:: A very Happy Halloween indeed! ::

We had a fabulous Halloween at Tim & Hilary house, along with Grandmama and Grandpapa this year. Delicious soup and scones were served for dinner...perfect for a cold fall evening! Tate loved his "baby dinosaur" outfit that daddy rushed to the store just hours before to buy (I had planned on recycling his cute monkey costume but could not convince him to put it on) and Levi was squeezably cute as a little bear. My favorite part of the night was handing out candy on the porch with Levi, Hilary, Kenzie, and Grandmama. We always have plenty of laughs and good conversation for those couple of hours. Andy had a blast with Tate and the rest of the gang going trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Another perfect Holiday I am sad to be over!

:: Boo-ba-dee-boo-bop's first sleepover! ::

Tate and cousin, Dallin

Grandmama and the boys


...and of course, some kisses with Levi!

Tate received his first sleepover invite from Grandmama, along with his cousin Dallin...to say that he was excited about it would be an understatement!!! Just look at his big grin in these pictures. Grandpapa and Grandmama planned a fun-filled get away for the boys and they all had a blast! Tate and Dallin got Happy Meals (in traditional Weeks' fashion) and then went over to the ward BBQ social. I was told that Tate was sooooo cute and a good boy, becoming more independent as time went on (I guess big cousin rubbed off on him. =) In the morning he ate a pancake at IHop and enjoyed that special treat, followed by a shopping spree at ShopKo (in traditional Weeks' fashion.) He loves his new car and Pelican Webkins that Grandmama bought him -which has become his new sleeping companion. Tatey came home bathed and tired from having so much fun! And I had fun at the homestead with some quality one-on-one time with Levi!

*Thanks again to mom and dad for doing that for our big boy!!!
We LOVE you.

:: all surrounded by the glow ::

I have never seen a more stunning new mama as my Trina...the wife to Andy's younger brother, Jeff. She has effortlessly transitioned into motherhood in ways that amaze me! Her mommy glow is blinding and her beauty is even more so one week after child birth than I have ever seen her. I love how Jeff and Trina treat each other so sweetly and work together in every way as new parents...truly setting an example to me and reminding who I need to be as a new mother and wife. I love these images I was able to capture of her and baby Xander...you should have seen the way he gazed at her so lovingly and gave her sweet baby kisses.

:: welcome baby Xander ::

Isn't he the cutest!?! I just can't get over his big brown eyes, chubby cheeks, sweet smelling/soft newborn skin, full head of hair, and adorable little smile. I kept telling Jeff and Trina they were going to have the cutest baby...and they did!

:: 4th of July ::

*click image to see larger

One of our families' favorite holidays is the 4Th of July. What is there not to love? There is always plenty of family & friends (Jude & Eliza), delicious food, fun games, incredible fireworks and fun smaller fireworks, and of course the reason we celebrate...our independence. Our family has had the tradition of spending the 4Th of July at Tom and Sandy's house...and each year they deliver another memorable occasion! Luckily for us, Tom has mastered the art of smoking BBQ ribs and we contributed this pasta salad and smoothies (I learned how to make these as a waitress at Los Hermanos)...I'll share my version of this super easy recipe below. =) We had a blast playing a competitive game of Frisbee golf (a first for me...but not the last)...even little Tate joined in the game! Some of us need a little practice before next time, but we had plenty of good laughs due to our poor Frisbee skills so I think it was a good trade off...don't you think mom? I had to go in to tend to the baby while the others worked up a sweat playing ultimate Frisbee, and then it was time for root beer floats and fireworks...the best part! The kids got fun goodies from Grandmama and Grandpapa: glow sticks, bubbles, and little popping fireworks that they could do themselves. Despite Lagoon canceling their usual fireworks show, we really loved watching the city fireworks just as much! As I was getting all romantic (as I do with fireworks), Andy turned into a kid again tickling all of us with grass in our ears...and yes it was still funny after the 12Th time. ;) The drive home was fun too as we were able to see straggler fireworks along the way! Thanks again, Tom and Sandy for an AMAZING time!!!

Purple Smoothies -about 2 servings

about 1/2 c. crushed ice
about 1 c. sprite
2-3 scoops vanilla ice cream
about 1/2 c. (or more) frozen strawberries
about 1/2 c. (or more) frozen blackberries
(I was able to find a frozen bag mix of the two of these fruits on sale at Kholers)
top them off with whipping cream...preferably non-dairy

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth! Add ice or ice cream if it is too thin and add sprite if it is too thick. And remember, you can't mess up a smoothie so don't worry about measuring...just eyeball it. ENJOY!!!

:: Summer Olympic Games ::

*click on picture to see larger

What a blast we had this year going back to Cedar City to watch our men play in the 3 on 3 soccer competition. Of course, our team consisting of the Hendricks and Weeks brothers did well...3rd place in fact! The kids loved cheering on their daddies, eating donuts and other snacks, playing at the playground, getting some quality outdoors time, & taking naps, etc... This year we decided to rent a house instead of get hotel rooms, which proved to be genius. It was so much fun for all the Weeks families to stay together! We were able to eat most of our meals for the three days there, it had an amazing yard that we all enjoyed, we hosted a pizza party with the Hendricks gang one night, played some Settlers of Catan, watched movies...all that kind of stuff. I also loved having Jeff and Trina ride up with us again this year. I felt bad that they got stuck on kid duty on the drive up, but it made the time go by so much faster and we had plenty of laughs of course! My favorite funny memory of our Cedar City trip took place at a gas station on the way home. Trina and I went in to get some goodies and at the cash register Trina was excited to see they had fresh Cheese Curd...something I had never seen before and was really grossed out by! Trina and the gas attendant kept trying to convince me to try a sample. He reached out a container of the stuff and held out a toothpick dispenser in the other hand, quickly Trina reached out to take a piece out with her hand and just as quickly the guy pushed the toothpicks a little closer her way, to which she replied, "No thanks, I don't want salt on mine!" With a face full of disgust, the guy said, "what if everyone did that?" I explained to her that it was not salt, but toothpicks and we had a really good laugh about it!

::Easter 2009::

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E...I know! =) Levi's very first Easter was such an amazing one. He loved every second of it! My only regret is that I forgot to get the boys a new outfit until Saturday and by then it was too late, but they still looked cute in their hand-me-downs. =)

This is the ONLY pic I have of Tate alone and looking at me! The rest are of him running around, having a ball and finding eggs etc. What an important and FUN holiday! I forgot how much fun Easter could be, but with kids 2 and older it is such a memorable holiday. Tate had so much fun being outside and finding his basket/eggs on a gorgeous Spring day. And then we had the BEST time at Grandpapa and Grandmama's house! We had a delicious meal of ham, deviled eggs (that was our contribution), Aimee's to die for granola rolls and homemade raspberry butter (still need that recipe), Sandy's yummy jello that all the sister-in-laws were excited to have on their plates, potatoes and gravy (a Weeks must have), and corn. And then we devoured Hilary's out of this world dessert...a fresh berry sauce with a kick served hot on top of homemade chocolate chunk ice cream cake. Oh, yeah BABY! I am going to have to share the recipe for the dessert and rolls for you guys later. =)

We actually did a really good job on their Easter baskets this year. Probably too much if anything, but we knew Tate was old enough to get really excited. After church we hid the died eggs that we made the night before with Aunt Meg around the side of the house for Tate to find and with much help and prompting he was able to find them all. Then we gave the boys their baskets and tried to quickly get a cute picture (it was too cold and the grass was a little too wet to prolong the process.) *Don't worry he is not choking his baby brother...it's a love hold! =)

Every year we pile all the Weeks grandkids on a blanket in front of grandma's big pine tree and try to get the money shot. This was the best one I got (hopefully, uncle Tom got one with Levi looking up.) And every year the blanket gets a little more crowded. =) What CUTIES!!! Next year our family will be pleased to add Jeff and Trina's new baby boy to the mix (due to arrive sometime near the end of July!)

A fun get away with the Weeks family!

Tate and Daddy sporting their never-before-seen spiky hairdo...(they are both long overdue for hair cuts).

We had a super fun and relaxing vacation right outside of Zions Park this past week. It was so nice to get away and spend time with family! Two of Andy's brothers have recently purchased a share of a gorgeous cabin that they get to use at certain times during the year. Fortunately for us, they were kind enough to invite the whole family up for four precious days (...if only Jeff and Trina could have made it, than we would have been complete).

The resort has so much to offer: heated infinity pools with slides and hot tubs, frisbee golf course, zip lines, trampolines, beach volleyball court, basketball and tennis courts, horseback riding, scenic hiking trails, a nice fire pit right on the edge of a mountain (which manages to make the best hot dogs and smores), a near by golf course, a playground for the kids, they even have massages there, and much MORE!

Andy had a blast playing with his brothers...he always does! I know they got good use out of the frisbee golf course and laser tag guns that someone brought up. I like that about Andy and his brothers...they always have so much fun doing stuff together just like the old days. Tate just loves being around his gran-mama and gran-papa and cousins/aunts & uncles! He really bonded with everyone...I think he has all their names down now. =) He was perfect on the drive up and back and slept like a rock each night which was nice...he did not kick his picky eater habit though. =( I had such a nice relaxing time too. Unfortunately, I didn't feel very good half the time (which was a bummer) but I am just glad my doctor gave us permission to go being this far along in the pregnancy. I loved playing games with the girls when I got a chance and taught them how to play my new favorite game, Pounce.

I just couldn't resist the opportunity for some cute photos on the "Rhino", which they use to get everywhere and is always packed full of these cutie cousins. =)

Thanksgiving Point Cooking Class

Kelsey Nixon, myself, Jo (my mother-in-law) and three of my cute sisters-in-law...Hilary, Sandy, and Aimee.

I have always wanted to try the cooking classes at Thanksgiving Point. Then I saw the advertisement in the mail for Kelsey's class and I knew I just had to go. Luckily, my adorable family had the same idea so we made it a girl's night out. We had so much fun and learned a ton! I am glad I held out for Kelsey Nixon's class...one of the contestants on the The Next Food Network Star. Her class was based on 5 dishes under 5 ingredients:

Menu

Caprese skewers

Tortellini with fresh sage butter

Mediterranean salmon bake

Roasted Asparagus

Lemon curd with fresh raspberries

She is an amazing cook, very entertaining and knowledgeable and just an over-all great person...very inspiring! She is offering more classes over at Thanksgiving Point if you are interested, they are $40 for a two hour class (which includes all the recipes and samples of all the food...and a bottle of water.) Members of Thanksgiving Point get an additional %10 off. I highly recommend her class and I have heard that many of the other classes are just as good!

*I think she is going to offer a class in November on dishes for Thanksgiving Dinner...I am so in.

Hilary's new CD has been released!!!

I have been a fan of my uber talented sister-in-law, Hilary Weeks, since high school. I remember I bawled like a baby through a solo attempt of "He Hears Me"...only my favorite LDS song of all time! Last night all of the family got together for dinner after conference and Hilary handed each family a copy of her newest CD, "If I only had Today". As always, this collection of songs is sure to touch your soul and will not disappoint! You can hear bits of her new album here (just click on the "listen to clips" next to the ear piece picture.) Can you believe she writes her own music...AMAZING right!?! With Christmas right aound the corner I thought her CD (which sales for about $15.00 at Deseret Book) would make a great gift for your friends and family.

I am so grateful for her...

I am so grateful for the life of Viola Mabel.

What an extraordinary woman who lived a long and full life.

As a premie baby, only 3+ lbs., her father was told she would not make it through the night.

Ninety years later she decided to go home to her sweet husband whom she hadn't seen in 25yrs.

I watched her in her final days, full of grace and dignity...not knowing they would be her last.

Grandma Vi would talk to the angels in her room and it brought me peace.

She still had her spunk and humor to the end.

My father-in-law would occasionally fall onto the bed with grandma after lifting her out of the wheelchair, to that she would tease, "It's a good thing your a married man!"

She would tell Tate over and over, "I wouldn't give you up for a million dollars".

After Andy told her he loved her (which he does very much- she was the only grandparent he ever really knew), she would say with tears in her eyes, "I know you love me Andy, I can see it in your eyes".

It absolutely broke my heart each time grandma Vi got tears in her eyes.

She was going through a lot of emotion those final weeks, but was trying so hard to be brave.

She missed her mother, her father, her husband and many others that had passed away.

I am so grateful I was able to hold her hand and stroke her hair.

One thing that brings me comfort in mourning, is thinking of the sweet reunion...celebration that is happening on the other side.

Grandma Viola

This last February we went up to Wyoming to celebrate grandma Vi's 90Th birthday. We had such a nice trip and I had a particularly special experience with grandma that I will hold near and dear to me forever. Unfortunately, since then her health has deteriorated; she has had numerous strokes, broken her leg, and has pneumonia... just to name a few. It is a miracle she is still here with us! Now grandma Viola is bed ridden and reliant on 24hr care...of which my in laws will be giving her for a month. We recently returned home after staying with them for ten days to help as much as possible. The experience was life changing in many ways for me! I honestly did not know if I could do it...the emotional and physical toll everyone was under was hard for me to handle. You can ask Andy, the only thing I am really afraid of is death its self. I could hardly stand to see grandma, once so beautiful and full of life, in her state. I couldn't help but think soon enough I would be in her position and it really was eye opening in many ways. I won't go into the details of what is done for her each day, but it is a lot of HARD work and the emotional toll is just as difficult. And yet, life goes on...and hopefully grandma knows how much we love her and is at a peaceful place in her journey.

I love the contrast their hands create...89 years between them.

Grandma Vi reached her hand out to touch Tate's cheek and he held her hand there for a long time...so precious.

Tate with his grandma Jo and great grandma Vi.

Tate loved spending time with his great grandma and really warmed up to her after seeing her a couple of times. He was so sweet with her, always saying "hi" and waving his little hand. Many times I would just let him sit on her bed so that grandma could touch him and tell him how much she loved him. Vi has always really loved children (reminds me of myself that way) and I know it was a special treat for her to be around Tate...at times it seemed that he was her main source of happiness.

This is my favorite...I love that her wedding band is in focus. I think it will look stunning in black and white!

Fireworks and Face Painting

I decided that July 4Th is my second favorite holiday... thanks to Tom and Sandy (Andy's older brother and his wife). For the last six years or or so I have spent the Fourth with Andy and his family at their house. They have made it so special and have so many cool traditions...that I find myself really looking forward to it! I just love the fireworks (the smell, the beauty, and they make me feel all romantic inside)...not to mention that from their back deck they have a great view of the Lagoon fireworks show and two other local shows that are AMAZING! I also love the traditional BBQ that Tom puts on with smoked ribs, steak, hot dogs and shrimp, the relaxed atmosphere, the outdoor games (water balloon toss, golf accuracy and soccer kick to name a few)and prizes, and making my famous smoothies...just to name a few reasons. This year, however, the party was moved to Grandma's house because they are giving 24hr. care to Andy's grandmother for the month (which I will talk about more in a later post). It was worth not seeing the big fireworks show to have Grandma and Grandpa with us, and the guys did their best to put on a great show in the cul de sac for us!

Looks like a Pearson when he makes this face =)

I brought my face painting supplies...just in case. =) ...No surprise, most of my nephews and nieces wanted to get their faces painted! I let them chose what they wanted done and with what colors, it was a big hit!!! Aren't they so cute...I just love each of them to pieces!

Salt Lake Real

We were able to go to the Salt Lake Real game on Thursday with Andy's entire family. Andy's older brother was able to hook us all up with tickets! The game was a little slow for me and in the end they tied 0-0...really exciting stuff. =) Fortunately, I had so many loved ones to talk to and hang out with that the time flew by. I really think soccer should have a shoot out in case of a tie, just to add a little more excitement to the game. Tate had a blast hanging out with all the cousins, aunts/uncles and of course, gma and gpa! He walked up and down the aisle eating everyone's ice cream or any other treats he could find.

In the middle is my new little nephew, Noah. He is just the cutest baby and makes me so excited to have another one. I think he looks so much like his daddy! All three of his older siblings are gorgeous red heads, but Noah has his daddy's beautiful color hair.

Trip to St. George

Grandma and Grandpa Weeks joined us on a little weekend get away to St. George. They are such fun traveling companions and were nice enough to join us at the last second. We love to stay at the Holiday Inn, it has a great indoor/outdoor pool that we just love to swim in. We also had a blast eating yummy food, seeing the sights, shopping and watching the Jazz play. As all good things, this vaccation had to come to an end. I think we all got the sun and relaxation that we needed.

Easter Time

This was actually Tate's second Easter. He had a blast being apart of all the fun and playing with his cousins. Tate even found his little blue easter egg with $5.00 inside from Grandma and Grandpa all by himself. Andy got Tate's Easter basket this year and added little treats Tate could actually enjoy, but his favorite part was a big black car that he likes to push around.

This year the cousin picture went pretty smoothly for a change. It seems that in years past there is always someone having a breakdown. Even little Tate, who was so past due for a nap, hung in there for the long haul. I was a very proud mama!