Justin - Kelli - Spencer

What happened in April & May

2011-06-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to have a baby boy any day now. We have been so blessed to have such great family and friends helping us to get ready to have our baby. My sister, Kim, made this super cute quilt.

Here is the back side

I made these next two with my mom's help

My grandmother made this quilt. She thought the fabric was perfect for a baby that lives in West Yellowstone. So cute!

I also had two wonderful and talented women in my ward make these hand crocheted blankets!

June 1st update on the prego belly.

EASTER SUNDAY IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Sitting on the tailgate with mommy

Hanging out with Daddy getting ready for lunch

coyote

EASTER EGG HUNT

He found the goods

And thoroughly enjoyed the candy

SPENCER'S 2ND BIRTHDAY PARTY

His birthday cake (yummy banana) and we also had a chocolate cake!

Getting ready to blow out the candles and enjoying everyone singing to him

Spencer's cousins

Spring Break

2011-04-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break we went to Las Vegas! It was so nice to get away and have the sun shining. We were really lazy and pretty much spent our time by the pool and laying in the sun.
We got to go to Bass Pro Shops and got pictures taken with the lions and giraffe.

We also got to go see a cool aquarium. Spencer had a lot of fun just watching the fish swimming around. It was really neat. We even got to see a man feed the sharks and stingrays.

The weather was perfect. We even stayed one more day. We swam and snacked and it was awesome!

We were worried about Spencer doing well in the car. He did wonderful. He was really goofy and really fun. He had us laughing a lot. He came up with a new silly laugh that came out of nowhere. He is such a goof ball. We came back home to a couple winter storm warnings and of course snow...yuck. Hopefully we will be seeing spring soon. It would also be nice to see some grass.

March Expo 2011

2011-04-16T15:29:00.001-07:00

March Expo 2011 was great!
This was the first time they closed off Canyon Ave to these crazy bikers! They did some really cool stunts and to end it all they blew out a tire (and tore up the road).

Dan and Darryl came up and it's always fun to see and visit with them. Spencer just loves his Uncle Dan!

Later that night they had snowmobile races and tricks at the Aerial Show. It was cold, but very entertaining and fun! There were tons of people there. We also got to see X Games gold medalist Dane Ferguson attempt and land a new world record of 104-foot snowmobile ramp backflip. It was awesome and so were all the other stunts and flips all the guys were doing. Check out this video to enjoy the things that we got to see! http://youtube.com/watch?v=gfw-6uC3Xg0 ENJOY!!!

The Terrible Two's

2011-04-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Spencer turned 2 years old on March 14th! He was so excited for his birthday and talked a lot about a birthday cupcake and a birthday pancake. He was overjoyed when he got both. We woke up that morning and unfortunately he had a high temperature. So we gave him some medicine and he was feeling great so we went along with our plans for his Birthday. First we went to a cute little restaurant in town, Running Bear Cafe, to get him a Mickey Mouse Birthday pancake! They were closing for the season and we barely made it in time! He loved getting sang to, but was still shocked and shy about it.

The whole staff came out to sing to him, as they did last year, and he was just a little overwhelmed.
But he really didn't waste any time getting into it! This boy has an appetite.

After breakfast we took off to Bozeman. On our way there we saw this big ol' elk right off the highway. Spencer just loves to see all the different wild life. He likes to pretend shoot at the buffalo, elk, and deer.
Our plans were to do a little shopping (we always have to run some errands when we get to civilization). And then we wanted to go and feed the ducks, go to the hotsprings/swimming pool, and have a nice dinner. But Spencer got really sick. He had a high temperature again and was coughing really bad. So sadly we had to take him to the doctor in Bozeman. I didn't know this is what "The Terrible Two's" meant. Being so sick on your birthday. Poor kid! He had an ear infection and a high temperature. So after some medicine and picking up an antibiotic, we skipped some of our plans and headed to dinner. He didn't want to eat much, but LOVED the corn on the cob.
And then we sang to him again and let him have his "Birthday Cupcake".

And even though he was sick and didn't feel good, he was still a happy boy! He is such a great kid! We love him so much! We sang Happy Birthday to him several times throughout the day and he just beamed. So cute!
He ended up being sick for about 2 weeks and had enough of doctors by the time it was all said and done. But he is doing great now. He got this cute little birthday crown at day care. He wore it for like 3 days straight until it broke. We love this BOY!

Winter and Animals

2011-03-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

We were in Bozeman, MT in the end of February. We had to do some shopping and other things in town. We drove by a little park by the college campus and spotted some ducks. So we got a loaf of bread and went to feed those hungry ducks. There were only a few. haha:)

We also took the longer route that day through Ennis. And we got some great animal shots with our new camera!
Here is a golden eagle (taken right outside of Bozeman)

Tons of elk winter in the mountains near Ennis.

A couple whitetails that were hiding on the hills really well! But as you can see we still spotted them.

There are also plenty of sheep by Quake Lake! This guy was just walking down the road!

And our nice winter scenery. We're pretty sure we are going to have snow until June.

And then we saw this beautiful bald eagle hanging out in the tree, watching for fish in the river below. So much fun to see all these animals.

January 2011

2011-03-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

January came in with a bang. We have had so much snow in West Yellowstone this winter. Justin got stuck in Rexburg one day when the highway closed, due to weather. So he got Spencer a sled. It's been a love/hate relationship. He loves riding, but doesn't like the snow spraying in his face. His face is the only thing that is warm and the snow just sticks to it so well.

Daddy also bought him a shotgun. It makes a really cool noise and lights up.

My parents came to visit us in January and we had a blast. We went the Bear and Wolf Discovery Center. They hide food for the bears and then they have to find it. The grizzly's were huge!

Spencer thought it was pretty cool!

Spencer and Grandma Julie

There was a birds of prey presentation which was really cool and educational. I sat in the very back, but not to worry, the birds are hooked to a cord so they cannot fly away.

Here was the only active wolf. The rest of the wolves were sleeping. It was a very warm day that day...40 degrees! No really...that is warm for W. Yellowstone. The next week it was -40 degrees.

Justin and Kelli's Snowmobile Adventure in Yellowstone National Park

So we got to take a tour into Yellowstone! It was such a cool experience and so beautiful. It was very cold, but it was a great sunny day!

Here is Justin strutting his stuff. He is a snowmobile guide in the park this winter. He loves it and is totally in his element!

Here I am on my snowmobile. This was my first time ever on a snowmobile and I loved it. Let's just say that I'm a natural!

Some beautiful scenery

Cow elk in the river

Old Faithful
The park ranger told us that when it went off we might get "blessed" by Old Faithful. YUP! We totally got sprayed!

I was very nervous that morning before we got into the park about the buffalo. The first couple buffalo we came in contact with, were a little feisty, so it only added to my anxiety. My big plan was to ride away really fast if anything happened. But there is a procedure for everything in the park, and this is where I was totally uncomfortable. On our way out of the park, we came up on a big herd of buffalo, and procedure is to pull to the side of the road, turn off your sled and get off your snowmobile and stand behind it. So I only have the snowmobile between me and a huge herd of buffalo. NOT COMFORTABLE!
But nothing happened. Justin took the pictures because I was too scared.

Here we are in front of Firehole Falls! It was so beautiful. It is beautiful all year round!

All in all it was a great day and we had a wonderful time riding in the park. We look forward to doing it again!

December 2010

2011-03-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we are just hanging out

and then we have these guys right out our glass doors!

Just breathing on our window

Spencer loves the Buffalo!

This last Christmas was great. I loved that Spencer was old enough to open and enjoy his presents! We spent a couple days in Idaho with the family!
Here he is opening some presents!

Some gifts he got for Christmas!

This is our nativity play with the Coombs family. Here are some cute shepherds.

Here is the rest of the gang

Here is one of the Santa's Spencer got to see. He wasn't really into the whole Santa thing.

Keeping his distance

We had a great Christmas! And a great December!

Portland part 2

2010-12-02T17:26:00.001-08:00

On our way home from Portalnd, about an hour and a half away from home, we got to see 3 moose off the hiway!

Spencer did pretty good on the drive and thank goodness for the DVD player and Disney movies.

He has always been very flexible (I think it is because he was stuck like this is my belly for a while...I didn't have much room). He's pretty entertaining!

About an hour from Portalnd is Multnomah Falls. It is so amazing and comes out of nowhere. Great place to stop!

We hit the Rose Garden (free of charge) in Portland. Justin wasn't excited about it until we got there! I think the fine for picking a rose was $500! They are just to look at and to SMELL! It was amazing how beautiful each variety of rose was and how different each one smelled. I wish we could have stayed for much longer. It was a dream!

We went to the Portland Zoo! It was Spencer's favorite thing we did on our trip. He didn't whine or complain until we left. He was loving the animals and would just sit and watch them. He was amused and very entertained! What a great ZOO!

The Zoo did several shows throughout the day. The worst...wait...the coolest show was the bird show. We were on the front row and these HUGE birds (bald eagle, turkey vulture, owl, and hawk) would fly to posts and onto the stage. Their wings were literally inches from my head.

GREAT TRIP!!!!!!!

Portland in September

2010-12-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

We had been excited about this trip all year long. Justin's sister got married in Hawaii last year(eloped) so they had a wedding celebration on the Oregon Coast at this wonderful private island. It was nothing short of wonderful! We enjoyed every second! And can't wait to go back that way soon!

Our drive was a long one! We split it up and stayed in Spokane, WA on the way there and back. We got to Portland on day 2 and went to a cool museum, OMSI. We went to dinner that night with Jason and Diana at the Spaghetti Factory. My first time there! The next day we woke up and all met together to get on the bus to go to our Wedding Celebration destination (2 hr drive). We spent a couple days there and then got back on the bus and headed back to Portland. We stayed the night in Portland. The next day we had some car troubles, but still got to go to the Portland Zoo and the Rose Garden! (those pics will be in the next blog) And then we headed back home. It was one of the best trips we have ever had! Thanks Cass and Bill!

Here is Spencer lookin' so big.

Spencer and Zack! They played so cute!

Camp Westwind

Spencer running in the sand

sea enemies and star fish

Justin loved poking at the sea enemies. They were too sticky gooey for me. But still cool!

clam...several hundred!

The beach from our hike! Spencer took a nap for the perfect amount of time.

Our hike was so beautiful. The scenery in Portland is so amazing and different. We loved it!

These are the cute cabins we stayed in!

This arch was so picturesque and right close were the tide pools with all the sea creatures!

Watch where you step because you might step on a jellyfish!

We went to the Bonneville Dam, a fish hatchery. They had salmon and steelhead. The salmon were so much fun to watch all piled up together and then one would get brave and JUMP! It was so cool that we watched them for about 30 mins!

Justin and Spencer in awe!

This was at OMSI! It was such a cool museum! They had activities that could last you all day, but we were there for only an hour or two. Spencer had a blast in the child area. So did Justin!

Spencer got to sport this cool waterproof apron and splash like crazy with the other kids!

This pic was taken on our way to Portland, along the Colombia River Gorge. So beautiful!

We hung out to watch these guys for a while. They were wind surfing! I really want to try that someday! From further away they look like bugs on water. They were getting some speed too! I gotta get me one!

family reunion in august

2010-12-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

I got to plan a Coombs family reunion this summer! Everyone except the Claytons got to come. We wish they lived closer! We all met up and went into Yellowstone National Park for the day!

Here is Spencer hanging out in his stroller!

Kristin rode with us in the car and kept Spencer entertained. She is such a great aunt!

All of the Coombs family, except for Kim! If I knew how to use photoshop I would have added her!

Spencer just loves Cade. He usually laughs a whole lot when he is around him!

And here is me and my sissy! Love you Krisin!

Later that night we all went to pizza at WILD WEST! Best pizza!
The next day we went to the IMAX theater and watched the Caves show. It was fantastic. Then we did some shopping around town! We also took the family around town to show them the damage of the wind storm we missed the day before because we were in the park. It was pretty horrible! Then we finished up at our house eating a scrumptious lunch!

It was so great to finally get the family here! We waited almost a whole year before they finally came. It was so much fun and we really loved having them all here! We hope they come back sometime!

Cheetos are delicious!

2010-07-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

My birthday was a couple weeks ago and Justin kept asking me what I wanted to do. Well, I really didn't know what I wanted to do, but he wanted to go camping so that's what we did (well mostly). We went to this great little place near our house called Wade Lake and Cliff Lake. Two lakes right next to each other and they were beautiful. We took a hike, drove around, had a camp fire and had tin foil dinners and smores and then drove home to sleep in my bed. It was great!
We saw this little rock chuck peeking at us from his hole on our hike.

Spencer stopped to smell the flowers

Dad helping Spencer walk on this huge log

Justin's shoulders make a good seat. We really need a hiking backpack.

Mom and Spencer

Wade Lake

Our friends in our ward gave Spencer this bike and he LOVES it!

I got this picture a couple weeks ago. This little fox is in our backyard.

Our friends Dan and Emalee came to visit us and we went into Yellowstone! Such a great day! This is Yellowstone Lake!

We got super close to a grizzly bear. He crossed the road right in front of us.

Lower Falls

A scruffily looking wolf. Dan and Justin got really close.

Earlier this spring we went for a drive in the park. This grizzly bear (we have seen 12 this year) was hanging out near the fields and rock before you get to Madison Junction. He was walking pretty fast, so we only got to watch him for a while...or so we thought.

As you can tell it was getting pretty late.

We went into Madison Campground to see if we could find him. But we had just missed him according to other people. So we thought we would just get on with our drive. We turned on Fire Hole Drive and about a 1/4 mile in the grizzly ran right in front of our car. So we took some snap shots. They aren't great because it was so dark, but you get the idea.

He just sat there and watched us as we watched him. But the coolest part for me was when he stood up on the pole and started scratching his back. Too cool!

Here's a huge Buffalo. They are everywhere.

Daddy snuggling Spencer to keep him warm while we waited for Old Faithful.

Little coyote.

So a couple months ago I hear Justin start laughing. We had all just crawled out of bed, so I came to see what was so funny! Well Daddy left his late night snack out and Spencer enjoyed every second. At first he thought he was in trouble and offered a peace offering. But we just let him finish off the bag. He loved it! Great breakfast!

Well, so far we are really enjoying our summer. We are both working hard and Spencer is loving all his buddies and outdoor time at daycare. We have had lots of friends stay with us and we have loved having all of them. And hope to get more family and friends up this way.

3 moves, 1 year

2010-05-09T23:10:00.001-07:00

As soon as we got back from our nice warm vacation in Arizona, we started to pack up our things yet another time! Yes... this is our 3rd move in 1 year (actually 10 months) and now we are staying put for a while(fingers crossed)! We should be pro's at moving by now, but I think we are dopes! I am so tired of cleaning houses UGH! But we are mostly settled and we are really liking this place! We are still in West Yellowstone...yes we have moved 3 times this year and they have all been in West Yellowstone. There just isn't a lot to choose from here. This is a home and we love it! So here are a couple of pics!
Kitchen

my favs: ice and water dispenser & island

Dining Room

Living room

Backyard

We live on a peninsula and there are around 400 buffalo out here roaming. Something to get used to. The other day I went to put Spencer down for a nap and was face to face with a buffalo out my side window. So I let Spencer check them out through the back sliding doors. Pretty crazy, but pretty neat! I told Justin I didn't have to sing the song anymore "oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam" because I was living it! Sometimes I can't believe it! Who would have guessed?!

Yellowstone National Park

2010-05-09T22:53:00.001-07:00

Hanging out at mom's house. The boys!

Wearing Grandpa's hat.
Next time Grandpa promised to take Spencer on the riding lawn mower. Lucky!

It's such a great time to go into the park! Not a lot of traffic and lots of animals to see. This is a grizzly bear Justin spotted.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Hanging out in Gardiner, just outside of the park, eating sandwiches in the back of the truck. We think everything, well most everything about Spencer is cute. And eating sandwiches is one of them. It just makes us smile.

Lots of elk and this poor fella only had one antler.

Unfortunately, our battery on our camera was dead the second time we went through because we saw some great stuff. All I was hoping for that day was to see some wolves and we did! About 20 yards away....it was so awesome! We saw 1 black bear, 2 grizzly's, lots of elk, buffalo (their babies are SO cute), big horned sheep, antelope, deer, and a coyote! So great! We LOVE Yellowstone!

Spring Break

2010-05-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Spring Break this year. And we were much looking forward to it after the winter here in West Yellowstone. It was a long drive, but it was SO worth it!

We drove to Idaho Falls to spend Easter with our families and then we drove to St. George. We stayed the night there before we left for Tucson, AZ! When we got to St. George we stopped in to Costco and when we came out, there was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen! This pic doesn't do it justice!

On our way to Tucson, to see Justin's older brother and his family, we had some car problems. As we pulled into the small town of Wikenburg, our truck gave us a warning that we were almost out of gas and the ABS Brake light went off. We filled up our tank and kept going, but the Brake light didn't go off. We passed a GM service center and felt prompted to pull in. It turns out our wheel bearing had gone out and the mechanic told us if we hadn't of stopped, our front tire would have seized in a few miles and we would have crashed.
We feel so blessed that Heavenly Father is watching over us. Looking back on it there are so many things that could have gone wrong, yet so many simple and small things that added up at just the right times and kept us alive and safe. We are so thankful and we feel so overwhelmed by God's love for us. With everything that has happened in our lives in the past year, it is amazing and so hard to be ungrateful for anything. It has also made me so aware of Him in my life.

Here is our cute nephew Bryson holding up all his gifts!

Spencer and Zachary had a blast together. And they had the same shirt! We took them to the store that day and everyone asked about our "twins".

Spencer loved the magnets on the fridge and thought it was so cool to throw them on the ground! He would swing his arm back and after letting go of the magnet, he would leave his hand out for a few seconds before throwing the next one.

We got to go to the ZOO and we loved it! It was such a neat zoo. There were so many animals and it was just so amazing! All the plant life and everything. Justin even picked a lemon from a lemon tree. Spencer and Zack had a blast watching the animals. And it was so WARM! Somewhat nicer than what we are used to!

Zachary is so cute! It was so good to get to spend time with him and get to know him better. He has the coolest eyes! We sure miss our nephews!

They had some rinos at the zoo! Did you know they weigh 5,000-6,000 lbs! I'd hate to get stuck in a cage with them!

Here are Spencer and Zack touching toes! So cute!

Justin and I & Jason and Diana! Thanks for letting us stay with you guys! We loved it and we had a blast!

Then we got to go to Phoenix to hang out with our best buds, the Jeides! Qunitin has grown up so much and talks so well. Oh how we missed you buddy!

And here are Spencer and Audrey playing. They were just so cute together! Audrey is so adorable and she is just so tiny! We miss you little girl! I can't wait to kiss those little cheeks again!

Justin and Eric got to go to a Diamondbacks game and they had a blast. They got great seats and got all you can eat: peanuts, pop, hotdogs and popcorn. Eric ended up eating 7 hot dogs and Justin outdid himself and ate 11 whole hot dogs! He is still recovering. I finally got to meet Cori's sister Erin for the first time! All 3 of us and the kids went to the best frozen yogurt place and to a spray park. I stopped at 2 more frozen yogurt places on the way home because I was obsessed! Great intro to great things! The Jeides took us the ChinoBandito (food network top restaurant) and it was killer. We also went to the Outlet Malls and we loaded up on great clothes. We had so much fun. It was so nice and warm and I wish we were there right now! It was just great!
We also went to a cute little park and hung out and took pics! Here I am w/ Spencer!

Cori took some great pix of our fam! Here is my fav of Spencer. He is getting so big, I love it and hate it!

He is such a water baby! He loves it! And he is so brave!

Here we all are! Good times! We miss you and love you!

On our way back we went to the Hoover Dam and it was so amazing. It looked like they had only one section left on the bridge. So cool!

Then we took a stroll down the Las Vegas Strip! Always fun!

We got to see my bro-in-laws parents in St. George and it was so much fun to see them! And we got to stay with my grandparents in St. George! They were so much fun. We stayed up way too late and played lots of games. We can't wait for them to get back to Idaho so we can play some more! It was such a great trip. So great, that we can't stop talking about it!

A Happy 1st Birthday

2010-03-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Spencer had a great 1st birthday! We went to breakfast the morning of his birthday and the ladies at the restaurant made him a special birthday pancake. They made a cute little bear pancake with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and a candle. He dug into it and snubbed out the candle with his whipped top hands. It was too cute. Unfortunately our camera was dead. But we got to celebrate the next week with family. Here are some pix!

His birthday cake! So yummy!

We stripped him down to his diaper so he could really get messy!

Here is his cake. We helped him blow out the candle so he didn't burn his hands.

He wasn't shy about digging in. It did take him a few to taste it. He was just enjoying mushing it in his hands!

But as you can see....he eventually dug in and devoured it! He loved it! He wasn't ready to be done when we put him in the bath, even though there were just some crumbs left!

We were in grandpas office one day and Uncle Josh spoiled Spencer with his first sucker. It was too funny! He wouldn't take it out of his mouth until it was gone. And he drooled everywhere!

Spencer zonked out on the way to Idaho Falls for his birthday party. It was too cute! He fell asleep with the balloon string in his hand. I can't believe our baby is already ONE!

One evening we took a drive to Ennis. We saw all sorts of animals and it was such a beautiful day! It made me really ready to go camping! But it did just snow again today.

If you enlarge this picture, you will see more than just the beautiful mountains. You will see tons of elk! There were so many! It was really neat!

And of course some antelope!

Auntie Kristin came to visit a couple weeks ago! We had so much fun catching up and shopping! It was so good to have her around! I miss my little sissy! Spencer just loves her!

A little about a lot

2010-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Spencer is just so darn cute! This is after his haircut. His hair was really starting to get long again and he needed a haircut before Jenn's wedding.

Spencer and Daddy. The two cutest boys in the world!

Here is our house! This pic is for Kim. You guys have more snow than us I think. But it sure is cold here. We've had 40 below twice this winter. Ugh!

Spencer is such a great eater. But he loves our "grown up" food much better than his pureed food in a jar.

We got to go to Jackson Hole a couple weeks ago for some training and it was beautiful. We got to see lots of elk, big horn sheep, deer, moose, coyote. It was a great trip. We also stayed in a hotel with a swimming pool and Spencer had a BLAST! Ever since the pool, he splashes a whole lot more during bath time.

He loves the bath. I think he looks forward to splashing and playing with his bath toys! Justin asked me to throw him a wash cloth and this is where it stuck. Too funny!

Just hangin' out while I tried to get some pics. He doesn't sit still very often.

Here is Spencer and Daddy! Spencer loves his Dad and they have lots of fun together!

I finally got a chance to go to Justin's grandparents' lodge. He has so many great memories there and we got to make some more this year while celebrating 2010! So much fun! Spencer loves Grandma.

It was so good to see Uncle David and his family! He and Spencer got along really well.

Happy Valentines Day!! Justin sent me beautiful roses and chocolates. Yum! So great! The roses are still looking and smelling beautiful!

We got to come home last weekend for Justin's sister's wedding. My parents watched Spencer and Spencer loved being able to spend lots of time with them. We got to see most of the cousins, aunts, and uncles and it was great. Spencer didn't get much sleep on Sunday, but it was worth it to see his cousins.

Coy is growing up so fast and we can't believe he is already 1 year old! What a cute smile!

Here is the bride's bouquet. So pretty!

Spencer looking handsome in his red and brown. Those were the colors for the wedding.

The Happy Couple!

Justin and Crew! Justin is a great Uncle and it's easy because we have the best nieces and nephews!

Me and Niesh at the temple. She's so cute!

This first video is the day Spencer didn't get much sleep. Cade was making him laugh. His laugh is great!

And this second video is Spencer clapping and just being cute. We have the best kid!

Angels Among Us

2009-12-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

We had quite the November. Lots and lots going on! Justin was able to go on a hunt (which is where he scored this baby) with my dad and brothers! And then he also did a hunt in Salmon with his buddies Dan, Darryl, and Nate. He got a huge elk and I'm so happy about it! Elk meat is the best!

And lucky me...I got to go to Philadelphia with my mom and Spencer to see my sister and her family while Justin was gone hunting for 10 days! We had so much fun! Spencer did great on the airplane and had a blast with his cousins! It was so nice to be there and hang with my mom and sister! I miss my nieces and nephews! They were sure fun to mug on!

Spencer was scooting around and crawled a little bit. He loved all the noise and fit in very well. I think he was the loudest!

Amity celebrated her birthday while we were there. She had a big safari party with all her friends. I got to help decorate the cake. I loved it. So much fun!

Me, mom, and Kim! We got to go shopping one day in the King of Prussia mall. It was so much fun and great to be shopping with the girls. Mom bought us a philly cheese and it was yummy.

Kim n' Tyler

Here is Taybree with a horse of hers. She loves horses and loves to draw. She is a very talented artist. She is also in 1st grade and is doing very well at reading and writing.

Here is Amity. She loves Pandas and Zebras. That's why she wanted a Safari birthday party. She has the most contagious laugh and is such a goof ball.

Here is Colben. He is so darn sweet. He gave me so many hugs and would run to me and say...Kellllli and then hug my leg. He was so cute with Spencer. One night he was saying the prayer and Kim was helping him. She told him to say "we're thankful that gramma and kelli are here" and after he repeated that he said "and Spencorr". That's how he said Spencer. So cute!

Lincoln is so much fun. He and Spencer are about the same size even though there is a 8 month difference in age. He gives the best loves and can be very serious at times. All the kids love star wars and Lincoln would sing the tune. There is a video at the end of the blog that shows all the kids in their element. Check it out!

Well this is where it gets ugly. I got home from Philadelphia around noon and we ran some errands before we had to get back home to West Yellowstone. I'd been up since 1:45am (time difference & plane rides). We had to get back home because we had a busy week ahead. We were moving and headed to Jackson by the end of the week. We were a little (haha) stressed! We were about 20 minutes from home, around 6pm, when our truck slipped on black ice and started fishtailing into the opposite lane. We were angled and headed right for the borrow pit full of rock. Justin told me we were going to crash and to hold on tight. I closed my eyes and we hit full force. There was lots of loud noise and then we came to a stop. We had rolled our car and ended upside down and turned 180. We were hanging by our seat belts. After we asked each other if we were okay and replied yes...we were in action. Justin was crawling through glass of our front windshield trying to get out. Spencer had been asleep but at that point he was awake and screaming. I unclicked my seat belt and fell on Justin but we were able to get out quickly. My door was the only door that would open. So the next step was to get Spencer out. When I got out of the car I had lost a shoe and was afraid of getting cut by all the glass on the road, but somehow there was a slipper lying by the car I was able to slip on. Cars were passing by running over all of our things. Some people stopped to help. One man stopped traffic with his car in the opposing lane we ended up in. And while we were trying to figure out how to get Spencer out he came to us and asked us for a flashlight so he could stop traffic. That is when I flipped. I hadn't even thought of that! But when I looked down the road there was a huge semi in the distance heading our way. A man crossing the highway to help us called out to me if we were okay and I just screamed at him....MY BABY is in the car! Get him out NOW!!! (poor guy) We got Spencer out and he was really shook up but he settled down pretty quick. We were examining him and he seemed to be okay. Justin had a big cut above his ear and his arms were all scraped up from the glass. I didn't realize I was hurting until 10 minutes after the wreck. With all the adrenalin pumping and our focus on Spencer I didn't have time to think of anything else. After I had Spencer in my arms I immediately called my mom. I told her we had been in an accident and I needed her. She told me she wouldn't be able to come because she had mutual that night. She had an aunt in the area close to us and thought maybe we could stay there. Spencer and I got into a car of someone who had stopped to help. That's when I realized my ribs were hurting. Justin was trying to move our important personal items out of the road and later we were taken into the ambulance where they could check us out further. I then called my dad and asked him to come and he told us he would meet us at the Rexburg hospital. The ambulance ride was so long and I was worried about Spencer. We didn't have any food for him because it was broken and scattered all over the highway. But my dad and brother saved the day and brought all that we needed them to bring.
The hospital was awful. They were worried I might have a broken neck or spine so they put me on a hard board and cut my clothes off. They asked me several questions and the doctor came to check me out. My ribs were killing me and when he pushed on them it was awful pain. They did a cat scan on me and told me I wouldn't be able to breastfeed for 24-48 hours. It ended up I had a broken rib...and they can't do anything for a broken rib. My inlaws also rushed to the hospital when we called and I got to cry on my mother-in-laws shoulder. I was emotionally wrecked. Plus I was in desperate need of some sleep.
Here are some pictures of our full sized, 4 door, Chevy Silvarado cherry red truck we only had for 2 months :( sad
If you look close in this next picture the frame of the car is bent onto the headrest and steering wheel of the drivers seat, yet Justin just had a scrape above his ear. What a miracle!

But after all of this...we just couldn't be more thankful! I really believe that we weren't just lucky that everything turned out as good as it did. There is no question we were being watched over. Several of the hospital staff and ambulance workers told us that we must of had an angel watching over us. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for my family and I am so thankful for His love. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the peace it brings to my life. I know the gospel is true!
So in the end, Justin got scraped up, I have a broken rib, but I really couldn't be happier! And my baby is in perfect condition. He had no glass on him or even in his car seat which is nothing short of a huge blessing, especially considering the window he was facing was shattered and there's nothing left to it. Lucky...no. Blessed.....yes.

Here is a fun little video of the Clayton kids!

Cousins, Costumes,Candy, Cute!!!

2009-11-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

This was the costume I bought last year on clearance. It was cute on the hanger, but much much cuter on Spencer!

My dad, brothers, and Justin went for their annual hunt...
so the girls and little boys got together for a late lunch and
pictures. It's so great to have cousins so close in age!

Lion, Tootsie Roll, Tin Man, and Yoda! My sis-in-law, Lynnell,
made her boys costumes. They turned out great! The theme was
Wizard of Oz...she was Dorthy. How fun!

Love it!

How cute is this toothy little grin!

Here is the backside of the lion costume. Even the tail is cute!

I thought this pic was so fun! He is even acting like a lion...Roar!!

He just keeps growing!

2009-09-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

Spencer is such a happy little boy (most of the time). He has lots of energy and when he smiles, he lights up the room. He sits in this boppy (borrowed from Colby and Ashley...THANKS!) in his pack n' play so he can be involved while I cook. Yup, that's right...the pack n' play is set up in our kitchen. We don't have a whole lotta room in our house, but it works.

This is Spencer and Daddy just lounging watching the tube.

Spencer does really well on his tummy. He loves rolling over and completes a 360! He is so active. He's always kicking, swatting, chatting, always moving unless he's asleep.

I sat him down on the couch so I could get ready to feed him and couldn't resist snapping this shot. He just looks like a little man.

Spencer had just woken up and was so content on his tummy. Sometimes I think he's asleep and he's just in there talking and enjoying himself.

And this was just a funny phase he went through. He had his tongue sticking out all the time, even when he was smiling. What a goof ball. But that phase has past. He is just growing and changing every day.

Eli, Coy, and Spencer hanging out at our family reunion. How lucky for them to be so close in age. It is so funny when we take these pictures because we have to keep their hands away from each others faces. How cute!

And this is my dad and Spencer at the cabin. Fun times, fun times!

Justin and Spencer lounging in the rocking chair!

Summer Time

2009-07-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that way too much has been going on this summer! But that way too much does include a lot of fun! It's just hard to know where to start. Well I guess it all started with Justin getting a new job! He is managing "Firehole Trading Company" in West Yellowstone. Yup, West Yellowstone. And we do live there now so if you are in town, give us a call! But it was about a month and a half before we moved, so I am glad to have my husband back around. He was gone 4 hours each day just traveling, plus all the hours he was working. Hard times! Glad that is over.
My sister and her family came into town from Philadelphia! I had been looking forward to them coming for months! And it was great! I can't wait until they live closer. My whole family got together and had a lot of fun. We went to Ross Park, had a great BBQ, enjoyed fireworks at my parents house provided by Justin, family pictures, birthday parties with amazing cakes made by my talented sister Kim, and lots of fun! Oh and did I mention a great night of lightening! Check out this picture I took! We all got some great shots! It was actually kinda scary. That thunder was bone chilling!

Here is a pic Justin took of me and my sisters. Kristin, me, and Kim! Wow! We are definitely related! I never thought we all looked that much alike, but here is the proof!

This is a picture taken from my back patio in West Yellowstone. I really didn't know what to think when Justin first took me out to our new home. I was in disbelief. I didn't think I would ever be living in the forest. But here we are! We have seen all sorts of wildlife and birds are always landing on our porch. It is amazing!

We also went to a great reunion with Justin's family! It was a blast! We had Spencer in a hat pretty much the whole time and we wore him right out. Sleeping in a tent made me nervous because I didn't know what to do with Spencer and our tent wasn't going to fit a play yard, but we made it work out! We used a doggie bed and it was great!

And I think my favorite part of the reunion was the Olympics! The games were a secret until it came time! This was the froot loop toss! And yes that is Justin covered in cool whip! We won this game if you couldn't tell! Another game we played, I had to cover my nose in vaseline and pick up cotton balls with my nose and put as many as I could in a bowl without using my hands. There was a hula hoop contest and much more! It was very inventive and fun!

And what was supposed to be a surprise for my birthday, we went to the cabin with Eric and Cori! I figured it out of course...older and wiser, what can I say! It was so much fun! We went there last year for Cori's birthday and it was a blast. And this year was also a blast! I got totally spoiled! Kent and Holly (Cori's parents) came up on my birthday and made us the best dinner! Yummy steaks, scrumptious spinach salad, and great buttered bread! And then they brought out this massive chocolate cake that was to die for. My mouth is watering as I'm thinking about it! WOW! I hope that we can make it to the cabin every year! I think that would be a great tradition!
We put Audrey and Spencer in the sink(bath) together and as you can see Spencer was hungry, but check out those long eyelashes.

And this was our attempt at a hike! We took off and it was looking great until we hit a huge pile of snow on the path. But it was still fun and beautiful! Good times good times!

And last, but not least here is a video of Spencer. He is just growing up so fast and lately he has been talking so much and it is just so cute! So this is a video of him talking. Enjoy!

2009-05-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Spencer has really been growing and it is bittersweet. I love that he is more active, but he is growing up too fast. He loves when we just talk to him. He is more interested in his toys and he has been smiling a ton. It just melts my heart. He really has the cutest smile!

He also has the longest eyelashes.

Justin and I actually had a morning together (sorta uninterrupted) so we made one of our favorite breakfasts... German Pancakes... YUM!!!

I really think he is so precious when he gets into that deep sleep. I told my dad that I thought Spencer looked like an angel and he said, "that's because he is an angel". How cute is that!

He is a tough little guy! He is really good at holding his head up and getting better at sitting up. I've been surprised how strong he is. Now I know why it hurt so bad when he was kicking while I was pregnant. He gets so stiff sometimes and is unbendable. He rolled over at just 2 weeks while I had him on his tummy. Crazy!

Here is Justin and Cade (our nephew). He really loves his Uncle Justin and Justin loves him. All our nieces and nephews love Justin because he loves to play with them. They even get horsey back rides sometimes!

We got pictures taken of Spencer (soon to come) and some family pix too. And since we got all dressed up nice, we took some pix with our handsome son!

Here is Spencer with his cousin Kenzie! My parents think she looks a lot like me when I was a little girl. I think it's the dark hair and freckles!

This is Tate, Zack, and Spencer. Zack was born in December and Spencer is only 9 days older than Tate. These are the cousins on Justin's side.

And on my side of the family he has 3 more his age, but only 2 live close. This is Eli (born in Nov), Coy (born in Feb) and Spencer (in March)! Lincoln was born in August and he lives in Philadelphia, but will be here to visit this summer! Yahoo! I'm glad he will have so many close cousins, and all BOYS! How lucky is he?!

This is Coy and Spencer hangin' out after Coy's baby blessing. What a precious boy! Coy is wearing the blessing outfit that my brother (his dad) wore when he was blessed. How neat is that!

And last but not least, here is Spencer showing off how big he is. Well actually, I wanted to show him off. He is just so sweet and makes the cutest noises too. Enjoy!

Cousins, Graduation, and our little guy!

2009-04-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here is Spencer just hangin out in his Easter outfit with the
blanket that Grandma Jo crocheted for him

Cousins just hangin' out. Spencer has lots of boy cousins his same age.
Here are Tate and Zack on either side of Spencer.

My handsome husband graduated! He hasn't gotten used

to no homework yet. I'm sure that won't last long.
We are so happy and we've been doing some CELEBRATEing!

It seems like Spencer gets bigger every day. He just
has the bluest eyes and cutest face. We sure love this little guy!

And here he is hangin' out with daddy. I love the
position of his hands. Sooo chill. Our little man.

We have been busy and really tired. It has been hard to function, but
life goes on. We have all been sick this week and it is just awful to hear
Spencer cough and wheeze. Hopefully it all passes soon. I can't wait for
summer to come. We are getting small glimpses of sunshine and I'm excited
for a nice change. Well, the weekend is here so we'll try to embrace it!

Spencer's 1st two weeks

2009-03-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more pix of Spencer. We have been a little "snap" happy, but we just can't help it because everything he does is just so cute. Just click here for your viewing pleasure!

2009-03-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Spencer Justin Wyatt
8 lbs 10 ounces
21 inches
March 14, 2009
4:06 pm

Welcome to the world sweet baby Spencer!

Obviously I had the epidural at this point :) Yeah for epidurals!

Our happy family!

He is just so cute! We can't get enough of him. He's a keeper!

The proud mama and her precious little boy!

Justin loves Spencer so much! What a good daddy!

Words just can't describe! It really is so amazing how much you love them and care for them. It's amazing how fast you realize you would do anything to protect them. Spencer is such a good baby boy. He has brought such a special spirit into our home. He is just so soft and cuddly and holding him close is so wonderful. I am so happy he is here. I told Justin that it is definately better having him out than in! I never knew it would be so great! He is just perfect!

WEREAVINABABYEETSABOY!

2008-11-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

That's right folks! We are having a baby boy! We will now share the whole story (in short) with ya'll! I went to the doctor and had to take a pregnancy test and that is when we found out the big news! Justin and I were both in shock! We kept it a secret for quite a few weeks before telling our families and a little more time before telling friends! My first instinct was "boy" but I really didn't know if that meant much. We were so amazed at the ultrasound! It really was the coolest thing ever! He has a cute little profile and is definitely a boy! I am due March 16th! Exciting!

We had lots of fun at our yearly Halloween Party at Steve and Heather's house! We always look forward to the party because it is always so much fun! Justin and I had decided at the last second (like we always do) on costumes. We decided that Justin would be a grandma and I would be a grandpa! And lucky for us we hit an estate sale the afternoon of the party and found some pretty awesome costumes. But the funniest part of it all was when we went to try on the outfits! Justin mentioned to me how cool it would be if we found some MONEY in the pockets! And just then he was reaching his hand into the pockets of his moo moo and got this disgusted looks on his face...come to find out there were USED kleenex in the pockets. It was so nasty! But HILARIOUS!

Other than that we have been keeping really busy with work, church, school, friends, family, and everything else under the sun. It never seems to let down! But we will just keep running! We are looking forward to the holidays! I can't wait for the Christmas music to start! Get into the spirit! Is is great! Well, that is all for now!

Our Little Wyoming Getaway

2008-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we went on a little trip with our friends, the Jeides! We went back to Eric & Cori's hometown and had a fun little visit. We got to go through Yellowstone Park and we got to see some grizzly bears. We stayed at C's families cabin and went on a beautiful hike too! It was such a fun and relaxing vacation! Thanks Jeides!

Eric, Cori, and Q

Justin and Q on our hike

Justin and I in front of Porcupine Falls

Summer Fun!

2008-07-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since the sun decided to shine, we have been trying to just get out and have some fun. We have been camping with family, rafting,and playing with friends. We had lava trip or two (we just love lava), went to the balloon races in Driggs, ID, and hopefully will have lots more summer fun to come.

2008-06-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

We are the "coolest"

2008-06-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

justin told me not to write one of these yet because we are not ready to blog. but with the pressure to be in the "cool" group then we finally gave in. yeah...we are "cool" now. but not "cool" enough to keep up on blogging, so don't expect anything too great. all we ever do is work and go to school. just ask anyone that knows us. so until justin is graduated and i can stay home and work on really "cool" blogs to post and learn how to have my camera ready at any given moment, you will then thoroughly enjoy this "cool" blog.