Eternal Memories

Fun with Cousins in Utah

2010-03-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

After Christmas was over we flew to Utah to spend the New Year with more family. Chase had a ton of fun playing with all of his cousins.

Don't worry I was only in the drivers seat for picture purposes. Jonathan being the kid he is loves taking the buggy out for a spin any chance he gets. I thought it would be a good idea to let Chase enjoy the thrill as well. Jonathan drove and Chase rode on my lap. He wasn't super excited but didn't hate it either. I think we all would have enjoyed it more had the snow not been coming down, it was flying straight at our faces! Chase and I gave up quickly but Jonathan was the trooper who took all the kids for rides. Riley was my little helper the whole time we were there. Being she is the only girl in her family I think she has naturally been deemed a nurturer. She loved taking care of Chase and let him have his way with her. Chase, who never sits still mind you, sat like this on Riley for a good hour. She didn't look very comfortable but every time I asked her if she wanted me to move him she said no. What a great big cousin.

Couldn't resist a picture of these two cuties getting clean rather than making a mess for once!

One night we had my sister Angel and her family up to the house to play games. The kids loved crawling in the fort above the closet and making their mark on the wall. I finally made the climb up the ladder with Chase and he loved drawing all over everything.

Lizzie, Sam, Zander, Maddie, Chase, and Harm
I was a little apprehensive about taking Chase my super busy boy to a movie but I am glad we did. He absolutely loved it. We went to see the Chipmunk Sequel and we honestly had more fun watching Chase than the movie. He loves music and would bounce in his seat or stand up and dance anytime they would sing and dance. He sat really well as pictured for the most part but would also walk down the aisle stealing the other kids treats.

We always have a blast spending time with family and wished we lived closer so he could play everyday. I guess we have to be thankful for the times we do have and remember that we have eternity to be together. Can't wait for the next time!

Christmas!

2010-03-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

This year we spent Christmas in Texas. It was fun to see Chase truly be a part of the festivities because last year he was just too little. We let him open his gifts from us early so we didn't have to travel with them and he did a great job of opening his own presents, which I don't even have one picture of. However, once we were in TX there was just too much excitement happening for him to concentrate on one thing. We couldn't even get him to sit to open a present. Once he started he would very easily be distracted with something else and get up and walk away.

While doing some last minute Santa shopping PaPa and Daddy bought Chase this cute Santa suit. The only problem is that is was a 6-9 month outfit and he was actually almost 14 months old! They were soooo excited about it that there was no chance he wasn't at least trying it on. I have to admit even though it was several sizes too small I am happy we got some pictures. His head is in the 95% so the hat was a real squeeze as you can see. With the small hat and his dumbo ears he actually looks like a little elf!

A family picture from Christmas Eve

It is a Hoyt tradition to get matching pj's and is one tradition that Jonathan and I have done since we've been married. We couldn't get us all matching but I think that's a good thing because at least Chase looks cute and not like a big green blog like Jonathan and I!

Uncle Tay Tay was getting a little bit jealous of all the pictures we were taking without him so here is a fun one for the memory book. Thanks Tay!

Bridger, Chase, and Maddie on Christmas Eve. Aren't they adorable?!?!

This is a picture of Chase on Christmas morning. Santa brought him a miniature bounce house! He loved climbing in and out of all the holes and climbing on the slide, that is until we had it shipped to us in KS where Jonathan quickly caused an irreparable hole along a seam . However, the gift that took the prize of favorite would have to be the cheap, plastic tools also pictured. Go figure that the $1 package of tools from Wal Mart would be the big hit.

Santa's Little Helper

2010-01-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

Our home teachers brought us a basket full of goodies for Christmas and Chase thought the basket filler was pretty cool stuff. At first I was a little bit worried about the mess it would make but when I saw how much fun he was having I turned it into a Kodak Moment! I stripped him naked, put my socks on him, and attempted to put our crazy Santa hat on as well. Here are the results of that moment. He sure looks like a cute Santa helper!

Holiday Fever

2010-01-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Every holiday season brings a ton of hustle and bustle. With this being my first season as a stay at home mom I was able to feed my holiday fever in many new ways. Chase and I enjoyed listening to Christmas music while we played rather than sitting in front of the TV and he loved the Christmas lights I hung. Our apartment actually felt more like a home with all of the decorations! Chase's favorite decoration was our Scooby Doo stocking that talks and sings.

I also tried my hand at baking some holiday goodies. A few years back I made some ginger snaps and literally turned them into small balls of flames in the oven and set the smoke alarms off. I really felt the need to redeem myself! I tried and really didn't improve a whole lot. My ginger snaps made it out without flames but were really hard. Jonathan called them "break your tooth hard"! My sugar cookies I made from a Betty Crocker bag and still managed to mess up. They cooked for too long and were hard as well. I made a second batch a few days later and they turned out a million times better. I even made my frosting from scratch! Jonathan claims I still need to work on my baking so we will see what the future holds. Hopefully one day I can esteem to making a cookie!!!

Me decorating the "better" batch of cookies
A few of my favorites
Chase decided he wanted to help me and somehow managed to get the green food coloring off the table. I caught him under the table dying his hands and the carpet! This picture was taken after scrubbing with soap and water for several minutes.

A family pic taken at our Ward Christmas party

No Christmas would be complete without a chance to sit on Santa's lap. This Santa is the nicest jolly old fat man you could ever meet. Who would be afraid of him?!?!?

Chase was absolutely terrified to sit with Santa. When Santa walked into the party he shook Chase's hand and he was smiling from ear to ear. The second we handed him over for a picture Chase screamed and tried his best to get away. It was quite comical.

I really wanted a picture of Chase with Santa so I thought I would hold him and stand between the two to get a picture. Chase didn't like this either. As you can tell he continued to scream and wanted nothing to do with that jolly old fat man any more!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Utah this year. It seems to be a great meeting place because both Jonathan and I have family there. We spent Thanksgiving day with the Hoyt's. We spent yet another year eating a wonderful meal at a wilderness cabin in the mountains. I have a feeling it will be the traditional Thanksgiving location. It was a fun gathering of both friends and family. Not only do they have a great buffet but the log cabin feel made for a cozy afternoon. They have a ton of wooden statues all over and it seems that bears were the common theme. Chase loved climbing on a few of them.

Chase loves being around other kids and had a blast with all of his cousins.

We spent the following day with my family. My mom and dad made the drive and were staying at Angel's house. We had a fun time playing and watching many games. Mom, dad, Angel, and myself spent a few hours away from everyone while getting in a little shopping. It was fun to bond with just the adults even though I think my dad was ready to pull out his hair and was probably wishing he had been deaf! It probably didn't help his mood any that Angel completely pulled the back of his seat off!!! Let's just say he definitely paid us all back by taking us on a LONG car ride (supposedly on our way home but clearly not the case) to a neighborhood where he used to live. I guess it's the small things we do to make our parents happy. He really enjoyed showing us the house and telling us many stories.

My niece, Lizzie, also shared her pet rats with Chase. I didn't know how he would handle it but you can tell by the pictures how he felt. At first he wondered what the heck it was but after spending just a few seconds watching it he headed for some security, Daddy! Surprisingly the rats were kind of cute.

He also had fun learning a few new tricks from his cousin Sam. What a bunch of crazy boys!!!

Chase and I also had the fortune of running into some old friends and their daughter Blakely at church. Good thing I had my camera with me because who could pass up a picture of these two cuties!It was a great trip filled with the love of many close family members and friends. We can't wait to see what next year brings!

First Five Steps

2009-11-20T14:44:00.000-08:00

Chase took his first five steps today. Where you ask?!?!? In the toy aisle at Wal Mart of all places. I have tried enticing the kid with chocolate, ice cream, his favorite toys and nothing ever seemed to work. It all started because Chase was not enjoying his time in the cart while I was picking up some goodies for my girls movie night. That's when I decided to push him over to the toys. By the time we got there he was fussing and trying to climb out. I just took him out and stood him up in the middle of one of the aisles. He hesitated and then took one step. This was not out of the ordinary but when he took another step as opposed to dropping down and crawling I knew we had made some progress. Needless to say I never imagined he would take five steady steps all on his own!!! Of course I freaked out with excitement and immediately thought I would try to get him to do it again, so I could catch it on video with my phone. After several attempts and no success I finally gave up because people around were starting to stare and laugh. (I wouldn't want to end up on the people of Wal Mart website) I am hoping that those five steps were the first of very many more to come. Jonathan is in Austin with all of the boys and I said to him before he left that he would probably come home to a walking big boy. Now the pressure is on and I will hopefully succeed at my mission!

All Aboard!!!

2009-11-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Chase's brithday on Saturday afternoon with all of his close friends and of course his awesome grandparents that traveled from TX and NE. When Chase was about nine months old I saw a train cake on a parenting website and from that day forward I planned a train themed party. After about a month of planning and a week of pure chaos the party was a hit! The train theme was carried out in the invitations, decorations, cake, party favors and even Chase's conductor ensemble.This is the invitation I made which set the image for the whole party. As you will see the Chase Express and engine of the cake all match this invite.

This is a group shot of everyone that came to his party. The top picture is minus my dad and the bottom one is minus Jonathan's dad.

Chase did an ok job of opening the presents but still needed some help. He was quite the gracious gift recipient. He loved every toy and wanted to play with it right away. He would cry everytime I took one away, that is until he opened the next one!

This is one of my favorites pictures from the day. Chase really did enjoy being dressed up as a conductor and even shared his hat with all of his friends so they could get a picture inside the Chase Express!

Here is a picture of the train and cart I made and attached to his walker wagons. The kids enjoyed playing in them and getting their pictures taken.

Talk about a cake. This thing took three people (me, Grandma Ree, and Nana) several hours to decorate. I can say that while it was fun seeing the final product I will probably never do this again! I feel sorry for his next birthday and even more sorry for any future children we may have because I can guarantee that no other party will have as much time and dedication for hands on projects dedicated to them.

I guess all of my hard work paid off though. Here is the evidence that Chase loved his birthday cake! He was such a good boy. We stripped him down, put a bib on him and sat him and his cake on a trash bag. He dug in immediately and just sat there and continued to eat. Once he started moving around (after about 5 mins) we picked him up and cleaned him off in the sink. It was fun to watch and a suprisingly easy mess to clean up.

I forgot to get a picture of the party favors but they were really cute. I bought some snacks, suckers, a wooden engine train whistle, bubbles, and glow stick bracelets and tied them all up inside a bandana with ribbon and attached a balloon. They were our table decorations and when the children left they got to take one with them. I am extremely proud of my big boy and the first year we have had with him. I was thankful that so many people came to help us celebrate his big day!

Nov. 6, 2009

2009-11-11T18:36:00.001-08:00

For Chase's actual birthday we went to Wil Jenny's with the grandparents for a nice dinner. Chase was definitely dressed to impress and had a great time.

This is a horrible picture of us both but I had to post it. This is Chase enjoying some brownie sundae and holding up his finger to show how old he is.
The crew that came into town to help us celebrate. Chase has some awesome grandparents!Dad kept him entertained by drawing with the crayons. He loved having his hand traced.

Chase finally decided to try coloring rather than just eating the crayons. This is his first art work, other than the dark green scribble on the hand and of course the hand itself. Needs some work but maybe he might be an artist!

Because I posted some really horrible pictures of me I thought this one was a little better. Chase is still the photogenic one that's for sure!

My Baby is One!!!

2009-11-07T20:29:00.001-08:00

Just thought I would let everyone know that my baby is officially one! I can hardly believe that an entire year has gone by already. We had a great train party with the Chase Express and both sets of grandparents came to help us celebrate. It was a long process of planning and preperation that I am thankful is over and ended up being a total success! It was a ton of fun and I can't wait to add my detailed post with all the pics.

Halloween

2009-11-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to Chase's first Halloween! With him almost being one I knew that my little stink would not wear a normal costume. He rips and pulls at anything he doesn't want on his body. That list of things would include but not limited to bibs, hats, socks, and sometimes even his shirt. So I figured we better make him something I know he would wear. Of course I turned to his trusty football jerseys. Yes, he had to support the red & white in addition to the always necessary (according to Dad) burnt orange. Plus it saved me from spending $20+ bucks on something he would never wear again.

Here he is standing up all on his own. Honestly he isn't leaning on the fence. He can stand while dancing and playing but still won't make any effort on taking any steps. The sucker was his bribe to stand for a few seconds so I could get a picture.

Here he is practicing his hiking skills. Down... set... hike!

Taking a break, that standing stuff is hard work!

This is the trick or treat football bag I hand stitched and glued for him. Don't I do good work?A family pic from a work party.
Us all bundled up because it was freezing outside at the ward trunk or treat party. Chase wasn't really into getting the candy he mainly enjoyed looking at the trunks that were all decorated with flashing lights. The trunk or treating was the extent of Chase's Halloween experience. We figured we would save us all the trouble of getting him dressed up only to drag him out into the cold to collect candy that he doesn't even care about. Hopefully he will enjoy and understand it more next year!

Deanna Rose Pumpkin Hollow

2009-10-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Chase and I recently went to the Pumpkin Hollow at the Deanna Rose Farmstead with our good friends Jana and Kylie. We had a lot of fun and can't wait to go back next year. There were a ton of activities for kids that Chase had a fun time doing but I think it will be more enjoyable for him next year when he is a little older. We started off on a horse drawn hay ride which Chase absolutely loved. The horses immediately caught his attention and he loved playing with all of the straw.

Chase and I taking a break on the pumpkins.
He loved climbing on all the pumpkins!

This was the hay stack slide we went down. It was really neat because it was all supported by hay and stacked so it was as if you were climbing up stairs.

Chase taking a break outside the corn maze to play with the ears of corn. I knew he was truly a Cornhusker at heart!

Chase loved this scarecrow. I just stood him on the bail of hay and he knew exactly what to do. He rapped his tiny little fingers around the face hole and pulled his head through the opening. Isn't he smart and talented?!?!?

This is one of my favorites. He found a giant corn stalk at the opening of the corn maze and played with it there until I made him put it down so we could move on to the next activity. He was just waving it around and babbling away. I really wish I could understand his baby babble.

Just a cute photo spot but not a great picture of us.

My other ultimate favorite, Chase with his girlfriend Kylie. They loved sitting in the hay playing together during the horse drawn wagon ride to and from the pumpkin patch.

Another Photo Shoot

2009-10-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

Another outfit and another beautiful day so why not take more pictures of the cutest kid ever?!?!? I know that comment may be a little biased but I do think these pictures are pretty worthy of that title. Sorry there are sooo many but it was too hard to chose just a few. I am glad that we get to have fun together and explore the great outdoors all at the same time. Yes, he really does have a good time and this is not a torture for him. It's kind of funny because I take all of these pictures right outside our apartment and I always get people asking if I want to be in one with him, but the problem is I'm always in sweats with a ponytail. Not a great combo for pictures! Maybe one day we will get a new family pic too!

I have no idea what he's doing but I love that crazy face! If you look closely you can see his snaggle tooth on top. For some reason his two front teeth didn't come in first and he has just one side tooth on the top, hence the reason why we call him snaggle tooth!
Okay, so I can't get the kid to eat food half the time but put him down in front of some rocks and he's ready to eat away.

Chase with his Radio Flyer walker wagon. He loves cruising around with that thing. Maybe I should send this on to Radio Flyer and he can become a real model and make some money for his mom!

He just looks too precious for words.

I swear he is saying here, "Wait a minute mom, I swear I didn't do it!"

Just taking a break. That walking stuff sure is hard work!
One of my favorites. I love that he is in the foreground and his wagon is in the background.

He can even do it with one hand. Hopefully this means he will be walking soon!

Another fun black and white photo. I just can't get enough of that face!

Oh, how I love that face!

2009-10-16T23:32:00.001-07:00

Chase and I finally took advantage of the beautiful, fall weather and had some camera fun. The big grins you see aren't for mommy and the camera it was totally for the large, annoying dog that lives nearby. It was helpful however in keeping him entertained and looking in one direction and not trying to crawl to the nearest leaf or mound of mud!

I am all of a sudden on a photo and edit craze lately. I took some pictures of my sister Bri and loved it! I was able to experience more with my free Adobe editor and learn some new tricks. I love the stage Chase is in and can't help but want to capture it all. Although it may get annoying for Chase I plan to use him as my baby model. I have several outfits and outings planned for future photo shoots. I can't believe my baby is almost one!

Change in Hearts

2009-10-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take the time to write about how much change Chase has brought about in Jonathan. It melts my heart to see him take time in the morning before he goes to work to play with Chase and how he immediately goes to him when he comes home before even kissing his wife!?!?! The other day when all the news reports were out about the boy floating 7K feet in the air in a helium saucer he actually had concern. He called me to tell me that when he heard the news he was thinking about what he would actually do if it were Chase and how he felt for the family of the little boy. Anyone who knows Jonathan knows he would have normally thought... what a crazy kid, I bet he is having the time of his life and never once been concerned. It's amazing what children can do to the hearts of their parents. I often sit and watch Chase play and think what on earth did I do before I had him? I am thankful that I get to stay at home and hopefully never miss a smile, cry, or even those big old gas releases he has or heaven forbid not see him potentially crawl into a flying, helium saucer and float 7K feet in the air!

Arizona

2009-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Just recently we added two more states to Chase's list of places traveled. Colorado and Arizona were states nine and ten. While our time in Colorado was brief and spent in the airport where Chase met many new friends Arizona was a fun filled trip!

Our main purpose for the trip was to attend Lily's baptism. The baptism was wonderful and she even sang a duet with a friend. Papa Dave gave the traditional Holy Ghost talk at a Family Home Evening all in Lily's honor. I was glad we were able to be there for her special day and I can't believe how grown up and beautiful she has become.
This picture was taken at My Big Fat Greek Restraunt. It was a lively place that made for an enjoyable family evening. The best part was when they lit a cheese appetizer on fire and scared Chase to tears. It was a huge flame that came out of nowhere. We didn't try it but supposedly it's a great treat. There was even a time when all the servers got in a line and were clapping and dancing. We were all watching and enjoying ourselves and Lily even joined in, that is until they started dancing right towards Chase in his high chair. They were coming at him pretty quickly and once again he was scared to tears. It is sooo funny how insecure he feels when he is on his own. Had I been holding him during either of these instances he would have been all smiles instead of tears.

One of my best friends from high school was able to come and visit Chase and I. Even though it was a quick visit it was great spending time and catching up with Shauna.

These creepy critters were found by me in addition to another little one in Emily's pool. She never had problems with scorpions before I came to visit. They all just had to make my trip a little more exciting! We had a blast swimming and laying out by the pool. The sun and relaxation was just what I needed. Chase even improved upon his tan. He was as dark as Emily's sun drenched AZ kids! He also enjoyed taking baths with his cousins and the cuddle time with Grandma Ree.

This is Chase's girlfried, Isabella, from the airport. She was also ten months old and such a cutie pie. She made the many hours at the airport more bearable for Chase and myself. Chase was invited by the pilot to come sit in the cock pit. You can tell from his expression that he loved being in there with all of those lights and buttons. He even got his first pair of wings. Who knows maybe one day he might actually be a pilot.

Needless to say it was a great trip for both of us and we can't wait to go visit again!

Lefty?

2009-09-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have been noticing that while eating and playing Chase has been really using his left hand. Although neither Jonathan nor I are left handed, I think Chase may be breaking the mold. I think it is cute and love the fact that left handed people are proven to live longer! That just means my little man will grace everyone with his joyous presence for longer than normal.

I know when I was a little girl I tended to favor my left hand, but my mom would always switch everything to my right hand. I think she thought back then that there might be something wrong with you if you were left handed. I think I turned out ok even though I am still a lefty in some aspects. Especially gymnastics, my favorite activity when I was younger.

I guess we will just have to wait and see if he is left handed for sure but until then it is still up for debate.

Totally Tube-u-lar

2009-08-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Chase experienced his first tube ride while on one of our many trips to the lake house in Granbury, TX this year. I was kind of nervous and excited all at the same time when I was putting him on the tube. While we expected him to squeal in excitement like he normally does he just laid there and stared. He wasn't scared or excited, he just laid there looking at the lake and wondering what the heck was going on. He only rode for a few minutes because I was worried about his neck and back. The life jacket had him positioned awkwardly and with the few little bumps we went on I was worried he might get hurt. He loves the water and the boat but needless to say was not all that thrilled with the tube. Hopefully next year he will have more fun and maybe we can get him on a pair of skis!

Tis the Season

2009-08-25T19:36:00.001-07:00

Tis the season to celebrate mine and Jonathan's birthdays and anniversary. This year I turned 27, Jonathan turned 29, and we celebrated 7 years of marital bliss! It is soooo crazy to me to think we are that old and that we have been married for that long.

My birthday was kind of a bummer except for the fact that Jonathan surprised me with a new video camera. Presents aren't something he usually does and I loved that he put in the effort. I have been complaining that I hated our huge camera we have and that I would love to take more family videos but that I hated dragging that big thing around with me. Jonathan picked up on my complaining (or should we say subtle hints) and made my day with my new camera...well, almost. I ended up returning the one he got for one that I liked better but it was the thought that counts. I hopefully didn't discourage him from picking out more presents for me in the future. (Like maybe some new diamond earrings, just another subtle hint!)

Chase and I surprised Jonathan at work and brought him a balloon with some warheads, a whoopie cushion, and finger football all attached. They were all gifts I thought he could have some fun with at work and to my understanding they have already been put to good use. His real gift was a laptop that he bought early.

For our anniversary we went with his parents to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. (see post in blog) We also ate at the same restaurant for all three occasions. It's is our ultimate favorite here in Kansas City because it reminds us of Texas. It's called Wil Jenny's. The entire restaurant is decked out in TX pictures. It is fun to look at the walls and see how many places we recognize. All in all we had a great time celebrating these momentous occasions.

Us at Wil Jenny's (waitress=bad photographer)

Chase getting a taste of his first lemon

No sour face, just a big grin

Crandell Family Pictures

2009-08-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

It has been several years since my entire family has all been home at the same time and this summer it finally happened. 12 Adults and 15 Children all in tow made for a fun yet interesting photo session. Of course it had to rain on our parade! After hours of prep getting everyone ready and all in the same place to take outdoor pictures we had a lovely summer storm. So off to a tiny screen room (it had the best lighting) we all went to begin the whole process. After gathering in as many groups as we could think of and taking more pictures than you would ever need we decided to try out a new spot. Yep, now onto the family room couch armed with a power light to torture our poor children some more. Once we took another million pictures the storm had let up and someone had the wise idea to head outside to the front yard to add to this wonderful photo session! And as the sun settled so did our family photo session. Let's just say it's a good thing we won't be doing this again for at least another 4 years!!! Anyway, here's how they turned out...

The whole Crandell Clan

Crazy face clan

Howlett Family

Schaub Family

Strom Family

Watson Family

Hoyt Family

All 15 Crazy Grandkids

Grandkids

First word....of course

2009-08-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to update everyone on Chase's first word! He has been saying it for about a month now and I love hearing him say it all the time. What is it you ask? Mom of course! That's right he knows who his favorite is and wants everyone else to know it as well. I find it interesting that he says mom mom mom rather than mama but I will take it either way. He obviously feels to grown up and sophisticated to just say mama.
He has also been doing an army crawl for about the same amount of time. He started by pushing himself backwards and then slowly learned how to pull forward. He is now army crawling around the entire house and always finds the smallest things the vacuum missed. I guess I just have to stay up on the cleaning and vacuum more frequently. The army crawl is a little annoying to me because he can get up on all fours and rock back and forth but whenever he wants to be on the move he lays on his tummy and uses his elbows to pull himself forward. He is a daredevil already and continually crawls and teeters on the edge of things. If he's on the bed he crawls to the end and looks down below and does the same thing on the stairs too! It's a bit frightening for mom and dad but not for our little Chase man. As much fun as we are having watching him grow there are days when I long for my tiny baby too. I guess that means we might be ready for baby #2!

Kiddie Parade

2009-07-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Another long time running tradition in the Crandell family is the annual Kiddie Parade held during Oregon Trail Days. Every year growing up my sisters and neighborhood friends would come up with a lavish theme and make costumes for the kiddie parade. I was anything from one of the three little pigs to a Chinese princess. In keeping with tradition we have always added our own children to the parade as well. This year was Chase's first annual kiddie parade. He was an army guy with his boy cousins and the girl cousins were flowers. I am not sure he really understood or enjoyed this tradition but hopefully he will grow to love it! The kids even made the front page of the Star Herald which is the local newspaper. I hope to plan ahead next year and have a cute theme in which all of his cousins can participate. So be sure and keep posted for next years unveiling. By the way if anyone has any cute ideas please feel free to share.

Riverside Zoo

2009-07-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

As a little girl I remember going to the Riverside Zoo and seeing the white tigers, feeding grape dum dums to the spider monkeys, and nearly falling into the pond with all of the scary sucker fish! Maybe not the fondest childhood memories but memories none the less. While visiting family this summer back home I decided Chase needed to make his own memories of the local zoo as well. Little did I know that my hometown zoo is not the greatest compared to the Omaha zoo which Chase has already visited. While not impressed by the animal exhibits he was thrilled with the recently added splash pad. Even the freezing cold water couldn't keep my little man away. He would sit and play until the water would stop for a minute or two when I would rush him to a waiting Grandma Ree and a nice warm towel to wrap him up in. However, as soon as he saw the water spurting again he would kick his legs and nearly throw himself off her lap. It was a fun time had by Chase and all of his cousins. Let's just say that Chase's memories of the Riverside Zoo will be completely different than my own.

Firework Frenzy

2009-07-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is a holiday not forgotten with the Crandell Clan. Every year our family gets together to celebrate the fourth in good old Gering, NE. What could be better than several adults and even more children running around playing with fire and explosives?!?!?!? It is also a time of year that Jonathan loves just as much as Christmas. We started this year off by traveling the few miles it takes to get into Missouri to buy the "good fireworks" as Jonathan would put it. We spent the evening as a family buying, lighting, and watching Jonny light up the night. I was worried that Chase would be scared but after a few loud bangs he was totally used to it and got excited watching the explosions of color. He even tried helping get things organized but Jonathan didn't like his little helper because he was afraid that his precious fireworks might get ruined. Chase's favorite were the little cheap ones that have the effect of a strobe light. I think it was because they were super bright without all the noise. Once in Nebraska we had to buy even more fireworks! We were able to make it in time for my cousin Justin's firework show he does annually on the third of July. Not only is it his favorite holiday but also his birthday. He put on an awesome show that was an hour long and was better than most professional shows. Chase just laid back and watched the whole thing. He would kick his legs in excitement and even let out a little giggle here and there.

On the fourth we got together at Jama's with all the Crandell's and the Allred's for a BBQ. It was great seeing everyone together again and we even took a typical Crandell Family Reunion picture. We made it through the evening with only a few minor burns but tons of fun and memories to hold on to. All in all this firework frenzy was one never to be forgotten!

Nebraska Trip '09

2009-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

While we were in Nebraska this summer we celebrated the 4th, attended Livi's baptism, celebrated many birthdays, went to the zoo, played at the park, spent an entire night jumping in a bounce house, entered the kiddie parade, watched the big Oregon Trail Days parade, and had some great family bonding (family bondage as Jonathan would put it). It was great to have all the sisters together again with all of our families. Chase loved playing with his cousins and lit up anytime they were around. He truly loves being around other kids and is literally full of laughs and giggles when he watches them play. Next year he will be able to join in on the chaos instead of simply watching from the sidelines.

Some of my favorite times were:

Justin's firework show and the family fireworks

Watching Chase kick his legs and squeal in excitement at the fireworks

Having all the cousins sing I am a Child of God with Chase joining in

Bouncing in the bounce house with my sisters

Passing on my childhood traditions to Chase

Late nights playing games and visiting with my parents and sisters

Making my parents day by singing with my sisters in church even though we all dread it

We had a blast and were grateful for the opportunity for us all to be together and can't wait for it to happen again!

Mormon Tabernacle

2009-06-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of seeing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform in Kansas City on Thursday night. It was great to have Papa and Nana come join us for the performance and the weekend but also unfortunate that Papa Dave and Grandma Ree could not attend. It was our Mother's and Father's day gift to them. This is the first time I have seen the choir perform and they were absolutely amazing. They sang a wide variety of music that included patriotic, spiritual, classical, and cultural. My favorite was the Nigerian carol that sounded very native and included great instrumentals. I was also very touched by a segment that included a song from my Grandfather's funerals and also one from Grandma Poole's which we were unable to attend.
The Choir is a great outlet to feel the strength of the Spirit through music. As a child growing up I came from a family that focused a lot of attention on musical talents. I have always loved music and the closeness it brings to my family and the spirit. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to see the Tabernacle and it's orchestra perform.

Father's Day

2009-06-22T19:24:00.001-07:00

I am glad we get the opportunity to celebrate our Dad's once a year. I enjoy getting to tell my dad, father in law, and my baby's daddy just how much I love them all! Fathers play an important role in every child's life and I am glad I got to share my childhood with such a great man and look forward to the way Jonathan will influence the life of our child and future children.

This father's day started out on a bad note. Chase woke up five minutes before my alarm was set to go off which was no big deal. Who couldn't use an extra five minutes on a Sunday morning?!?!? Well, that is definitely not what I got.

I went in Chase's room to find him laying in pee that soaked him, his pj's, and his bedding. So instead of an extra five minutes I was now about 1o behind. I quickly started a load of laundry and a bath. As soon as I took his diaper off he decided it was time to add to the mix by pooping on his changing pad! So, after cleaning it up and adding that to the wash I got him bathed, fed and dressed. Why couldn't this have been Mother's Day?!? Now it was my turn and at this point I was about 25 minutes behind. Time sure does fly when you are having FUN!!! I got myself quickly ready and loaded everything up to try and make it to church on time. When I turned on the truck my gas light was on. Lovely, could anything else go wrong? Well, needless to say I put it in the Lord's hands to get us to church without running out of gas and that we did. Finally, a much needed turning point.

We spent the afternoon as a family out by the pool enjoying the beautiful day. After a wonderful dinner we put Chase to bed and cuddled up to watch a movie. Aside from the crazy morning I would label it another successful day.

Because of the hectic morning and the fact that Chase fell asleep on the way home from church we didn't get a picture. Here are just a few of the great Fathers in my life.

7 Months

2009-06-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it, my son is seven months old and not a baby anymore. Whenever I get sad and tell Jonathan how I can't believe my baby isn't a baby anymore he informs me that he is still a baby. I guess I look at Chase as a big boy mainly because I love newborns (I still love them after that) and he sooooo isn't that anymore; while, Jonathan looks at him as a baby still because he can't run around and be ruff with him yet. If the past seven months have any bearing I feel like Chase will be running around tomorrow! It seems like I was holding him in my arms for the very first time just yesterday. I love every minute I spend with him whether it's making him laugh, reading him a book, or even changing his diaper. Chase has a lively personality as you can see by the many facial expressions he has in these few shots. I have definitely been blessed to be with him every minute of every day for these past seven months and can't wait for the many years we have ahead of us.

Summer Fun

2009-06-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

The weather in Kansas has been gradually getting warmer and allowed for us to have some much needed outdoor fun. Chase loves being outside come rain or shine. When the sun is beaming we frequent the pool. Chase loves to play in his float even though the water is still freezing! I wear him out and then let him nap in the stroller while I catch a few rays. It is one of my many perks of having a great kid and being a stay at home mom. We have also enjoyed taking walks as a family on the slightly cooler evenings. Ironically today has been very rainy. Chase still loved sitting out on the porch watching the storms. The huge cracks of lightning and thunder didn't even phase him.

Along with loving the outdoors Chase loves his stroller. One day I brought the stroller up and set him out on the balcony. I wanted to see what he would do if I shut the door and came inside leaving him out on his own. He could have cared less if I was out there with him. He just sat in his stroller and played while I watched him through the door. He truly is the best and cutest kid in the world! (I could be slightly biased)

Chase and I made friends one day out by the pool with a lady named Erin and her son Calin. Calin is just shy of two and is so full of life and a joy to watch play. I can't wait for Chase to run around with him one day. They introduced Chase and I to a neat little place called the Deanna Rose Farmstead. It is a petting zoo, playground, farm, Indian reservation, and garden all rolled in to one and made just for kids. The best part of all is that it's completely free! There are some things you can pay for like pony & wagon rides, arts & crafts, and bottle feeding but everything else is free. It was a fun place to visit and we hope to return many more times.

Random Pictures

2009-05-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Chase is such a character and some days I wonder if he is even my kid. I constantly think what on earth is he going to come up with next. His newest thing is to blow/spit when you put his paci in his mouth. Why, I have no idea but he thinks it's the coolest thing ever. Better yet today he learned that if you blow hard enough you can spit the paci half way across the room! Isn't that cute?!?!? He is always making new faces and sounds and grabbing at everything in sight. So I am sure you all know how it is with your first child, you just can't help but click away with the camera. Here are just a few of the thousands of pictures I have taken lately. Some days I forget that he is a baby and not my dress up toy/personal model!

Say Cheese!!! Could that grin get any bigger?!?!?

This is his gangsta' look.

Precious close up

Monkey see Monkey do? That's what Aunt Meggie claims he learned at the zoo.

Loving his new bath seat.

Sporting a mohawk!

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we were able to visit with a lot of our family. We started the weekend off in Oklahoma City to visit some cousins and my mom and dad. My cousin Jeffrey got married and it was a fun celebration. We were able to meet Gavin and Kannon who were born 2 months before and after Chase. Chase is smack dab in the middle of them age wise. It was fun to compare all of the boys and see them in there different stages. We got some really cute pictures after the wedding on the cutest bench ever. It is a kid's size bench with Noah's ark animals on the back. It was so cute I wish I could have taken it home with me, but the pictures we got were even cuter. It was also fun for Grandma Ree and Papa Dave to spend some time with Chase. They haven't seen him since Christmas and he is totally different. We also get to add another state to Chase's list! Even though Jonathan said that OK shouldn't count we are now at 7 states in under 7 months.

We left Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon and continued the drive to Texas. We were able to spend a few days at the lake house with Nana, Papa, and Aunt Bri. Chase went swimming for the first time but preferred sitting on the edge playing with a toy boat. (He has gone swimming since and enjoyed it a lot more the second time) He also got to drive and ride on Papa's boat! He loved it for the first five minutes until it quickly rocked him to sleep.

Mother's Day and More

2009-05-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's day wasn't the best. First off, we have 9am church, I had to get myself and the baby ready, and I had to teach in Relief Society. The lesson went ok but I wasn't as prepared as normal and for some reason the class wasn't as chatty. I had to scrounge for some reading material to take up the remaining time. Then we got home and Jonathan made me Easy Mac for lunch. What a great meal, not! When more than half the day was over and I hadn't been relieved of baby or diaper duty we decided that we would switch Mother's day and Father's day this year. Jonathan just had too much studying to do considering his exam is on Friday. I did get a rose from both Chase and Jonathan and I also bought myself a new swimsuit. Let's just say I hope that my Mother's Days get better in the future.I know our outfits clash. I unfortunately didn't plan that far ahead.

Chase learned how to drink from a sippy cup tonight! I don't give him juice very often because he doesn't particularly care for it. However, I put some juice in a sippy to see if he could figure it out and for awhile he just played around with it and used it as a teether. Then he finally got it and the look on his face was priceless. Not only was he shocked that he got some liquid out of it but the fact that it was juice really shocked him. He made a silly sour face that was really cute. I didn't get a picture of the sour face but I did get a couple other cute ones.

My big boy sitting on his own drinking from a sippy!

Chase also found a couple of new favorites. Shoulder rides from his dad and the wonderful remote with tons of buttons! Not quite sure how I feel about the second one. I did figure out that if I push the VCR button before he gets a hold of it that he can't change the channel. Watching Chase grow has been so much fun. I just can't believe all of the new things he is discovering and the raw emotions he shows. I am blessed every day that I get to stay at home and raise such a great little guy!

Six Months

2009-05-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today Chase is six months old and I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. He is the joy of my life and has provided me with the best job in the world, being a mom!

He has just started sitting on his own but is still a little wobbly. He recently experienced sitting in a high chair for the first time. It was at lunch with his friend Benji at Chic-Fil-A of all places, and yes I cleaned it off before putting him in it. He really seemed to enjoy himself, he thinks he is such a big boy.

His personality keeps getting stronger by the day. Laughter/Squealing has become a common sound in our home. He has really melted our hearts and taught us how to truly love again. He has been the best baby in the world and we can't wait for the many months and years we have ahead of us!

On another note, Chase and I have been able to get out and enjoy the nicer weather we've been having. Chase loves the outdoors. He loves going for walks, sitting by the pond, and his new favorite is sitting by the fountains. Our complex has several ponds with water features and our pool area has several fountains as well. He just loves being by them all. Today we were outside for five hours straight!

Ready to go for a walk

Taking a break outside

Chase's Favorite Place

May Day

2009-05-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

On May 1st also known as May Day Chase and I went to Jonathan's work and delivered a May Day basket full of all his favorite snacks. The basket included Jr. Mints, Slim Jims, Sour Patch Kids, Good & Plenty, Cajun Trail Mix, and Chocolate Covered Raisins. Chase enjoyed getting to see his dad at work and all of his co-workers who adore Chase. That is until he almost stabed his eye out with a dry erase marker and started screaming! Yeah, I gave him the marker so he could draw Jonathan a picture on his board and yes I know what a stupid idea that was!

Anyway I was shocked to hear that no one had heard of the tradition of May Day Baskets which I grew up with. So here it is, on May 1st you make little cups or baskets full of goodies to give to your friends. You take it to their house and set it on the doorstep. Then you ring the door bell and hurry and try to get away before your friend catches you and pinches you or in some cases kisses you. Just a little fun to kick off the warmer weather. You should try it next year if you don't do it already. Who knows maybe you can start a neighborhood trend and a family tradition all at the same time.

Sleepy Head

2009-04-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

When Chase was younger and waking up a couple of times during the night Jonathan would randomly tell him that if he slept in until ten he would give him something special. It could range anywhere from $5 to a brand new expensive toy. It always seemed to work and he would sleep for atleast an hour longer than usual.
Well, just last night I brought up the conversation again. How nice would it be to sleep in on a Saturday morning?!?!? So I tried the trick again. I asked Jonathan what Chase would get if he slept in until ten. He told him he would take Chase to go see the kittens and puppies at the pet store. It seemed like more of a reward for Jonathan but who cares if it would really work.
It worked! Chase went to bed at 9 and woke up at 10:30. I was shocked and naturally was up at 8 but was able to go back to bed and woke up wondering what the heck happened when I saw it was 10. I was wide awake and couldn't take advantage of this great opportunity any longer. I just sat and waited until my sleepy head woke up.
Jonathan partially followed through with his promise. We went to see the cats and kittens at his favorite cat place called Purrfect Pets. Chase wasn't to enthralled so we decided not to get one out and we just played with them through the cages. They were cute and we even found some that looked just like our old cats Bevo and Ally. As much as I hated those cats I really do miss them. Not enough to get another one though. When it was time to go see the dogs and puppies at Land of Paws Jonathan wanted to bail and Chase was worn out. Maybe next Saturday we can go there if he sleeps until ten again!

NCAA Gymnastics in NE

2009-04-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

My best friend from High School called and asked if I wanted to go to the NCAA Gymnastics Championship and I couldn't say no. For those of you who may not know I competed in gymnastics in Jr. High and High School. I can't say I was a great gymnast but I can say my heart was totally in it and still is to this day. It was a great opportunity I couldn't pass up so Chase and I headed to Lincoln for the weekend.

It was a ton of fun to watch and made me jealous that I wasn't still competing myself. I will eventually get back into coaching so I can live it up in the gym again. I am secretly hoping Chase will want to do it too, but Jonathan says he can't. He says it's for girls and his son will do martial arts. We will just have to wait and see who will win that fight!

Go Big Red!

Chase thought it was funny to watch

While we were in Lincoln we stayed with Chase's Aunt Meggie, Uncle Jessie and his cousins Lucy and Charlie. Lucy and Charlie are pretty big boxers that Chase grew to love. They were very curious and protective of Chase. They would come and check on him anytime he cried and also let him grab at their faces. Chase even figured out that if he did his fake cough they would come running. It was a game he loved to play with them. Lucy even gave Chase a ride. All in all we had a great weekend and can't wait to come back and visit.

Chase riding Lucy with Charlie, Megan, & Jessie assisting

Omaha Zoo

2009-04-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

What is the best meeting spot for two long time friends and their kids? Answer: Omaha Zoo!

Chase and me riding the baby elephant
Chase looks right at home and I can even see a resemblance

Mandi and her girls Marley and Makenna came to hang out with Chase and me and we decided to go to the Omaha Zoo. We had perfect weather and a great time. The kids loved it and were really well behaved. We definitely got in a good workout as we hiked up and down tons of hills while carrying kids and pushing strollers. It was a good thing Aunt Meggie joined us because she was a great help.

Megan and Mandi my two BFF's

Chase's favorite part was the aquarium. He loved the jellyfish tank and tried grabbing at them through the glass and he also liked the tank that he could lay on and look at all of the fish.

Chase grabbing the jellyfish
Chase looking at the Nemo fish

Marley loved everything we saw and was a good sport about taking pictures with Chase. Makenna on the other hand mainly stayed in the stroller and snacked. She did get out for a few pictures here and there but I never managed to get one of her. Sorry Kenna, we do love you though!

Marley and Chase with a Gorilla in the backgroundChase and Marley at the butterfly exibit

Easter

2009-04-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Chase's first Easter in Southlake with Jonathan's family. We had an Easter egg hunt, a wonderful meal, gifts from the Easter bunny, went to church and had a great lesson from Papa Scott, and lots of family bonding.

Hunting for Eggs and Easter PJ's

Although my favorite part of all was playing dress up with Chase! He and his dad looked very handsome in their coordinating outfits. It may be a bit lame to have the whole family matching, but it made for some really great pictures! So great I plan on entering one of the pictures into a cutest baby contest. Who knows we might just have one of the cutest babies!

Contest Picture

Family Easter Picture

Another cute one

Little Traveler

2009-04-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

Our little man has traveled many places in his life thus far. He has been on several airplanes and taken many road trips and was well behaved through it all. By the time he was 8 weeks old he had been in 6 different states.

States Visited:

Iowa
Kansas
Missouri
Nebraska
Texas
Utah

His two favorite places, the ones he shows the most spirit for, are NE for his mommy and TX for his daddy. However, he loves traveling anywhere and visiting all of his close family and friends. If we haven't made it to see you yet we will hopefully soon. We are excited for our upcoming trips. First off to Dallas for Easter, then Lincoln for the NCAA Gymnastics tournament and to see all of my high school friends, and lastly to the Omaha Zoo with Mandi and her girls!

First For Everything

2009-04-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Life for the Hoyt family couldn't get any better. Jonathan and I are loving watching Chase, our first child, grow and discover new things. His little personality is getting stronger every day and I believe he is well on his way to taking after me in that field. It looks like we will have a Hoyt appearance with a Crandell personality. Scary I know!
Since I am a little behind I wanted to update everyone on all of the firsts in Chase's life and development. He was born on Nov. 6, 2008 at 3:30 pm weighing in at an even 7 lbs and stretching to an even 19 inches. He lost his umbilical cord on Nov. 14 and his plastibell (plastic ring from circumcision) on Nov. 16. Since we had plenty of help with Grandma Ree and Aunt Emmy in town we took on our first bath on Nov.16 which was scary and exciting all at the same time.

Chase was blessed on Nov. 30 in Midway, UT at my in laws home. It was a special moment for both the Hoyt and Crandell family. Needless to say his first month on earth was a whirlwind.

Chase in his blessing outfit.

Those who were in his circle for the blessing.

The Crandell family.

The Hoyt family.

Daddy changed his first poopy diaper on Jan. 1, 2009. For anyone who knows Jonathan, changing a poop diaper was something I felt would never happen. After only eight weeks he bravely took on the task and did a great job! Since we are on the subject of diapers I found it very interesting that in the first 24 hours of Chase's life no one from his family changed his diaper. Horrible I know, but I had great nurses who took care of that and the lactation specialist and Dr. Brunner even took one for the team.
When it comes to sleeping we have been very blessed. When he was born he would sleep for about 3 hours at a time. Then in late Dec. he started sleeping for 6 hours a night. This progressed to 8 and 9 hours a night in mid Jan. Around a month later he was sleeping for 10 hours and is now up to 12 hours a night and has been doing that since mid March.
In early February he started having mini conversations with us using his cute little baby noises. It was fun to hear his tiny little voice and how he learned to love his high pitches. He soon became our little squealer.
On Feb. 27 he rolled from his belly to his back and on Apr. 1 he began rolling from his back to his belly. Once he figured out both of those moves he would constantly roll in circles. I would leave him on his play mat and come back a few minutes later only to find that he was in a completely different spot. He has just recently started pulling his legs in underneath him when he's on his belly and I feel that crawling will be just around the corner! We will continue to keep you all posted on Chase's development.

Our Engagement

2002-03-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

Jonathan and I got engaged on March 30, 2002. After only knowing each other for 7 months we knew we were soul mates and meant to be together forever! It was Easter weekend and we had flown to Dallas to celebrate the holiday with his family. I had picked out and designed my own ring and knew that it would be arriving in Dallas the same weekend we would be there. Cheating a little bit I know. I told Jonathan that I didn't want to see the ring until it was mine. I had only seen the wax molding at this point and it was green with no bling, a pretty scary sight! Well thanks to reliable Fed Ex my ring arrived right on time and Jonathan didn't keep it a secret. He kept taunting me with the box the entire day. We also had to travel to another town to go to a special mall for a surprise for me. I had no idea what it was and it was bothering me. I was told I couldn't look in the trunk of the car because that's where this top secret gift was. Whatever, all I really wanted was my ring anyway. I kept asking him all day if I needed to get dressed up for our evening plans and he would always say no. What!!! I couldn't wait any longer and after much pleading he decided to take me to a fancy dinner. I couldn't believe that I was getting ready for my proposal. I am not one for surprises and like to know everything in advance so I was totally stoked! Before dinner he took me to Grapevine Lake and pulled the mystery box out of the trunk. It was dark out and I could barely see the box but it looked like a bird house to me and I was getting a little bit scared. I kept thinking why did he have to drive to another town for a dumb birdhouse? All I wanted was my ring and at this point I was really frustrated, childish I know but totally me. Finally when we were down by the water he opened the box and pulled out a teddy bear. That's right no birdhouse just a dumb bear. Where the heck was my ring! I began searching in the dark around the bear's neck, arms, and legs looking for a little shimmer and it was no where to be found. Then he told me to push the bear's hand. At this point all I was thinking was I don't care about this dumb bear and the lame music it's going to play, I want my ring!!! Well to my surprise Jonathan got down on his knee when I pushed the button and it had his voice recorded inside. Way cool and mad props for my soon to be hubby. I can now listen to my proposal anytime I want and can even play it for our kids. The recording says, "Abby, I love you and I want to spend eternity with you. WILL YOU MARRY ME?". Then, in his hand I saw my RING and fought back tears while I answered with a YES! Then he took me to a fancy restaurant for dinner. If I wouldn't have been so impatient his original plan was to give me the bear the next morning for Easter and propose to me then so we could have it video taped as well. My impatience totally ruined that plan. It was still a great evening and one I will never forget.