Baby Ella is here

These are a few pictures I just love. This was my 1st real photo shoot. I could not get enough of this little one. Blankets are done by Baby Laundry.

Happy 4th in Carlsbad

This is Josie. Davis' twin if he was a girl. She is the cutest thing I have ever seen!



Shopping at the Outlets. I think we went 3 different times. Davis got a new train(Percy) from Nana Laura. Fun times!




How great are all these girls! I only wish I lived by them to take advantage of babysitting!

Davis loves suckers. He is constantly wanting one. Funny kid.

Spending time with Papa & Nana. His favorite place to be.


Thanks for digging me a big hole Uncle Kurt. High 5.

Fearless...He loves the water!

Happy Birthday Laura! We surprised her at the party with a cake from ColdStone. It was heaven.


Mark doing all the grilling for the party.



We went to Ice Age 3 in 3D. Davis did great!



Talent show night! These girls were AMAZING!

Liz comes to town!

Utah Trip

Thank you Kristen for such a great trip! We loved staying with you. You really are the BEST! I don't know what I would do without you! Every girl needs a sister. We lived at the pool the entire week. Thank you McCall for all the fun days at the pool. Loved playing with you every day! Summer joined us 1 day with her cute kids. I love seeing her and always wish I could live closer.

Davis & Jackson eating snow cones after a day of swimming.

We all did Glitter Toes thanks to Jaimie!

Jaimie has a company called BABY LAUNDRY. The best minky blankets you will find! We saw a station at the mall that sells her stuff.

The kids loved eating pizza outside so they could keep playing.

Kristen moved into her new place! We love it Kristen!

Love this sweet girl Abbie!

We headed to Thanksgiving Point with Summer & her adorable kids.

LOOK at those faces! Can't get over it!

We had such a fun time in Carlsbad this year. I had to document these two adorable kiddos. Davis & Josie were together the entire trip. Davis would not keep his hands off her. She pretended to not like it at first.

As you can see by these pictures they simply LOVE each other.

I can't wait for play dates with this cute little Josie.

22 weeks

I am going to get caught up and post a picture of each month past. I was so mad at myself for not doing this with Davis' pregnancy. I'm trying to embrace my blossoming body. :)

Thanks Liz for taking the picture. I love that you were here in Chicago with me today. Wish you could have stayed forever!

Rachel & Ellis visit Chicago...

We ate lunch at this cute little restaurant on Lake Shore Drive. We played at the beach and Davis got all wet. I had to buy him a new outfit because he was soaked and I did not bring extra clothes. Hate it when that happens. :)

Our last night was the most fun! We went on an hour long speedboat ride. We did 360's and had a crazy ride. I am so lucky that Davis was asleep in my arms so I could control him. Then we stopped in the middle of the lake and watched the fireworks. A spectacular evening I must say!
Disclaimer...these last 2 pics were not taken by me. My camera battery went out by the time we got on the boat. So sad! I was ready to practice my firework picture taking!

These little ladies are 2 of the most fun teens you will ever meet. They are such thoughtful and fantastic girls. They constantly were asking if they could take care of Davis for me. They have smiles that light up any room. I truly enjoyed their company this week and I'm sad that they are gone. I hope the pictures tell the story of our week. Thanks girls! If you don't know these girls let me intorduce you. Rachel is my sister in law. (Dennis' sister) Ellis is our cousin.

Remember today...

Today I am overwhelmed with thinking about the new chapter in life that is headed our way. Dennis finished his first year of MBA school today! No more finals, group projects, Kellogg events, Rugby games, or recruiting. I am so proud of him and all that he has accomplished this year. He leaves in 3 more days to go work in New York for the summer. Davis and I are headed all over the place to keep our mind off of being without Dennis. We will miss Dennis so much and can't wait to visit him in the Big City through-out the summer. Great things can happen when you dream big. Thanks Dennis for always working hard and having the dreams and aspirations in life that you do. Thanks to our families for always supporting us and making us feel close to you even though we are far far away. I am your biggest fan Dennis. 1 more year to go!

2 BBQ's, 1 birthday party, 2 Kellogg good-bye parties, taught 3 classes at the gym, swimming playgroup, 1 garage/bake sale = ONE EXHAUSTED PREGO LADY

I have never eaten so many hamburger's in my life!


I woke up today and realized you are almost my big 2 year old!

He wanted to lay down and take a break. :)

You love to discover new things. You are very curious and independent. You talk so much and love so much. You are the sweetest boy but yet tend to be the one tackling all the other kids. You have a dynamic personality and a crazy amount of energy. You are independent and act older than you are. You are completely a mommy's boy. You love to snuggle, cuddle, hug & kiss! Watch out ladies!

You have taught me to slow life down and discover all the simple things in life. I still can't talk about the day you were born without getting emotional. You are my greatest accomplishment and I truly love you more than I ever thought humanly possible. You are going to do great things in your life. We are so blessed to have you my sweet Davis.

I am 17 weeks and feeling good. My stomach has gotten bigger way faster than with Davis. We will find out in a couple weeks what we are having.

Doing Pilates with the YW. They are fantastic girls!

Dennis turns 28! Memorial Day BBQ...

Dennis' is known for his LOVE for a BIG juicy hamburger. They are his favorite! So...I decided his birthday cake needed to be just that. I think it was a hit! Happy 28 D! We also celebrated Zach's b-day today. It was the perfect day with friends, fabulous food (thanks to Lauren & Jason), guys volleyball, swimming, and time chatting with the girls. We had a blast! Thanks everyone for such a FUN PARTY!

Nothing better than a boy and his wagon...

Fun times at Lake Michigan! Hooray for warm weather!

Davis learned how to fake cry. He was sitting here burying his face in his hands. It was pretty funny.


Thanks Nana Lisa for my new Choo Choo!

Lately...

Dennis played in his last Rugby game of the season. They won...great season guys!

Saturday Kellogg had a Mother's Day brunch for all the moms. It was so nice and the food was great. Dennis (with my help) made me my favorite cinnamon rolls.


Dennis' brother Mark came to visit us this weekend! We took him to see Millenium Park. The bean kept us entertained for over an hour.

Finally it is SPRING! We have been outside constantly! I now remember why I loved it here last summer. Everything is absolutely beautiful! Spending time at our park & enjoying the sunshine. Please sun don't take so long to come back next year!



Davis makes this cute face when he smells the flowers. He cracks me up.



We had a Cinco de Mayo party. Dennis made a flan cake that took him literally all day to make. I am very proud of my domestic husband. I give the cake 5 stars!

Davis enjoying his flan cake.


We made homemade pizza and Davis had flour everywhere. It was a really fun night with my boys.

It may not look appetizing but it was really good. :)

Dennis...

Have fun in AZ! We will miss you over the weekend!

Me&Davis

Girlfriends are much cheaper than therapists and a whole lot more fun...

I had a quick little get-away to San Francisco this past weekend. It was perfect timing. A couple days before I left my morning sickness was GONE! Oh happy day!

I am so used to flying and entertaining Davis the entire time I didn't know what to do with myself. I had a 5 hour flight of rest, reading and listening to my ipod. I haven't done that for 2 years!

When I arrived we went to the this brand new spa and had an amazing time! (Thanks mom for the birthday facial) We closed the place down. We had the best time relaxing and just hanging out together.

The next day we did a 5 mile hike that we used to do together all the time. It was fun to go back and walk the miles I used to walk when I was pregs with Davis.

We took Abby to the dog park and soaked up the sunshine.

We shopped at Santana Row and ate with Kate & Cheer. After we all went to Liz's for beauty night and we watched Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. (Liz had never seen it and I almost had a heart attack...I grew up watching it!)

Thanks Liz so much for letting me come see you and for all the fun times! I love you like a sister!

Protect your children act...

Going Private. Please leave your email if you would like an invite to view our blog in the future. Thanks!

We are so excited. We only wish we didn't have to wait for 9 months! The baby will be here the end of Oct. or first part of November. Time to get out the maternity clothes and indulge a little bit!

Spring Break in the NYC

The cheesecake cupcakes and lemon bars were simply scrumptious!

This will be Dennis' stomping ground this summer during his internship. He will be working on the 38th floor of this building. We are thrilled to be in NYC!



Brett & Kimber took us to the fun parks in Manhattan. This slide was CRAZY! It was so fast I flew off the end and landed on Davis. I laughed so hard tears were rolling down my face. Yes...Davis is fine. A little traumatized but he is so tough!

Thanks to Kimber for the collages! She is a pro on her MAC. Some day I will get one!

more to come...Davis needs me.

My Mom came to visit us! This is our favorite view of Chicago. We can't wait to have warm weather again to explore this amazing city.

We went to eat at the chocolate lounge. The best fondue in Chicago! So very yummy!

Happy St. Patty's Day

We had a great day hanging out with friends in Chicago. It was SUNNY!! We experienced the Chicago River turning bright green and watched parts of the parade. I may be a little crazy to take an almost 2yr. old into the city with crowds of people but Davis actually was a CHAMP! He is my angel child for sure. He had lots of fun and loved hanging with the Mulcock's and Ward's.

The best part was lunch at a good Mexican restaurant. It has been so long since I have had good Mexican food. We missed Dennis but he was studying hard and taking his finals. This was the perfect day to remind us that spring is just around the corner.

All 3 of my siblings live in Utah! Yes, I am the only one living far far away! I was so excited to make a trip to see all of them! Here are some pictures of my week in Utah.

We took the kids to the Dino Museum at Thanksgiving Point. Played outside everyday! So much warmer than Chicago! Lots of laughs and lots of birthday celebrations!

Spiderman even showed up for Jackson's birthday!! McCall...Davis had so much fun!

The highlight of the trip...

We were so close! We had the most amazing seats! We even got to be front row for more than half. Look at Celine! Yes, some of you have your opinions on Celine but she has been our favorite since junior high. Thanks Summer! A concert I will always remember!

Remember this one? This is my favorite. The violin was incredible!

Disney World

When you wish upon a star. Makes no difference who you are.
Anything your heart desires. Will come to you...

Crandall Disney World Trip 2009

Lots of LOVE for Papa on his birthday!

Laura wanted all the kids to surprise Dennis for his b-day. We all flew to Orlando and showed up at different times during the day. We were so excited to come and surprise him. When Davis saw Papa he hugged him and would not let him go. We had such a wonderful time in the sun and playing at Disney World with the family. Davis is so loved and loves all the attention he gets. Thanks to Laura for pulling off such a great trip and surprise for Dennis Sr. We will always remember Davis' first time at Disney!

I CAN'T MOVE MY BODY!!

After teaching 2 classes last night(pilates & step) and then being tricked into taking Emanuel's boot camp, I can barely walk today! I never do that much in one day.

The boot camp class was crazy. I thought I was going to throw-up in the middle of it. This guy had drill after drill. Plus, when someone challenges me I get pretty competitive. So of course I was forcing myself to do things i really can't do. The funny thing is we had to count to 20 and he couldn't count so we could trick him! Plus I was exhausted from the 2 previous classes.

Also it was an amazing day yesterday! It was 60 degrees! Everyone was out! We went to the lake and played at the park. A day I will always remember. Getting that little bit of sunshine will get us through the rest of this freezing & windy weather.

Daivs came down with some bug on Sunday. He threw up Sunday night and all day Monday. He is doing better today. He still won't eat but being outside yesterday seemed to give him a boost. Poor little guy.

Birthdays in the Month of LOVE

Papa Den's B-day

Lucy Goosey B-day

jaCKSON b-DAY

mY SIS. kRISTEN b-DAY

GYMNASTICS

He was so mad I made him put the basket-ball away. He did not want to do gymnastics. He wanted to shoot hoops and play with the big boys.

He walked the entire length of the beam with pointed toes & all! He must get that from me! :)

Thank you for the gymnastic lessons Papa Den & Nana Laura!

18 months

What a happy 18 month old! He loves to play all day long. He hates taking naps & is known to throw a few tantrums when I walk him to his room.

He will repeat anything you say. He will attempt to say it.

He counts but says 9 for every number.

He loves grapes,peas, broccoli & pizza.

He carries his lunchbox to his friends house. He thought this was extremely cool.

He can whistle.

He just started NURSERY!

Sorry Dennis but he is a Mommy's boy. Some days he will only go to me. I'm sure this stage will pass but I will remember it always.

Shedd & Kohls Childrens Museum

We still go outside if you can believe it! This week has been busy to say the least. Dennis is interviewing (stressful) which means Davis and I need to stay occupied so he can focus. The weather wasn't too bad. It stayed around 20-30 degrees. Crazy that I can say that. But really when it is below 0 degrees which happens frequent here we have to stay inside. Those are very LONG days!! I run out of ideas for busy man Davis.

We went to the Shedd Aquarium with some friends. We took the train and walked about 15 minutes to the museum. I'm getting the hang of this city life. I actually LOVE it!

Davis has a plastic cover to go over his stroller but HATES it! Meet Elijah. They adore each other. Lots of hugs and wrestling.

Notice Elijah's arm around Davis as they look at all the animals. Kenzie is such a sweetie & can hold her own around these boys. Davis loves her.

We had a life-size Elmo come to our Kellogg party!
The kids were a little freaked out but they warmed up to him.

Kohls Children's Museum Field Trip

I love to see Davis' eyes discovering new things. I have never been in such a creative kids museum. We spend hours here. Great thing to do during the winter months.

Davis is such a good helper. This is what we do when it snows. Watch movies and eat cookies. I love days like that.

Davis Boy Buns

Davis 17 months old

Words: dadda, momma, banana, ball, dog, kitty, no, snow, toast (he says toe), eye, nose, belly button (bia bia), blanket (blankie), toys, shoe, book, eat, outside (side), whats that (that), cheese, cookie, cracker, all done (ah don), poops, bottle, sippy (ippy), ut-oh, choo choo, coat, hat, bye-bye

Sign language he uses daily: eat, milk, all finished, more, banana, dog, kitty, cracker, drink

Names of family he can say: Mom, Dad, Papa, Nana, Kurt (kur), Rachel (ra ra), Lizzy the dog (izzy)

Things Davis loves: 2 blankets at night, toast in the morning, cuddling, playing outside, Music class, learning new things, playing in water, riding in the car, hide & seek, ANIMALS, GIRLS (as soon as he warms up he turns into your best bud, cuddles & all), string cheese, shoes, wrestling with dad, visiting family, Papa (he says it all day), bath time, cars, trains, staying up late

Favorite movies: Shrek, Cars, Aristocats, Baby Signing Time

8 teeth

Christmas Time!

Davis is in his jammies at the airport to head to PHX.

Let the celebrating begin...

Johnson Family Nativity

The bells with The Crandall's

They are so musically talented!

wHiTe ElePhAnT GiFt ExcHaNge
at MY MOM's

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Opening Brett & Kimber's presents. We missed you guys!

It was just the 4 of us with Mom Christmas morning. The other siblings joined us the day after. It was fun having 2 Christmas's.

Davis can't get enough of his cousins

The BEST cinnamon rolls. I had no control! Kristen is so proud!

Girls lunch and a movie. Yes... I waited to see TWILIGHT with these lovely ladies. I must say I really liked it.

A day at the ZOO

Scott & McCall at dinner. Scott could not believe how busy Davis was.

Lunch at Rosa's

Happiest day when my braces came off!!


Davis 16 Months old

They LOVE their Grandma...

All I can say is...TWINS!

Trying to control our curious & crazy little guy.

Merry Merry Christmas! Thanks Mom for all you do!

What do you do in a FREEZING Snow Storm...


Eat comfort food and drink warm Hot Cocoa!

Pedi's and Mani's

You Workout! Kristen came to my Step class that I teach. I was nervous but it was FuN to have her come!

Shop for Christmas!

This is the process of getting groceries and shopping bags into our building!

Hang at Barnes where we have books,magazines,music and Starbucks at our fingertips!

Pose for photo sessions while deciding what to wear. It doesn't matter because you will have 5 layers on top of your outfit but o-well. Sasha Fierce...


Go to bed at 7 pm from having so much fun!

Let the Good Times Roll

In about 30 minutes Kristen will be in Chicago! I am so excited to have her all to myself!

This is laying on Kristen's pillow. Thanks for flying to come visit me!

This is the best picture I have with Davis & SANTA this year. He wanted nothing to do with him!

These are Davis's girlfriends. Rebecca & Ava. He kisses, tackles, cuddles and throws things at them. It is a pretty crazy relationship.