EricKatieJack*Audrey

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

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

Most people think Christmas/ Winter. Not so much. It's actually Summer. I love Summer. We have had a great one so far too.

FEATS:

Eric's transition from Long's to CVS ( RIte Aide needs to take down their lame banners already)
Jack swimming. No floating devices attached
Audrey asking every few days when the baby is going to be born instead of hourly
Me, finally deciding on a direction for our guest bedroom. (Sounds ridiculous I know, but ridiculous is painting 3x before I liked it)
Jack and I talking Eric into buying a Wii ; )
J & A learning to play Go Fish and Uno.
Jack's 5th Birthday
Audrey talking Jack into riding a Small World and other rides because he was so scared! (Due to the La earthquakes they had to do a ride checks " to make sure it hadn't been damaged in the earthquake.") Thanks for mentioning that to my 5yr safety patrol.
Our garden has been plentiful
Growing out Audrey's bangs
Equipment for the park across the street has been ordered.
Our shy little Audrey agreeing to participate in dance. Before when we would ask about dance, gymnastics etc. She'd say " No thanks, I'd rather stay home. " ; )
Reading Breaking Dawn, finally

GOALS:

Find an IKEA Gulliver crib in white, in stock!
Coming up with some solid name options for this baby
Trying to get caught up on my photo albums before I am one more child behind.

It's a girl!

2009-04-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

So we found out today we are having a girl! OR so the technician "thought". She couldn't/wouldn't give me an absolute because she doesn't want to be accountable in case she is wrong. BUT she was pretty darn sure it's a girl. My sweet boy who wanted a brother was thrown off when they said it's a girl. He leaned over and asked Eric " when are they going to tell us what we are really having?" ;) All Audrey wanted to know was "is it coming out today?!" So there were a couple of disappointments but overall great news. I am excited have a girl and Augs to have a little friend when Jack goes to school. Jack has been praying for months and months for a brother, pre-pregnancy even. The other night after prayers he said "Mom, I just saw our baby and it's not a boy, it's a girl." I guess he was right, and some one upstairs knew he might need some extra convincing. It's been a few hours since the news has settled in and he is as excited as ever. He gets to be the big brave brother and take care of 2 little sisters and he still gets Dad all to himself for baseball trips. Eric and I are thrilled to have a healthy baby girl on the way!

Baby #3

2009-03-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

So we are having a baby! The due date is Sept. 18th. We are all quite excited for our new little family member to arrive. Jack keeps checking my stomach to see if it's grown since the last time he checked... and he only found out yesterday. Audrey has kept a doll and or stuffed animal up her shirt and has given birth multiple times in the last 24 hrs as well. Jack and Audrey were both born while Eric was in Pharmacy school. We moved apartments when I was 8 months pregnant with Jack & Eric and I were both in school. Eric graduated when Auggie was 2 months and we moved again when she was 3 months. It was challenging although we wouldn't have had it any other way. This time around I am excited to have a home and be settled when this baby arrives. I've always wanted to do the fancy nursery thing but I shared a room from the time I was born and wouldn't change those talks and memories for anything either. So pretty soon Jack or Audrey will have a roommate. Guess which sex they are each pulling for??? ;) Well that is our big news! Artwork by Jack

February

2009-02-28T07:53:00.001-08:00

So we had the busiest month! We visited Christy up in Sacramento and we were able to see some more CA state parks to cross off our map. Woohooo! (An E.Healy family goal) I got my purse stolen from my car. Initially my keys were stolen first right from under me at Eric's Basketball game. Then they found my car. Oh dear if I ever meet that nasty lady that we think stole them.... Of course the following days included re-keying our house, trips to the DMV, dozens of phone calls canceling cards switching accounts. It was just one big mess. As we were driving home I called my cousin/ neighbor Kelly to make sure nobody was at our house!! Since they could have had the time to get there with my keys and address from my license. So of course Jack was quite disturbed by that and is still cautious about going upstairs or downstairs by himself. The ripple effect to say the least.
We flew to SLC to see Eric's b.f. get married! yay! It was a beautiful wedding and reception although it was quite a chilly day. Eric was able to spend some time with old friends from High School. Always a good idea.

Audrey turned 3 on our short trip to UT. We spent the day at Discovery Zone Gateway and Build A Bear. Fun! Of course when we got to the airport there was chaos about us getting on our flight. It wouldn't be a flight at all if things went smoothly for us. Although, it still beats I-80. Eric might beg to differ. ;)

We came back and Eric had to work Valentine's Day having taken off days for the wedding. So it was just another day until I got flowers! They were beautiful. When Eric got home we ordered Chinese and had a lovely dinner with the 4 of us.

The next day we had Audreys P-p-party! We had her favorite dinner... Mac n cheese and salad. I had to add some pulled pork sandwiches to the menu for the adults in case Kraft mac and cheese didn't suit their fancy. She is just the sweetest thing. She and her little friends "Kenzie", "Jilly" and "Reecer" had fun playing with her new kitchen and doll bunk bed. She is such a love bug and I can not believe she is 3!

Last but not least to make a long story short. Jack and Audrey have had colds/coughs since the trip. So I finally took them in just to be checked, expecting the "it'll take it's course bit" we have antibiotics for 2 eye infections, 3 ear infections, an inhaler and mild phnemonia. Things seem to be slowing down. We have no other option!
;) Here's to March!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

2009-02-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Audrey turns 3 on Friday February 13th! She is our Little Miss Sunshine. She loves to nurture anything/anyone, she has theee greatest facial expressions, she would rather be on the tea-cups at Disneyland than anywhere else in the world, she adores her Daddy, loves to snuggle with her Mommy and Jack her very best friend & her favorite thing to eat is macaroni and cheese and salad. We love you Auggie! Happy Birthday!

Bummer.

2009-02-05T23:56:00.000-08:00

So tonight we were at Eric's basketball game at the church stake center in Modesto. I decided to keep my purse under my car seat knowing I would basically be chasing kids and didn't want to bother with it. I set my keys down by my chair next to the rest of the random clothes, jerseys and garb that hangs out on the stage during the basketball game. There were several families there watching too and a whole slew of kids.

When it came time to leave my keys were no where to be found. Eric drove separately coming straight from work so luckily he had a spare key. I can not stand losing things, like most everyone I know. I went back into the building twice to check. I asked Eric to go back and check one more time while I waited in the car with the kiddos. I reached under my chair to grab my purse anxious for the In n Out Burger run that was about to take place..... and GONESVILLE. Some person had taken my keys, found my car and stole my purse. At first I was just sick to my stomach...why didn't I put my keys in my pocket? why didn't i take my purse in?... who in the world had the audacity?

Another player had his keys stolen too. Only he doesn't have a spare key at all. He had to tow his car home before he could even see if anything was stolen. The burglar/loser was kind enough to lock it back for him. So first I was sick, then scared when I realized they could stroll on into our house. Then I was so angry. AND for the fact that they probably chucked my purse when they realized I didn't have any cash.

As I was driving home we saw a really bad wreck and then I realized I'd much rather be in my shoes than those shoes. When we called to make the report the Modesto police dept was at a code yellow. I guess there had been a multiple homicide so they weren't too concerned with car break ins. I think I would opt out of that situation too. Maybe a stolen purse isn't so bad? Jack was quite worried over hearing all the conversations that went on. But later said "Who ever did this did NOT choose the right. When the police catch him, he is going to jail for weeks!" Thank you CTR 5 class!

BAD NEWS
We spent 4ever on the phone canceling cards
In-N-Out was a candle in the wind.
I need my i.d. since we are flying to UT next week for a wedding!
My new flat iron was in my purse. Random. Don't ask.
Eric's spare key that cost $100 was on my key ring
That warm fuzzy feeling of helplessness.
It took quite a bit of consoling to undo Jack's worries
We need to redo our door locks

Good News
They didn't realize Eric's car was right next to mine
I happened to take out Jacks star wars guys before we left
Nobody had tried to use the cards
My Dad was willing to go back over with flashlights to look for my stuff in case they dumped it. Very sweet.
Jack and I had a good discussion about why it's important to CTR.
This encouraged Eric to buy a baseball bat.
a. I can cross it off his birthday/christmas list
b. It works on baseball, home invasions and aliens ( Have you seen the movie Signs? )
My fanny pack from 6th grade might be making a comeback.

Be careful out there. These are tuff times for people that do and do not CTR.

Respect the classics

2009-01-25T22:59:00.000-08:00

So we happened to be flipping through the channels and the movie Across the Universe was on. (Musical w. all Beatles music) Not appropriate for kids BUT it was the finale & I stopped for a minute to watch the last scene of the movie where the guy is singing 'hey jude.' So i have loved the beatles for as long as I can remember. I wore the t shirts long before they turned into the cute Target vintage tee version. - Which looking back at my high school pics I'm not so sure if it was a good idea. Anyway! When the song was over Jack said "Mom. I hope you were recording that! That is my new favorite song!" We have since been listening to it repeatedly on my ipod. He's got a good handle on it and I will be glad when he has another song to perform besides the Weird Al version of "The Saga Begins." - Which he voluntarily performed at every Christmas party we attended singing/air guitar. Other favorites of Jack include, Another One Bites the Dust, Somebody to Love-Queen, I Can't Help Myself- the Four Tops. Love this boy's taste. ; )

Getting to know you. Christmas style

2008-12-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both
2. Real tree or Artificial?? Artificial. It's definitely the most cost effective and less mess, doesn't die... need i go on?
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after black Friday
4. When do you take down the tree? Around New Years
5. Do you like eggnog?? I think I did when I was a kid, but not anymore. I think I just liked the decorated Christmas carton. Eric does. He loves the egg nog shake. Ew.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My bike, my Middleton doll, our Nintendo & my desk that I sill have!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes - thanks Mom!
8. Hardest person to buy for? brother & sister in laws.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Jack or Eric
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Attempt to mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?? I don't really remember a bad one.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation( I wouldn't doubt that the my family could quote 90% of this movie!) and The Grinch! (Jim Carrey version)
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so.
14. Favorite thing to eat during the holiday season? The Valk Christmas Eve grazing table. Mmmmmm
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both
16. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World!! Mine and Jack's fave.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Oh dear yes. Every year switch-a-roo for the actual Holiday then visit the other side of the family sometime during the month. This requires much work and promptness for Santa.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Of course
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning after we go out to breakfast at the crack of dawn.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People that storm the gates at WalMart and don't realize they are trampling someone??? What gives? Don't get me started.
21. Favorite ornament theme or color? We each get an ornament every year for something significant that happened during the year. I like the variety.
22. Favorite food for Christmas dinner?? Potatoes & gravy & Mom's pork roast....Mmmmmm
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I have everything I want, including my dream job since I was in kindergarten. Mrs. Claus.

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This is Halloween, this is halloween...

2008-11-02T00:49:00.000-07:00

DURING

2008-10-07T00:10:00.001-07:00

Our backyard will be completed this week! Yay!! Our grass was put in today. When we got home the kids ran through the house straight to the lawn and ran circles and rolled on the grass and got back up to run some more. One might have mistaken them for puppies.

BEFORE

2008-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

So here is our backyard. Yes, some of those weeds are taller than the fence. Pathetic yet we had no need to cut them down until now!

My neighbor

2008-10-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

Today when we were driving home from my parents (the house I grew up in) our old neighbor was out sweeping her walk. We grew up raking her leaves, riding our bikes up her driveway and declining the tea she offered us. ; ) Sweet lady. Her husband died probably 10 yrs ago. My Dad mowed their lawn, swept leaves off their roof and other misc. jobs since I can remember. We visited every once and a while and always sang to them every Christmas. She would invite us into their immaculate home. White carpet, porcelain elephants, fancy paintings. I'm sure my Mom was quite nervous. ; ) Shortly after her husband passed away she talked to my parents about the church and was baptized at 83 yrs. of age. - To sum up an amazing story in 1 sentence.

Well today we stopped and said Hi. My Mom had a birthday present to give her. When I pulled up she couldn't believe I was old enough to drive let alone 2 kids in the backseat. She is losing her memory a little bit & her daughter wants to put her in a assisted living home but she adamantly refuses. She said to me "I just love keeping house, I can't do that anymore if they put me in a home." Of all things I think housework would be the first thing I would like to scratch off my list! She must be close to 90, she's lonely, losing her memory and all she wants is to keep house.

Our little conversation made me quite grateful for all the housework I do and all the housework that is staring me in the face. I do it everyday and yet there will always be more tomorrow, while discouraging it is nice to know that I have so many other things that fill my life besides housework. Making a home is a wonderful thing. And someday if I am lonely and old and housework is the only link to my memory and meaning in my life then bring on the dishes!! I'm sure my gratefulness for cleaning will wear off shortly but just for today...

Facebook

2008-08-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

So I have recently started a page on facebook. Quite exciting news, huh? Just when I start feeling comfortable blogging I start something else. anyway. I am amazed how social facebook is & how eager they are to find other facebook friends for you. But I guess that's cool and maybe a little weird too. Instant messenger was just starting to come around my senior year of high school. But not very many people had it at that point. The AOL dial-up sounds are still engraved in my brain. Holy cow what a bad student I would have been back in the day if I had all these websites to keep up with while trying to study Biology!

Gympoopstics

2008-08-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love watching gymnastics but this time around I have been a little disappointed. I understand why the US got silver in the the team gymnastics BUT the individual vault and bars situations are beyond me. I don't see how the girl from China got a bronze and landed on her knees! over someone who landed both vaults - Alicia. Sure her vault was ranked more difficult but she couldn't pull it off! Doesn't that have anything to do with it? Her hands were in the wrong place and she landed on her knees. Knees being different than feet. So I guess the judging is based more on intentions than actual performance. Just when I was moving on with my life.
Nastia gets silver in a tie? They go shift it into some back-up micro scoring within the scoring the first time around came out as a tie????? I am not too gymnastic savvy, maybe that is the reason I am so disgusted.

AND as far as the age-limit thing goes, apparently the young Chinese girls can compete with older girls so maybe they should reevaluate the age range. Because when you lose to someone with poor judging, the same person who shouldn't even be there in the first place you might as well just hand them the salt to poor in your gaping wound.

Sounds like a broken system.

oh what do you do in the summer time?

2008-08-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well I feel like we are just getting back to reality. We took a trip to UT and had a great time with the Healys in July. We got back just in time for a Valk retreat in Pinecrest. Then, Uncle Brett, Eric's brother came to visit and my mom and I celebrated our birthdays together! It has been a fun and busy summer. Needless to say we don't have any travel plans for the rest of the year. The slideshow is a bit lengthy but in case you are up late, bored or really interested in another one of my amaaaaazing slideshows than kick back and enjoy. ; )

1957

2008-08-13T07:17:00.001-07:00

You Belong in 1957

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Surely I thought my love of Rock would put me in the 60's. But I guess there is nothing wrong with the 50's. With pearls and that hair maybe I should be inviting people over for cocktails & meatloaf more often. ; )

Gas Guzzlers

2008-07-16T01:56:00.000-07:00

So as a resident of Bridal Ridge we pay PG&E for our gas and MID for our electric. Simple enough? Not so fast. PG&E can now legally charge residents in this area the for NOT USING their "electric". Apparently PG& E had dibs on gas AND electric & only got gas. Not my problem, you would think...

I got to pay my first check - retro active of when we moved in- for services to PG&E --not used. They call it "nobypassable charges" which by the way does not happen to be a real word.

We have only lived here a short time so we only had to pay $5. Not a big deal since I have $5. But from now on there will be a monthly fee from PG&E for not using their electric.

Lame company award this week goes to ..........drum roll......

Pacific Gas & Electric! You win nonbypassable charges from hundreds of people.

Disneyland + Newport Beach= 1 Great Vacation

2008-07-08T13:46:00.001-07:00

So we went to Disneyland!!! WooHoo. The last time I was there I was 8 months pregnant with Audrey. It was a bit ruff but so fun to watch Jack experience it for the first time. Even at a year and a half he loved it! I am so not against kids being "to young" for Disneyland. We surprised the kids, we didn't tell them until we were walking up to the gates and Jack whipped around..."Are we going to DISNEYLAND?!!!" Audrey loved the Merry-go-round! That's why there are so many pictures of us on it. Jack and I went on Star Tours while Audrey and her Daddy rode the "horsies" over & over. It just so happens that they have a Jedi training show going on at Disneyland. Go figure! Jack loved it. Darth Vader, Darth Maul and storm troopers showed up. We were only there a day but fit in enough rides, parades, food, for at least 3 days. The kids got to meet Mickey. Audrey was completely star struck while Jack was asking us.." Why isn't Mickey saying anything?! I'm trying to talk to him, but he won't answer me!" We all had a great time. When we were on the Tea Cups for the 3rd time the kids were just laughing & laughing and Eric said " who knew the tea cups would ever be this fun." It's so fun to play with your kids all day and get away from the "I've got to go to work and I need to get the dishes done."etc.

THEN we went to visit Eric's sister and husband and new baby that just moved from the East coast to the West Coast! Yay! We had a great visit with them. We spent some quality time at the beach, ate tons of good food and loved watching the kids melt over their new baby cousin. This is the first of many trips to come!

It's that time again...

2008-06-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

So I think potty training is the hardest thing I've had to do as a parent so far... hands down. If you are appalled by this statement then please let me know your secret. Our sweet little Auggie is 2 yrs. & 4 months & I am more than excited to be done with diapers. Wish me luck! It's going to be a long and messy road. I will have to consult my favorite parenting expert again - Jo Frost aka " The Nanny" ( besides my Mom.) Supernanny - How to Get the Best From Your Children is the best, most realistic parenting book I've ever seen. Just wanted to share with you my Sunday night reading material. ; ) Here we go little Miss!

Check it out----->
Supernanny - How to Get the Best From Your Children

"Shot through the heart...and you're to blame..."

2008-06-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

So I think getting shots is just one of the saddest things. Your kids trust you with their lives and you hand them over to someone with rubber gloves & a long needle. Of course I would never trade the benefits of immunizations I just wish the kiddies could somehow comprehend it a little better. TODAY - we went for a well child check to meet our new Doctor. Thought it would be good in case we get sick that he will have seen us before. I don't know how long I had spent reassuring Jack that no shots were due this visit. Much to my dismay he had 4 due plus a tb test & Audrey had 2 plus a tb test. Apparently CA gives certain immunizations earlier in case all the friends that arrive here - wanted or unwanted have Hep. or other nasty infectious diseases. anyway So ON TOP OF SHOTS - he requested lab work too. All to be done today. ARE YOU SERIOUSLY JOKING ME? I felt so bad. I could have croaked. Jack and Audrey had done so well during their check-up. And Jack hears the word "SHOT" and he looks straight at me and said "Mom, he said Shot. We're not getting shots today." Shots are bad enough and then you have to watch your sibling go first. Jack was yelling at the nurses. "That's my baby sister!" We were a sight.

So after I carried them both out of the Injection Dept. at the Pediatrics facility- all of us crying mind you, we drove over to the hospital for blood work. Jack in his prayers always blesses our hearts, our skeletons and our blood. He is very aware that these things are IN our body. So what does the nurse say to us when we arrive,
"We're just going to take your blood." AHHH! -- As Jack and I shift it into panic mode. He thinks she's a vampire and I think she needs to brush up on her pediatric vocabulary! We survived, barely. I don't know when to break the news that we have to go back in 2 days for them to clear his TB test.....

Happy 50th Birthday Uncle Don!

2008-06-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday! I hope my 50th birthday is half as exciting as this one was! Luau complete with a roast pig, tiki slushy bar, live band and fireworks to top it all off. It was a great evening.

p.s. every now and again while swimming Auggie insists on topping off her floaties- "all by herself."

4 to go!

2008-06-20T01:18:00.000-07:00

So our little man turned 4 last week! This is a picture of him at his STAR WARS party. He greeted all of his guests at the door and even had a speech when it came time for the cake. He is such a great kid. He is so full of life & love. He loves books, and drawing. He loves when Daddy has a day off and still likes to snuggle with me. He says sincere prayers and always tries to be a gentleman. Tonight we were at In-n-Out and Eric asked me to get a refill on his drink 'cause he was holding Auggie. So Jack said, " I'll come with you Mom, I will guard you." I tried to hold his hand but he insisted on walking a couple feet behind me, arms crossed, eyeing the other customers. Needless to say I made it to and from the soda bar without being attacked. It's a good thing too, Jack is quite into Star Wars these days he's practically a Jedi. ; ) So back to being 4 -exciting, but I think he was expecting a little more from this new age. He tells people " I'm four now, but I stilllll can't drive yet." He also said that since he is 4 now he doesn't need his floaties to swim anymore until we tried it -so we are working on that since it just didn't seem to happen when he blew out the candles.

We love you so much bud. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Play ball!

2008-06-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

So Jack started tee ball this week. I think I was just as excited as he was. He is so out-going and LOVES sports just like his Daddy & Mommy for that matter. So I am banking on this being a good experience for him. He was a little hesitant at first but by the end he was right in there giving the 6 yr. olds a run for their money. ; )

All because 2 people fell in love...

2008-06-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

My Grandparents celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary. They had a big party on May 24th which just so happens to be our Anniversary! We celebrated our 5th and the day after that was Kelly & Talmage's 6th! So Happy Anniversary all around! Most of the Valk Family was able to be in town for the celebration. It was so great to see everybody and have the great grandkids run around together. There are 13 "greats" - 5 and under, with 2 on the way. Good work Grandma & Grandpa!
p.s. I'm not sure why that pic turned out sideways and it's really bugging me but I can't justify any more time trying to fix it.

Happy Mother's Day.

2008-05-12T23:40:00.001-07:00

take me out to the ball game

2008-05-01T20:51:00.001-07:00

Eric & I went to San Fran for the day and watched the Giants play that evening. We had such a great time. The Giants beat the Rockies! Wooo-hooo! We had amazing seats 20 or so rows up from home plate. AT&T park is such a great stadium. And of course we got garlic fries! We ate them during batting practice so we wouldn't have to stand in line for them once the game started. They were soooo tasty. We reeked of garlic for the next 24 hours but they were so worth it.

P.S. If you are ever wondering what the big Coke bottle is... it's in the kids play area and there are 2 big tube slides that run down the middle of it. Too bad Jack wasn't with us he would have been all over that not to mention the Build A Bear store right next to it where our little girl would have spent the whole evening.

NCAA

2008-04-07T12:48:00.001-07:00

I picked Memphis & Kansas for the final game tonight! I have been in last place in all the bracket polls I participated in thus far. But now having 3 of the final 4 and 2 for 2 in the big game makes up for last place. Go Kansas!

Battlestar Galactica

2008-04-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever watched this show? It was surprisingly good! (-to me) I can't say I was much of a Sci-Fi buff before I met Eric. I almost took pride in the fact that I had never seen any Star Wars movies. But I guess I am crossing over to the dark side. - No pun intended. I have seen most of the Battlestar Galactica episodes thanks to Eric and DVR. Well The final season starts tonight! Watch it & watch the reruns on the Sci Fi channel, from the beginning if possible so you know what the "frack" -as they say- is going on. You just might like it.

Battlestar Buzz

The official website

Britney & Reese

2008-03-26T15:57:00.001-07:00

2 of my favorite celebrities. I know Britney has seen better days but I still have faith she'll come around. And I've been wondering what's the latest with Reese's boy toy? I saw this headline on YAHOO about these 2 & thought I'd add it to my blog in case you were wondering too.

click here

Idol chatter

2008-03-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

Another round of American Idol tonight! I have always been hit & miss watching American Idol. This season I have been an avid viewer and voter! It could have something to do with nothing else on the air due to the writer strike,lame. Or maybe this season is just a lot better than the rest. Who knows. There was an article in the USA Today assuming the final 4 to be: Brooke, Jason, & both Davids.
Tell me what you think.

Check out when your favorite shows will return HERE.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time....

2008-03-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

I almost saw the Easter Bunny! We had just woke up and were heading to the back door to make sure the Easter Bunny had delivered the goods. Well.... my Dad and my older sister were already looking out the window. I wasn't tall enough to see out the window, to tell you how old I was. anyway I come into the room and they say to me "Hurry Katie HURRY! The Easter Bunny is in our yard right now!!" So I am jumping and shouting and wondering why in the world is no one helping me up to see what could be one of the biggest moments of my life!!! I grab a chair and pull it over and they say " Oooooh you just missed him! He just hopped right over that fence." Talk about devastation. I remember that story clear as day every Easter. Maybe one of these years I'll catch that rascal of a bunny OR maybe I'll just repay my Dad and Amy for that dirty trick!

Happy Easter everyone. Enjoy your Ham & potatoes!

Smells like.....CHOCOLATE!!

2008-03-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

So I was really sad when I heard the Hershey factory in Oakdale was closing. I finally move back here to smell chocolate in the air on a daily basis and they move the factory to Mexico for cheaper labor after umteen years of business. Bummer. Well I heard from my Grandpa today that another chocolate company is buying the Hershey plant. Yay! A couple miles from a Gourmet Chocolate Factory is not a bad location in my book.

Here is the article...

Gourmet candy maker to buy Oakdale Hershey site

Double take...

2008-03-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

You probably thought you were on the wrong blog for a second didn't ya?! I finally feel like the house is under control so I have a little more time for things like blogging! Woo hooo! I couldn't justify too much computer time with stacks of paper all around our desk. I'm wondering how many trees were used when we purchased the house. Not for the framing just the paperwork alone. Holy cow.

We saw Horton Hears a Who. We all loved it. Jack was chanting " we are here! we are here! we are here!" It was great. I loved the Dentist scene. Eric and I got some hearty laughs out of that one. I liked it much better than the original. Those Wickersome brothers weren't quite as freaky this time around.

February & March in a nutshell

2008-03-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

A little behind....

2008-02-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

The fact that our camera has died and gone to camera heaven is not helping me stay up to date on my blog. Urgh. One of these days I'll be giving out too much information you be sick of my posts! ;)

Happy Birthday Little Miss

2008-02-20T21:29:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Audrey!

House Update

2008-01-29T13:17:00.000-08:00

So we finally feel like it's all coming together! As of today 95% of the painting will be done! Good-bye to 'flat white' walls forever. We also got some problem solvers for the messes we haven't got organized yet, such as book shelves, filing cabinets and more.

Eric and I went on a date last night! It has been such a long time since the 2 of us have been able to be alone and enjoy each others company. It was great. We went to IKEA and spent 3 hours and packed the car. Then we strolled the mall looking for the perfect shoe for a man on his feet all day. And we found them!
(check it out---> ecco) They have 5***** ratings everywhere we have checked. So if your in the market....
Then we ended up at The Cheese Cake Factory and it was deeeee-licious! So nice to have an evening out.

Our shutters our coming next week so we will no longer will be living in a fish bowl. Our neighbors are probably more excited than us about that. A man came to the door the other day selling blinds, since he could see that we didn't have any. I answered the door and he said "Are your parents home?" I was thinking nice selling tactic. - - Then said "no, this is my house." He was quite embarrassed and even more flustered when Jack ran up to me yelling "Mommy!" I didn't think I looked that young. anyway. He just handed me the flyer and left. My parents did happen to be here at the time thought that was so funny.

Once we get a little more organized I will post some pics!

CA Initiation

2008-01-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

We took a mini vacation the week before we got our keys to the house. We went to Alcatraz, Pier 39, Napa Valley, Jelly Belly Factory (& yes, that is a mural of our Governator made with jelley bellys), Muir Woods, and Mt. Tamalpais It was a great get-a-way. We hope to be planning a trip to Yosemite in the Spring!

The BIG 31

2008-01-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Eric's birthday on Sunday since his first day of work was on his actual birthday. Bummer. But it was fun to celebrate in the new house! It was great to have people over despite the boxes and piles of unorganized clutter. Eric picked German Chocolate cake, of course, and we had Pepper Steak for dinner. - A Healy family favorite. Happy Birthday Eric! We love you so much.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-19T23:05:00.001-08:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

2007 has been great to us. We started off the year celebrating Eric's 30th birthday closely followed by Audreys 1st birthday. She got her first baby doll and has just melted over any baby doll since. We took a "spring break" trip out to CA with Eric's brother Brett. ( we have been in student mode too long to give up a spring break) In May we moved into Eric's parents basement awaiting the time consuming process of applying for his CA Pharm. license. Jack celebrated his 3rd birthday in June. It was a "Buzz Lightyear" birthday he had anticipated for months. So of course we had to go all out. In July we celebrated my birthday in Pinecrest with my family. - One of my favorite places in the world, if nothing else for memories sake. In August we went down to St. George with Eric's family. We saw the play My Fair Lady @ the Tuacahn Theatre - love that show. In August we went on our first real family vacation to San Diego. We had such a great time. We will definitely repeat that trip! As of recently Eric has taken a job with Long's Drug Store and we will be moving to California for some more adventures! Looking forward to what awaits us in 2008!! We wish you all love & happiness at this special time of year!

Love,
Eric, Katie, Jack & Audrey (and the Mama Panda @ the zoo - a personal favorite of J & A)

Home Sweet Home

2007-12-19T22:10:00.000-08:00

So here it is...our new home! We will be moving in January 9th. We are so excited. From the moment we walked in the door it felt like home for all of us. I am so excited to bust out with all my decorating ideas I have been saving up since our cinder block walls. It'll be nice to get settled again and unpack our boxes we have had packed up for 7 months now. It will be like Christmas all over again. Just wanted to share the exciting news in case you hadn't heard already.

A couple Auggie tricks...

2007-11-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

So Auggie loves to lay down and put her feet in the air. It makes us laugh so much since her chunky little legs are about a a foot long. She loves to carry things around in her shirt too. I'm not sure where she picked that one up. Notice the fox in the picture. We've been places and after a while she'll pull out one of her little 2in. by 2 in. board books or one of Jack's little army men - Always thinking ahead. And Miss Cuddle bug! She loves to cuddle and hug. She had just stumbled outside from her nap and needed a hug from her big brother.

I love soccer!

2007-11-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Select a Candidate 2008

2007-11-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

Confused about the election for 2008???

TAKE THE QUIZ

I have to share...

2007-11-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

So yesterday the kids were restless during Sacrament meeting, as usual. Well Jack was sitting on my lap and drops his sippy cup. Ooops! Usually no big deal. But this time it hit the ground and I kid you not all the liquid left in the darn cup came flying back up! So chocolate milk splatters all over the back of the man in front of us and all over my legs. Jack looks at me "UH OH MOM!" We were sitting in the back in chairs so the whole bottom half of this man's suit coat was hit by the flying chocolate milk. Not to mention - of all the people in the ward this could happen to it is the one man in the ward that is so meticulous about his clothes, rumor has it that he irons his underwear. By this time the water comes and I was so flustered I dropped my cup in my lap. Apparently I need to start packing poncho in my diaper bag.

Press forward Mothers with busy children at church!

November already?!

2007-11-08T23:09:00.001-08:00

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” - - Dr. Suess

So I can't believe it is already November! This year has flown by to me. Thanks to internet shopping half of our Christmas list is complete. Woooo-hoooo! We have actually had some Fall weather here lately. It has been so nice to take the kids outside to play before Winter sets in completely. We are still investigating some offers as far as jobs go and are aiming to be into a home by Christmas. The new goal.
I don't know what we'll do with ourselves once things are settled. I am so anxious to unpack our boxes, especially the Jack & Auggie's boxes. December should be an exciting month for all of us.

Home again, home again...

2007-10-29T12:54:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Drive on the Nebo Loop

2007-10-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Good news!

2007-10-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well Eric's CA license was finally posted. I screamed when I saw his name on the website. It was just so frustrating waiting and waiting and waiting when there is nothing you or anyone can do about it. So that's all behind us now. ((*Sigh of Relief*)) We are going to CA in 2 weeks to visit and check out some jobs. It's pretty exciting having a light at the end of the tunnel. We are so anxious to have a home! Here I thought we would be in a house by my birthday - July. I guess I was a little off on that one. Now we're hoping we will have a house by Thanksgiving, Christmas at the latest.

What's grosser that gross?

2007-10-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was watching the news last night when they showed a preview to a special story coming up. Then it showed a clip of a pile of green beans with a rat head on top. Yes folks, the head of a rat. So of course I stuck around to get the full story.

A woman making some lunch had opened a can of green beans, dumped them in the pot to heat up and a rat head gangle teeth and all plopped right out of the can. Totally mortified the woman called Wal*Mart where she had purchased the green beans and they directed her to the company of the green beans themselves. I guess they were prompt in their attention to the matter but reassured her that their canned vegetables go through an intense sterilization process, so even if they happened to eat the rat head they would be safe.

So what part of this story is not okay? For starters the rat in the canned food, but I think it's even worse that they mentioned eating the rat would be okay. I think it might have been safe to say - if they happened to eat some of the green beans before they saw the rat head that would be okay. What kind of person sits down to eat beans and doesn't realize they are chewing on a rodent head?! How insulting. They had the woman put it in her freezer until they could come examine it. I was completely speechless, not to mention eating green beans messes with my gag reflex anyway.

Moral of the story : Watch out the next time you open a can, the rest of the rat has got to be out there somewhere!

A few highlights of our summer!

2007-09-30T15:06:00.001-07:00

Bloggity Blog Blog Blog!

2007-09-29T20:41:00.001-07:00

Soooo, thanks to Brian & Brooklin we found out about this nifty little gadget called a wireless router!! We are still at Eric's parents house and while they have been so nice letting us use their computer it's just not the same as your own home sweet home computer. Thanks to our new router we can share the internet!! So here I am, back to blogging again! And back to my nightly rituals of surfing the net. Awesome!! SO lots to catch up on! We had our 1st real family vacation. Eric and I and the kids drove down to San Diego last month. We stayed for a whole week! We went to the beach everyday, visited the San Diego Zoo & Birch Aquarium, went to a Padres vs. Dodgers game, went to Coronado (one of my favorite places on Earth )made a visit to the Maritime Museum where we toured old ships and a sub! ( Jack was in heaven! ) The kids are such great little travelers which makes it so nice. anyway It was a blast!! It was so fun to enjoy our little family on vacation!

We finally heard back from the CA Board on Eric's license! Wow, waiting on state government agencies - Not my favorite thing to do. But Eric should be licensed within the next week or so! Hallelujah! Then we can look into some jobs and made a decision on where to live - the ongoing saga of "here or there" & most importantly buy a house!!

The kids are doing great!! They are just amazing! They both are such chatter boxes. It is so fun to know what they are thinking. They have such cute little conversations. Audrey is in nursery now and Jack being the big brother has been chasing kids down that bother or take any toys away from Auggie.

Wow! I am typing a lot! Just wanted to tell everyone that I am back in the blogging world if anyone even checks this still! ;)

Bloggity Blog Blog Blog!

2007-09-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Sooooo

Heat wave...

2007-07-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

So I am loving that it is summer right now!! We have had some great adventures so far. Jack's 3rd birthday, visits from Amy & Chris and Christy, a trip to California, swimming, trips up the canyon, backyard sleep-outs, pretty much everything there is to love about summer. More fun to come, I get to celebrate my 26th birthday in Oakdale in a few weeks, a few days after the Valk family reunion. Woo-hoo! My Mom's birthday is 2 days after mine so we get to have a combined birthday. I can't really remember the last time I was in CA for our birthdays. It'll be great! Christy is in Nashville now living her dreams. Way to go! I think it's amazing she is chasing her dreams, we all have them I guess but who really gives them a chance or is in a position to for that matter. I'm living and loving my dreams to be a wife & mother but I am talking about those crazy things we would like to do or secretly think we'd be great at. I just think there is something to be said for being ambitious enough to put yourself out there against all odds. Way to go TT. We are still living with Eric's parents and things are going great. We thought we'd have some sort of plan by now but Eric's CA license is stilllllllllllll under way. We feel like poodles in the circus just jumping through hoops and more hoops. The kids are doing great. Jack is still loving Buzz Lightyear, along with trains, cars, dinosaurs, puzzles etc. He'll challenge you to a puzzle race where he yells out things like "I win, you missed... see ya later!" He has an amazing memory and blows us away with some of the things he tells us about. What a kid! Audrey seems to be growing up so fast. She loves animals and her baby dolls! I can already tell she will be such a good little Mommy. She is so sweet and dainty in her actions. She's definitely is a girly girl. She talks A LOT and repeats most everything we say verbatim. Some of our favorites she says is "Jack!! Monkeees! Weh-kum (your welcome)love you, cookie. She and Jack love the song "Sweet Escape." They request it over and over when we are in the car. They have the "woo-hoo's" down! anyway That's our latest and greatest. Hopefully I can keep this up better in the future. K.I.T. everyone!

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-07-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

Office Lovers!!

2007-05-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Tonights episode - Oh my gosh!! I could hardly breathe during Pam's moment of truth!!! AH! Also, I forgot to check if Andy made it back on the bus!

Mother's Day

2007-05-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there!!! Especially mine - the most amazing, helpful, hard working, thoughtful, loving Mom. ; ) Here are some good quotes to celebrate Mother's day this week....

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? ~Milton Berle

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning

[A] mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled. ~Emily Dickinson

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother. ~Abraham Lincoln

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one” Jill Churchill

What kind of sports car are you??

2007-05-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

www.tomorrowland.us/sportscar

Check out this address for a "car" personality test...

So I was very glad to find out that I was a Ford Mustang!

"An American classic -- fast, strong, and bold. You're not snobby or pretentious, but you have what it takes to give anyone a run for their money." So I guess you all better watch out!! ; )

Believe it or not but I use to have a calender of Ford Mustangs. Rodney and I still have plans to rebuild one for me someday! I'll be the little old lady from Pasadena only instead of a Super Stock Dodge I will be driving a stang!! - I guess I won't be living in Pasadena either. The only reason the song/story relates is that there will be an old lady and a hot car involved. Awwwwwesome. ;)

Sunday Afternoon

2007-04-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

So this afternoon we decided to take a stroll around Temple Square (- after seeing Brian & Brooklin's cute pictures). anyway. We had lots of kodak moments Jack picking a flower to give to Auggie, both kids leaning over the edge of every fountain to stick there fingers in, Auggie striking a pose... There were so many cute ones to choose from! I had to post the pic of Auggie w. her little double chin, we had just told her "you look so pretty!!!" and that is the face she pulled. What a princess!! ;) I also had to post the pic of Jack with his "lady killer" expression.

What a great afternoon!!

Pack it up!

2007-04-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

So Jack is trying to understand this whole moving concept. I try to help him understand that we are going to take all of our belongings with us. He wanted to help! So he dragged a box into his room and this is what he packed. He even packed Audrey's book and binki. He is such a little sweetheart.

Silly little girl

2007-04-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

Audrey loves to carry around a damp rag. She loves to wipe things off here and there as she roams through the apartment. Hmm, wonder where she gets that?? Although, when she is not wiping things down she puts it on her head until she needs it again. When I am cleaning I need to make sure I get her a rag too otherwise she will steal mine. She is my little Cinderella. She is such a little sweetie.

Lettuce please, Mommy

2007-04-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

So I have always appreciated that Jack is a good eater. Although sometimes he has rabbit - like tendencies. He loves to eat lettuce and tomatoes, whole! Mmmmm. A head of lettuce in the fridge is an open invitation for Jack. He's a funny kid. HIs latest phrases are :"that's not nice!" and "let's do it!" It's so fun to see his little mind at work. anyway - shortly after his lettuce treat he fell asleep sitting up on the couch. Whatever works. ;)

Squatters.

2007-04-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Quote from Shrek:
Donkey: Hey I got an idea! I could stay with you! We could stay up late, swap manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!

So this quote came to mind with the situation at hand. Our lease is up the 2nd week of May. We didn't want to sign another 10-12 month contract ( 'cause we are so sick of apartments!) so we will be living with Eric's parents until we buy a house!! Woo-Hooo!! Eric will be taking the CA boards soon! So the destination of the state in which the house we buy is still unknown. Utah has been great to us, although if we stay here I might invent those tube systems they have in Alaska so we could get out once and a while during the winter. ; ) We also love the thought of a change of pace if we were to move to CA. We are always game for anything. So it's nice to have some flexibility with his career. Regardless, we are going to be looking for a 7 day on 7 day off schedule. That way we have flexibility in visiting and visitors. My latest craze has been checking remax.com . It's what I do when I can't sleep, oh wait, that's every night! I am gaining a great love for Louisville KY. I have never been there but I love the homes there! (or so i've seen on remax.com & HGTV) So anyway. In 3 weeks we will be squatters! We are anxious to get the ball rolling on this whole house thing! I can not wait til Jack and Audrey have a yard. That will be better than Christmas morning!!!

Happy Easter

2007-04-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

We had a Happy Easter this weekend. We had the annual Healy Egg Hunt Saturday and then the Easter Bunny visited our house Sunday morning! Lucky! I didn't get any pictures of Jack in his Easters best because right before church he grabbed my curling iron!! Ahhh! So he has a burn with a big bubble blister down his pointer finger & all they way up his thumb! I felt sooo bad. So Jack wasn't too photogenic yesterday. :0( Luckily we got some picture the day before at the hunt. We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW CHRISTY!!! ; ) We love you!

"Future so bright, I gotta wear shades..."

2007-04-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

I'd rather be riding my bike....

2007-03-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

We have bikes! Eric got a bike a few weeks ago and I got one last weekend! We also bought a child trailer to pull the kids around too! We have to get creative with the activities we can do as a family. We are excited to take a ride once the weather gets better. We rode bikes so much growing up and I am excited to carry on the tradition. We always took our bikes to Monterey every summer to ride the trail along the coast. Mmm that was so refreshing! Christy and I always wore helmets when we were little so anytime Rod, Amy or Dad would pass us the would hit our helmet (which was loud) and say "Buckethead!" We also rode the trails in Yosemite and the trail along the American River in Sac Town. Christy and I rode our bikes daily after school. When we got old enough 4th or 5th grade) we could ride over to Kimball St. and go down "7 Steps" with Matt and Luke (cousins). That was the ultimate bikers challenge. It was so fun. Once we had this girl staying with us from England. She didn't know how to ride a bike very well, but Christy and I took her to 7 steps anyway. We told her the easier way to go down the hill. Well this girl didn't even turn the bike!! So she went sailing off the trail and eventually ran into some big water tank thing. She had a pretty big scratch on her arm. So Christy and I took her home and aided to her scratch and then told her not the tell our Mom! Since our Mom had told us specifically not to take her there. I'll never forget that night at dinner. She was very obvious about the huge scratch 'cause she wanted my Mom to see it! Christy and I kept giving her the eyes, like stop making it obvious!! Mom eventually found out but I don't remember getting in too much trouble. Christy and I loved to ride through puddles as well. There was always a great one in the teacher parking lot at Magnolia. It was always obvious we had gone through puddles because we would have a huge streak of mud up the middle of our backs. Amy and I use to ride our bikes to piano lessons too, when I was in 2nd grade. We would save up our change and go to 7 11 after our lesson and get candy for ourselves and Rod and Christy. Our parents also had drink holders mounted on our bikes to so we could all carry our slurpees on family rides to get a treat. It was also fun to ride bikes on the ranch too. Grandma and Grandpa always had enough scooters and bikes for all of us to ride. We would race up and down the lane. It was a blast. Woa! I am typing a lot!!! I am just so glad to be back on the world of biking. I have such great memories of riding bikes growing up and hopefully our kids will too!!

Ca or Bust!

2007-03-30T09:25:00.001-07:00

It was a great trip home to see the fam! It's always so nice to see everybody. The weather was FABULOUS!! It was in the 70's and a couple days it was 80 degrees even!! It is so nice to think about especially since snowing here again. We were sad we didn't get to see Reece since she was in the hospital & are so glad she is feeling better. Brett was able to come with us since he was off for Spring Break. It was a party all around! Enjoy the pics!

Let's go fly a kite!!

2007-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Jack & I have had our eye on these kites @ Costco lately. So yesterday when Jack, Audrey and I were at Costco again, I had to get one. Jack picked out the pirate ship kite, probably due to his latest interest in Peter Pan! When Eric got home from work we had to go try it out! We didn't have the greatest wind to work with but we got it up in the air a couple of times. We are looking forward to using it at our picnic next week!

Sunday Best

2007-03-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist taking pictures of Audrey in this dress before church last Sunday!! What a doll!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr cold!!!

2007-02-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

So here is the view out our windows today. It is suppose to snow through Thursday! Ugh! Another day in the apartment! ;)

What's up with us?

2007-02-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest with us!! Eric got a new bike -which means I get one too! WOooHOooo! Jack is starting to potty train!! It is going okay so far! I'll be excited to only have one child in diapers! Auggie as you can see is still quite squishable and is quite the little cuddle bug. The temperature actually made it into the 50s the other day so I took Jack and Audrey out for a spin (or push) in Jack's truck! Then later as you can see- when the truck was in the house they had a power struggle over who was going to be the driver! Never a dull moment! ; )

Heaven Sent....

2007-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

So things have been crazy & stressful over here at the E.Healy home as of late. And our children have decided sleeping is optional. - Which has been the icing on the cake. ;) Well I went to Relief Society last week in need of some definate"relief." The lesson was absolutely what I needed to hear. Don't you just love when that happens? Then the woman teaching ended with the scripture Matthew 11:28-30. It hit me like a ton of bricks that day. It's interesting to me that no matter how the course of your life changes the scriptures can always apply to every situation you might be going through. I don't mean to be preachy I just wanted to put this thought on here for anyone else who might need to hear it. Because that day it was very fitting for a worn down housewife. ;)

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden light

I love being a stay-at-home Mom of course. But sometimes you need a little pick me up and I can't tell you how refreshing it was for me to hear this that day and I have thought about it everyday since.

Happy Birthday Audrey!!

2007-02-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

The kids loved Build-A-Bear! They both picked out their animals and outfits! It's easier now that Audreys loves pointing to what she wants! She picked out a bunny and Jack got a dog. It was a fun evening! That store can be dangerous!

Happy Valentine's Day from Jack's face ; )

2007-02-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

more pics....

2007-02-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

I just loves birthdays! And Audrey's isn't even over yet! I'm already excited to plan Jack's and it's not until June!! So since we had Audrey's party a couple days early Eric & I are taking the kids to Build-A-Bear on her birthday - the 13th. So it will be Audrey's birthday and early Valentines. I'm excited. Out of the bazillion outfits you can choose I heard they have a Buzz Lightyear outfit for your bear/ animal. Hmmm I wonder who will choose that??? I'm excited to see what Auggie will pick too. ;)

Audrey's Party!

2007-02-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

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We had such a fun birthday party last night!! Food, folks & fun. What else is there? Audrey was a beautiful and very happy birthday girl. Jack enjoyed the festivities too! He loved Pin the Nose on Elmo! Who didn't? ;) Jack, Mason & Kennedy also loved helping Audrey open her presents. And it's a good thing because at her rate we might still be opening presents!

Lovin' February

2007-02-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that I love February! I would prefer it was Summer all year long but if I had to pick a favorite Winter month February would be it! I use to LOVE getting my Valentines cards all ready, going down the class list and carefully matching each card to suit it's recipient. Amy, Rod, Christy and I would sit around the table and just go for it. Stickers cards and candy hearts everywhere. I remember one year Rodney using the stapler on his and accidently stapled his finger!! Ouch. I loved delivering my Valentines around to the handmade card holders on everyones desk. ((Room-Mother here I come!!)) We always had fun parties being that Amy is a Feb Birthday and Rod's is on Valentines. Our house was decorated all month long red and pink crepe paper and ballons. We'd wake up on Valentines morning to a small Valentine present on each of our plates from Mom & Dad. I'm excited that Audrey has a February birthday and Jack has a summer birthday. We couldn't have planned that better, Oh wait maybe we did. Don't be surprised if the other "twinkles in Eric's eyes" are born in similar months ; ) I'm glad we have a day like Valentine's Day to have an excuse to do something nice for the ones we love.

Pretty in Pink

2007-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here is Auggie modeling her beanie I made her with my 'knifty knitter.' She's a doll. She was sick all week and finally started feeling better yesterday. Thank goodness!

Jack @ Gym

2007-01-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

Here is Jack at his "little gym" class. He loves it! It's a great for him especially during the winter time! He goes every Saturday morning. His favorite things to do at class are warm - ups (running on the big red mat - above), balance beam and jumping off the little obstacle courses. What a kid! He is a ball of energy.

In the middle picture you can see a pregnant lady in a black and brown striped shirt w/ her daughter. Well..... they have "ball time" every week and it's always a big deal when it's time to put the balls away 'cause the kids love it. So they always have to check and make sure they got all the balls put away. So my darling little boy ran up the that woman and hit her in the stomach as if to knock the ball out of her shirt. (only she's pregnant/moody) So she whips around to me and says " is he yours?!!!" Um awkward. I do punish my child when necessary but this was an innocent mistake. And let's be honest it didn't hurt. Regardless, we apologized and stayed clear of her. The only thing I could think about was "I hope she's having a little boy." ; )

Here's the latest & greatest...

2007-01-25T22:38:00.000-08:00

Jack tonight said the dinner prayer all by himself!! No prompting or coaxing. He volunteered and word for word he said "Heavenly Father, the day... the food... Name of Jesus Christ.... Amen!!" Wow! I almost started crying! I was so elated. It was just one of those precious moments. You could tell by the look on his face he was pretty proud too. We have spent A LOT of time indoors lately. So we've had to get creative. This week he has spent a lot of painting so we went and bought a clothes line and pins to hang up the art! Jack LOVES projects. Hmmmm... I wonder where he gets that from?

Since Audrey has been walking she is only a couple steps behind Jack now. She was always a rather quiet baby and now all of a sudden she is so chatty. Her voice is even hoarse. She says things like Ma ma, Da Da, Dat dat -Jack jack, bah-ball, bye, hello - heh-wo ( when she plays with her phone) and her other word........."towww" - towel!!! Crazy eh? Everyday in the bath when Jack is ready to get out he yells TOWEL so of course she yells TOWEL too when she's done. ONLY... it's her word for 'done'! So when she is done eating, sitting or whatever it maybe she yells "toooowww"! Too cute.

Never a dull moment! ; )

He needs an allowance!

2007-01-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

So I walked in the kitchen last night to find Buzz Lightyear doing my dishes!! What a treat!! He does great things now that he's discovered he can drag his accomplice "the chair" anywhere he needs. (ah!!) It reminded me of when he use to sit on the sink board next to me in the old apt. and help do dishes. Here is a pick of when he was 1&1/2 helping with the dishes. I wasn't joking when I said he is a great helper!

Auggie & The Pumpkin

2007-01-22T11:03:00.000-08:00

So Audrey found my old trick -or-treat bucket and thinks that it is the greatest thing in the world! She carries it around and finds random items to put in it. Sometimes she delivers those items throughout the house making a sort of scavenger hunt for Mommy. It's kind of exciting! She carries it everywhere. In the picture above she is carrying my roundbrush and below she has a couple of Jack's trains he just happened to be looking for. She is so funny.

100 Things...(refer to Amy, Shelly & Steph's blogs)

2007-01-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

1. I am Katie
2. I love my kids
3.They are beautiful
4. They are wild
5. They make us laugh
6. I love Eric
7. I love his quirkiness
8. I love his thoughtfulness
9. I hate the cold
10. I hate the snow
11. I don't drive in the snow
12. I spend too much time 'in doors' during winter
13. Maybe I need some sun lamps?
14. I can't believe I will be 26 this year.
15. I am still stuck on 22
16.I love having a summer birthday
17.Although Utah has it's higlights, I wish I lived in Oakdale
18. I admit I have CA pride
19.Auggie's 1st birthday is Feb 13th
20.I tried to hold on so she would be Valentines Baby
21. Yah Right!!
22.I love that JackJack is a sports nut like his Daddy
23.I love that Eric is a sports nut like my Dad
24.I love reading to Jack"Going on a bear hunt" (thank you Crosbys!!)
25.He has almost has it memorized and acts out the pictures. It's so cute!!
26.I love that Audrey is walking
27.I love pictures
28.I am excited to live in a house!
29. Excited is an understatement
30.I want Jack and Audrey to have separate rooms
31. Naptime and Bedtime would be much easier.
32. I want to decorate a house
33. I want to paint the bedrooms!
34. I love our new car.
35. I spend a lot of time thinking about a house
36. I miss my family
37. Jack misses "G"
38.Auggie loves, Jill, Reece & Reagan
39. I love BBQ food
40. I'm anxious to be able to listen again in church someday, when my kids sit still ; )
41. I have been growing my hair out forever and it's not even that long yet
42. I love my label maker
43. My favorite chore is vacuuming
44.I get so anxious for Eric to come home.
45. I am thankful for playhouse disney & everything else Disney
46. I want to go to disneyland
47. I love seeing Jack and Audrey play together, soo glad they have each other
48. I need to exercise
49. I hate exercising
50. I think it is boring
51. Eric was teaching me how to play tennis then I kept getting pregnant ; )
52. Excited to pick up the racket again in the spring
53. I miss playing on our old wards Women's Basketball team
54.I like exercising where I am not thinking about it, like tennis and BBall
55.I am a night owl.
56.Jack is a night owl too.
57. Sometimes we stay up late and watch tv or work on stuff
58. He is a good helper
59.I love being a Mom
60. I enjoy my children
61.I love being the one they want when they need a cuddle
62.I love eating soup in the winter
63. I love CA produce! I miss it.
64. I love Christmas.
65. I love that G&G have a stocking for everyone in the family!
66.I love my Mom
67. I talk to her daily!
68.I love my Dad too
69. He is amazing
70. I love my siblings
71. I couldn't ask for better
72.I miss being a kid and playing on the ranch all day with the cousins
73. I loved playing mermaids in the swimming pool
74. I love riding a bike!
75. I need to get a bike.
76.I am sad for the Yellow wiggle, he was my favorite
77.I love doing projects on my imac
78.I play the piano
79. I want a piano
80. I love the colors green and red
81. Audrey & I have very similar personality traits.
82.Eric & Jack have similar personality traits.
83.I am more protective of others than I am of myself
84.I would do anything for my kids or my family, anything.
85.I feel like I could be doing more than I am.
86. I like to be helpful, not helped.
87.I love popcorn
88.I think Eric & I are a great team
89. I am an open 'D-housewives' watcher
90. I also love 24, Prison Break, & Survivor
91. I want a dog.
92.I'm already sad to deal w. it dying though.
93.I hate when pets die
94.I love the ocean
95.I love the super nanny book and the Martha Stewart handbook!
96. I wish John Lennon & Elvis were still alive
97.Beatles were the greatest band to ever grace the Earth.
98. I am afraid of heights!
99. I want my old drafting table
100. I want to be an interior designer

Birthday weekend...

2007-01-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

So the top picture is just to show you the frozen tundra in which we live!! That is the view from our kitchen window, pretty but COLD! It's 10:30 in the morning right now & it is 8 degrees out! Lovely. This weekend was Eric's birthday so we went out to eat @ Ruth's Chris Steak House. All I can say is YUM!!! If you want eat a heaven sent meal, go there. It is amazing! While we were at dinner I surprised him with keys to a room at the Grand America. Woo -Woo !! It was a very relaxing and enjoyable birthday weekend! Monday came to soon.

A few highlights of our holiday...

2007-01-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

annual Healy family gingerbread (graham cracker) house competition

Garrett & Jack all cuddled up. Jack still asks everyday... "where 'G' go? we are anxious to visit again soon!

all bundled up @ Temple Square. the lights were beautiful but it was freeeeeezing! i think this is the only time Jack looked up from his blanket - only because we said "train!!" in order to get this picture. (mean, i know)

Mackenzie, Audrey (lovely) & Sadie

here are G & G with 10 of their 12 great- grandkids, all under 4!! We had them babysit for the evening ... Just Kidding.

it was another WONDERFUL Healy Christmas, Riley Christmas & Valk Christmas. something tells me by the look of this picture, it will only get more exciting!!

A Very Merry (early) Christmas!

2006-12-16T14:34:00.001-08:00

Santa came early to the Healy home this year. The kids must have been extra extra good, that and the fact we are spending Christmas in Oakdale. ; ) We wanted to make sure Santa didn't get confused. Jack is working on his new train set and Auggie is giving her new baby a binki! You don't think Christmas can get any better until you see your own kids experience Christmas - - priceless!!

Audrey & Jack

2006-12-14T23:55:00.000-08:00

Audrey looks so sad in this picture, but she really is such a happy & sweet little girl 99.9% of the time. This just happened to be the only successful attempt for our Christmas cards pictures where both kids were looking towards the camera. As for Jack, this is the usual look. He is an energetic little boy and loves life!

Eric*Katie*Jack*Audrey

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

It's a girl!

Baby #3

February

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Bummer.

Respect the classics

Getting to know you. *Christmas style*

This is Halloween, this is halloween...

DURING

BEFORE

My neighbor

Facebook

Gympoopstics

oh what do you do in the summer time?

1957

Gas Guzzlers

Disneyland + Newport Beach= 1 Great Vacation

It's that time again...

"Shot through the heart...and you're to blame..."

Happy 50th Birthday Uncle Don!

4 to go!

Play ball!

All because 2 people fell in love...

Happy Mother's Day.

*take me out to the ball game*

NCAA

*Battlestar Galactica*

Britney & Reese

Idol chatter

Happy Easter!

Once upon a time....

Smells like.....CHOCOLATE!!

Double take...

February & March in a nutshell

A little behind....

Happy Birthday Little Miss

House Update

CA Initiation

The BIG 3*1*

Merry Christmas!

Home Sweet Home

A couple Auggie tricks...

I love soccer!

Select a Candidate 2008

I have to share...

November already?!

Home again, home again...

Beautiful Drive on the Nebo Loop

Good news!

What's grosser that gross?

A few highlights of our summer!

Bloggity Blog Blog Blog!

Bloggity Blog Blog Blog!

Heat wave...

Check out my Slide Show!

Office Lovers!!

Mother's Day

What kind of sports car are you??

Sunday Afternoon

Pack it up!

Silly little girl

Lettuce please, Mommy

Squatters.

Happy Easter

"Future so bright, I gotta wear shades..."

I'd rather be riding my bike....

Ca or Bust!

Let's go fly a kite!!

Sunday Best

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr cold!!!

What's up with us?

Heaven Sent....

Happy Birthday Audrey!!

Happy Valentine's Day from Jack's face ; )

more pics....

Audrey's Party!

Lovin' February

Pretty in Pink

EricKatieJack*Audrey

Getting to know you. Christmas style

take me out to the ball game

Battlestar Galactica

The BIG 31