halladay happenings

A DAY in the LIFE of JOHN

2012-02-14T22:34:00.001-07:00

John is busy

John keeps the rest of us busy

Here are just a few ways he spent his time, today:

MORNING

I played with Wes

This includes playing while eating breakfast, so much so, that I spilled water all over Wes and I, causing us both to change our clothes.

I played with Wes some more. We love LEGO!

(my mom is so thrilled that Wes and I are finally playing together, for at least a few minutes at a time)

AFTERNOON
I decided while my mom was on the phone that I needed to take a bath, so I turned on the faucet, poured in some bubbles, got naked, and hopped in.

Who doesn't love a good afternoon soak in the tub?

After getting clean, I locked myself in the bathroom and plugged the toilet with an entire roll of toilet paper. This is my angry face, I was really mad when my mom made my clean up my mess.

(FYI: that is cardboard floating in the toilet)

EVENING

My mom should know better then to leave folded laundry on the floor. I just had to mess it up.

6:00pm

I fell asleep on the couch and mom took me to bed. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? I should get a good night sleep.

My Valentines

2012-02-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

Here is how we spent our morning, balloons, breakfast, and treats.

These are my favorite valentines!

It's true, I did give Mary a marshmallow treat for breakfast, don't tell.

She looks so cute in RED!

"Hey boys, lets get a picture of the two of you together. Now both of you look at me and say, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY" (a mom can keep trying to get cute pictures, right?)

Cute Valentine's story

Before leaving for work this morning, Nate gave me a beautiful bouquet of roses, here is why (besides it being Valentine's Day):

Wes: "Hey Nate, we should get mom some roses, I saw this commercial for roses for 9.99. We should really get them for her.

Nate: "Ok buddy, are you sure she would like roses and not something else?"

Wes: "Nate, mom would love roses, She would really love roses. I think COSTCO has the best roses too"

Nate: "You got it buddy!"

Bon Appetit

2012-02-07T22:14:00.001-07:00

Today we ate

Mary ate her first "finger food"

(she does not like pureed food at all)

We made maple leaf cut-out cookies for Wes" preschool class, and we made sure to "taste test" as many as possible

Wes then decided to make us a playdough feast and it was delicious

I am just wondering who is going to do all those dishes

Oh, and John really needed ad haircut, so he got one. He was pretty grumpy during his haircut ("I don't want my hair all gone") and his mood only got worse when they told him he was not going to get a sucker (I tried to offer him a stick of gum, but that made him even more grumpy). Poor Guy, no more curls and no treat!

The Demolition Fun Has Begun

2012-02-07T21:30:00.001-07:00

Bye-Bye plaid wallpaper

(the wallpaper removal crew in action)

Bye-Bye striped bathroom

Bye-Bye kitchen

Bye-Bye tile floor

Hello John

Safety First!

Winter and the Kitchenaid

2012-02-01T15:53:00.001-07:00

I received a Kitchen aid mixer for Christmas

I hate going out in cold weather

The kids and I spend a lot of time indoors

Some of this time has been spent using my new mixer

I love it, and the boys make great baking assistants

Here are a few things we have made:

Italian bread

cinnamon rolls

cream cheese pumpkin bread

chocolate chip cookies

honey whole wheat bread

strawberry whoopie pies

sugar cookies

banana muffins

a Kitchen aid mixer and cold weather have proved a very yummy combination

Just Cuz

2012-01-25T14:42:00.002-07:00

I am super CUTE

Solid Food???

2012-01-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Poor third child!

I just realized Mary is old enough to start solid foods.

I tried rice cereal, no go

I tried sweet potatoes, smiles

Of course, no sweet potatoes were actually eaten

I will try again tomorrow

Goodbye, Friend

2012-01-23T14:26:00.002-07:00

This is my best friend

He is Chinese

We met almost two years ago

We go everywhere together (church, shopping, bed, the park, car trips, etc)

We "fit" together perfectly

This week he started coming apart at the seams

so has our friendship

Our "fit" is not so perfect anymore

Mom says I have to say goodbye

I do not want to

It is hard

I will miss him

-john

Chef Boyar-YUCK!

2012-01-23T14:04:00.001-07:00

In a moment of grocery shopping weakness, I bought a few cans of RAVIOLI.

I was thinking "Hey, quick and easy for the boys." We are not typically "from the can" eaters, but I thought I would give it a try. Lunchtime approached, I popped the lid, microwaved two bowls, and excitedly placed my "easy" lunch in front of the boys. They both stared, sniffed, and then refused to eat. I said, "you guys should try it, you might like it" They complied by taking a bite, only to spit it back out again.

NICE TRY MOM!

I guess I better keep my "easy" lunch ideas outside the can.

(If you are interested, I know where you can find a couple extra cans of Chef Boyardee Ravioli)

Primary Spotlight

2012-01-18T13:32:00.004-07:00

On Sunday, Wes came home with a "spotlight" sheet from his primary.

Here are the answers, I loved hearing them.

Getting to Know Wesley...

Age: 5

Birthday: September 21st

Family:6 members (including my Mimi)

Favorite Food: Pepperoni Pizza

My favorite thing about Primary is...learning

I choose the right by...helping others

One of my favorite things is to...play with my dad

My favorite scripture story is... the story of baby Jesus

The most important thing I've learned in life so far is...to help others

I have ouchies!

2012-01-18T12:55:00.002-07:00

John is obsessed with band aids, so much so that Santa brought him some in his stocking, Besides playing football (mostly naked), his day is spent putting on and taking off band aids. Not only does he use them on himself, but he is constantly checking all of out for "ouchies". Today he felt the 5 band aids would cover any and all "ouchies" which is good because there were only 5 left in the box. Who knows what we will do tomorrow we he discovers his empty box! OUCH!

our new house

2012-01-18T12:49:00.001-07:00

The Halladays are homeowners again. We just closed on this 5 bedroom, 3 bath, 3000 sq st house. We are only about 15 mins south of Jeanne's house and close to everything else (shopping, schools, library, hospital, mountains, etc) We are going to be doing a lot of interior work, but here are "before" shots.

The Front

Living Room

(new paint and flooring)

Kitchen

(this will be totally remodeled)

Family Room

(This will get new flooring and paint, and Nate is planning on removing the Fake stone fireplace)

Main Bathroom

The Boy's Room

(new paint and flooring)

Mary's Room

(new paint and flooring)

Master Bedroom

(new paint and flooring)

Master Bath

(total remodel)

backyard (.28 acres)

backyard

Nate's new workshop

(biggest selling point of the house for me. I love that Nate has a place to go "tinker")

My house inspector!

(I was only able to take pictures of the main floor before Mary started screaming, letting me know it was nap time. I am positive there will be many more photos to come!

My new do

2012-01-16T16:42:00.003-07:00

So, my mom has been combing my hair up into a mowhawk (It is actually kinda messy in this pic) . She loves it, dad is worried that I look like and boy, but I think I am pretty cute no matter what!

(Oh, and today my mom let me sit in the cart at COSTCO for the first time. I felt like such a big girl. I was so pleased with myself that I couldn't stop smiling and giggling at everyone I saw. Being a big girl is so much fun! Now if I could only master that sitting up thing!)

LEGO

2012-01-16T16:35:00.002-07:00

I did it! Dad and I worked really hard, and I finally finished my FIRE STATION LEGO set! I love it. Thanks Gramma and Grampa for the awesome Christmas present.

My sweet baby girl is 6 months old

2012-01-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

We had Mary's 6 month check-up this morning and the doctor confirmed that she is doing great! She is so fun, but I have noticed that she is very much a girl (drama, drama, drama). Her favorite thing to do is be held, and cuddled. She loves to drool, babble (she does a lot of screaming too), grab for everything, take baths, role over, and be the center of attention. She does not love to sleep, be left-out, wear anything on her head, be on her tummy, or be in her car seat. She is our princess!

Here are her stats:

Weight: 14.7 pounds

Height: 26 inches

(She is the smallest of my babies, what a dainty lady!)

her brothers at 6 months:

John

Weight: 16 pounds

Height: 28 inches

Wes

Weight: 17 pounds

Height: 29.5 inches

Dressed to Impress (or at least to stay warm)

2012-01-10T17:39:00.001-07:00

Proper Winter Attire includes:

1 Angry Bird hat

1 winter coat

1 pair of your brothers soccer shorts

1 pair of snowman pajama bottoms

1 pair of camouflage rain boots

Got Milk?

2012-01-10T17:35:00.001-07:00

When traveling to Canada over Christmas, we like to break the 14 hour trip up by spending the night in a hotel. Before stopping for the night John decided he was really thirsty for milk (it is an addiction he has). He kept asking us over and over, "Can I have some nilk, please" only to hear a "buddy, we don't have any milk." He was quite frustrated when we reached the hotel. After checking in and heading up to the room, we were just settling in, when we heard John run over to the phone. He reached it, picked up the receiver and politely asked " Can you help me find my nilk" He had given-up on us, poor guy!

Canadian Christmas

2012-01-09T13:53:00.001-07:00

This we traveled north for Christmas and here are a few highlights:

Mary enjoyed her first Christmas, filled with lots and lots of snuggles from Granpa and cousins. I think the best part of her vacation is when she learned to roll from her back to her tummy. She knows she has to keep up with the rest of her 6 boy cousins!

Here is "Home Night"

Nate's extended family gets together on Christmas Eve to celebrate each other and the birth of our Savior. As the only baby in the attendance, Mary was chosen to play Baby Jesus in the nativity scene, and I played the role of Mary (A role normally reserved for younger members of the family). With all the other boy cousins filling in the rest of the parts, we made a very motley crew, but it was so nice to remember the reason for the celebration.

Wes and John enjoying some of their favorite Christmas presents.

Christmas with Gramma includes yummy, yummy food (seafood night, Mexican night, Chinese night, roast beef, and a fondue night). Here is John and I testing out, our favorite, the chocolate fountain on fondue night. YUM!

Tyler and Wes spent one morning as paleontologists, digging up an entire Stegosaurus skeleton. (thanks, for keeping us very very busy uncle Jerry!)

Gramma has a huge Christmas tree covered in amazing ornaments (lots of moving parts and buttons to push). John loved pulling them off the tree to discover "what they did." This guitar was one of his favorites, it played a country version of "Dashing Through the Snow"

My oldest nephew, Kayden turned the ripe-old age of 14, which means he is old enough to attend church dances. The New Year's dance was his first, and we (Nate more then anybody else) had a great time teasing him, teaching him dance moves, and thinking up good ways to embarrass him.

This was a great Christmas, filled with lots of fun, presents, good food, and great weather!

Holiday Fun (Random)

2012-01-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

So here is a random post of the few things we did to celebrate the HOLIDAYS.

This is me and Mary hanging out during our "Salt Lake Stay-cation"

A couple of weekends before Christmas we stayed downtown at a hotel with some friends. We had fun eating Pat's BBQ (yummy, but super crowded), riding trax around downtown, running after the kids as they completed a scavenger hunt at the Grand America Hotel, and watching ELF. Unfortunately for Mary, John, and I, our "stay-cation" ended early. At about 4:00am and after having never gone to sleep (all three of us) I decided to pack up and head home to bed. Wes and Nate enjoyed breakfast the next morning and we met up with them later in the afternoon. Good Times!

This is John enjoying a stolen package of ROLO's he took from the Hotel store.

Pure Chocolate Enjoyment! (it only cost us $2.95)

Here is a pic of Wes' preschool Program, he is not pictured (Nate was on camera duty) but he was there. This is Wes' third Christmas performance, and his best. This year we were entertained by many preschool choir versions of well known Holiday songs, my favorite was the "Peppermint Twist". It was a good way to get us in the Holiday spirit. Good Job buddy! you have excellent "twisting" skills

Here is Wes showing off our Christmas Tree Skirt. He thought it was so funny that a tree wears and skirt, and thought if a tree can wear one, so can he. This was the night we decorated for Christmas and we had a blast. I wish I had taken a picture of the actual tree, and not just Wes wearing it's skirt. The boys got to put on the ornaments, which meant the bottom 1/3 of the trees was completely covered, leaving the top 2/3 bare. This tree had a very "Charlie Brown" feel to it! Wes really got into the Christmas decorating spirit this year, every afternoon he would "create" a new decoration. We had Christmas paper chain countdowns, paper plate Santa Clauses, construction paper snowflakes, and pipe cleaner reindeer, taped all over the house.

Lastly is my most successful attempt at a Christmas card picture.

I had a ton of fun preparing for Christmas. I have finally given into the chaos that is life with 3 children, and I am trying to enjoy every moment.

Happy Holidays, from The Halladays!

My favorite hangout

2011-12-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

Not to be left out, here are a few pics of our princess hanging out on her playmat.

Silly Boys

2011-12-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here are 2 cute reasons I am having a great Monday!

Say Cheese

2011-12-12T12:35:00.001-07:00

Here are the Halladays!

We TRIED to take some family pics this last Sunday, and this is what we got.

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-08T09:48:00.001-07:00

It is beginning to smell a lot like Christmas around here! These gingerbread houses smell delicious and the boys had a blast making, and then eating them!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T14:51:00.001-07:00

Wes and I and started celebrating on Monday, by have a Thanksgiving feast at his preschool. Before the feast Wes and his classmates sang a "thankful" song and then told what they were thankful for. Wes said he was thankful for his family (aaawwww!)

THANKGIVING DAY

our house

35 people (including Alicia's family, my cousins, and a few other friends)

2 turkeys

30 lbs of mashed potatoes

green bean and sweet potato casseroles

many many many rolls

6 pies

tons and tons of fun!!!!

This is the potato peeling crew. Wes was awesome this year, peeling 6 whole potatoes. John was also awesome acting as our resident super-hero, he got really upset, however when I tried to take his picture

The Halladays love their turkey legs!!

My cousin Ben and their super cute little girl Eliza

On Saturday my nephew Xavier was baptised, which my sister and her kids came down from Rock Springs WY, to attend. They stayed with us and we had a great weekend. Wes loves having Abbie around to play with and John and Aaden were really fun to watch as they played together.

I brought out the camera and asked Aaden to smile. Love it!

girl time!

Cousins

2011-11-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

There are only 5 days separating the birthdays of these two cousins. It has been fun to watch them grow together. The Hawks were in town this last weekend and I snapped a pic, of John and Aaden rocking out together. I thought it would be fun to look back at the last 2.5 years to see what other pics I had of them. Here are a few that I found.

about 1 year

about 9 months

About 3 months

About 6 weeks

Fall Leaves

2011-11-28T16:45:00.001-07:00

Well, I procrastinated long enough, the leaves had to be raked. I was not excited about it, but the boys could not put their coats and shoes (and Canadian hat) on fast enough. We headed outside and enjoyed our beautiful fall weather. After we had raked all the leaves into a pile, I left to go get a bag to put them in, only to return to the boys running through the then scattered pile of leaves. So much for raking, although raking has now turned into a daily activity. John is always ready to help carry leaves from side of the yard to the other in his bucket, and Wes is great at using his Buzz Lightyear sand rake to rake the leaves back into a pile again. Fall Fun!!!

Haircut #1

2011-11-28T16:43:00.001-07:00

So, my mom gave me my first haircut. She decided it was time for a trim after she overheard the boy sitting behind us in church lean over and whisper to his Grandma, "Look, their baby has a comb over!" I was not a fan of the clippers, but do admit that my hair looks nicer, and mom is hoping it grows in a little more even.

I am four months old

2011-11-14T11:03:00.001-07:00

Here are my 4 month stats:

Weight: 13 pounds (50th percentile)

Height: 25.2 inches (90th precentile)

Head: 16.5 inches (75th precentile)

Here is how I compare to my brothers:

John

Weight: 13 pounds

Height: 25.5 inches

Wes

Weight: 16 pounds

Height: 27.5 inches

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-11-01T13:27:00.003-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

FROM

AN OWL, A TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE, AND A TRANSFORMER

For the third year running, we celebrated with some friends by eating mummy dogs(hot dogs wrapped in strips of bread dough), pumpkin joes (sloppy joes with melted with pumpkin face cut-out cheese slices), ghostly strawberries (strawberries dipped in white chocolate) and trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. This year we has great weather and the boys loved racing (and I mean racing) from door to door. It was really fun and we will be enjoying a sugar-high for weeks to come.

My two favorite quotes of the night are:

Wes: "Nate, I said trick-or-treat for the very first time in my life" (Wes has been too shy to speak in previous years)

John: "Steph, that house was spoooky" (after receiving his candy, John would shout this while running away from each house)

This is how Mary spent her first Halloween. She fell asleep after dinner, so we left her behind. Thanks to Leslie and George for keeping her company.

"Oh my GOSH"

2011-11-01T12:03:00.002-06:00

Much to John's surprise, I let him play with my wallet. He was sitting quietly next to me as I was blogging, when all of a sudden he let out a big giggle, followed by an "Oh, my GOSH!" I looked over and he was holding my COSTCO card, laughing at my picture. He held it up to me and said, "see that Steph, so funny." He continued to laugh for a few minutes, flipping the card from front to back, yelling "Oh, my GOSH" every time he flipped it back to my picture.

(Thanks John, for noticing how photogenic I am)

(FYI: we are trying break his habit of using "OH, my Gosh" as his phrase of choice)

Go Green Sharks!

2011-11-01T11:47:00.002-06:00

Wes just finished his third and best soccer season yet. He really "got it" this year and instead of avoiding the ball as it was kicked down the field, he raced after it, trying to kick a goal. Which he did, and he was so excited about scoring his first goal, that he cried ("Mom, I was just so excited I couldn't help it"). Nate was also excellent as an assistant coach, and John was a great sideline cheerleader ("Go Wesley, I play now, Steph?"). We had great weather, great snacks, and a great time. Wes is excited about playing next fall, already wondering what color his jersey will be, and what his team name will be.

PS: The soccer bag that Wes is proudly displaying on his back, was this year's "trophy". A little dissapointing, We were all looking forward to adding another trophy to Wes' headboard. You can never have to many spinning light-up soccer balls, can you?

Dinosaur Discovery

2011-10-27T22:20:00.000-06:00

A few years ago some perfectly preserved dinosaur tracks were discovered in St. George. The tracks and dig site have been opened up for the public. I thought it was a perfect activity for the boys and I (Mary stayed back with Oma and Opa).

John viewing the dig site, and the rock that he is leaning on does say, PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH. The museum was not very John friendly, every where he touched, played, and ran had a sign telling him not to.

Wes created his own dinosaur. It was something between a T-Rex and a Pterosaur. Looks good buddy!

"That is awesome Steph" Wes said as he posed next to a real T-Rex track (He is also holding up a picture he drew of a T-Rex)

John's favorite museum activity. He left drenched.

"see that Steph, see that! I so fast" and "dinosaur coming, Steph!"

Nothing tops an afternoon with dinosaurs better then an ice cream cone!

I couldn't leave miss Mary out, actually, this is the only other pic I took of our trip. We had a great time at Oma and Opa's house (or as John called with Granpa and Granpa), and I am so glad we had the chance to get away for a couple of days. The boys were awesome road trippers, and Mary started sleeping through the night while we were away, YEAH!!!!

2011-10-27T21:24:00.001-06:00

The kids and I went to St. George last weekend to spend some time with my Grandparents. While we were there we spent a morning at the St. George Temple. The weather was amazing and the temple grounds were a great place for the boys to get some wiggles out. Visiting the temple is one of my favorite places to visit in St. George.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

2011-10-26T11:58:00.003-06:00

Canadian Thanksgiving (or: Nate's excuse to have a huge turkey dinner with friends)

1 LDS meeting house

60+ friends

30 lbs of potatoes

5 turkeys

many yummy sides dishes

many more full tummies

good times

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-18T14:17:00.001-06:00

Wes decided that Monday was the day we would go to the pumpkin patch. So we did. He had been eyeing one particular patch for awhile, so he was delighted when we pulled into the parking lot of his favorite patch, and our friends the Stobbes were there as well. After we picked out pumpkins the boys bounced in the bounce house, and ran through a haunted corn maze, while Mary proved to be the cutest "pumpkin" in the patch.

After buying our pumpkins we headed back to our house for hot chocolate and more Halloween fun. The boys painted their pumpkins and Wes told me he can't wait until his pumpkin dries so that he can carve it. YEAH! more pumpkin fun to come...

"GIANT coming..."

2011-10-13T14:29:00.000-06:00

We are getting ready for a very important guest, here at the Halladay house. John informs us on average about 20 times a day that "The GIANT, is coming." Because of "The Giant's" nearing arrival, John has taken it upon himself to prepare by;

playing on the IPad whenever he can: "I play IPad, GIANT coming"

pulling all the books of the shelves: "I read Steph, the GIANT coming"

avoiding bath time: "I no shower, GIANT coming"

avoiding punishment: "I did it, GIANT coming, run away"

hiding Wesley's toys: "hurry Wes, GIANT coming for toys"

making forts out of the couch cushions: "Steph, GIANT coming, hurry"

giving Nate safe driving tips: "be safe Nate! GIANT coming"

The GIANT must be arriving soon, this morning John felt it necessary to to pull a chair up to the sink and "clean" all the dirty dishes (I pay sink, the GIANT coming). Who knows the GIANT might be a clean freak.

Halloween Cookies

2011-10-13T13:47:00.004-06:00

We had a great time decorating Halloween cookies with the Gunter's last Saturday. Thanks Alicia, for the cookies and the sugary, spooky fun!!!!!

Miss Mary

2011-10-06T08:46:00.002-06:00

This little girl is sooooooo precious!

I realized that I have not written much about her. Here is Mary at 12 weeks:

She is so happy, and smiley

She loves to "talk" and when she is awake she babbles constantly (just like her mom)

Wes is her favorite person, she lights up at the sound of his voice

She is really mellow, just going with the flow, most of the time

She hates her car seat

She is a "binky baby"

She loves to snuggle, and my shoulder is her favorite snuggle spot

She loves the baby swing. She cannot resist falling asleep to it's soothing swinging motion

She sleeps a lot

She looks super cute in everything she wears, even pajamas

She has a full head of super soft hair

She is super-spoiled and super-loved

Stop...Drop...and Roll...

2011-10-06T08:18:00.002-06:00

For the third year in a row we went with Wes' preschool on a field trip to the Sandy Fire station. This year I remembered to grab my camera. Wes loved to sit in the fire engine, John loves to push any and all buttons he can find on the engines. I love to hear the "stop, drop, and roll song" they sing as part of a fire safety puppet show. I am glad that we have the opportunity to go every year, the boys learn all kinds of fire safety tips, and they look so cute in their firefighter hats.

Hubba Hubba

2011-10-04T21:01:00.003-06:00

This hairdo happened after john found some hand soap, and a comb. He climbed up onto our bathroom sink, pumped the soap a few times onto the top of his head, turned on the sink, wet his hair, and then ran a comb through it. Thirty minutes later, and a quick game of football, Voila! one AWESOME hairdo.

After seeing himself in the mirror, John said: "looka my hair, Steph. It's siwy"

Crazy Hair Day

2011-10-03T21:49:00.003-06:00

Before my Bath

After my bath

(my mom just can't help herself, she loves playing with my hair. I do have a lot of it!)

PS: I turned 12 weeks old today

The IPAD

2011-10-03T21:27:00.003-06:00

Definition of the iPad according to Wikipedia:The iPad (pronounced /ˈaɪpæd/ eye-pad) is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. Its size and weight falls between those of contemporary smartphones and laptop computers. The iPad runs the same operating system as the iPod Touch and iPhone—and can run its own applications as well as iPhone applications. Without modification, the iPad will only run programs approved by Apple and distributed via the Apple App Store (with the exception of programs that run inside the iPad's web browser).

Like iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad is controlled by a multitouch display—a departure from most previous tablet computers, which used a pressure-triggered stylus—as well as a virtual onscreen keyboard in lieu of a physical keyboard. The iPad uses a wireless local area network ("Wi-Fi") connection to access local area networks and the Internet. Some models also have a 3G wireless network interface which can connect to HSPA or EV-DO data networks and on to the Internet. The device is managed and synced by iTunes running on a personal computer via USB cable.

Apple released the first iPad in April 2010, and sold 3 million of the devices in 80 days.[17] During 2010, Apple sold 14.8 million iPads worldwide,[7][8][9] representing 75 percent of tablet PC sales at the end of 2010.[18]

By the release of the iPad 2 in March 2011, more than 15 million iPads had been sold[19] – selling more than all other tablet PCs combined since the iPad's release.[20] In 2011, it is expected to take 83 percent of the tablet computing market share in the United States.[21]

Definition of the Ipad according to the Halladay boys (including Nate):

The BEST invention ever

The BEST way to play "football" and "angry birds"

The BEST way to watch "The Princess Bride", and PBS kids

The BEST way to beat up "Talkin' Tom"

The BEST way to learn fine motor skills (the touch screen)

The BEST thing to fight over with your brother

The BEST portable entertainer

The BEST reward for getting your chores done

The BEST way to garden (smurfs)

The BEST way to spend an hour or hours of your life

simply put, the iPad is the BEST!!!

Pancakes anyone?

2011-09-27T14:04:00.002-06:00

Time Out

2011-09-26T14:48:00.001-06:00

Wes is sitting in time out

Wes: "Steph, how long did you set the timer for?"

Steph: "4 minutes"

Wes: "Don't you know I am 5 now!"

(The number of minutes spent in time out is determined by the age of the child in time-out. I had forgotten that Wes was 5. Thanks for the reminder, buddy!)

Wes: "best day ever"

2011-09-26T14:10:00.003-06:00

Wes celebrated his 5th birthday on September 21st.

We started his celebration with cupcakes at preschool

Followed by lunch at one of Wes' favorite restaurants, Wingers. They have popcorn and a birthday dessert.

Presents were next, yeah so many LEGO's and Star Wars things, including: a NASA LEGO set, 2 Star Wars LEGO sets, a Star Wars lunch box, a Star Wars dictionary, and a Darth Vader costume.

Rounding the day off were more cupcakes at Wes' first soccer game of the season.

As we were getting the kids ready for bed that night Wes told us: "This is the best day ever!"

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY WES!

rub a dub dub...

2011-09-19T12:19:00.002-06:00

Mary finally likes the bathtub.

It was fun to see her splash and smile during this morning's bath.

Bonus! John got to eat a cookie during bath time. thanks Preston, your cookies are the best!

it was just too quiet this morning...

2011-09-19T12:00:00.002-06:00

and this was why!

(john thought it was easy being green)

Advice for My 18 year old self

2011-09-17T22:47:00.001-06:00

I am currently serving as the 2nd counselor in my ward's young women's presidency. This has enabled me the opportunity to be in "teenage world" again. I was thinking the other day about my teenage self. Here are 10 things I would tell my 18 year old self :

1. California will get better, in fact it will become one of your favorite places

2. You are worth way more then you think, and have endless potential (I am not sure I even understand this at 31 years old)

3. Fight the urge to get a perm, you are white and an Afro is not a good look for you

4. Being sad is okay. Sometimes just existing is good enough, and grieving is an endless process

5. Enjoy college, concentrate on learning, and choose your major thoughtfully

6. Twin sisters are great friends. You have come this far together, sharing things no one else has. Cherish your friendship with Stacie.

7. You will get married to an amazing man who loves you, dating will allow you the opportunity to learn about love and life, but never let men control your self esteem

8. You are skinny, enjoy it and eat more dessert

9. Life is hard, living a Gospel centered life makes coping easier

10. Life is never what you expect, and that is okay

Boy, Oh Boy!

2011-09-17T20:58:00.000-06:00

BYU football has started, which means most Saturdays I hang out with the boys while Nate attends the games. Today was Nate's first game. After dinner, the kids and I went for a walk. About halfway through John jumped out of the stroller and started kicking the chain link fence that was running along the sidewalk. For the rest of the walk he stopped every 20 feet to kick whatever lay in his path. I asked him what he was doing and he responded, "I kickin' stuff, Steph."

After arriving home, Wes ran in the house where he peeled off all his clothes and yelled "I am naked" He and John then shared a shower, where they took turns peeing into the drain. Once out of the shower, both boys spent a good 5 minutes running around naked, shaking their "booties" while singing the Twisted Sister song, "Were not going to take it anymore"

Once they were in their jammies we turned on the BYU vs. UTAH football game. For the next couple of hours Wes ran around the basement yelling fake football plays and tackling fake opponents, while John put on a tool belt and "fixed" everything he could find in the basement.

I love my boys and I love football season

(Mary and I painted our toenails during the football game)

2 months and growing...

2011-09-13T15:08:00.002-06:00

My two month stats are in:

11lbs 4oz 23inches long (50th percentile)

Here is how I compare to my brothers:

John: 11.3 lbs 23.5 inches long (50th percentile)

Wes: 13.5 lbs 25.5 inches long (100th percentile)

I can't get enough...

2011-09-11T14:38:00.003-06:00

of these smiles!

Chica's noches

2011-09-11T14:24:00.001-06:00

Mary and I had our first "Girls Night" on Saturday. I took Mary to my monthly Bunko Night (this month's night had a Mexican fiesta theme) We had a blast, and not only was Mary the most "bonita chica" there, but she proved to be very lucky as well, I won $30.00 for having the most bunkos. I love having a girl! (the boys stayed home, ate pizza, and watched football).

I am now one of the 40%

2011-09-10T15:48:00.003-06:00

Friday afternoon I joined 40% of the American population (at least that's what the doctor said). I will have a scar on the bottom of my chin. I thought it would be a good idea to try and jump from my backyard bounce house onto a cement staircase. Not such a good idea. I ended up spending the afternoon at Primary Children's Hospital, where I received 6 stitches in my chin. Mom said I was a trooper, and the doctor was impressed when I held really still. After leaving the hospital all I wanted was some "Donald's french fries" so the next day we all went had a yummy lunch. And don't worry I am already back to my crazy daredevil ways by jumping off furniture and running all around the house shouting "runnin' man and cannon ball".

Nothing heals wounds faster then a "Donald's" Happy Meal

our staircase remodel

2011-09-10T15:35:00.000-06:00

We thought the staircase needed a little change. We spruced it up with some accent kitchen towels and all the shoes from our shoe rack. We think our creative design gives the staircase an open inviting feel. It's too bad mom doesn't agree. It's good thing our remodel was free and easy to clean-up.

Preschool

2011-09-07T12:18:00.002-06:00

I am Wesley

I started my third year of preschool today

Mon, Wed, and Fri mornings are my favorite time of the week

I am so excited to make art projects, solve math problems,continue to learn to read, be a classroom helper, and make new friends ("I think I am done being shy")

I am also excited to hang out with Heidi, not only is she my classmate, but I have also decided she will be my wife

I am a big brother, smart, capable, silly, and very grown up (15 days until I turn 5)

I love Outer Space, BYU football, swimming, popcorn, telling knock-knock jokes, having a baby sister, and my dad's IPAD

Squeezing every last ounce out of..

2011-09-06T17:15:00.002-06:00

OF SUMMER

The boys and I spent a fun day at Liberty Park.

Some other fun things we have done this summer, but have no photographic proof are:

camping, boating, the zoo, rodeos, smash-up derbies, backyard BBQ's, family reunion's, birthday parties, swimming lessons, bonfires, museums, and hanging out in the sun.

This has been one jammed-packed, fun-filled Summer. We had a great time, and are sad to see fall quickly approaching.

Sister's make great card tables

2011-09-01T16:14:00.002-06:00

I left Mary on the footstool after she fell asleep, only to return a couple minutes later to see her being used as a card table. Don't forget to deal Mary in next time, she loves cards.

Sweet Baby Mary

2011-08-30T15:15:00.011-06:00

Great-Grandmas Wings
Ricky R. Hernandez
Great-Grandma I wonder
where you keep your wings.
Are they hung in your closet
with the rest of your things?
Do you put them away
and just use them at night
or give them to Rosie
to polish up bright.
I know you have wings,
for this must be true,
'cause God always gives
them to Angels like you.

Thank you Grandma Ruth and Oma for allowing Mary to carry your names and learn from your examples. My wish for her is to be as beautiful, righteous, faithful, and amazing as you are. She is such a lucky young lady to have Great-Grandmothers like you. I love you.

Mary's Blessing

2011-08-30T11:02:00.010-06:00

Sunday August 21st

Mary's Blessing
Here are some of the sweet words Nate spoke

The Lord and your family love you beyond measure

You are a child of God, and he wishes that you always know who you are take confidence in that knowledge

You will be a mother and spouse, having your family sealed to you in the temple

You are filled with endless potential and a desire to nurture both spiritual and secular learning

The Lord blesses you to be a leader to those who are less fortunate so you can bless the lives of those around you

Be a peacemaker and love others, you will bring joy into the lives of others

You are blessed to be an example of purity, virtue, love, service, and prayer

You are noble, great, and strong

You are fortunate to live in a family who loves and cares for you

The Lord loves you, always strive to be better and better the lives around you

Oma (Mary's namesake) surprised me by attending the blessing shortly after having broken her hip, and wrist. I know the trip was not easy, and I will forever be grateful that she was able to attend. I admire everything about my Oma, and feel blessed to have a daughter who carries her name.

These are all the men who were able to bless Mary
(Lindsey, Matt, Justin, Mike, Nate, John, Johnn, James, and Opa)

"I John"

2011-08-25T16:26:00.004-06:00

I John...

I have crazy curly hair that matches my crazy fearless personality

I answer everything by saying no, first:

John how are you? no, I John

John what do you want for breakfast? no, toast

John are you silly? no, I John

John should we go? no, go home

John are you having fun? no, fun

John do you have a poopy diaper? no, I John

I insist on getting dressed all by myself
I love my "bebe maree" and feel very strongly that she needs her pacifier shoved in her mouth constantly, and of course I am the one to do it.
I love cooking with my mom, watching sports with my dad, following my brother everywhere, and I LOVE LIFE!!!!Oh, there is one thing I HATE, sleep. My bedroom is empty because I would rather play then go to sleep.

Temple Square

2011-08-24T15:18:00.004-06:00

While my in-laws were in town (they came for Mary's blessing) we made a trip down to Temple Square. It is always nice to visit the temple and although it was really hot, we had a great time.

During their week-long visit we were also able to go to Thanksgiving Point, Lagoon, Mini-golfing,craw fishing, and shopping. It was a busy, but fun week.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My... Ok, just Bears (and a moose)!

2011-08-24T14:54:00.005-06:00

Bear World

We met Nate's Parents and his brother Lindsey's family, in Island Park Id. After our fun-filled weekend there, we all headed back to Salt Lake, but not before making a stop at Bear World, right outside Rexburg, ID. I have been wanting to go for years, and was thrilled to make the stop. Bear World consists of a small (very small) theme park with rides and a petting zoo as well as a drive through a forest of real live bears. It was awesome, our van drove behind a feeding truck, so we got to see a ton of bears as they came out to eat.
This is the only pic of the wildlife we captured, and yes it is a moose, not a bear.

Island Park

2011-08-24T11:16:00.004-06:00

Ready to hit the water!Kayden and John enjoy the shuttle ride to the riverfearless Wes takes a diveThe river was a little too much for some of us to handle (Blake taking a little snooze)This is how Grandpa and Mary spent the weekendEvery couple of years, Nate's uncle Ron invites the Rice family (Nate's mom's family) to his cabins in Island Park, ID. We spend the weekend talking, eating, motorbiking, rafting, and having fun. Here are a few pics of our weekend (mostly the river rafting trip).

What we hear

2011-08-04T16:34:00.003-06:00

This is what each of the kids hears on a daily basis

Mary: "She has a ton of hair, where did it come from?"

and, "She looks just like your boys, she is kinda like the girl John" John: "He is really busy isn't he? You have your hands full"

Wes: "You are really big, are you six or seven?"

(he turns 5 in September)

Wonders Never Cease

2011-08-02T16:38:00.005-06:00

Wonders Never Cease
© Jacqueline M. Sinkes
There are tiny little fingers pressed against my cheek, and the palm of the hand that holds all my dreams.
There is a careful little grimace directed right at me, and the expression of innocence that grabs me every time.
There is a pair of big blue eyes that light up in the dark, and the window to a soul that knows only truth.
There are clumsy little legs dancing to a tune, and a chubby little bottom to break their every fall.
There is a babble and some laughter coming from my room, and the sounds of heaven right here in my home.
There is chaos in the kitchen, and toys all down the hall, a reminder to us all that time is so precious.
There are cookie crumbs on the table, and milk spilled on the carpet, but an image of simplicity and joy came with the mess.
There are car keys in the toilet and the unmistakable sense my life is full.
There are two boys fast asleep, just in the other room, and a mother who's convinced that wonders never cease.

(Life with three kids has been a huge, overwhelming adjustment. 3 times the noise, 3 times the chaos, 3 times the work, and 3 times the LOVE. I am truly blessed to be the mother of 3)

Just Cuz

2011-08-02T16:28:00.002-06:00

Just cuz my boys make two of the cutest naked painters I know.

Mimi

2011-07-20T17:06:00.003-06:00

My mom was able to take a few days off (she is serving a LDS mission in Dallas, TX) when Mary was born. She is amazing. The boys were so excited to see her (John and her are BFF's), and she played with them for 5 days straight. I was really anxious about being a mom to three small children, she calmed my nerves, reassured my hopes, and loved me as only a mom could. I will always be grateful for her visit. Seeing her for a few days, made it so hard to see her leave.

I love you mom, thank you.
Mary wearing her first dress. Wes asks me everyday if I am going to put a bow in her hair.
"She is a girl, Steph, she needs a bow"

One Week

2011-07-19T16:09:00.004-06:00

I am one week old. I am very busy. I have a lot to do.

I need to sleep

I need to hang out with my boysI need to pose for photos

I need to hang out with my boys

I need to hang out with my boys, some more

I need to sleep

I need to eat

I am very busy, indeed.

39 Weeks and...

2011-07-13T19:01:00.002-06:00

ANNOUNCING

Mary Ruth Halladay

July 11th, 2011 at 11:18pm

8 pounds and 6 ounces

21.5 inches long

chubby cheeks and a full head of curly black hair

we are all doing well

There is this guy...

2011-07-07T16:08:00.003-06:00

He is smarter than I can ever hope to be

He is funny and fun to be around

He is the kind of father I always hoped my children would have

(speaking of children, he makes really adorable clones)

He is terrified to have a girl because he loves her so fiercely already and wants to protect her from everything

He has a way of making those around him comfortable and happy. A gift he is unaware of

He tries to make my life as comfortable as possible (emotionally and physically)

He is not perfect, but always trying to be better

He has tolerated all of my craziness and says he would marry me all over again

Even when I am too angry at him to speak, I still want to sleep next to him

He listens

He is my best friend

He loves me

He is mine forever

(he also makes a great model! hubba, hubba!)

Happy 7th Anniversary Nate

Summer, Sunshine, and Strawberries

2011-07-07T15:44:00.002-06:00

Thanks Stutz's (and your strawberry plants) for making our hot, sunny, and sweaty summer afternoon a whole lot sweeter!

The Gateway Fountains

2011-06-25T09:13:00.002-06:00

It took awhile to get here, but SUMMER has arrived. My two water babies could not be more excited. Good thing we have the Gateway fountains to cool us down and keep us entertained!

36 weeks from Wes' viewpoint (again)

2011-06-23T21:56:00.004-06:00

So I got Wes behind the camera again, as Mary's arrival looms closer

Here is what is going on:
*I am getting tired, a little cranky, and very very uncomfortable
*Nate finished painting Mary's room and I love it! (pics to follow)
*Wes apologizes every time I bend over to pick something up ("Sorry you have to bend over Steph, sorry Mary has to get squished")
*John seems to have more and more energy everyday. He loves to laugh and laugh as he runs away from me. He also points to my belly when I ask, "where is Mary?"
*More people have commented on my "basketball" belly, than when I was pregnant with either boy (Nate says my belly is by far the biggest it has ever been)
*I realized Mary is already a well traveled baby, here is where she has gone:
Indio, California
Dallas, Texas
St. George, Utah
Medicine Hat, Alberta,
Newport, Oregon
Burley, Idaho
wish us luck as we head into the home stretch. I am excited to meet my little girl.

Zoorasic Park and Quinn's Birthday

2011-06-23T21:22:00.005-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Quinn's birthday, as well as the start of summer (sort of, it was really wet and cold). The Hogle Zoo has undergone some renovations, including the addition of some dinosaur statues. All the statues have moving parts, and the boys loved them. Wes' favorite was the life-sized TRex, and John loved the "saur" that "shoot water". We had a great afternoon, and then went back to the Gunter's for a picnic and yummy peanut butter cake! Happy 5th Birthday Quinn!!

we love the Hogle Zoo carousal

The wildest animals at the Zoo (Quinn you are awesome, love that face)
John loved seeing the dinosaurs, but was not in love with sitting on oneJohn was mesmerized by this gorilla, he just stared and stared. The rain ended up being a good thing, all the animals were inside, staying dry, making them easier to see. Could Zoe get any cuter? I am so in love with this little girl. She is always in a good mood, and she acts so exicted to you.

Josh's Wedding

2011-06-22T21:46:00.008-06:00

We had fun weekend, attending Nate's cousin, Josh wedding in Burley, Idaho. It was a really fast day trip, but we had a great time. I love attending temple sealings and the couple and temple were both beautiful. Wes and John loved exploring the temple grounds, and Nate and I loved spending the day with Nate's family (many came down from Canada). Thanks Rice's for allowing us to be a part of such a amazing event.

Josh and Natalie a rare family picture Wes enjoying a little sunshine (the weather was amazing)
John refusing to look at the camera, like always

After attending the sealing, the wedding party visited Shoshone Falls (a local attraction) The Falls were amazing. Due to unusually high water levels, the rushing water was breath-taking.

Preschool Graduation/Carnival

2011-06-20T16:09:00.005-06:00

Summer is here! Wes celebrated the beginning of summer and the end of preschool with a fun carnival. Wes will turn 5 just after the kindergarten cut-off date, so he will attend preschool for another year. Most of his preschool class, however will be going to school next year, so the class had a little program and graduation ceremony along with the carnival. We had a blast, and look forward to a fun summer, and a another year of preschool.

Miss Leslie, Wes, and Miss Allison

(The best preschool teachers ever)

Wes received the "Super Scientist" awardCan't forget the shades when celebrating at a carnivalfishing for goodies"Steph, look how cool my bat is!"

Happy, Happy Birthday John!

2011-06-19T15:19:00.006-06:00

John has been acting life such a "big boy" for awhile now, but he officially hit "big boy" status by turning 2 years old on May 27th. We were in Oregon, so we bought a small cake, opened a few presents, and celebrated quietly. Things this "Big Boy" is doing:

sleeping in a twin bed. Well, sort of. He falls asleep most nights on the floor by the door, after having climbed out of bed.

playing any sport that has a ball. For his birthday he got a basketball hoop and we find him in a constant game of "saketball hoop," where he is "I, Jimmer." He throws any ball he can get his hand on, while we all scatter to take cover.

Watching the cartoon He-Man. Nate found the first season on DVD, and John is obsessed. He runs around saying "I power He-Man" or "I power grayskull." He also loves to sing the theme song. It is the cutest thing to see such a tough munchkin.

Running his parents ragged. He has energy to burn, and no fear. He runs every where he goes and gets into everything he can, laughing the whole time. I have no idea how to keep up with him, and am convinced that his cute face will get him out many a punishment.

Growing. John now weighs 26 pounds (25th percentile) and is 39 inches tall (60th percentile)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!

you are a joyful handful we have been blessed to raise

Oregon Trip (Sand Dunes)

2011-06-19T14:37:00.005-06:00

A couple beach houses down from ours, were some really steep sand dunes, a leftover result of some construction work. The boys had a blast with them, and I had a blast watching them.

Oregon Trip (crabbing)

2011-06-15T23:02:00.005-06:00

Nate and Tanner

Main objective for vacation: catch crab

Tools: 1-30 dollar pot 1-20 dollar pot 2-5 dollar pots

1 salty marina, salty bait shop, and salty sea expert (the owner of the bait shop)

2 motorboats

appropriate fishing attire

loads and loads of enthusiasm

RESULT: ONE KEEPER (caught in one of the 5 dollar pots)

(when crabbing you can only keep male crabs bigger than 5 inches across. The men caught hundreds of crab, but were only able to keep and cook one. Better luck next time)

The following pics are of the fearless fishermen with their catch! (It is the same crab in each picture)
Wes loves crab and had no problem catching, cooking, and eating the day's takeCam was really upset with Tanner and Nate. He told us "they killed my pet!" There was no way he was going to smile with his pet lying dead on the plate in front of him. So sorry Cam, but I hear crabs make horrible pets.

Oregon Trip (exploring the coast)

2011-06-14T15:14:00.027-06:00

My favorite day of our trip, was the day we explored the coast. We drove up coast, parked at a visitor's center, and bought a park pass. From there we headed out in swimsuits and water-friendly footwear (well at least that is what the kids wore). Oregon is BEAUTIFUL, and I am still blown away by everything we saw. John, and Nate exploring some of the tide pools. A tide pool is what is left in the rocky coast when the tide is low. You can find all kinds of sea life in each tide pool. We saw starfish, crabs, sea urchins, sea anemones, clams, and moss.coastal photo opp Tanner found a huge starfish. Wes is timid, shying away from most adventures. The two things he is not afraid of: The ocean (including ocean life) and anyone in costume. He wanted to touch everything, jump in every tide pool, and climb every rock. This is a pic of "Devils Churn" The tide comes in and "churns" up against the rocks creating a beautiful scene. John loved watching the tumult created by the churning water. He loved watching the "chocit nilk spash (chocolate milk splash)". After seeing Devil's Churn, John talked constantly about wanting the "chocit nilk spash."favorite pic of the day. I asked Wes to give me a good pose, this was the one he went with.Much like Claire, John could not get his hands on enough sand. He spent most of the time picking up and throwing handfuls of sand. He was so excited about playing in the world's largest sandbox. He kept telling me "I frow sand, it ok, momma"Jamie and Claire exploring the rocky terrainCam taking a little rest. I loved his hat!Devil's ChurnPorter: king of the driftwoodJohn found a tide pool full of clams and for some reason he kept shushing me. "Mom, cams seeping (clams are sleeping). I guess those clams can be really testy when they don't get enough sleep. Don't worry little creatures, John is looking out for you. I took this pic of some the plants growing just off the trail, I cannot get over how green Oregon is. I have never seen such lush green life, just breathtaking.The three explorersYeah! the Happy Halladays and their rocky cavetrouble x's 4Here are some seals sunning themselves at Strawberry Hill State Park. Here are the boys, amazed to be able to see seals up closeWes looks terrified of this starfish, but that is just his "smile for the camera with your giant starfish face" He wanted to hold everything. He really loved putting his hand on the sea anemones and feeling them wrap their "fingers" around his.
Strawberry Hill Coastline

Yeah! the Happy Stobbes and their rocky cave (strangely familiar)

Oregon Trip (our backyard)

2011-06-13T23:20:00.014-06:00

Once we got to Bella Vista, the boys asked "Can we go play in the backyard?"

And that is exactly what we all did. Here are some of the pics I took throughout the week. It was so fun because Oregon has really rocky beaches as well as nice, white sandy beaches. The weather was a bit chilly and we had a couple days of rain, but we still had a blast exploring our backyard. This was the view to the west, just outside our beach house.I love this pic, Cam, Wes, and Porter "playing" in our backyard, shortly after arrivingTanner and Claire, getting a little beach walking in before sunsetso romantic, Jamie and Tanner"Best backyard ever, Steph!"CRAZY HUSBANDS!!!! they decided to go for a "swim" one night. They ran right in, and then ran right out. The water was freezing!Wes and Cam watching their crazy dads (notice the long sleeves and sweatshirt). Claire was the cutest sand baby on the beach. She was so fun to watch as she explored the beach. She LOVED to touch, dig in, walk on, and EAT all the sand she could.

Oregon Trip (our beach house)

2011-06-13T23:16:00.004-06:00

Second Stop: The Beach House (Bella Vista)

Here are some shots of the our awesome house. We found this little gem in the city of Waldport, right outside Newport. Waldport was such a fun coastal city, and I loved our house. Our backyard was the beach, the house was filled with windows and fully stocked with kids toys, and we were just minutes from anything we needed and or wanted. I loved Bella Vista and am already planning our vacation for next spring.

Oregon Trip (Tillamook Cheese Factory)

2011-06-13T23:13:00.003-06:00

The Halladays head to the Oregon coast. We have some good friends (the same ones we went to Disneyland with last year) with whom we planned another spring trip. I had never been to Oregon and was really excited to go. Our first stop (after a couple of days traveling by car), The Tillamook Cheese Factory (about 1/2 from our beach house). This first stop had been a highly anticipated one by all, and it was awesome. We toured the factory, tasted cheese samples, and then we enjoyed the best grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream ever!

John admiring the cheese-making going on below (the pics are in black and white because they were originally all orange. Of course, we were in a cheddar cheese factory!)

Porter, Cam, and Wes also enjoy some cheese-making

The Cheese Man, who was wearing a shirt that said: "I Loaf You"

That is a 20lb block of cheese!!!Instead of ice cream, the boys opted to buy suckers from the gift shop. Really messy, but also really cute!

Preschool Spring Program

2011-06-13T23:05:00.004-06:00

Wes had been waiting for a long time for his Program, asking daily; "Steph is my preschool program today, yet?" In the weeks leading up to the program, Wes was heard all around the house singing his little heart out. All that practice paid off, because his program was awesome. His whole preschool was involved in singing multiple songs they had learned throughout the year.

Last year, Wes was too shy to sing and he mostly just smiled and looked away. This year he sang and danced, and did a great job. Thanks buddy for inviting us and allowing us the experience!

30 weeks from Wes' viewpoint

2011-06-13T22:51:00.002-06:00

Yeah, we are getting closer to meeting Mary. This pregnancy has flown by, but here are some highlights:

Mary never stops moving. I thought the boys we active, but Mary is preforming a constant aerobic routine. (aaaww, maybe she will be a dancer!)

I felt her first case of the hiccups while we were in Canada. She does not have them often and when she does, they seem so dainty.

Wes likes to talk to Mary. He says: "Hi sweet Mary, and Hi basketball baby"

I still can't stop buying clothes, there are just so many cute pink outfits.

John is getting frustrated with my shrinking lap, poor guy.

Wes wanted to have a photo shoot with me the other morning, it was fun to see me from his viewpoint.

A Canadian Easter (Fun Pics)

2011-06-13T16:14:00.003-06:00

Some of our spare time was spent...

Hanging out with "the guys"

snooooooozing with Kayden (John did everything with Kayden, and Kayden was an awesome cousin. He had a John shadow for a week. Thanks for being such a trooper Kayden, John still talks about his cousin "Jimmer")
relaxing with Grammpa

playing IPOD

testing out some new glasses

A Canadian Easter (Nate's Birthday)

2011-06-13T07:01:00.005-06:00

Happy 35th Birthday Nate! It was really fun for us to be in Canada to celebrate with family. One of Gramma's birthday traditions is to hide money in the birthday cake, so not only did we have a yummy birthday dessert, but some of us came away from the celebration a few dollars richer. Nate received some fun presents (IPAD, rubber snake, Canadian candy) and we had a fun party.

A Canadian Easter (Easter Morning)

2011-06-12T22:04:00.004-06:00

The Easter Bunny found us, and spoiled all of us. After a really funny egg/candy hunt we all received presents from the Bunny of the Day. He knew Wes loves puzzles (he brought a book filled with animal puzzles from around the world), he knew John loves sports (bringing he a set of balls), he knew I love to take pictures (bringing me a few photography magazines), and he knew Nate love NASA (bringing him a Space Shuttle magazine) and even Mary was included, receiving a cute outfit. Thanks EASTER BUNNY!

A Canadian Easter (Dying Eggs)

2011-06-08T16:02:00.007-06:00

For Easter we headed north. It was our first family trip to the Motherland, and luckily the Easter Bunny knew where to find us. We spent the first day, dying over 6 dozen eggs (a dozen for each grandson) for the Halladay annual egg toss/roll. Wes had a lot of fun and he proved to be a very patient, and simple dyer (he left each of his eggs in one color for over 10 minutes/each egg). It was so fun to the creativity of each boy.

(Dying fun with Jaren and Tyler, Wes, and Carter )

Halladay Happenings has been MIA

2011-06-07T21:08:00.004-06:00

So my camera has been to see the camera doctor for the last couple of weeks. That is why the Halladay Happenings blog posts have been MIA. The main power source broke, causing a lot stress and costing a lot of money to fix. I just got my camera back, and will start to posting immediately. I have over 500 pictures waiting....

ABCD...

2011-04-19T15:08:00.005-06:00

A couple of months ago John and I were reading a dinosaur alphabet book. All of a sudden, John started naming letters as I turned the pages. I got some alphabet flash cards out, thinking John just knew the letters in the book, having read it numerous times. However, as I flipped through the cards John knew 23 out of the 26 letters. In the months following, letters have become his passion. He LOVES naming, looking for, saying, and seeing any letters. He knows all of his letters now, and I think it is so cute that he runs around naming EVERY letter he sees.

When John became OBSESSED with the alphabet I thought, "John is a genius, he know all his letters (as well as numbers 1-10) before he is two" I stared quizzing him on fun toddler things and this is what I found:

He says all animals says "moo"

He says every color is "brown" (I have been trying to teach him colors for a month)

He still won't stop taking off his pants

John may not be a genius, but he is pretty darn smart and pretty darn cute!

LOVE IT!

Best or Worst

2011-04-17T21:16:00.005-06:00

Wes' two favorite sayings:

"Steph, you are the best mom ever, I just love you"

and...

"Steph, you are so mean, you are the worst mom, ever"

(You Know, he is probably right about both)

Welcome Home

2011-04-17T21:02:00.004-06:00

After enjoying 85 degree sunny St. George, this is winter wonderland we woke up to the following morning. The boys loved it, but I was less than enthusiastic about our cold welcome home. Oh well, that is one really cute snowman.

A weekend in St. George

2011-04-15T14:38:00.004-06:00

(This is the only picture I took. The boys have just enjoyed a warm morning swim and are cuddling up in some blankets)

We went to St. George the first weekend in April. My uncle Reed was being sealed to his wife Jen in the St. George temple, and we went down to be a part of his awesome experience. I was excited to attend the temple with my family (2 uncles and spouses, 1 aunt, and my grandparents), the boys were excited to wear shorts, enjoy the sun, and swim in the pool. We all had a great time hanging out with family in the warm weather. Wes and John had a fun time playing baseball, and going to the park with their "big" cousins (my uncle Jamie's kids: Carson, Madison, Blake, Garrett, and Brooke)

I had a really special chance to do some temple work for my Oma's family. I had never attended the temple with so many family members, or had the chance to do temple ordinances for my own family. The day I was able to spend attending the temple is a day I will always remember. I am so grateful for the chance I had to witness Reed's sealing as well as participate in temple work for my ancestors.

It's raining, it's pouring... (well sort of)

2011-03-24T21:17:00.003-06:00

The boys had the very rare opportunity to wear their raincoats and splash in the rain, this morning. puddle jumping!

"I fast, I wet"

Do you see all the worms Steph? can we keep some of them?

John gave me this sad look after I buckled him in his car seat, taking him out of the rain.

My Model

2011-03-23T20:39:00.004-06:00

The other day while John was napping I decided to try and get some pics of Wes. I thought I would play around with the lighting and the windows. I told him that if he spent about 10 minutes with me he could pick a treat from our treat bowl. For the next 10 minutes I tried everything I could think of to get him to give me a "handsome face." I even tried just getting him to look out the window expressionless, but he insisted on giving me the faces he wanted photographed. Well, he got his treat and I got these priceless Wes faces.

Wes' Favorite Holiday

2011-03-19T14:21:00.003-06:00

On Wednesday, my day to drive the preschool carpool, Wes and his friends (5 preschoolers ride with in the carpool) came running out, jabbering away about the "tricky" leprechaun that "made a mess" of their preschool. Wes was so excited to tell me about how the little green guy "got loosed from a cage", "threw trash everywhere", but also left "chocolate gold." Miss Leslie ( the preschool teacher) told me that she had never heard Wes talk so much. She said Wes was running around telling everyone how tricky that Leprechaun was, and cool it was that he left the "chocolate gold."

I have never seen Wes so excited about a holiday so I figured I should do something to make the actual St. Patrick's day fun for the boys. I made green pancakes and green milk and served it on green dishes. Wes was amazed at the green pancakes and is still wondering how I got the Leprechaun to tell me his secret recipe. We went out for lunch and had some green ice cream for dessert. Wes loved the whole day, and was even more excited the next morning to see that another tricky Leprechaun had left some "chocolate gold" on our front door step.

Wes has no favorites, he loves all animals, colors, food, and clothes. However, it does appear that St. Patrick's Day has found it way to the top of Wes' favorite holiday list. I am pretty sure that the thought of a sneaky, trick-playing little Irishman, and the permission to pinch anyone not wearing green, sealed the deal for him. Luck 'O the Irish to ya Wes!

" geen cake!"

"I want to know how you made the pancakes green!"
"Can't you just call the Leprechaun and ask him really quick and then hang-up before he tricks you?"

Every seamstress needs a...

2011-03-19T14:13:00.004-06:00

NINJA protector!

Have no fear, Wes is there to protect me as I attempt to sew a quilt for John (I try to be crafty at least once a year).

True Bliss

2011-03-04T16:25:00.004-07:00

1 Friday afternoon

2 dollars worth of nickels for the Nickelcade

20 tickets = 1 set of neon green vampire teeth and a piece of laffy taffy

2 scoops of bubble gum ice cream

1 date with this guy

Musings about Mary

2011-03-04T16:13:00.003-07:00

Mimi sent some really cute dresses in the mail to Mary. When I unwrapped them and showed them to Wes he said, "Steph, those dresses are cuter than Mary is going to be." so funny!

Thanks Mimi, you got the Wes seal of approval.

The other morning Wes told me he had an idea for Mary's middle name.

He said we should name her, "Mary-I love my dad-Halladay."

John is still not a fan of babies, but he will say "Mattie" or "baby" when I point to my belly.