Trunk-or-Treat 2007

Taylor and Lylee ready for the party!

The kids and Grandpa! Taylor didn't want to leave and go trunk-or-treating. He wanted to help Grandpa pass out the candy.

Lylee and her hero, Daddy!

Me and my favorite cowboy!

Tonight was our ward's annual Halloween party and trunk-or-treat. It was so fun!!! The night started out with a carnival. There were tons of games for the kids and a bounce house. There was also a ton of fun carnival food. We tried just about everything between all of us. Taylor loved the fudgsicles and the corn on the cob. Chris loved the dry ice rootbeer. I liked the cotton candy and the caramel apples. Then there was Miss Lylee, she loved EVERYTHING. She is so funny! She just loves food. Hopefully that means that she won't be a picky eater. They also has a stage set up with carnival side show acts and lots of fun music for us to dance. We all had a great time and everyone is now exhausted, especially Chris. He is on the activities committee so he got to help with all of the behind the scenes stuff.

Both Kids!

This is Daddy's favorite pose!

Both Taylor and Lylee loved the lemonade pictures.

It makes me so happy that my kids actually like each other!!!

Lylee's Six Month Pictures

Actually, she was 7 months by the time that I finally got them in for pictures. When Lylee didn't have Taylor, she just wanted to crawl around. That was until she got the lemons. Wow, she LOVED the lemons. When they sliced one for her she just dove in. I love the top picture. It totally captures her personality.

Taylor's 3 year old pictures

These are a few of my favorite shots of just Taylor. He really doesn't like going to get his picture taken. He did do a lot better in the pictures with Lylee. The middle picture was indicative of his mood the whole time. Funny, yet frustrating...

Hey Dad...and Keith, and Mom

Dad, there is a music player at the bottom of this page. Can you find the song that is on here just for you?????


Ok, the song for my dad was Convoy. We listened to it a lot when I was a very little girl. It reminds me of driving through Wyoming with the big trucks.

Now there is a song for Keith. You sang it one of the first times that we met. Chris was the one who remembered it. Can you guess???

Also, there is a song for my mom. It is a song that reminds me of your Webelo days and those silly boys that you had at our house. Do you know what it could be???

Come on now, anyone is welcome to guess. Except Christopher. That would be cheating!


Who should we pick next?????

Puddle Jumper

Taylor loves the rain and he loves puddles. Last spring, my mom got him a pair of rain boots because she knew this about him. Taylor really liked to look at his new rain boots, but absolutely refused to wear them. Eventually, he started wearing his rainboots around the house and pretty soon he wanted it to rain again so that he could go jump in puddles. Unfortunately, it was the middle of summer. Now that the rain season is here, Taylor is thrilled! We got him a new raincoat and he faithfully checks the weather outside every day before he leaves the house to know if he needs his rain gear. He is very concerned that Lylee doesn't have rainboots though.

Standing Tall

Our little Lylee Bug had started pulling herself up and standing! On Sunday we had to lower her crib mattress to the lowest setting so that she does not fall out on her cute little head!!! She pulls herself up on the couch for toys and food. This little walker is one of her favorite challenges. We got it out of th garage and cleaned it thinking she might use it in a month or two and she pulled herself right up. She hasn't mastered it just yet, but she's having a lot of fun working on it!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Today was Taylor's first field trip. We went to Them Pumpkin Farm in Citrus Heights. Taylor had a blast! It was so fun to see him with his little friends from school. There are only six kids in his class, 3 boys and 3 girls. One of the little boys was not there today. It's nice to have a small group. They all know each other and are "friends". One of the little girls got scared, so Taylor and another little girl held her hand.

When we first got there, the kids got to hear a little talk about pumpkins and corn. After that they got to go on a hay ride through the farm. Next the kids get to feed the goats and look at the other animals on their way to the corn maze. The corn maze was pretty big for such little kids, but they all made it. When we came out of the corn there was a slide from a tree fort and a cave and a tunnel built inside hay bales. Then the kids get to go down big slides. Taylor went down the biggest slide! When we got done with the slides the kids got to walk through the haunted barn. Then it was time to pick out their pumpkins and have snack.

Taylor told me that his favorite part was picking his pumpkin and seeing all of the animals.

True Love

Tonight our stake presidency had a special meeting for just the women, and young women in the stake. This was the first of it's kind in our stake. We were told that our stake presidency will be reorganized next month, after 10 years, so this was a once in a lifetime type meeting for us. Every woman was urged to come and it was a beautiful and wonderful meeting. One of the things that touched me most was not part of the program. There was an elderly man who was sitting in the foyer waiting for his wife that he had driven to this meeting that she obviously felt was important as well. It touched me so much that this sweet man felt that it was important enough for his wife to be at a meeting that he drove her there and patiently waited outside. I don't know how many others noticed, but I saw this as an act of true, sweet love and devotion.

8 Years Ago...

Eight years ago today, my grandpa passed away. He was and still is one of my very most favorite people in the whole entire world. He taught me so many life lessons, but the one that stands out most is one that I believe he was not aware that he was teaching. My grandpa taught me how to be like Christ. Lyle Cottam did not go to church for a great part of his life, but you would never know that if you saw that way that he treated others. He was kind and generous to those that he was closest to and also to those that he saw on the street who needed a helping hand. He was always slipping me a little cash on the sly each time that I saw him, which was a great treat as a college kid stranded far from home. I also know of one particular time that he saw a man that was obviously very hungry on the street who was asking for money. Grandpa did not give him money. Instead, he walked the man to a nearby restaurant and told him to order anything that he would like. The man was shocked, yet proceeded to order and eat. He even had pie. When my grandpa told this story I never got the feeling that he was trying to show me how wonderful that he was, I just remember the glean in his eye at the memory of bringing so much joy into a stranger's life.

Sometimes I am sad that my children will not know my grandpa in this life, but they each have a piece of him in their being. Taylor has his beautiful blue eyes, and Lylee will forever bear his name. I will make sure that they both know of this man that I loved so dearly and pray that a part of his goodness lives in them as well. I want them to know as much about their grandparents and great-grandparents as possible.

So instead of being sad today for the loss of a dear loved one, I will be happy that a part of him is here with me, and know that I am responsible for nurturing that pure love of others that exists in my little children.

Company Picnic

Lylee loves the swings. She likes to go faster and higher than her big brother. Taylor does get a bit braver when Lylee is in the swing next to him.

Taylor LOVES to bounce and slide in "The Castle". It was even more fun with all of the kids!

Taylor loves rootbeer. He even grabbed one of the big hamburgers and took a humongous bite. Unfortunately we were too slow with the camera for that one.

Today will go down in history as the day that Lylee discovered popcorn and fell in love. Just like her big brother. I can't wait until she is big enough to add M&Ms!

What a fun day we all had at the picnic!!!

Sharing Childhood Memories With My Kids

This was the best part if the UP picnic. When I was a kid, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, we got to ride the little Union Pacific train in the Frontier Days parade. When we were big kids, 15, we got to ride on a trailer that had a buffalo in a cage surrounded with bales of hay that we sat on. Anyway, it was really fun to be able to share this with my kids. Taylor loved the train, especially the tunnel and Lylee just loves to feel the wind in her hair. She smiled the whole way. We did drive over a pole on the way back and Taylor got knocked off his bench. He didn't like that part at all! The bags of fresh popped popcorn helped a lot. Lylee even got in on the popcorn action.

Fall Girl

Lylee loves to be outside. She loves to feel the wind blow, and she loves our front porch rocker!

The Pumpkin Farm

Today we went to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland today. We have heard about this place since we moved here, but it seemed like a good time to go now that Taylor is a big 3 year old. He had so much fun. They have a real train to ride and a wooden train to play on! They have tons of slides and places to climb. The petting zoo was a lot of fun. There was a mommy pig with baby pigs (cute!!!). The mommy pig was so big that Taylor was sure that she was a cow. When it was time to leave Taylor did not want to go. He cried, "I want to go back to the pumpkin patch!" until he fell asleep on the way home. Next week we get to go to a different pumpkin patch with Taylor's class from school, and he's already talking about it!

"Our Farmily"

Our little clan as farm animals. Taylor loved the opportunity to be a horse!

Apple Hill Trip

We made our first trek to Apple Hill for the year last Friday. Taylor loved everything! He especially loved the french fries at Abel's and the M&M cookie from the fudge factory farm. Lylee is now a huge fan of apple doughnuts! Daddy was at work, so we have to go back again (oh, shucks!!!). But we had lots of fun with Aunt Jacci and Grandma!

Off to Preschool

Taylor has been wanting to go to school for a very long time, but first he had to be potty trained and 3 years old. So last week he finally got his chance and started at Kaseberg Elementary School, just down the street from us. He goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and loved every minute! We were all getting over colds last week so we had to drive, so we are excited to be able to start walking to school this week!

Little Swimmers

We went swimming at Grandma Vicki & Grandpa Bob's last week. It was pretty cold, so it's probobly the last time this year.

Giggling Girl

Taylor has mastered the art of making Lylee giggle.

Our Bronco Babies

Everyone who knows Chris knows that he is a huge Denver Broncos fan. Imagine his delight when he saw his two little sweeties in Bronco gear. Taylor wanted to keep taking pictures. It was pretty funny!!