011-05-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

This season has been fun and quick. Wednesday is our last game :( It has been so fun to watch Lynnie learn and play and have fun!

And of course having your daddy as your coach is pretty awesome, I should know my dad was ALWAYS my coach, I loved it and I know Lynnie and Jake did too.

Our House

2011-05-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

So as many of you know Jake and I bought a forclosure in February and have been working diligently to get it remodeled and ready for living. Well there are still a few things to do, but for the most part it is done! We have a whole acre to work on the outside but the inside is mostly done.

Here is the living room right after we took the old carpet out

Here it is now with the fireplace and all of the toys my niece Elaine has out right now (Lynnie popped in a couple pictures... shocking)

This is where the fireplace use to be, there was this awful and crooked rock wall and a whole in the wall next too it... neither of which are there today!

The Kitchen before

The kitchen now, the counter was extended four feet and all new appliances and couter tops!

Hallway before

The hallway after, the dresser won't stay right there, we just haven't moved it out yet :)

The bathroom (AKA biggest project) before (Jake loves this picture but he did it on purpose...)

The bathroom now. Whole new floor, tub, vanity, toilet... EVERYTHING!

Lynnie's room before (or shall I say while we were painting)

And Jessalyn's Room finished

Zander's Room Before.

Here is his room after... Lynnie picked a Phineus and Ferb theme, not my first pick but it works alright. This may not be finished, there are still a couple things I want to do but its pretty good for now.

I haven't included the master bed room, because currently it is the catch-all and need a good cleaning! So that will happen this week. So here is our labor of love! We love our house and we enjoyed working on it! I hope you like it!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T00:50:00.000-07:00

Like every Easter, you start the celebrations by dying eggs. So Saturday morning we dyed eggs.

Here is our handsome boy very happy!

Here is Lynnie, she is pro at dying eggs. She didn't need any help at all! She is so careful and pretty smart.

Everytime we would pull an egg out with Zander he would say "Ooo wow" or "Oh look at dat!" It was so cute! He ate up dying eggs, and he happened to be a little angry when we were out of eggs.

Next was Easter morning. The Bunny was good to the kids of course! And here they are after hunting eggs. Zander picked up on it fast after watching his big sister grab a couple eggs. She was quick to say she got more than him, but she was also nice to help him find a few also.

Then it was time to get ready for church... Look at this handsome happy guy. He is getting better about pictures as you can tell. He is getting better about everything. He is just an amazing little boy and a huge blessing!

And our big girl. I can't believe how big she is getting so fast! She is gorgeous and so special, I don't know what I would do without my little girl

Here they are together. Sister and Brother. I love this!

Then the craziness began. Jake's family came over for Easter dinner and Liz and Jessalyn created a new trick... I thought it was pretty cool.

And to end the day watching a movie together before bed. We had to do something to calm them down from the candy and the family fun! I just love these two kids, I can't imagine what this Easter would have been like without BOTH my kids.

Privatizing

2011-04-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Jake and I are contemplating making our blog private. We would of course still want everyone important to us be able to view our life happenings but since we aren't actively looking to adopt again we feel that thhis would be best for our family. So if you want to keep looking... send me your email address and I will give you access.

Thanks

Zander James Lewis

2011-04-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated story! On Thursday April 7th, Jake and I were with the WONDERFUL members of our ward unloading our storage shed into our new house. My phone rings and it is one of my friends, Lori. Lori and her husband Ben are also adopting, but they also post their profile on another site. Apparently Lori got a call a few days earlier from a young girl. She asked Lori if she and her husband would be interested in adopting her two year old little boy. Lori and Ben thought and prayed about it but didn't feel this situation was right for them, so they called Val back and told her they couldn't take him but they had some friends (US) that might be willing to adopt a two year old. So they forwarded to her all the information on Jake and I. I have to admit I was hesitant at first (seriously if you had been through what we had you would have been too) but I decided to go ahead and call her.

She was very interested in Jake and I and wanted us to adopt her son Zander. We said we would love to, but she needed to go into our agency. On Monday they rode multiple buses to get to the agency. 3 hours later they were there and in the office of the director telling them they wanted Jake and I to adopt their son. Only hitch, LDS Family Services only does infant adoption. So I called my cousin looking for an attorney. Karin QUICKLY called me back with the name of an amazing attorney, Mike Peters. Mike got all the paperwork together in hours! So Jake and I headed to Vegas Tuesday night.

Luckily I have family there because they saved us! We pulled into my Aunt Loraine's house at 1:30 am. We went to bed (didn't sleep much) and headed to the park the next morning to meet Zander. We met at the park for about two hours, he seemed to really take to us. Jessalyn was a little weary (again if you had gone through what she has you would be the same way!) but she was very patient and happy.

So many miracles came together....

The Agency didn't think we would be able to have them sign papers until Friday morning but with the help of so many wonderful people, and a $95 taxi bill, we were able to get them to the agency in time and they signed Zander's custody over to Jake and I.

We still can't believe all this has happened for us.We are so happy! We understand there will be time for adjusting for all of us. We are trying to be sensitive to all of Zander and Jessalyn's needs right now. It is a tightrope walk and we aren't sure what we are doing but we know that with family, PRAYER and a lot of love we can make this work.

My aunt was the only one able to get a simi decent family picture. Zander does NOT like his picture taken. That's ok Lynnie went through a phase like this also. After the papers were signed, and we knew he was ours, Jessalyn really warmed up to him. And he warmed up to her. He does have a few behaviors we will work on, but he is two... and seems to be and VERY typical two year old :)

Before we left Jessalyn had heard me talking with my cousin about things to do with kids on the strip (we thought we were going to be in Vegas for another day at that point) and so she really wanted to see the Lion's at the MGM Grand before we left. So we made a quick trip over to see those before we headed home, and she deserved it, she is such a trooper! And such a huge blessing in our life!

And I snuck a picture of Zander. He didn't like it but I got it!

It has been a LONG and exhausting week. We are all tired, emotionally and physically. But we are so happy and blessed to welcome this adoreable little boy into our family. He is active, LOUD and stubborn so he will fit in just fine :)

Thank you all who have prayed for us over the years. It is because of wonderful family and friends and our faith that we have been able to add to our family. You have all been with us through so much and we are grateful to not be alone in any of our endeavors.

Let the Games begin...

2011-04-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

Softball Opening Ceremonies... That's my daughter paying attention with the other girl in her face!
Oh and her daddy the coach!

Getting ready to bat for the first time!

Look at that stance! She is down and ready!

A GREAT swing, look how that t is about to fall over!

And running for home!

I am so excited that Jessalyn is old enough for t-ball. I am so proud of her and how amazing she is in all that she does. This is a big year coming up for her and I know that she will handle it perfectly!

Do you know...

2011-03-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

What are the supra hyoid muscles of the hyoid bone describe their insertion and origin?

well since you asked, here is the answer...

stylohyoid-styloid processs and hyoid. digastric muscle (anterior belly) orgin: mandible insertion: hyoid. digastric muscle(posterior belly) O:mastoid process, I: hyoid. geniohyoid : origin mandible, mental symphasis I: hyoid. mylohyoid: orgin: mandible, mylohyoidline I: hyoid.

Yep, that's my next test... Monday! Wish me luck!

I seriously might die!!

Quick Update with Pictures

2011-03-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

So life has been horribly busy lately. Not only have we had our normal crazy running around, we decided to throw t-ball, and a wedding into the mix along with BUYING A HOUSE! (house pictures will come later)

Here is our little angel, she just tested and got her ORANGE belt. She was so nervous but did a perfect job and answered her extra credit question perfectly.

Question: What is the definition of respect?

Lynnie's answer: "Treat others the way you want to be treated and listen to your elders!"

nailed it!

After the wedding my sister Kelli is staying down for a couple days because it is her girls' spring break. We went to the Plantetarium on Monday and Lynnie hated it, she said it was creepy and too dark... I tried!

Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Scharmann.

It was a beautiful wedding for Sam and Ronnie and we had a blast dancing it up at the reception after wards! Jessalyn has some moves let me tell you...

I don't know but it was a long day... her face shows our exhaustion perfectly :)

T-ball! Jake is Lynnie's coach this year and it is so fun! I think he is enjoying himself and I know Lynnie loves it... We love our softball! (Lynnie is in the purple Madison is in the blue)

And look at what my girl can do, tie her shoes! She has been able to do this for awhile now but I thought I would post it here. It didn't take her long at all to learn and if we would have thought of teacher her sooner she probably would have learned earlier but anyway, she knows now!

And my "Minute to Win it guy!" I really think we are going to sign him up for it. This task is called the "Caddy Stack" and he stacked those golf balls twice!

Well this was my ten minute update. I hope you enjoy, back to studying for Comm Sci... blah!

School has started...

2011-01-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ok here is my warning... School has started for the Spring Semester which means, this blog will not be updated very often. I will try occasionally but luckily I was able to update it over Winter break so I feel good about letting it slack awhile. I will keep posting funny stories and pics occasionally but don't get mad when I haven't posted in awhile :)

Story worth blogging

2011-01-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

I am fully aware that when Jessalyn is older she will hate me for sharing all her horribly embarassing moments... but I also call that being a good mom :) So here goes...

Last night we went to La Fiesta (a yummy mexican food place in town) for dinner. Jessalyn, true to form, had to go to the bathroom shortly after arriving. So I took her into the single stall bathroom showed her were the toilet paper was, how to lock and unlock the door and where everything was to wash her hands. I then locked the door and left. She is really good at doing this herself so I had all the confidence in the world in her, and my table was ten feet from the door.

I go back and sit down with my mom at the table and about five minutes later I hear this horrifying scream "MOMMY!!" coming from the bathroom. The whole restraunt looked at the bathroom and I realize "Oh that's my daughter."

So I ran to the door and I said "Lynnie I'm right here unlock the door" "No, I can't the light is off and I can't do it." I think to myself, crap I forgot about the automatic lights! Ok... "Lynnie you have to wave your arms and the lights will come on." "No I can't mom its too dark" (Now I am laughing) "Lynnie, walk towards the door and the light will come on." She finally walks towards the door and of course the light comes on, then she opens the door, I help her finish up and she quickly turns to me and says "I hate La Fiesta now."

I started laughing and couldn't stop for most of the meal. I finally got her to laugh about it too and then she was pretty excited for me to call her dad and her aunties and tell them all about it! It was so funny.

Videos from Disneyland

2011-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Splash Mountain Style from Traci Lewis on Vimeo.

Ok we were stuck in line for Splash Mountain. The ride had broken and so we sat down to wait (we were right up front of course). One of the Disney Cast members asked if it was anyone's birthday. Well it was Christmas Eve and Lacey's Birthday so everyone started singing, she was a little embarassed but I quickly video taped it anyway!

Emma and Lynnie Singing through Disneyland from Traci Lewis on Vimeo.

The girls (Emma and Lynnie) were really excited and were so happy to be together they were walking to Toon Town holding hands and singing Jingle Bells... so cute!

Tea Cups In Disneyland 2010 from Traci Lewis on Vimeo.

Here is the Tea Cups! Jake had the stomach and Kelli, Jerame and I didn't. So he took the girls on the Tea Cups and they loved every minute of it!

Christmas in Disneyland/Family Reunion!

2011-01-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

Ok so this is the second time Jake and I have spent Christmas in Disneyland but this time was so much more special. This time my WHOLE family (minus Ronnie and Sam, stupid new job) was able to go with us also. We all met down in LA and had a blast taking over Disneyland.

I will give this warning now, Jessalyn apparently has a really hard time smiling in pictures, she thinks the above face is a smily... I don't agree. But what do you do with a 5 year old? Take the picture anyway!

Out of Jerame, Kelli, me and Jake, Jake was the only one with the stomach to take the girls on the teacups. They actually got going pretty good. As soon as I upload videos I will share!

Here we are in Toon Town with my sister Kelli, her husband Jerame and two of their three girls Aly and Emma. We spent most our time with them since the girls are so close in age and had a blast together!

Minnie Mouse was the first autograph of the trip. And suprisingly the line wasn't awful. Some where believe me! See, that silly "smile" makes yet another appearance!

Ok Goofy was a little annoying. I don't know what Disney is feeding their characters but for some reason Goofy would not stop walking long enough for the kids to get a desent picture. We barely got his autograph! It was crazy chasing him down.

Does anyone know who this character is? He signed the book "Mr. Penguin" We are thinking he is from Mary Poppins but we really have not idea. But don't worry the girls were excited to meet him, whoever he is :)

Me and my honey! I wouldn't have been able to handle this trip without his comic relief!

Jake and Lynnie in Mickey's house. This line was unbelievable!

Here is my awful blurry picture. Now I have to go buy one from online because we need a good picture of Mickey! Anyway the trip was a success and we all had fun together with the families. I can't wait for us all the be together again soon... Actually in March for a wedding! That's right Ronnie is getting hitched! I also have a ton more pictures but I didn't want to have a huge post. I will get the videos up soon!

Snow Day

2011-01-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

It snowed a couple weeks back in Fallon and Lynnie was dying to get out in it. So I bundled her up and we went out for some snow play. (I hate the snow so this proves I'm a good mom)

The little twerp is throwing a snowball at me!

Dad came home later in the day and he and Lynnie built an 8 1/2 foot tall Snowman! When Dad builds a snowman he goes big!

Santa 2010

2011-01-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

Jessalyn again got to talk to Santa this year. She was so excited to ask him for a blue hippo! What is with my kid and her hippos. Anyway Santa delivered and she got her Blue hippo.

Adoption Video

2010-12-04T17:11:00.001-08:00

Untitled from Traci Lewis on Vimeo.

Thank you Hayley!! We think its perfect!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2010-11-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful thanksgiving and we hope you all did as well! It was very low key at our house, we are all saving up for the BIG Christmas trip to Disneyland, so no one really came home for Thanksgiving this year. Also I had to work so that wasn't much fun. But we are enjoying having Jake home from work and we have a family game night planned for tomorrow night! It is going to be so much fun!! We hope you all had a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving! I promise I will post pictures soon!

Mom and Lynnie Day

2010-11-17T00:22:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I had a Wednesday off and I decided it was long over due for me and Lynnie to go on an adventure. I found out through the grape vine that Sand Mountain has a locals day. That day is Wednesday!

So we stopped and got some sandwiches and grabbed some sand toys and headed out to Sand Mountain... Lynnie had never seen it so she was REALLY excited!

She didn't even seem to mind that the sled wasn't working so well!

Here she is showing off the mountain!

And just because the sled didn't work, didn't mean that Lynnie wasn't going to keep trying! It was really fun and we loved our little adventure!!

Family Outing

2010-11-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

We have been trying to find fun things that we can do as a family here in Nevada that don't cost us much but still get us spending much needed time together. Well there is an app on my phone for geo caching. If you never have been before it is definately worth trying!

Geo Caching is like a treasure hunt through the desert. You can go as close to home or as far away as you want. We left Saturday morning around 10 and drove around Fallon and found 3 caches. It was so much fun! Even Lynnie enjoyed it.

Here Lynnie is pointing out a cache that she found! I was surprised how much fun we had. It was great and we were able to talk and spend time together.

Here is one of our treasures. When you find a cache there is normally a little book inside that you sign your name in. We decided that "Lewieville" would be our caching name. So we would sign in and leave a little trinket inside and see what others left as well. As you can tell... we had a great time!

Halloween 2010...

2010-11-16T23:57:00.000-08:00

The pumpkin carving.

I have to admit that I am NOT a fan of Halloween, but I do it for my Lynnie. Here are some of the pictures from Halloween, we had fun and we are glad it is over :)

Lynnie, Madion and Emma.

Happy Birthday 5 year old!

2010-10-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

That's right, Jessalyn is the big 5! As you can tell she is a little excited about this. Thursday Oct 7 (her actual birthday) We had a small celebration, we went and got ice cream and then opened some gifts. The next morning she asked me... "Mom am I still 5?" I answered "Of course, why?" "Oh ok, I just thought yesterday was a practice birthday!" She is crazy! That's why we love her.

At 5 she is 44 1/4 inches tall and weighs 43 pounds... Skinny thing

Now comes Saturday... the BIG PARTY!!

This year we had a Mad Hatter Birthday Party. So everyone came in crazy mis-matched clothes. We had a tea cup race and a bounce house (more games were planned but the bounce house vetoed those).

We made hats too... Here is the clan modeling their hats for us!

And the cake... I really love making her cakes! It is suppose to be lopsided so don't worry. It turned out so cute, at least I think so and thats all that matters :)

It was a really good day and I am sure that all the kids had fun (at least I hope they did). Jessalyn had a blast and Jake and I had fun throwing the party! Now we are done for another year...

See I told you...

2010-09-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

I told you we have been busy. All the following posts should prove it. We have been doing all that among working, three birthday parties (for Lynnie to go to) and my school, oh yes and Jake has now moved to Smith Valley Monday through Friday... so I am doing this all alone! Also I should have been studying for a test tomorrow instead of updating my blog but... Sometimes you need to forget the things that need to be done!

This is a little preview of Jessalyn's fifth birthday party in two weeks. We are having a Mad Hatter birthday party... this is her HAT! We are so excited and we hope you enjoy the posts...

Soccer is Over :(

2010-09-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here is Jessalyn with her soccer buds; Madison and Makayla

Soccer was so much fun this year. It was exhausting and required some scheduling changes at work but we made every practice and it was so much fun! Lynnie was so good and Jake and I were so proud. She ran the entire practice and gave it her all. Here is a little video to show you how good she is... This is her tenth goal out of twelve that day! I know we aren't suppose to keep score but if any of you know Jake and I, you know that is pretty much impossible for use to do! (This video actually from the second to last practice)

Canning

2010-09-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

It seems like every free second we have mom and I have been canning! Here is a picture of our peaches, we have also done spaghetti sauce, frozen corn, and we plan on getting pears and apples.

Here are the peaches that have come from our tree. We were shocked at how many we got this year. Next year we won't have to buy as many!

Mrs. Stark's Prechool

2010-09-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ok Lynnie started Preschool again, this time at Jake's aun't preshool. She loves it! Here she is going in for her first day. Here is a funny first day of school story...

Mrs. Stark was asking some questions and Lynnie kept answering them

Mrs. Stark "Goodness Jessalyn you are so smart! How did you get so smart?"

Lynnie paused to think for a second then she said (with shrugged shoulders)

"I was adopted that way!"

So she is a smart cookie and thanks to Marie for that one... we adopted her that way and no thanks to Jake and I for that!

Karate Kid

2010-09-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

Well Lynnie has asked and asked to do Karate, so we broke down and signed her up. She loves it!

I was a little hesitant at first and it looks hard for her sometimes but she keeps going and never gives up. As much as her determination is frustrating at times, I know that she will be able to do anything in her life. She is so cute in her little uniform (which I know has a name but I don't know what it is) too!

She is pretty young, probably the youngest in the class but the coach says she is a tough little girl and that she is doing great!

A new niece and baby shower

2010-09-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Elaine Barbar Lewis Born Sept 23, 2010

She is so cute and it was fun to meet her!

She belongs to Spencer and Heather Lewis

Here is Erin holding Elaine, She didn't want me to take the picture but I never listen to her at all!

Heather, not holding Elaine! It was so fun to have a shower for her and to see them again!

First Annual All Scharmann Family Reunion 2010

2010-09-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

We went down to Manteca, CA to a family reunion. Now being one of the youngest of the two yougest of a family, all my cousins are quite a bit older than me. So these are pictures I took, and I will admit I don't know over half the people in them!

My dad visiting with his cousins

My Great-Aunt Ann, I had no idea my Grandpa had a sister that was still living. That was really nice to meet her. She doesn't even look her age!

And here is the star of the show, my grandma Shirley. She braved the heat and the pain (she broke her back not too long ago) to come and see everyone. I am so glad she did!

So Sorry-- Blogging again soon!

2010-09-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

We have been extremely busy and we have so much to share. I swear at some point this weekend I will post pictures and news, but for now I have a test in three hours that is making me want to cry! But I will get to my blog... so hang tight!

SOCCER!!

2010-08-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

Here we go! Lynnie started soccer and she is awesome! She might be a little too aggressive but she definately is not scared to get in there and get the ball.

She is so cute and getting big so fast! I love that she is old enough to play a sport I know she is going to love it. We have a busy and fun six weeks coming our way. (and we aren't suppose to keep track of scores but her team won AND she scored two goals!!)

Best part... Lynnie has some great friends playing with her, Makayla and Madison.

My sister turned 40!

2010-08-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

On July 31st my oldest sister Terri turned 40. I know she will be so happy I posted it here but thats what you get when you have a pesky little sister like me! We made a quick day trip to Elko to be part of her surprise party and it was amazing I am so glad we were able to be there to celebrate with her. I love you Terri!!

Lake 2010

2010-08-15T04:59:00.000-07:00

Our sand castle... pretty nice isn't it? There was so much more fun to be had and we had it but I just don't have the pictures to prove it! Oops.

San Fransisco and 9 years

2010-08-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

Well it has been 9 years (on July 27th) that Jake and I have been married. We decided to take a trip to San Fran to celebrate. Lynnie was safely being spoiled at my sisters while Jake and I were at the GIANTS game!

We had great seats. 36 rows from the dug out. It was great. Unfortunately the Giants lost by one but we still enjoyed ourselves.

The next day we crossed off something from my bucket list...

We went to Alcatraz and went on an audio tour of the prison. It was so neat and I am so glad we did this it was a blast!

We visted China Town, how could we not since our hotel was right in the middle of it!

But we missed this girl so we had to bring her gifts home.

She loved the sparklers and poppers she got. It was so nice to reconnect with my husband and now we are a little more ready for the craziness that is school to begin again!

Lemonade 25 cents

2010-07-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

We had a yard sale this last weekend and Lynnie wanted a Lemonade Stand so that she could make money for Disneyland.

She sat out there for most the time and she sold a lot of Lemonade. We talked her into walking up to some people and say "Would you like a refreshing glass of lemonade?" Who could refuse?

She made $6. Not too bad. Although $6 alone will not buy much at Disneyland, I think her Dad and I can help with that.

2010-07-16T21:00:00.001-07:00

The website is actually www.ipetitons.com/petiton/operationvanessa/

The Party is Over...

2010-07-06T00:47:00.000-07:00

Well my sisters and I (With a little help from Dad) have been planning a big party for Mom and Dad's 60th birthdays. We pulled it off with even some surprises for my Dad. Here are Mom and Dad with ALL their grandkids.

My Mom's oldest brother Mick was able to come with his wife and two daughters and four grandkids.

My Dad's oldest brother Denney was able to make it with his wife Loraine.

Just a cute picture of me and Kelli!

This is a picture of ALL the Schadeck (Mom's side) Great grand kids. Not all were happy about it, but we have the picture!

Josh (Susan's son) My Cousins Susan, Sandy and sister Terri

My brother Steve was able to make it also. The whole party turned out great and we are so proud of ourselves for being able to pull off a surprise, even if mom pouted because we didn't pay enough attention to her on her birthday... it was great! We made Mom cry :)

Me and him...

2010-07-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

I love this guy!

These last couple weeks have been crazy and he has come through! Thanks babe.

Girls Camp 2010

2010-07-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ok this year I was the 2nd Year Certification Leader for Girls Camp. I haven't gone for five years, before Lynnie was born. While it was hard leaving Lynnie and Jake, I really had fun with my girls.

Here the girls are doing their Canoe orientation!

Horseshoe Lake.

Biking.

The whole group. We had a blast! We even braved a 5 mile hike... It was so much fun!

Ten Year Reunion

2010-07-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

Well we went. Ten years. Wow. It was fun.

Five Simple Rules to be Happy

2010-07-04T17:05:00.001-07:00

1. Free your heart from hatred
2. Free your mind from worries
3. Live simply
4. Give more
5. Expect less

Bilingual Niece... sort of :)

2010-06-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

And a lesson learned!

Our Bed Problem!

2010-06-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ever since Colby left, Jessalyn has been a permanent fixture in our bed from about midnight on. Well the problem with this is... I can't sleep with her in my bed. So we made a chart, and a deal...

If Lynnie could stay in her bed for 10 straight nights... we would take her and Madison to Chukie Cheese! Thats right Jake and I endured a trip to the Cheese Zone! They had a blast and it was so cute to watch them play. We also made a trip for burgers and shakes to In and Out Burger... Jake really was in heaven here!

So the ten nights and the subsequent nights were well worth the bribe!!

Traci's first Golfing experience

2010-06-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

I have never golfed. A couple years ago Jake bought me some clubs in hopes that I would golf with him.... and I haven't. Well there was a charity golf tournament and my dad needed one more person for his team, he got me! I actually wasn't so bad. Here is a picture of Me, Jake, My Dad and my brother Ronnie. It was a very fun day eventhough it was way too cold for golfing!

Camping in Lamoille Canyon and Elko Trip

2010-06-09T23:40:00.002-07:00

Well Jake and I have had a nice camping trip planned for when school let out. So Saturday (the day after school got out) we packed up our camping gear and headed to Elko to borrow my sisters camper and then to go camping in Lamoille Canyon. Sunday we set up camp, my sister and her family came up after church and had dinner with us and played for awhile. We were camping in a very nice camp spot, the river right behind us and the bathroom on the left.

We were just finishing up s'mores when the campground manager came and asked us to MOVE our camp because they were worried about flooding... Okay better safe then sorry. So we hurried (with my sisters families help) and packed up and moved to another nice camp site, set up and then went to bed.

The next morning we got up, it was a beautiful day, perfect day for hiking. So we ate breakfast and headed up the mountain for a hike... an AVALANCHE had blocked the road with mud and we couldn't get to the hikes... nice.

(The avalanche to the left and the dirty waterfall on the right)

We came back down to our camp, the campground manager camp by AGAIN and told us that it wasn't mandatory, but that they were talking about closing the campground soon. So we packed up and headed to my sisters house.

While there we went bowling and shopping and just had a lot of fun! We miss them already and had a blast with Terri, Joel, Faith, Ethan, Krissy and Shelby. We love them so much!

Just Something Neat

2010-05-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the Telegram my Grandpa sent home to my Grandma to tell her when he would be home from the war! I thought I would share it.

Murder Mystery Dinner

2010-05-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I had to post these pictures because Jake's outfit is unforgetable.

Purple pants and orange jacket were purchase for a total of $6 at the local thrift store in the WOMEN"S department :)

It was a fun night and Jake was pretty hot if you ask me!!

dAugHtrY Concert!! Woohoo

2010-05-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here we are heading to the Daughtry Concert for our FREE date night (remember I won these tickets a few months ago)

This was the first group "Cavo" they were really good!

Lifehouse was next and of course they were amazing!

Intermission- We enjoyed taking pictures of ourselves

DAUGHTRY!!! It was so good. We had a blast.

It was such a good concert, it was a little loud (we are getting old we know) but we had fun no matter what :)

Enjoying The Outdoors

2010-05-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

At Oats Park. Gotta love the tunnel slide!

Jake couldn't be out done (except he almost got stuck! haha)

Planting her own little garden by her own little playhouse

And of course the famous trailer rides behind the quad, Undle Ron Ron was kind enought to pull the kiddos. They really had fun!

Mother's Day Tea Party

2010-05-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Jessalyn's Preschool put on this very cute "Mother's Day Tea Party" We had so much fun and Lynnie was so excited I could come. I was so happy I could make it.

Isn't she cute? I am so lucky to have this girl :)

Lynnie's Spring Picture 2010

2010-05-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is the picture taken at A Step Ahead Preschool, Lynnie's preschool. Doesn't she look so big and grown up? I don't know what to do with this big girl!!

Crazy little thing we call life...

2010-04-27T22:53:00.001-07:00

Finals are next week! I am so excited for a little break. We have been keeping very busy and I do have pictures to share, I just don't have time to share them :) I promise, after finals I will share our fun.

March 2010

2010-03-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

(Check out the cool new shades, she is pretty cool. Just ask her)

I don't know what to say. Apparently I have become a once-a-month blogger. Life has been crazy busy, but successful! Jessalyn is loving preschool and she is getting so smart. She is also learning a lot of new tricks... which will be discussed shortly... I have also had a pretty successful semester so far, I got B's on two test and Aced two midterms. I feel pretty good about it. Jake loves teaching in Smith Valley and so far we think the budget cuts are not going to jeopardize his job this year so we are pretty excited about that. All the communting is taking its toll on Jake and me, and our cars! We know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, although that light isn't until 2012, we still can see it! Here are some pictures from the last month, and that NEW TRICK!!!

This weekend we decided to go to the Drive-in movie. It was so much fun!

As you can tell our goofy girl was having a blast. We watched two movies and only spend $20 for snacks and entrance into the drive-in. It was great. Jessalyn has a fear of the theater, she doesn't like going, which saves us money but we never get to see the new movies. At the Drive-in we can control the volume of the sound (which is Lynnie's issue, its too loud, yes this coming from my daughter) and lay back and relax. It was just such a great night out!

Taking a trip down...

2010-02-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

That's right, there is a road named Lynnie Lane here in Fallon. How funny is that? It's even spelled right! And to top it off we live on Lewis Lane... What can I say.

Our little lives have been pretty crazy lately. Sorry I haven't updated this blog in so long!

I started school, as everyone knows, so our weeks are crazy busy and we are running everywhere, so we try to make sure that the weekends are just for family time. A couple weeks ago we went on a little day trip to the lake to have a picninc and take some pictures. (I have lost 28 lbs total and this was taken when I had only lost about 18 so I am hoping I don't look this big still)

Jake had to have a picture of this tree. Eventhough there is practically no roots, this tree isn't completely dead, it still has green leaves budding.

We figured out the timer on the camera so you have a lot of "family pics"

This is Lynnie with Grandma and Grandpa Lewis' dog Trixie. Jessalyn use to hate dogs but she loves Trixie!

This is when Lynnie asked me why Trixie had "horns"? Then I had to try to explain to my daughter about how Trixie fed her babies... it was an interesting conversation to say the least :)

Here she is with her nightly ritual of having all her animals on her bed. She wanted to make sure I got this picture so we could send it to Colby because "He will remember all our animals!" She is so special and misses her brother so much!! But she is smart and is starting to understand more.

We went swimming over Valentine's Day weekend. Isn't she just beautiful?

There is a first time for everything! And Lyn knows how to do it well. She was diagnosed with Bronchitis and had to get on her FIRST antibiotic. She is never sick and so it was heartbreaking so see her so uncomfortable. But she was a trooper and now...

She feels great! I love this girl. She is so smart and I love spending time with her. She cracks me up!

I can't promise it won't be another month before I post again but until then, hope all is well with everyone out there and I will post as soon as I can!

Look who started Preschool!! (and other good stuff)

2010-01-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

That's right our little girl started preschool today. She came home and told us that she "had a GREAT day!" It couldn't have made Jake and I feel better. Here she is in front of her school.

She was so excited to go (and her shirt really isn't that big on her!)

Showing off the Fancy Nancy back pack she got for Christmas. She loves this bag it has nearly killed her having to wait for school to use it!

Ok, now for the other stuff... This is a sign across from UNR, where I started classes today! It was great to be back in school and I really think I am going to like my classes. Also here is a question for you... What is something 40% of American's can't do?

Well the answer to that let me win 2 tickets to see Daughtry and Lifehouse live in reno! Thats right, on the way to Reno I thought I would go for it and I called into the radio station (something I have NEVER done before) and I gave them my answer... "Touch their toes." AND I WAS RIGHT!! It was so exciting I knew today was going to be a good day! So there is our excitement lately. More to come I am sure :)

New Pictures for Tennessee

2010-01-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

We got our pictures today from Colby's Grandparents. Here he is on the Lawn mower. He has loved these since he was little!

Here he is at his 2nd birthday party in June

Here he is Christmas Eve.

Here he is Dec. 26th waiting for Dinner.

Here he is on Christmas Day. We love our boy and miss him so much, but he looks healthy and happy and that's all we can ask for. We are so grateful for these pictures and hope to get more soon!

Christmas Break... Montana

2009-12-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Well one night up in Montana we went out to dinner at one of mine, Jake and Lynnie's favorite places... FUDRUCKERS. It is so good and has games and everything for the kids to run around and play. Here is a nice shot of the whole fame that night... We missed Terri's family but other than that we were ALL there.

Sunday night we went up to Moonlight Basin for a family night. While there, Cinderella painted faces, the kids were able to do craft and then there were sleds and a nice big lit sledding hill. Lynnie sat very still getting her face painted and I wasn't sure she was enjoying herself until Cinderella showed her what she looked like in the mirror. Then you can see a little smile on her face there.

This was the face panting outcome. We thougth it looked pretty cool.

Lynnie and Dallin sword fighting with their balloon swords. Cinderella made those too! Lynnie loved playing with all her cousins. She really like playing with Dallin, they played really well together.

And of course the sledding. It was such a fun night we really enjoyed ourselves!

Christmas Morning

2009-12-30T22:43:00.000-08:00

Here is the way to start the Christmas festivities. Christmas eve Jessalyn got to open new PJ's t wear for Christmas, she loved them, eventhough she has a weird smile on. We were so lucky to spend Christmas in Montana this year with my older brother Steve and his family. We had so much fun. Unfortunately Jessalyn didn't sleep much Christmas Eve (she was SOOO excited) and so she woke up at 5:45 am to see if Santa had come... and of course he had (notice the green hippo to her right, five days searching online for that sucker)

Here is my happy girl. She was so excited to get her GREEN hippo. Santa had to work hard for that gift but it sure paid off. It was such a fun year, Lynnie really got into all the Santa stuff and we loved watching her.

And here is Jake showing off his gft... PLAYSTATION 3! I may regret this purchase the rest of my life but he wanted it so bad and I thought he deserved it. Jake got me a new camera! I love it, it takes such nice pictures. And my parents gave us a little gift. They told us all this year that they have condos reserved for us next year for Christmas at... DISNEYLAND!! We are so excited. We have a whole year to save and there is no better place to be than with your whole family in Disneyland. We are definately excited for that. All in all it was a great Christmas for our little family.

Ward Christmas Party

2009-12-30T22:35:00.000-08:00

The weekend of the 19th we had our Ward Christmas Party. It was a crazy day for us because Jake and I were in charge of it. Luckily we had a great ward and everyone was very willing to help. I turned out really well!

Here is my little angel in our ward Chrstmas party pagent. She was so excited to wear the angel costume. She brought home the slip that said she was going to be an angel and she said "See mom I told you I was an angel!"

Very Cheesy grin from up on stage! Thats my girl!!

The program got a little long for her... but she did really good anyway.

Then of course the big guy came! She was so excited to tell him that she wante a Green Hippo (her reasoning for a very specific GREEN hippo is that her purple hippo needs a baby brother)

We were so lucky to have my sister Kelli and her girls come down this weekend so the girls all got dressed up for the party and had a great time together! We had a lot of fun.

sNow DaYS

2009-12-12T20:04:00.001-08:00

Well Fallon has had some uncharacteristic snow lately. Last week the schools were actually given two snow days because of it. I don't think it snowed enough for snow days, but that is the Montana in me...We just got to spend our time making snow angels
Lynnie would just walk around in the snow and all of the sudden stop and tell me "this is the best place for an angel" She makes me laugh every day!

Because of all the snow Jake got to stay home and play some games with us too... And he is the current champion of Pretty Pretty Princess! Isn't he pretty?

One Year Later...

2009-12-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we lost our precious little boy. He has been greatly missed. We hope and pray everyday that he is watched over and taken care of. We have spent most the day just being our little family. Spending must needed time together. We love you Colby, we miss you, your smile, your laugh and your sweet cuddles!

Feeling that Christmas Spirit

2009-11-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

We decided that Monday night was a perfect night to decorate the tree.

Here is the Christmas Tree that my Grandfather gave to me shortly before he passed away.
This is the first time we have been able to set it up. It is a really pretty tree.

We haven't decorated our own house for Christmas since Jessalyn was two months old! It never seemed like we needed to, we were never home for Christmas. So this was exciting.

Someone was a little excited to be decorating the tree :)
We had so much fun... I'm glad we did it.

But we were also missing someone. Especially this week.

Super Girl!

2009-11-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

Here is my Super Girl. After Halloween Walmart had all their costumes on amazing clearance prices so we picked up some dress up clothes. She was so excited for this Super Girl costume. It really is pretty cute!

Nov. 16th... So What

2009-11-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

What is so important about this day? Why will I be stress free this Holiday Season? We because you asked I will tell you. Today marks the day that I am Officially ready for Christmas! That's right, I have either bought or made all the gifts we are giving this year. I love it! So bring it on... even my Christmas cards are ready! I love not procrastinating!

Four Year Old Pictures

2009-11-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

Here is my four year old! She is getting so big so fast I don't quite know what I think about that.
The blue pictures we took first (notice the nicer smile) and then the dress pictures were taken last... She was done smiling by the dress pictures :)

Here is one of my favorites by far so the the one below.

She is such a fun, pretty little girl. She cracks me up everyday with things she says.

I was trying to teach her a knock-knock joke the other day. There was one in a movie so I thought she got the point. Anyway, this is how it went...

Mom: "Knock-knock"

Lynnie: "Knock-knock"

Mom: "No you say 'whose there?'"

Lynnie: "Oh sorry, ok."

Mom: "Knock-knock"

Lynnie: "Who is there?"

Mom: "Interupting cow"

Lynnie: (pausing) "Well hello, come on in!"

(Mom and dad laughing hysterically)

Then I explained she was suppose to say "interupting cow who?" We finally got it after a few more tries... but that was classic!

Happy Halloween!!

2009-11-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

The cutest Pirate ever!!

Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Carving!!

2009-10-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

We started our FHE with a delicious dinner of Pumpkin Soup (thanks for the recipe Erin), rolls and corn and finished with Pumpkin Pie!

Then we started the disgusting task (I hate the smell and feel of the guts!) of gutting and carving our pumpkins. Lynnie wasn't a fan of sticking her hand in any more than I was, but her Dad stuck with it and made her do it...

Our little Jack-o-Lantern

Mom's (horrible) Masterpiece!

Jessalyn's Masterpiece (She drew the face on herself)

Jake's Masterpiece

We three Pumpkin-heads!

Halloween Preview

2009-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Yes our girl is going to be a Pirate... I know this shocks everyone!!

Pretty Pretty Princess

2009-10-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

This game was a gift for Kate (and Annie) for Jessalyn's birthday. I have wanted to get it for her forever, but Jake always says now because he will be the one that ends up playing it with her. So needless to say I was SOOO excited when she got this for her birthday, Jake, no so much. Well true to form, Jake has HAD to play this game many times. I always tell Lynnie to take a picture but she hasn't done it yet. The time we have played it all together I couldn't find my camera. So I am working on it folks, a picture of Jake in all his Princess Glory will be worth millions. Thanks for the game, we love it and play it ALL the time!!

Good Song

2009-10-19T01:40:00.000-07:00

This is such a good song and a really cool rendition... enjoy