Em's Latest & Greatest!

Nine years Old

2009-10-19T13:22:00.001-07:00

SEPTEMBER 21st, 2009

Happy Birthday Christine!

Nine years old today!

This year all Christine wanted for her birthday was a new bike. Thank goodness Spencer knows a lot about bikes, because I was kind of lost looking at them in the store by myself. Spence picked out a great bike, and we hid it at my Mom's house. The night before Christine's birthday, my Mom had us over for a birthday dinner. We surprised her with the bike while we were there, and she was so excited! On her actual birthday she had to go to school, but as luck would have it her class took a field trip to the symphony. Christine made a cute poster about herself that she showed in class, and she also got to bring in a class treat. That evening we celebrated with the Tycksen family. All in all it was a great birthday. We love you so much Christine! I'm so glad you're happy and healthy. You're our miracle and always will be. Love you.

Back to School

2009-10-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 2009

First day of School

All ready for School

Christine 3rd Grade

Mary 1st Grade

So the summer was jam packed with fun, but I guess it has to come to an end some time. The girls were very excited to start school, but also a bit nervous. This year we transferred the girls to a new school called EastWood Elementary. It was highly recommended and after much thought and prayer, we decided to make the switch. Christine's teacher this year is Mrs. Mitchell, and the school refers to her as the "school hippy." She's so layed back, and lots of fun. She's in a bluegrass band, and the class sings along with her every morning while she plays the guitar. Mary has Mrs. Johnson, who is also very nice. She keeps the kids very busy, but Mary is doing very well. Both girls have made new friends and have done a great job adjusting to a new school. Good luck with the rest of the year!

Lake Powell

2009-10-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 2009

The Tycksen House boat

Fishing with Great Uncle Eric

Spence getting ready for an evening ski

Hanging out on the boat.

Tine on her ski.

Sam using his life jacket for the first time.

Mary loving Lake Powell!

Tine enjoying the beaches.

I look forward to Lake Powell every year. It's always so much fun! There's always something to do down there. The kids love playing with all of their cousins and they play for hours on the beaches. We all love going out on the boat, swimming, and skiing. It's so nice having the house boat. That way we can all escape from the sun when we need to, use a bathroom and even get a shower in. I'm so grateful to Steve and Ruth for taking us here every year. What a blast!

Seven Years Old

2009-10-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 15th, 2009

Mary's 7th Birthday

My cute 7 year old!

The beloved barbie/pony set :)

Mary is now SEVEN years old! She is growing up so fast. This year for her birthday she really wanted this barbie/pony set. She didn't think I got it for her, so she was thrilled to get it on her birthday. I didn't do a party for her this year, but I let her choose what she wanted to do for the entire day. I made crepes for her breakfast, then she wanted to watch her new movie, High School Musical 3. After she got ready I took her shopping at the mall, and she bought a few things with her birthday money. We later went to Toys R Us so she could get something else, and then we went to Arbys for dinner. She told me it was the best day ever. I love you so much Mary. Thanks for bringing so much joy and laughter into our home.

Visit from Jen

2009-10-19T12:21:00.001-07:00

AUGUST 10th, 2009

Cabin with Jen's Family

Playing in the pond.

Mary and Alli

Hanging out at the cabin.

Catching grasshoppers.

Andrew and Alli having fun outside.

Jen and Matt with Andrew at the Pond.

More grasshoppers

Sam enjoying the swing.

Cousins having fun!

It was so great to spend some time with my sister Jen and her family. We decided it would be fun to go to the Tycksen cabin for a few days. The weather was great so we had lots of fun playing outside. There were tons of grasshoppers down there, and the kids had a blast catching them...Mary was the only one that wasn't too thrilled about them. It was nice to relax and fun for the cousins to play together. I sure miss having Jen here in Utah, but I'm so glad she could come for a visit.

ULCER

2009-10-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 6th, 2009

ULCER

The support Group

Spence and his riding buddy Rob

The Finish Line!

Spencer rode in the ULCER again this year, and he did such a great job! For those of you who don't know, the ULCER is a cycling event that starts at Thanksgiving Point loops around Utah Lake and ends at Thanksgiving Point. The cyclists ride a total of 110 miles! He did this event last year and had so much fun he decided to do it again this year. The day of the event was the coldest, windiest Saturday of the summer, but he still finished strong. Way to go honey, you are so awesome! I can't imagine riding that far... maybe some day.

Happy Anniversary

2009-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 4th 2009

10 Year Anniversary!

Me and Sam hanging out by the river.

Only about a mile into the hike.

Sam with Spence

We made it!

Spencer and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this year! Wow... has it already been ten years? We had talked about going on a cruise, but we decided to save that vacation for later since Sam was still nursing. Instead, we spent the entire day together which turned out to be so much fun! My sister-in-law was nice enough to take the girls for the entire morning and Spencer and I hiked Mt. Granduer. We just packed Sam along, and he did great. We ate our lunch up at the top of the mountain, and it was so beautiful. Because we went on a week day, we practically had the entire trail to ourselves. We came home and rested and got all cleaned up, and then my Mom took all three of the kids so we could go out to dinner. We went to the Olive Garden, and then did a little shopping. It was such a great day, and it was so nice to spend some time alone with Spencer. I love Spencer so much and I am so grateful to have him in my life. I am truly blessed and I look forward to eternity with him :0)

Catching Up

2009-07-17T22:28:00.001-07:00

I know it's been quite a while since I've blogged. What can I say, it's been a busy summer. I've posted a few highlights of our summer so far. I love summer time and I hope all of you are having a great summer too.

Sam's First Birthday!

2009-07-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Sam eating his own ice cream cone.

Yummy cake!

My attempt at a layered cake.

I love treats and I love being 1!!

Chillin in the stroller.

Sam's new forward facing car seat. He loves this!

Sam loves to quickly climb onto his rocking chair when he's naked.

Big boy Sam.

On July 9th Sam turned one! It's amazing how quickly the time has gone. I remember so well bringing him home from the hospital and now he's basically a toddler. When I look at him I no longer think of him as a baby... he's a pretty big boy. Sam has figured out how to walk and he's saying lots of little words. It's so fun to see his personality coming out. He really enjoys being outside and he loves the water. We are so glad Sam came to our family. We love you Sam!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-17T21:35:00.001-07:00

Grandma Ruthie with Sam.

Sam reaching for the fireworks.

Sam loved the fireworks, and the loud noises didn't bother him either.

Mary with her sparkler.

Christine getting ready for the fun to begin.

Our 4th of July started out bright and early. The kids slept out in the back yard with Spencer the night before and they were woken up by the bugle at 6:30 am! It was good though, because we had the annual Butler 7th ward parade at 7:00 am. We barely made it to the parade on time.

Each year the kids in the ward decorate their bike or scooter and we have our own small parade that ends up at the church. Because I was in such a rush to get out of the door, I don't have any pictures of the parade. We then had the flag ceremony followed by a program and a nice cooked breakfast. The only problem with getting up so early, was the girls were tired by 11:00. We relaxed for most of the day because the kids were tired and I wasn't feeling very good. That evening we went out to Clayton and Heather's house for a Tycksen bbq and fireworks. All in all it was a good 4th of July.

Family Trip

2009-07-17T21:08:00.001-07:00

Sam trying to make a get-a-way in the buff!

Mary helping Spence drive the boat.

Relaxing in the sun :0)

Christine playing on the beach in Sand Hollow.

Mary having fun on the beach.

Sam thinking things over.

Miniature golfing in St. George.

I know we've been back from this trip for over a month now, but better late than never right? This year for our family trip we decided to stay close to home. We went to St. George for the first part of the week and had a fun time boating on Sand Hollow Reservoir. We had never been to Sand Hollow before, and it was such a great place. It wasn't crowded and it reminded us of a miniature Lake Powell.

We had invited our friends Cody and Natalie to come with us to St. George, but the first night there, Cody got the stomach flu really bad and they decided to go home the next day. Sam also came down with croup, and we had to take him to the Insta-Care. Mary decided she should get a high fever and cough too because every one else was getting sick. The beginning of the trip was a little bit rough, but we still ended up having a great time.

The second part of the week Clayton and Hether's family joined us in Las Vegas. The resort in Vegas has some fantastic pools. That was the kids favorite part of Las Vegas. We did a lot of swimming and relaxing by the pool. The kids loved playing with their cousins. It's always nice to get away for bit... and I loved spending time in the sun and in the water :)

Big boy Sam

2009-05-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Peek-a-Boo!

"How do I eat this thing?"

Look what I can do!

I just thought these were some fun pictures of Sam. He's learning to do new things every day!

The Boat's Ready

2009-05-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

Christine & Sam on the boat.

Everyone's excited to have the boat back!

Mary on the boat.

Sam behind the wheel!

Spencer got "Old Sweetness" all tuned up for the summer and we're all very excited to use it this summer. Spence took the boat out for a test run, and everything seems to be working great. Last year I didn't get to use it very much since I was pregnant and then I had a newborn, so I'm really excited to spend some quality time with the fam on the lake this year! We've got a vacation coming up in June, and I can hardly wait to go!

Christine's Hats

2009-05-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Christine was playing with a friend and he showed her a hat he had made. She really wanted to learn and started one of her own hats that very day. Her first hat was pretty small, but she did a great job with it. Then she decided to make a hat that would fit her. It didn't take her very long to finish it, and now she loves to wear it all the time. I'm so proud of her! I can't wait for her to make my hat :0)

10 Months Old!

2009-05-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Sam loves to pull things out from the cupboards while I cook.

10 Months old today!

Sam sticks his tongue out when he's happy or excited about something.

He's on the boat... and he likes it!

Sam's discovered the piano.

My little helper. Sam loves to unload the dishes.

I know I say I've said this before, but I can't believe how fast Sam is growing up! On May 9th, he turned 10 months old!

Sam's a busy little boy. He's crawling all over the place, and he can pull himself up and walk around the furniture. He can stand by himself, so I know it won't be long before he learns to walk. He loves to hold onto my hands and walk with me.

He's eating all sorts of things now, and loves most foods. His top two teeth just came in last week... thank goodness that's over once again. He seems to have a difficult time cutting teeth.

Sam's started to say a few little words. His first official word is uh-oh :0) He likes to drop things and then say "uh-oh." It's so much fun to hear him talk. He loves any kind of ball, and he'll say "ba" when he sees a ball. He also says "Mamama" and "Dadada." The girls can always get Sam to laugh and smile. He loves his sisters! He's a happy little boy and we all love having him in our family.

Zoo and Wheeler Farm

2009-05-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Mia, Alli, Jada, & Mary at the Zoo

Mary, Sam, Alli & Andrew

Sam checking out the geese

Mary at Wheeler Farm

Sam and Em

My sister Jen came into town about a week ago. It was so great to see her and her cute kids. One of the days she was here, we went to the Zoo. I haven't been to the Zoo in over a year, and I actually had a pretty good time. We went on a Friday morning, and the weather was perfect. Christine was still in school when we went but she was ok with it, because the next week she went to the Zoo with the entire second grade.

The next week Mary had her field trip to Wheeler Farm. I decided to go and take Sam. It was fun to see all of the new baby animals. Sam was fascinated with the geese and ducks that were flying and walking around.

Easter Fun

2009-04-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Not too sure about the grass...

Sam with his Daddy!

Sam trying to walk!

Christine's pretty dress.

Mary's new Easter dress.

Me and Sam :)

Easter was great as usual this year. I especially loved the sunny weather. The girls had a great time finding eggs in the morning. Then we all made it to 9am church. Later that day we went to my mom's for a nice dinner and another egg hunt.

The girls really enjoyed dying easter eggs this year. They were so good about not getting any dye on the table. I only wish I had boiled more eggs, because we ran out pretty fast.... however, no one has eaten any of the hard boiled eggs yet.

I love this time of year as the weather gets warmer and all of the blossoms come out. What a great reminder of our Savior and the resurrection.

Getting bigger every day

2009-04-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

St. Patricks Day

The "snuffy" face

Almost standing up!

Sam just minding his own business :)

Samuel has been growing and growing. Some times I look at him in the morning and I know that he's grown. He's almost 9 months old! It's amazing how quickly time goes by. Here are a few pictures of him. I don't think it will be long until he's walking. He's so much fun!

Baking

2009-03-28T07:37:00.001-07:00

So yesterday I spent the whole afternoon baking. Today I'm helping with a bridal shower and I'm supposed to bring an assortment of treats. I love baking, but I have to be honest, after spending hours in the kitchen yesterday, I'm a little bit pooped out. Now I just need to make a few more treats for tomorrow... it's my nephews baby blessing and I'm bringing treats for that too!

Twilight

2009-03-23T08:44:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night I finally saw the movie Twilight. I wasn't sure if I'd like it because I'd heard mixed reviews, but I actually thought it was pretty good. Even Spencer thought it was pleasantly surprised. If you've read the book, I would recommend seeing the movie. I don't think it's a movie I would go out and buy, but I liked it.

Pocatello

2009-03-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

Uncle Matt, Allison & Andrew

Fun in the pool

Alli & Mary having fun.

Sam playing with his new toy!

Over the weekend we went up to Pocatello. Spence was judging a clogging competition up there. For some reason I wasn't as excited to go this year. Maybe it's because this year we had Sam, and he's on the move all the time. I knew he wouldn't want to sit and watch clogging all day. Luckily my sister Jen who lives in Boise met us there and it was a lot of fun. We let the kids play, had lunch, and went swimming. She also gave Sam a really fun toy that her little guy has outgrown. Thanks for coming down Jen, it really made the trip worthwhile!

Pay it Forward

2009-03-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was looking on my sister-in-law's blog and I saw this neat opportunity to pay it forward. I'm offering you the same opportunity! The first three people that comment on my blog will get a gift, but you have to promise to pay it forward! I wanted to show you what Katie gave me. Isn't this door sign cute! I put it on my door the day it came. Thanks Katie for such a great gift, and for the reminder to serve others without expecting something in return.

Katie's blog is www.aaronandkatiebell.blogspot.com (pay-it-forward entry)

The Rules: The focus of this is to do an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and "pay it forward" I will send a small gift to the first 3 bloggers who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those, three will post this information and the game will continue! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found. Just a gift that will make the person's day. If you are interested in participating, simply be one of the first 3 bloggers to leave a comment. You have to promise that you will then post about this on your blog, link back to me, and then send something to the first 3 people to who sign up to play along. Doesn't this sound like fun?!

Quilts

2009-03-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

Spencer's BYU Quilt

Sam's Quilt

Christine's Quilt

I'm so lucky to have a mother-in-law that quilts. She has given us three of her gorgeous quilts. She made Spencer the BYU quilt for his birthday last year, and he was so surprised. I thought it was so thoughtful of her to design a quilt around the BYU fabric she found. Christine got a butterfly quilt. Look at all of the fun colors... so cute! Then there's Sam's quilt. I love the old fashioned cars, planes, and trucks, and once again I love the colors... it goes really well in his room. Ruth, you are so talented! Thank you for sharing your talent with my family. We love you!

Classic Skating

2009-03-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago for family night we decided to go to Classic Skating for some family fun! The girls had a great time. We rented the good old fashioned roller skates and went around and around the skating rink. They were kind of wobbly at first, but by the end of the night, they had gotten a lot better. As we were leaving they were already asking when we could go again.

Lucky for them last night the elementary school had a free skating night at Classic. So, we went again. It's funny, because I remember going there when I was in elementary school, and I think it looks exactly the same. The same upbeat music, the fog, the lights... it was lots of fun. I think we'll be making another trip out there soon because the kids seem to love it.

Hurry Spring

2009-03-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for Spring to come! Last week the weather felt like Spring and the kids loved being outside. Christine has been working on her rollerblading skills, and she's getting pretty good. She also decided to do some chalk drawings of the seasons.

We all enjoyed taking a few walks. Sam has never really been on the grass before now, and he loved pulling it out. He would look at the grass, study it, and then put it in his mouth. We're all excited for the warmer weather to come. Come on Spring hurry quick!

Getting Older

2009-03-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

The week of Valentines Spencer called me and asked what I thought about letting Mary get her ears pierced. I figured that would be fine. So, on Valentines day Spencer took Mary and she got it done. She was so excited to have real earrings. She's been wanting her ears pierced for quite some time now. I was proud of her for being so brave. Now she can't wait until she can change her earrings. I remember when I got my ears pierced I thought I was so grown up... I guess this means Mary's getting older.

3 Kids in the Tub

2009-02-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

Sam has really enjoyed his baths lately, and something that's made it even more fun is when he gets to take a bath with Christine and Mary. He gets so excited that he splashes and kicks and laughs, and water gets all over the place. I think I have another water bug. He'll fit right in with the family.

Sam the Ham

2009-02-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how fast Sam is growing up! He's 7 months old and suddenly he has two teeth, he's sitting up, crawling, and eating foods. Recently he's been doing a new smile where he scrunches up his nose and curles back his lips so you can see his two little teeth. He's such a fun baby. We call him Sam the Ham. I'm go grateful to have Sam in our family, he brings us all so much joy and happiness. We love you Sam!

Sunday Best!

2009-02-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

A week ago I noticed that we were all matching when we went to church. I just had to get a few pictures of the kids. Notice Sam's plaid suit... it just makes me laugh. I also put his little fish in his pocket. My sister Jen gave us this little suit, and everyone loves it. Sam looks like he's going to the office. LOL!

Baby Einstein

2009-02-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

Each week I try to take the kids to the library to get books and a few movies. As I was looking through the DVDs I saw quite a collection of Baby Einstein movies. I decided to get one for Sam. I stuck him in his bumbo chair and put him in front of the TV. He loved it! I sat there next to him while he watched the movie. We didn't make it through the entire thing, but I was seriously impressed with how much he enjoyed it. I'll have to try a few more of these.

Old Teeth New Teeth

2009-02-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have been rough for Sam. He finally got his two bottom teeth in! He's been super clingy and not quite himself. Hopefully the worst is over now. He's starting to sleep again at night... hooray!

Mary on the other hand has been losing her teeth. I think it's so fun to see her smile now that her front tooth is missing. I don't think it will be long before her other front tooth falls out... it's already loose. The tooth fairy has been busy at our house.

Baking up some fun!

2009-02-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year Christine got a cupcake set. I was so proud of her when she made her first batch of cupcakes all by herself! I told her the correct measurements, and then she did the rest all by herself. She's such a sweetie and I'm so glad she let me decorate a few of her little cupcakes. I think I'm as excited to use her new set as she is.

Christmas in Cabo

2009-01-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

I know I've been pretty bad at blogging lately. I guess I've been using Facebook a lot more than my blog. Anyway, this past Christmas we went to Cabo San Lucas with Spencer's family. It was so beautiful down there. It's hard to imagine 83 degree weather now that we're back in the cold. The resort we stayed at was so nice, and it was fun to hang out with the Tycksen family all week. My girls had a blast playing with their cousins. For the most part we played on the beach and went swimming. What a relaxing trip! This was Sam's first time swimming. Here are a few photos.

Sam's 6 months old!

2009-01-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe but my little Sam is 6 months old! I took him to the doctor last week and he's grown a lot since his 4 month visit. He weighs 18 1/2 pounds and he's 28 inches long! He's a big boy all around. Now where did he get those kind of genes? We're so happy to have Sam, he makes all of us happy.

Sam...

2008-12-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

So Sam had officially started to eat baby food! I can't believe he's almost 5 months old. It's always so funny the first couple of times you feed a baby, I think they spit out more than they actually eat. So far, Sam's really enjoying his foods. It's so fun to watch him grow and learn new things. He's starting to roll over more and more, and he's discovered his feet. Spencer has also mastered the balancing trick with Sam, where Sam stands in Spencer's hand. I'm really enjoying my little guy.

Daddy Daughter Date

2008-12-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

About a week ago Christine had her first Daddy-daughter date. I remember when I had my first daddy-daughter date... Christine must be growing up. Spencer was so cute, he bought Christine a rose and he came to the front door and picked her up for the date. She was sooo excited to be with her dad for the night. It was a cowboy theme, and they had a great time together.

New Family Pictures

2008-11-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

I've wanted some nice pictures of Sam ever since he was born, so about a month ago we had his pictures taken. While we were at it we decided to do some family pictures too. My sister-in-law Heather took them, and she did an awesome job! I would highly recommend her if you need any photos taken of your kids or your family. Check out her website if you're interested www.heathertycksen.com

Happy Halloween

2008-11-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

Halloween was fun this year. The kids always love dressing up. Mary was "Super Girl" again, and Christine came up with her own costume "a nerd." I thought Christine was so funny, every time I looked at her in the wig and glasses, I couldn't help but laugh. My friend let me borrow a superman costume for little Sam, and I thought he looked great.

This year I decided it would be fun to throw a costume together. Our ward was having an adult costume contest, so on Halloween morning I came up with the ugly cowgirl costume. I really wanted to go in matching clogging costumes with Spence, but he wouldn't even consider it. I wonder why? I surprised Spence and showed up at his office, which was really funny. He had a good laugh. Any way, it was lots of fun. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Sam's Monster

2008-10-21T09:49:00.001-07:00

I was at Target a few weeks ago, and was looking in the dollar spot with Mary. They had these funny monsters for a dollar, and I decided Sam might like playing with one. He loves his monster, and he loves to eat it. I just keep it in his car seat all the time now. He can grab onto the monster's legs, arms, and antennas. What a funny little guy.

Mary's Haircut!

2008-10-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

For the past few months, Mary has been asking to get a "bob." I kept putting her off, because I didnt' want her to be sad later. Well, she kept asking and I decided to let her get her hair cut. She loves her new look, and I do too. I think it makes her look older. It was nice, because she was able to donate her hair to locks of love. She thought that was pretty cool that someone else would get to have her hair.

Christine's Baptism

2008-10-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday September 27th, Christine was baptized. We are so proud of Christine and the beautiful girl she is becoming. We had a great day, and we're so thankful for everyone that was able to come and support Christine.

Sam the Man

2008-09-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

10 weeks old

9 weeks old

Sam in his BYU shirt.

8 weeks old

6 weeks old

4 weeks old (Sunday...)

3 weeks old

Samuel is growing so fast! I feel so bad that it's taken me so long to update my blog. At Sam's 2 month appointment he weighed 13 lbs. 5 oz. He's also 2 feet long. Wow, it's amazing how quickly he's growing. He's about 2 1/2 months old now. We love having little Sam in our family. He's smiling, and talking and the girls can't get enough of him. Here are a few photos...some are when he's only a couple of weeks old. You'll be able to see how much he's changed in just a few short weeks.

School Days

2008-09-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, the summer has flown by and school has started once again. My girls were so excited for school to start. Christine is in second grade this year and so far she's loving school and her new teacher. Mary started kindergarten, and she goes every morning for about 2 1/2 hours. It's nice I don't have to drag them out of bed each day to get ready for school. The alarm goes off and they are up and excited to get ready. I'm not sure how long this will last...but I'll enjoy it while I can. Here are a few photos of the girls on there first day of school.

Lake Powell

2008-08-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mary water skiing

Christine water skiing

Natalie, Cody, and Sophia

The Fam

The kids making a "beaver damn"

Me and Spence on the Lake

Sam hanging out on the house boat

About a week ago we went on our annual Tycksen Lake Powell trip. Every year the family gets so excited to go. This year was really exciting for Spence because we now have a ski boat. The boat worked great, and Spence spent lots of time making sure everyone got to do what they wanted to. The girls spent hours on the beach and in the water. They really enjoyed playing with their cousins. Every night we were all exhausted from playing all day. Our good friends Natalie and Cody and their cute little girl Sophia came for half of the week which made it a lot of fun.

This year was a little bit different for me because of Sam. I wasn't sure if I should even go this year with a new baby, but I'm really glad I ended up going. Sam did so great down there, but unfortunately I got a cold, and he ended up catching it from me. Here are a few pictures of our trip.

Life with Samuel

2008-08-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sam's first bath with Grandma Lu (my Mom).

Sam's about to fall asleep now that he's all full.

Sam after he just ate...I'm trying to burp him.

Sam in his new stroller. This was our second time out.

Sam is wearing his Green Eggs and Ham onesie.

As you've probably noticed, I haven't blogged for a few weeks. I'm still trying to get into some kind of schedule since the little man's come. Having Samuel has changed our lives. What a little miracle he is. I love having Sam in our home. Christine and Mary have been excellent helpers, and they love having a little brother. I just wanted to post some pictures so you could see how fast he's growing. He's almost 4 weeks old!

He's Here!

2008-07-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

As most of you know we had our little man! He was born on Wednesday, July 9th at 5:20am. He weighed 7 lb. 9 oz. and measured 21 1/2 inches long. We are so glad that he is finally here! Spencer and I decided on the name Samuel Spencer Tycksen. Sam really has his own look. He doesn't really look like our girls and I can't see me or Spencer in him. I guess he's a real mix. So far he's been a really good baby. Christine and Mary are so excited to have him home. They love taking turns holding him. I know they will be good helpers. I will post some pictures of him soon. If you'd like to see Samuel's pictures now, go to Spencer's blog. www.buffaloballs.blogspot.com

Still Pregnant!

2008-07-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be 39 weeks pregnant! Can you believe it? I went into the doctor today and not much has changed. I'm dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced. The doctor says our little guy is still growing...I hope he's not getting too big. I told the doctor that I've about had enough, and he agreed that I should be induced. I have my induction set up for this Thursday, July 10th! I sure hope I don't get bumped to another day, but we'll see. I'll be delivering at the new IMC hospital, and they are super busy over there.

You should see my feet and ankles, they are huge! Just when I don't think it's possible for them to get any bigger, they do. For the past 3 weeks the only shoes I've been able to wear are my Tevas. I'm sure I look kind of funny at church, but there's not much I can do about that. I think Spence is going to post some ugly pictures of my feet and ankles on his blog. Feel free to check them out. I know I must be looking rather large, because strangers are starting to make comments about my feet, and they're asking when I'm due. Well hopefully I'll only be pregnant for 2 more days. Come on out little guy, we can't wait to see you.

Baby Flipped

2008-07-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went in for my routine doctor visit to see how the little man was doing, only to find out that he was breech again! What a little stinker. The doctor told me I basically had two options: I could try to have him turned, or we could schedule a c-section. I decided to have him turned. I was really nervous, knowing that this would be and uncomfortable procedure. This morning we went in, and thank goodness it worked! Luckily he turned pretty easily, and it wasn't too bad. Now I just need to go into labor so he won't flip back within the next week. I really hope that my next post will be about the new little guy. I know it wont be long until he gets here.

Our Little Guys Room

2008-06-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a few pictures of our little guy's room. I still need to put up a few pictures and things on the walls, but for the most part it's ready for him! We had to get a new car seat because they actually expire after a few years. I'm really excited to use this new one, and the stroller that matches it. I was also excited to get some new bedding for the old crib. I think we've got everything we need, now I just need the baby! I'm in my 37th week of pregnancy so...hopefully he'll be coming soon.

Family Boat

2008-06-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

From the time I met Spencer, I knew one day we would have a boat. It's been his dream to have a waterski boat and not just any boat, but a MasterCraft. Every year the Tycksen family goes to Lake Powell, and every year Spence wants to get a boat. In the past we've always been able to borrow someones boat, but this year we'll have the MasterCraft! This isn't just our boat, it's the Tycksen family boat, but it does happen to be in our driveway for the time being. We took it out to Utah Lake last Thursday evening just for a spin, and even though the water was terrible, Spence still had to get out there and ski. We know we'll have lots of fun with it this summer. I'm glad that the baby will be here soon so I'll be able to enjoy it too. The girls are so excited to take it out again.

False Alarm

2008-06-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Friday the 13th, and it was also the day I thought our little man was going to come. He tryed to come...but he's still not here. I'm not a supersticious person, but this whole experience was bad luck.

I started having contractions around 3am, and they kept coming at 5 minutes or less. At 5:30am I decided to get up and take a shower, because I really thought I needed to get ready and get packed for the hospital. I called my Mom around 7am and told her I was going into labor. We dropped the kids off at her house and went to the hospital. I'm 35 and a half weeks along, and I thought that was a little bit early, but not too early to have a baby. Well the doctor on call decided that it was too early and they gave me a shot to stop my labor. It's amazing how it worked, because my contractions were getting closer together and I was dialating, but then my contractions slowed way down, and I stoped dialating. Then they sent me home. I was almost in tears, because I was so excited to see my little guy. I guess we'll wait a little bit longer. My doctor is out of town until next Thursday, so hopefully I won't go back into labor until he's back from vacation. I'll let you know if anything happens. Hopefully the next time we go to the hospital we'll come home with the baby!

10 Year Reunion

2008-06-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

OLYMPUS HIGH

Tomorrow night is my 10 year reunion. I graduated from Olympus High School, home of the Titans, in 1998. It's amazing how fast the time has gone. I remember that time of my life really well. I remember thinking I was so independent, and that my friends and the school dances were so important. I really enjoyed my high school experience.

I went to my 5 year reunion, and it was kind of a disappointment. It was nice to see a few people, but I realized that the people I care about the most, I still keep in touch with. I thought about attending my 10 year reunion, but I decided against it. Plus, who wants to pay $40 bucks per person to go?

However, the reunion website has been kind of fun to look at. There's a place to view peoples blogs, and their profiles. It's been fun to send a few e-mails and to catch up with a few people. Whoever did the reunion website did a great job.

Maybe I'll make it to the next reunion we'll see. It makes me wonder what my life will be like at that point. Is there a 15 year reunion, or does it jump to 20?

Planted the Garden

2008-05-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

For Mother's day this year, all I wanted were some flowers to plant in my front garden bed. Last weekend, when the weather was really nice, I did just that. It was so cute, because the girls were just as excited about helping me to pick out the flowers and plant them as I was. For the second year in a row, I went to the garden center at WalMart to buy my flowers. This year they really had a great selection! The girls and I went a little bit nuts picking out the flowers, and I was a little bit worried about how much it would cost. I was so happy when the total was just over $50. Wow, what a bargain. The flowers don't look like much now, but I'm really excited to see them grow over the summer. We've had quite a bit of rain, and the flowers are loving it! There's just something about watching flowers grow that makes me happy.

7 Months Along!

2008-05-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

A few of you have asked for a recent picture of me, so here it is. I am now seven months along! I'm getting really excited for this little guy to come. I feel so blessed that I am still pregnant. Things seem to be going really well this time around. I've had a few scares with contractions, but luckily nothing too serious has happened.

Spence and I are still trying to figure out what to name this little boy. I'm not sure if we'll be able to figure that out until he's born. We have a few names that we like, but nothing is set in stone. I keep having the feeling that he's going to come sometime in June, but who knows, maybe he'll come in July. I guess I need to get his room finished. I'm trying to decide on bedding, and I've had a difficult time. I really like the paint colors we chose for his room, and I just want the bedding to go well with the paint. I also need to get on the ball and buy a few other things. Just yesterday when I was at the grocery store I looked at the diapers, but I still haven't bought any. It's just crazy to think that in a few weeks our little guy will be here! Hopefully the time between now and then will go quickly. I can't wait to see what he looks like.

School's almost out!

2008-05-07T13:07:00.002-07:00

Today I went to drop Mary off at her preschool, and I realized that she only has 3 days left of school! She'll never go to preschool again. Wow, where did the time go? Christine only has 4 weeks left until she's out for the summer. I guess I need to get on the ball and find some fun summer activities for the kids. I think the summer break has kind of snuck up on me this year, because our "spring" weather has been so strange. Christine and Mary are both very excited for the summer. They both love to swim, so I'm sure we'll do swimming lessons again this summer. If anyone has any great suggestions for summer time fun, let me know. I'd like to keep the kids involved in fun activities, otherwise they seem to get on each other's nerves. Before you know it, summer will be here!

2008-05-07T13:07:00.001-07:00

3 Obsessions

2008-04-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been tagged to list my 3 top obsessions.

1. Shopping for Shoes and Levis

I'm not sure why, but I love to shop for shoes and levis. I guess that sounds like a typical girl, but when I walk into a store it seems like I'm drawn to these two particular items. Right now I especially like looking at shoes because I'm pregnant. No matter how big I get, I can still fit into my shoes.

2. Spending time Outdoors

I love to be outside! I especially like the summer. I like being outside playing with my kids, going for walks, hiking, running, summer barbecues, camping, and going to the pool. There's just something so peaceful about being outside. When I think of my dream vacations, they involve a lot of outdoor activities.

3. Reading a good Book

Something I've really enjoyed this past year is reading a good book. I've been reading all sorts of books, which is a lot of fun. I'm in a bookclub and it's been so much fun to read the different varieties of books. In fact, when I don't have a book to read I go a little bit nuts. I just love to relax in the evenings with a good book. I guess this makes me sound pretty lazy...but these days I have to be.

Wedding Day

2008-04-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Spencer's brother Josh got married 2 weeks ago to a cute gal named McCall. It's always fun to go to a wedding. We had a great time at the wedding reception and I wanted to share a few photos. My girls loved wearing their special dresses, but when it was time for some family pictures, they didn't want their picture taken. Here are a few of the pics.

Tagged

2008-04-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

My Friend Marci Tagged me. I'm supposed to tell you seven things about myself that you might not know.

1. I love Dark Chocolate! The darker the better.

2. Summer is my favorite season. I love to be outside in the sun.

3. I really like to bake cookies. I've been baking since I was in junior high, and I still like doing it.

4. The Gerber Daisy is one of my favorite flowers. I love the large blooms and bright colors.

5. I really like to sing in the car. I hook up my ipod and sing along.

6. I clogged with my husband for a year and a half after we were married. For those of you who don't know, clogging is kind of like tap dancing.

7. Levis are one of my favorite clothing items to buy. I have several pairs, but when I go into a store I can't help but try on more levis.

2008-04-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday

2008-03-28T10:23:00.001-07:00

Easter Sunday was really nice for our family. We went to church and then we had a family dinner at my Mom's house. We did the traditional egg hunt and of course the girls loved that. Every year I try to not buy too much candy, and every year I fail. The girls had two egg hunts this year, so they have plenty of candy. We all had a great day together, and I was so happy that we had decent weather.

Growing up so Fast

2008-03-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly Christine and Mary are growing up! It's amazing how you can look at your children and see that they've grown over night.

I was so surprised to find out that Mary had two wobbly teeth when we went to the dentist this past month. She's only 5 1/2, and now both of those teeth are already gone! As you can see from the pictures, Christine has also lost five teeth, and she's working on her sixth.

Mary has been in a tumbling class for a few weeks, and it's been so much fun to see her learn new things. I think she has a real knack for tumbling. She also figured out how to ride her bike without training wheels. She's very proud of herself!

Christine is cruising along in school. She loves to read, and she amazes me with how quickly she can read small chapter books. She's also been taking piano lessons for the past year, and she really enjoys it.

I am so grateful for my girls. They bring me so much happiness. They are so excited for the baby to come, and I know they will be great helpers!

Under Construction

2008-03-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ask anyone who has been to our house in the past week, and they'll tell you that our house is a mess! Spencer and I decided to split our master bedroom into two rooms, so the baby will have his own room. It's been fun to see the transformation taking place, but I could live without the constant dust. Spence and I have been sleeping in our family room, and our bedroom furniture and clothes are strewn all over the house. It's kind of funny. I've had a lot of fun picking out new paint colors, and new carpet! I'm so excited to have an updated room, it's worth the mess in the mean time. I'll keep you updated on our progress.

It's a Boy!

2008-02-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of you already know by now, but we're having a boy! I had my ultrasound last Friday, and I was really surprised to find out this little baby is a boy. Spencer was convinced that we were going to have another girl...guess not.

Mary was so cute when we told her the news, she jumped up on the couch and said "I knew it was a boy!" Christine is still getting used to the fact that she's going to have a brother and not another sister. I know the girls are going to be great helpers. They both love to pat my tummy and say hi to their baby brother. Christine calls him "big boy."

I just feel so blessed to be pregnant again. Our little family is so excited! Now we just need to come up with a good name. Spence and I have been having a difficult time coming up with a name, but at least we have a few months to figure that part out. I'll keep you updated.

Oh Baby

2008-02-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday I went to my doctors appointment, and I got to see our little baby! I still don't know if it's a boy or girl, but we'll know in 2 weeks. It was so much fun to see the baby, and to know that so far things are going great. It truly makes it more real. I'm really going to have a baby!

I wasn't supposed to have an ultrasound, but my doctor offered, so of course I took him up on it. I was sad that Spencer wasn't with me, but he'll be there for the next ultrasound.

I just wanted to share my excitment and joy with all of you. What a miracle it is to have a baby.

I've Been Tagged

2008-01-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

Rules:
1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Middle Name: CHRISTINE

C- Cancun Mexico. I loved this trip with my husband.
H- Happiness. I love to be happy.
R- Reading. I sure love my bookclub and most of the books we read
I- Icecream. My favorite dessert, any kind is good, but I love chocolate.
S- Sun. I love the summer and the sun. I sure miss the sunny days right now.
T- Table Tennis. I know this may come as a surprise, but I'm actually a decent player. We had a pingpong table growing up and I really like to play.
I- Inviting. I enjoy having people over and I hope I'm an inviting person.
N- Notebook. One of my favorite books by Nicholas Sparks.
E- Exercising. I really like to exercise. Running is probably my favorite exercise.

1. Do you like cheese? Yes. I eat cheese every day!
2. Have you ever been arrested? No
3. Have you ever shot a gun? Yes. Just clay pigeon shooting.
4. Your favorite song? um...I like a lot of songs but one I really like is Garth Brooks "If tomorrow never comes."
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not usually, but sometimes I do if it's a new doctor.
6. What do you think of when you eat hot dogs? I don't like hot dogs. I haven't eaten one for probably 20 years or so.
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? "The First Noel." "Silent Night"
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I usually only have water in the morning, and milk on my cereal.
9. Can you do push ups? Yes, but not many right now since I'm pregnant and out of shape.
10. Is your bathroom clean? For the most part, but keeping up with the kids bathroom is something I have to do constantly.
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring. I love it as much today as the day I got it.
12. Favorite Hobby? Baking, running, reading, spending time with friends and family.
13. What are you listening to right now? My dryer...I'm doing laundry.
14. What is the last thing you ate? A chicken sandwich for lunch.
15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? Sometimes I don't know how to stand up for myself, and I'm not very good at saying "no" when people ask me to do things.
16. Middle Name? Christine
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I wish my cold would go away! The snow is beautiful, but I'm already getting tired of it. My pants are getting a little tight.
18. Name the last 3 things you have bought. Groceries at Target, Gasoline, and a birthday gift.
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink. Water. I love chocolate milk, but I don't drink it very often. Sometimes juice.
20. Current worry right now? I need to finish getting sharing time ready for Sunday.
21. Current hate? The cold weather. My house is really old, and I never seem to be warm unless I'm wraped up in a blanket.
22. Favorite place to be? Laying out by a pool or in Lake Powell. With my family.
23. How did you bring in the New Year? I had the flu so I was by myself in bed. Spencer took the girls to our friends house for a party.
24. What is your quirkiest habit? Singing to Spencer about everyday things...there not even songs really. Does that count?
25. Name three people who will complete this and return? I’m not sure.
26. How many siblings do you have? 4 (1 sister, 3 brothers)
27. Do you own slippers? Yes, I'm really enjoying them right now.
28. What shirt are you wearing? A Brown hoodie sweater.
29. What shampoo do you use? Dove or Panteen
30. Favorite colors? Blue, but I love all colors
31. Would you like to be a pirate? No.
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? I usually don't sing in the shower. It's first thing in the morning so I'm usually just thinking about the day ahead of me.
33.Favorite female name? I'm not sure there are too many.
34. Favorite male name? Don’t really have one.
35. What's in your pockets right now? A tissue for my nose.
36. Last thing that made you laugh? This morning when I was on IM with Spencer, my husband, he always makes me laugh. I really don't remember what we were even talking about.
37. Best bed sheets as a child? I never had any cool Disney character sheets, just the normal white sheets.
38. Worst injury you've ever had? My arm used to come out of socket and that is no fun! Luckily it's been a long time since that's happened.
39. When's your birthday? June 30th
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two.
41. Who is your loudest friend? I've got a few...
42. There is no 42
43. Does someone have a crush on you? I don't think so.
44. Do you wish on shooting stars? No.
45.What is your favorite book ? That's a difficult question. I really enjoyed the Notbook my Nicholas Sparks, and Memoirs of a Geisha. I have many more but these are some of my favorites.
46.What is your favorite age? I loved my High School years 15-17, but I'm loving life right now! I wouldn't go back even if I had the chance.
47. What song do/did you want played at your wedding? We had a string quartette at our wedding reception.
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Nothing too sad, something uplifting. I do wish we had had dancing.
49. What were you doing at 12 am this morning? Sleeping, I don't stay up very late since I've been pregnant.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? I'm kind of tired, but I guess I need to get up.

Nick Barker
Suzanne Andersen
Sally Wilde
Emily Tycksen
Natalie Done
Michelle Taft

New Sofa

2008-01-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year Spencer and I didn't exchange gifts, instead we got a new sofa! I was really the master mind behind this idea. Our old couch had seen better days. We'd had it for over 8 years, and it was time for it to go. Spence found a screamin deal on KSL so we checked out the store that night and got our new sectional sofa. It's nice, because we can fit more than 3 people on the couch now! Hopefully the microfiber will stand up to the challenge of another little one! Thanks honey for being such a great husband. I love the new couch.

I'm a Minivan Driver!

2008-01-08T09:14:00.001-08:00

I never saw myself driving a minivan, but this minivan is awesome! With the news that we're going to have another baby, we decided it was time to get a bigger car. Spencer and I looked around and decided that a minivan would be the most practical. This picture is of the 2008 model, but ours is a 2005 light blue minivan. The girls love having more space and it's so great for hauling other kids around. I can honestly say that I love driving this minivan! Thanks for talking me into it Spence!

Trombone Dancer

2007-12-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

Check out this guys moves! This is one of my all time favorite vids.

2007-12-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Isn't Christmas time a fun time of year? Just last night around 10:15pm someone rang our doorbell. Spencer hurried to the door only to find some yummy treats and a card that said our family had been chosen to receive the 12 days of Christmas. What a fun surprise for our family!

2007-12-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

This is such a cute message. I loved it and had to share it.

2007-12-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

Here's my first photo for my blog. This is me and Spence, my super duper hubby. He's helping get this blog thing set up.

Welcome to my blog!

2007-12-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I'm finally on the web. Can't wait to stick some stuff on here.

Emily