Why blog?

I recognize I have been blogging a lot in the last two weeks...there is a reason for that. If anyone out there has moved to a whole new state in the last few years you may remember the feeling of those first few months in a new city. In a way, it is as if everything you were used to doing, all the daily routines, the same old stores, restaurants, favorite roads, the people you spent time with, are all suddenly GONE. Your life comes to a halt. It really is like shifting gears in an old truck where before the ride gets smooth again, it goes through a bumpy and difficult transition. Most people who know me know that I like to be busy...really busy. The biggest screeching halt of my life was moving to the Caribbean where the word "busy" really doesn't exist in that culture. I learned over those two years that it is truly a wonderful and a GOOD thing not to be "busy". So, things are pretty slow here, but I am enjoying settling in and spending some quality time with my kids.
I have been thinking about the whole concept of "blogging" and I decided to share a few thoughts. I love all the friends and family out there who are willing to share a slice of their life with the rest of us. Especially when I move away from such wonderful friends, it gives me comfort to be able to take a peak at their blogs and see how cute their families are. I also love looking at the adventures that my unmarried friends are having. So, as cheesy as this may sound, "Thank you to all of you who blog!"
It always fascinates me when I go to SL and I will have people who I NEVER expected come up to me and say, "Kristine, I love your blog." Sometimes it weirds me out because I don't know anything about that person, I haven't talked to them since high school, and yet they know everything going on with me. Oh well. I do feel that there have been many relationships that have been strengthened over the last two years, and I love the different insight I gain from reading what people write. It is good to stay connected with people and especially now that I have friends in so many different states, I am grateful for different ways to communicate with them.
Enough about that. Here's a quick update on our family; youngest to oldest. Tucker (our puppy) makes life a little more complicated although he is darling; just not when he is on top of Tyler with his sharp puppy teeth around Ty's legs. I can't really complain about him because he is just being a puppy, but I will just say that he is into EVERYTHING. Yesterday morning, Maddie woke up before me. She went down and let Tuck out and when I walked out of my bedroom she was sitting on the bottom stair in her PJ's with Tuck laying right next to her and she had her hand on him. It was a priceless picture.
Tyler is making some grand strides right now. He is nearly 17 months old and just started taking some steps on his own in the last two weeks. If Ty was my first kid, I am sure I would be super anxious and sad that it has taken this long to start walking, but since he is my third, it makes my life SO much easier that he isn't running around yet. Tyler has mastered crawling up our stairs. He thinks he knows what he is doing when he goes down, but he doesn't have a clue yet. Yesterday was the first time I have seen him take steps from one piece of furniture and across a short distance to another piece. He got really excited doing it and we practiced over and over. Tyler really is the one in the house who helps me keep my sanity. Josh and Maddie are so needy right now, and thankfully Tyler always has a chill attitude.
Maddie is talking up a storm and needs my UNDIVIDED attention whenever she is telling me something. I should count how many times I hear the word "mommy" come out of her mouth everyday. Maddie has heard her friends talking about "ballet class" and for the last two weeks all she wants to talk about is "ballet". "Mommy, can I wear this to ballet? Mommy, when can I do ballet? Mommy ballet is taking a very long time!" So, tomorrow, we are going to "watch" her friends ballet class. She doesn't get to start taking until fall and I hope we can wait that long.
Josh has been such a good sport through all these changes. He said today in his sweet voice after Tuck had been biting him over and over again, "Mommy, I really just wish daddy would have bought a calmer dog." We are on the look out for a boy his age. Once he has a friend his age, he will be loving life. But it sure is cute to see how well Josh and Maddie have been getting along. Josh is used to Dave telling him super long bedtime stories. That doesn't happen anymore and Josh was crying about it tonight, but poor Dave, the second he hits the pillow he is out.
I will have to share more about Dave and I for another time because it is too late. I need to really enjoy the slow times in life because I know that Indiana will start to feel more and more like home everyday.

Grandma Ann's House!

A few nights before we left Salt Lake, we had a picnic outside in the backyard of my grandma's house. I have to wrestle with Josh to ever get him in a picture these days.

Charlotte Pratt, Liz (my mom), Nancy Nebeker, Elizabeth Pratt, Margaret Ann, Becca Smith, and the newest baby in the Nebeker family is Charley Wilde. What a good baby! I have never heard him fuss for a minute!

Here we have the "second cousins" eating creamies.

Still looking good Creighton.

Wow, my arms are full these days.

These two are adorable together! Kimball (Becca and Dan Smith's oldest) are just a few days apart.

Save the best for last. Here's grandma holding Ty and Charley.

What a beautiful backyard! Thanks grandma!

The Alta cabin.

While we were in Utah we made it to my grandma and grandpa's cabin in Albion Basin twice. The first time, Dan, Cortney and I had to dig through a snow pile to clear the road so that we could drive in. My mom was pretty brave to be the driver in her mini van. There was that much snow the second week of July!

This is Tyler's first time on the Alta swing. It looks like he loved it.

Although our cabin is not the most glamorous, we have the greatest memories up there with the cousins and family. It was kind of a kid madhouse for a few hours.

We had Becca and her kids, Aaron and his kids, Alta Hales and her kids, Me and my kids, and Creighton, Dan and Cortney. 7 adults and 11 kids!

And here is the biggest dare devil. Maddie can never get enough swinging. The higher the better.

Thanks everyone for the great time! It is my favorite spot on earth. I am already dreaming about being there this winter.

A total shock!

I flew back to Indiana on Sunday night. The flight home was actually enjoyable. (Thank goodness Delta has direct flights.) It was so great to see Dave after 3 long weeks. I was expecting to go home to our new house and have a quiet romantic evening..........umm..not quite.
Dave hit the garage door opener and said, "Kids, I have a surprise waiting for you in the garage." Then, I saw it! Dave got a puppy! I was in complete shock. We have talked about getting a dog but we decided (thought we decided) to wait a year for Tyler to be a bit older. Our evening was not so romantic because we listened to that dog crying in his cage until 3:00 a.m.

Meet "Tucker" an 8 week old fox terrier.

Tyler is absolutely speechless! And, he is wearing a batman suit with a cape! Watch out!
Do we love Tucker???

YES! YES! YES!

At first I thought he was an ugly dog, and Dave said, "I promise he will grow on you." Dave was right. He has an adorable personality. And compared to our old Beagle, he seems like he is going to be much easier to train. Dave and I wanted to name him "Riley" but Josh only likes "Tucker". My brother warned me to be careful because people may call him a little "Mother Tucker!" Anyway, Dave is not in the dog house for getting a dog because all the messes are worth it when you see how much the kids love him!

Oakley Rodeo!

July 3rd we headed up to the Graham family cabin in Midway to ride horses and hit the rodeo. Maddie Kate and Annie Kate are the cutest princesses in the fam.
Ash and Joe~ We love you! Thanks for putting up with our crazy kids!

It's hard to sneak a picture of Geoff and Lynnette. Thanks for ALL that you do!!!

Tyler's first time on a horse.

All the sisters in the Orme family, minus Jessie. We missed you Jess. You are the true cowgirl!

Ty is always up for the action!

I think Maddie knows that she is pretty cute. She's not camera shy at all.

She sure loves her Grandma Netty!

Bear Lake!

Josh loading up the super soaker. My good friend Julie joined us for a night with her three kids. That was quite the 24 hours! Thanks for the added excitement your boys bring!
Dan and Cort lounging in the sun with the kids.

Getting ready for a ride...

So fun! The red roofed cabin in the back ground is the Nebeker family cabin on the east side of Bear Lake. We love spending a week up there every summer. There were two major things that I was missing this trip however....my husband and my sister!! (You too Thomas!)

We did get a lot of "quality" time with my little brother though. Josh thinks he is the coolest.

(I don't know why...)

Maddie, Josh and Reagan had a blast together as always. Don't forget about us Reagan, we will come visit you in Michigan this fall! I don't exactly know what Maddie is doing in this picture, but sometimes the sun feels so good, you just want to eat it!

Tyler thinks he is a cool dude in Dan's black truck. He was on the search and rescue team for a lost teenage boy on the 4 wheeler. I won't mention any names. (hee, hee)

Reagan's going in for a kiss!

It ain't easy being blond!

Bear Lake is known for its gorgeous blue water!

"Anyone for some beach volley ball?"

Don't forget your raspberry shakes at Merlin's in Laketown. I loved catching up with you Anna!

(Joan, I don't know how I didn't get a picture with you!! Keep me posted with your exciting summer. Thanks for watching that chick flick with me....good times!)

In SLC

Katie, Jenny and I spent a fun day up at Jenny's new condo in Midway. Thanks Jen! Cortney and her little friend!
It is a busy and action packed day while on vacation. Maddie has zonked out!

Josh too!

Dan and Maddie really hit it off this vacation. My family is so excited that she can now have conversations with you. By the way, Kate, I love the dress!!!

Here is Josh and George Kerr right after playing an intense game of Monopoly.

Running through the sprinklers at my mom's house. Whose crazy dog is running down the street?!

An evening out with old friends is priceless these days!

Boy did daddy miss his kids!

Back home!

Weekend in New York

Congratulations Dave for graduating Medical School and starting residency next week! His graduation was held at the Lincoln Center in Avery Fisher Hall. It was so awesome to see so many familiar faces that we used to walk past every day in Grenada. It brought back a lot of memories and made us miss the things we loved so much in the Caribbean. We both felt so happy to have traveled to New York for this special occasion.

Lynnette and Geoff flew out for Dave's graduation. What a wonderful time! We won't ever forget the Hudson Hotel. I was laughing at these two when I took this picture because it was as if they were the New York experts! They knew it all. We were spotting out famous buildings from the top of the Empire State Building.

Dave is saying goodbye to his good friend Piper Kilpatrick. These two loved playing sports and talking sports together. Piper was especially happy to boast about the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating Detroit in the hockey finals the night before.

A group of us met in Central Park to hang out for a bit. (Jolie: moving to Pennsylvania, Me, Cailen: moving to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Natalie: also moving to Pennsylvania)

Tyler was such a great sport during the busy 3 days. He loved being on grandpa's shoulders.

Group picture at the top of the Empire State Building. What a view from the top.

Thanks for all the fun memories in such a short time Lynnette!

Yeah!!! He did it! What an accomplishment! You have a proud wife!

P.S. There may be more pictures to come; my camera/computer is having issues at the moment.