The Hardy's

Sweet Taylor

2011-11-03T15:02:00.001-07:00

Taylor Alexis Hardy

October 3, 2011

6 pounds 10 ounces

19.5 inches

Our sweet baby Taylor was born ten days early. My sister, Kristen, was scheduled to be induced with her baby Monday, October 3rd. That morning I started having regular contractions. I called my doctor's office and they said to go to labor and delivery right away. Brain came home from work and took me to the hospital while a friend came over to stay with the boys. After being checked at the hospital, I was only dilated to a one but the baby's heart rate kept dropping with each contraction. They just wanted to monitor me for a few hours and then decide if they would send me home or deliver the baby. Brian went back to work thinking nothing exciting would happen. After about an hour my doctor decided today was the day and scheduled my c-section for 4:30 that afternoon. I called Brian and he went home to change out of his suit and take the boys to another friends home. Before he got back to the hospital my water broke and I started to panic. I didn't want to have this baby alone. Luckily he made it in time but with all the excitement forgot the camera. With 45 minutes until delivery time I made him go home and get it. I still hadn't called my mom to tell her I was in labor. She was at the hospital with my sister and I didn't want her to worry. I decided I better call her. She thought I was joking and it took a lot to convince her I was actually in labor. My doctor was a little late so by the time I went to the operating room I was dilated to a seven and had no drugs. Can I say ouch! Taylor was born at 5:23 p.m. Twenty minutes later my niece, Kate, was born. What a special day for our family! We were so blessed that day. Taylor had the cord wrapped around her neck and face several times. No damage was done other than some bruising to her face which cleared up after a couple days. We are so excited to have Taylor join our family!

Birthday Boy

2011-11-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Cole turned 5 in September. He invited his friends to help him celebrate Army style. We had dart gun wars, secret missions, bandaged wounded soldiers, flew jet planes, ate lunch, opened presents and had cupcakes. Cole said it was the best party ever!

His favorite present was the ice cream cone set from Mom & Dad. He was just dying to get it!

The army recruiters office hooked us up with tons of cool stuff for the party. Sunglasses, watches, stickers, pencils, wristbands and lanyards. All the kiddos loved it.

Labor Day

2011-11-02T15:43:00.001-07:00

Labor Day = BBQ, swimming and friends.

It doesn't get much better!

First Day

2011-11-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

First Day of third grade and first day at a new school. Payton was nervous to go to a new school this year but I was really excited to finally be in a CAR POOL!

And what is the first day of school without a giant cookie. YUM! Some how this cookie made all the drama from the first day disappear.

Summer Fun

2011-11-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

We always have a great time when we visit Grandma and Grandpa Hardy in Idaho. The neighbor gave us a ride through the country in his buggy. We went to Blue Lakes for an afternoon of swimming, fishing and playing on the beach. Carson loved the sand! Payton caught tons of fish using hot dogs for bait. Cole built an awesome sand castle and had fun on the water slide with his cousin, Luke.

Grandma had a sleepover with the cousins and got all the kids new PJ's. They all slept in the secret room above Grandpa's exercise room.

The Treehouse

2011-09-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

The kids can't go to Ogden without making a visit to The Treehouse. They have tons of fun playing with all the different things. They spent over an hour with the knights and castle. Carson is going through a phase where he loves wrapping things around his neck. Fun for him; way scary for me. He walked around the entire time with this toy measuring tape wrapped around his neck. He was in heaven.

Hogle Zoo

2011-09-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

We spent a fun-filled day at Hogle Zoo. We had quite the group. I think there were 17 of us all together. All three of my boys loved the zoo. Carson was so excited to see every animal. He barked at all of them.
Of course you can't go to the zoo without a train ride.

Cole and Indy playing in the lion's mouth.

Carson loved watching the giraffe eat leaves with his long black tongue.

It was such a hot day the boys loved getting a little wet from the elephant.

Dinosaur Park

2011-09-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

The boys love to visit Dinosaur Park every time we go to Grandma's. They were even more excited to have our friends, the Mertlich's, go with us. We started with a picnic and then explored the park. They liked digging in the sand for dinosaur bones the best! I think the playground was a close second.

The Ogden Raptors

2011-09-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Grandpa got us tickets to go to a Raptors baseball game. Payton and Cole were thrilled to go to the game! Grandpa picked a great game for us. The Raptors unveiled their new score board and won the game. The boys loved the entire experience... hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, sodas, new hats and all the fun music.

After the game we walked around downtown Ogden and admired all the painted horses.
Thanks to Grandma for staying home to watch Carson and to Grandpa for the fun night out!

Union Station

2011-09-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

The boys and I decided to take a road trip while Brian went to Girls Camp & Scout Camp. Our three week adventure started in Ogden with Grandma and Grandpa Scott and ended in Twin Falls with Grandma & Grandpa Hardy. While in Ogden we did tons of fun things. The boys loved seeing all the trains at Union Station. They climbed on and off the trains about a million times. After seeing everything outside we went to the museums inside. Payton thought all the old fashion cars were "so awesome".

Independence Day

2011-08-26T16:09:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July! This year we spent the afternoon at a friends home swimming and BBQing. The kids had a blast swimming and playing with lots of friends. After the swim party, we came home relaxed for a little and we were off to watch fireworks. We went to a neighbors home for the show. Payton loved the noise, lights, sparklers... Cole & Carson... not so much.

At first Carson was terrified of the noises made by the fireworks.

Carson decided the fireworks weren't too scary and started clapping towards the end.

Cole was either covering his ears or biting his nails during the entire show. Poor kiddo.

We had a great day with our little family and friends!

One

2011-08-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Carson turned one in June. At first he wasn't too sure about his cake. Then he took a little taste. After that he was totally into it. He ate almost the entire cake (minus the parts he threw at the wall and smeared on his face). He cried when I took the plate away.

He's growing up so fast and turning into such a little man. He loves to swim, play ball and cars. He's almost ready to walk but has the funniest bear crawl on his hands and feet.

Pinewood Derby

2011-06-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

Payton was so excited for his first Pinewood Derby! He was so proud of his purple car. He and Brian worked together to make it super thin and just the right weight. They even used my craft cutter to cut out vinyl flames.
Payton was thrilled when his car took first in his heat.

Overall his car took third place (out of 24 cars).

Payton, Sam and Joshua with their awesome cars.

He can't wait till next years Derby.

Easter Fun

2011-06-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

The boys love Easter and all the fun that goes with it. They were so excited to color eggs and decorated them with Star Wars stickers. They could hardly go to sleep the night before. Cole really wanted to see the Easter Bunny. Finally, Easter morning arrived and they were thrilled with what the Easter Bunny had brought!

The Easter Bunny hid eggs in the back yard.

More candy!

Carson caught on very quickly about opening the eggs to get to the CANDY!

Hoppy Hunting

2011-06-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

This Easter the kiddos got to go on a few different egg hunts. One of their favorites was with their friend, Kadyn. Over 100 eggs for just three kids=way too much candy!

Carson was not used to the grass yet.

He hated the way it felt on his legs and feet.

After the big hunt we enjoyed a yummy BBQ.

Cole & Kadyn best buds.

Carson even got to enjoy some of the treats.

Magic

2011-04-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

Brian and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this year. We decided to go to Disneyland (where we went on our honeymoon) but couldn't go without the kids and our friends, the Hydars. We stayed for five days at the Grand California Hotel. It was a blast! Carson was too cute! He loved Mickey Mouse!

We got to eat at one of our favorite places, the Blue Bayou.

We went to the Big Thunder Celebration Round Up. All you can eat BBQ and fun entertainment. We sat up front and Cole was clapping and singing along with the performers. They thought he was so cute. Plus he was covered ear to ear with BBQ sauce and corn on the cob.

Carson loved going on all the kiddie rides, especially the merry-go-round.

We ate with Minne & Friends for breakfast. The kids had a great time seeing tons of characters. They got lots of autographs and pictures.

We also went to Chip and Dale's breakfast at our hotel.

We were lucky enough to get into Club 33 for a fancy lunch. Payton spluged and got one of every dessert.

The boys loved our hotel room...they got to sleep on bunk beds.

We had the funnest and most tiring week ever! We can't wait to go back!!!

March

2011-04-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

March was a busy month at our house....

Carson started crawling!!!!

He loves to play and get into everything.

We had my family stay with us while my sister was on spring break.

We got to visit with cousins.

Payton is a huge help with Carson. They play together all the time.
When Payton gets home from school, Carson's face just lights up!

Carson got his first hair cut.

He was so good, no crying.

He looks so grown up.

We celebrated Brian's birthday...

...and Carson loves Chocolate cake!

February

2011-04-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

Here a few things we did in February...

The kids love the Super Bowl. Maybe not so much the game but playing football in the house and tons of yummy snacks and a BBQ in the winter.
Carson is growing too fast. He loves to walk while holding hands with mom or dad.
He also loves to help with the laundry!

We love Valentine's Day!

Every year the kids go on a scavenger hunt around the house to find their valentines.

They had to get some Disney stuff to take on our trip to Disneyland!

Snow

2011-04-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

SNOW in Vegas!!! Cole was so excited to put on his boots and play in (a tiny bit) snow. Payton was totally bummed that it snowed the day school started after Christmas vacation. By the time Payton got home from school the snow was gone.

Celebrate

2011-04-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Just after Payton's baptism we came home to celebrate New Year's Eve. We had dinner, played games and got to be silly with party hats and blowers. Brian and the kids went to bed early (he was getting up early to go pig hunting in Arizona).

New Year's Day we spent the day playing with Grandma and Grandpa Hardy. We're so glad they stayed while Dad went hunting!

Happy New Year!

It's Great To Be Eight!

2011-04-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Payton was baptized December 31st. It was such a special day! We were so lucky to have family and friends there to support Payton. We are proud of his choice to be baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-15T13:03:00.001-07:00

For Payton's birthday he wanted a fun dinner at home with some friends. We had fondue, opened presents and played video games. He was so excited to turn eight!

Merry Christmas!

2011-04-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

We love Christmas morning. It's so fun to watch the kids faces as they tear into their presents. Once again Santa managed to bring everything they wanted. Payton got a shotgun and plenty of video games. Cole received a blue scooter, GI Joe and Star Wars action figures. Carson was happy just to ride Cole's new scooter back and forth through the living room. He got soooo angry when we took him off.

Christmas Eve

2011-04-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve our family went to a friends home for dinner and even a few presents. Dad put a veto on more Christmas PJ's so the boys got Star Wars pajamas. They were a big hit! The kids played Wii and we had the Christmas Story. Then home to bed for sweet dreams of Santa and his reindeer!

Only In Vegas

2011-01-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

...only in Vegas could you spend Christmas Eve in the pool.
Our friends cranked up the heat in their pool and threw a huge Christmas Eve pool party. It was just like summer (except a little cold). We had BBQ ribs, hot dogs, chili...food and more food. We had a great time and it made the kids fall right to sleep later that night.

Carson and Aubrey

Yum, yum. Cole loves Ribs !

Santa

2011-01-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

All the boys loved Santa and Mrs. Claus this year. Payton & Cole were so excited to see Santa. We went the Monday before Christmas. It was a super rainy night so we had Santa and Mrs. Claus all to ourselves. The kids got to spend a lot of time telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas. We were finishing up with the picture people and it was time for Santa and Mrs. Claus to leave. The boys started to follow them. We asked where they were going. "We want to go see the reindeer," Cole said.

Merry Christmas!

California

2011-01-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

The first weekend in December we took a road trip to California. Brain's sister and husband were getting sealed to their cutie, Cohen. We caravaned with Grandma and Grandpa Hardy and had to make a pit-stop for dinner. We stayed at Kristy and Travis's new party house. We had an awesome weekend with family. The kids love to play with their cousins and can't wait till the next visit.

The Circus

2011-01-04T11:12:00.001-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, I skipped the usual shopping spree and we took the kids to the circus. Other than being a little cold we had a blast. The boys loved all the performers but thought the motorcycle in the cage was the best. Even little Carson was entertained.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-01-04T11:03:00.001-08:00

This year we celebrated Turkey Day with our friends the VanWagoners. We spent the day cooking, watching the parade, football and the Rocky marathon. We ate way too much yummy food! The kids played and went for a swim in the hot tub. We are so thankful to have such fun friends.

Halloween

2010-11-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hardy Boys Costumes

Payton...Army Man

Cole...Snake Eyes (from GI Joe)

Carson...Spider

The boys were so excited for Halloween. Saturday night we went to our ward Trunk or Treat. The boys got to hang out with all their friends and get tons of candy. Afterward we went to dinner with some friends. It was so much fun!

Kadyn, Payton and Cole ready to go get their candy!

The kids have to come home, dump out all the candy and trade each other for their favorites!

On Halloween night, we went to a party. We ate dinner, played games, decorated cookies and had a great time. I made ice cream brownie black cats for dessert...YUM

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

The kids love to have jack-o-lanterns but not so much the process. Payton is good to help for a little while but got bored after he learned he couldn't use the saw to carve the face. Cole is terrified of pumpkin insides. He took about one scoop of seeds out; it got on his fingers and he screamed bloody murder. So Brian and I tag-teamed the pumpkin carving. I cleaned out the pumpkins and Brian used the power tools to quickly carve the faces.

Cole was so proud of the jack-o-lanterns!

It's Party Time

2010-11-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

Cole celebrated his birthday quite a few times this year. He partied with family in Utah, then in Idaho, on his actual birthday and then with his school friends. He loved every second of the attention!

On his birthday all he wanted to do was eat dinner at Burger King with his family and friend, Kadyn. Come home, open presents and have cupcakes.

Cole is such the ladies man-- the only boy in his Joy School class!

Happy 4th Birthday, Cole!

Growing Too Fast

2010-11-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

Carson is growing up so fast. He changes almost everyday it seems like. He is starting to look like a little man. He is getting so much hair. He has two teeth and eats baby food like a champ. His favorite is apples. He loves to sit in his swing and watch Disney channel when he first wakes up in the morning. If you try to talk to him or stand in his way while he's watching his show, he gets mad! He loves his brothers to talk to him and play with him. When Payton gets home from school, Carson is so excited to see him.

He likes to growl at his toys that sing or make noise. He has the cutest smile and little laugh! We love having him as part of our family!

Picking Pumpkins

2010-11-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

Every year we take our family trip to the orchard. Our kids love to search for just the right pumpkin. Payton found a gem this year. It was a big momma pumpkin with a little baby pumpkin growing on the side.
It was a fun (way too hot) morning picking pumpkins at the orchard with our friends.

Family Visits

2010-10-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Brian's Grandpa passed away. We drove to Colorado for the funeral and the next day drove to Idaho for the Graveside service. We spent over 30 hours in the car for the trip but it was definitely worth it. We got to see family member that we haven't seen in years. Cole was so excited to see his cousins again. All he wanted for his birthday was to celebrate with his cousin, Luke!

On the way from Colorado to Idaho we stopped for lunch in Ogden. It was nice to have a little break from the long drive. We met my mom and sister at McDonald's. The boys had a blast playing with their cousin. I got to see my nephew, Carter, for the first time. He is a few weeks younger than Carson. My mom spoiled Cole with some early birthday presents.

Carson with Great Grandma Hardy

Cole and Luke have so much fun playing together!

The kids loved all the tire swings!

Smores

2010-09-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Labor Day was pretty quiet and relaxing for our family. All the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents left to go back home so it was just the five of us. We played around the house during the day and hung out in the backyard that night. We roasted marshmellows by the fire. The kids think it's just like camping.

My Baby

2010-09-24T12:51:00.001-07:00

Carson is so sweet. I loved seeing him dressed in white for his blessing.

Carson's Blessing Story

Carson was all wrapped up in the blanket my grandma crocheted and Brian took him up for the blessing. Carson didn't make a noise. His cute outfit and the blanket made him extra slippery and he started sliding out of all the men's hands during the blessing. They were all paniced that they would drop him. Luckily, Brian works best under pressure and reached in and caught him right before he fell.

Weekend Fun

2010-09-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend we blessed Carson. We were so lucky to have tons of family come to help celebrate the special occasion. We spent all weekend playing outside, swimming, eating, laughing, visiting, eating and having fun with all our family. The kids had a blast playing with all their cousins. And the cousins loved coming to Las Vegas a.k.a. our play room.

Carson with his great aunt Susan.

Serious video gamers Travis and Payton.

We managed to squeeze in some family pictures.

Best buddies Cole & Luke

New School Year

2010-09-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

This year Payton started second grade and Cole is going to Joy School. Both boys were so excited for school to start. Payton got the teacher he wanted and even gets to sit next to one of his best friends in class! Cole loves going to school. He feels like such a big boy. He only goes two times a week and wishes it were everyday (me too).

We celebrated the first day of school at home

with a giant cookie!

YUM!

Summer Fun

2010-09-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

A Saturday before school started we spent the day with some friends at the Marriott. We played all day by the pool. The kids loved it and Carson went for his first swim!

The kids had a blast relaxing in the cabana.

4th of July

2010-08-20T22:22:00.001-07:00

This year we celebrated July 4th at home. We were lucky to have my parents and sister still in town. We spent the day relaxing and having fun. We had a BBQ with friends and did sparklers and fireworks that night. The kids had a great time throwing poppers while they waited for it to get dark. Cole has always been afraid of fireworks so he went inside with Grandma and Carson when the loud noises started.

Meet Carson

2010-08-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Carson James Hardy

June 24, 2010

6 Pounds 9 Ounces

19 1/2 inches

Our cute baby Carson was breech so I had to have a c-section. Brian and I checked into the hospital Thursday, June 24th at 5:ooam with the c-section scheduled for 7:00. The nurse did an ultra sound to check if Carson had turned. Now instead of upside down he was sideways. The doctor told me to decide if I wanted to try for a normal delivery with him attempting to turn the baby of if I wanted to stick with a c-section. There was still the risk of the baby going into distress while my doctor was turning him and I would end up with a c-section anyway. So I chose to just go ahead with the original plan of a c-section. I wasn't totally trilled with the idea but knew it was the best thing for my baby.

Brian walked me to the operating room. He got suited up in gown, mask, and hat while I got a spinal block. I sat on the operating table just like I was getting an epidural and the anesthesiologist put the needle in my back. Before I could lay down the bottom half of my body was numb. The nurse had to lift my legs onto the table and help me lay down. Brian and my doctor came in and a few minutes later at 8:12am my doctor held Carson up for me to see. The nurses and Brian cleaned Carson while my doctor sewed me back together and then they wheeled us to our room. We spent the next two days chillin' at the hospital.

My Mom and Liz came to stay with Payton and Cole. They brought the boys back and forth to the hospital and stayed with me so Brian could go home and get a shower.

Payton and Cole loved taking turns holding their new baby brother. We're so happy to have Baby Carson in our family!

C-section drugs make you feel GROOVY!

Payton & Cole brought Carson a stuffed animal to keep him company in the hospital.

Our first family picture!

Vegas Staycation

2010-07-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend my sister, Rebecca and her fam came to stay with us. We did all the tourist stuff. It was so much fun. We got to see a show on The Strip, ate at The Rain Forest Cafe, shopped till we dropped and swam with the kiddos. She was prego too so we both got tired and worn out about the same time. My boys had a blast playing with their uncle Matt and cute cousin, Jackson! We can't wait for them to visit again!

Alaska

2010-07-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Brian got to go on an awesome hunting trip to Alaska with his dad and brother. They spent a week fishing and hunting for black bear. He caught tons of halibut and even got a bear.

House Guests

2010-07-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

In May Brian went to Alaska to hunt bear. He went with his dad and brother. I was eight months pregnant and didn't want to be home alone with the boys so I convinced his family to come visit us. It was a crazy fun week. We played hard, shopped too much (according to the kids), passed the flu around & had fun just hanging out. The boys had tons of fun getting to spend the week with their cousins, grandma and aunts. We love to have family come stay and can't wait to do it again. Next time without the FLU!

Little League

2010-07-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

This spring Payton had tons of fun playing baseball! His team was the Astros. He had a super dedicated coach that held lots of practices to helped Payton have an awesome first season. He got to play every position but his favorite was catcher. Cole was a great cheerleader at all the games. I think he liked the games because of the trips to the concession stand.

The Secret Garden

2010-04-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

During Spring break Brian & I took the boys downtown to see The Secret Garden at The Mirage. The dolphins were so much fun to watch. Payton would have watched them all day if we let him. Cole liked the white tiger and leopard, but his favorite was the map. He had to have his own and carried it the entire time.

House Guests

2010-04-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

The boys were so excited to have Grandma & Grandpa Hardy come to visit us! We got to lots of fun things while they were here.
Decorate Easter eggs,

test waders in the pool for Brian's Alaska trip,

celebrate Brian's birthday and tons of other fun stuff.

Thanks for coming to visit us!

Polar Bears

2010-03-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

Warning, if you let your kids just put their feet in the pool...
knees will get wet...

shirts will come off...

Even though the water is only 52 degrees.

If you just put your feet in the pool, you're going to end up swimming.

We've Been Busy

2010-03-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

The last few months have been a little busy. We moved into a new home that we love! It's a work in progress but here is a pic of the family room. We've been busy painting, repairing giant holes in the wall, installing light fixtures, replacing carpet... next on the long list is to get the pool ready for spring. Between moving, new church callings, being pregnant with boy #3, home work and life in general it's been a while since I have posted some pictures. So at the request of those far away, enjoy the following posts.

Be Mine

2010-03-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day the boys look forward to our annual treasure hunt. They both get clues around the house for little Valentine prizes. Cole was thrilled with Mickey Mouse and Pluto. Payton found plenty of thing for his up-coming season of little league. I love my BOYS!

Happy Birthday Payton

2010-03-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Payton turned 7 years old on December 30th. We had a little party at home that day. Because of moving we waited until January to have a bigger party with all his friends. Payton wanted his party at Chuck E. Cheese. It was a dream come true for a bunch of boys... video games, pizza, cake & fun prizes.

Everyone loved hugs from the big mouse!

Happy New Year!

2010-03-04T13:36:00.000-08:00

We celebrated New Year's Eve at our friends house. Grandpa & Grandma Scott sent a New Year's Eve survival package, complete with hats, silly string, horns and lots of other noise makers! Perfect for ringing in the new year.

Merry Christmas!

2010-03-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at our house is full of traditions. We always have a yummy dinner, decorate sugar cookies for Santa, open one present and read the Christmas story from the scriptures.

Christmas morning the boys woke up to find that Santa had come and brought plenty of cool GI Joe guys, tanks, helicopters, video games... We spent the entire day playing and relaxing.

December Fun

2010-03-04T12:53:00.001-08:00

We had lots of fun in December! We got together with friends to make Christmas ornaments. We took our annual trip to Henderson to see awesome Christmas lights. The kids got to visit with Santa and tell him they just want lots of GI Joe toys. We spent a lot of time packing and waiting for a closing date for our new house. Someone special surprised us with Christmas cheer every night for the twelve days of Christmas. The kids enjoyed awaiting a knock at the door each night.

Idaho Trip

2010-03-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

The first week of December was the last chance Brian had to fill his dear tag. So we made the long drive to Idaho. Brian, Greg and Keith spent the week hunting in the freezing cold. The kids and the girls went shopping, out to lunch and playing around the house. Sadly, for Brian, no dear. We had a great time just hanging out with family!
Brian did take a break from dear hunting for some pheasant hunting. Success!

Cole was so excited it snowed. He has been dying to wear his Spiderman snow boots!

Team Hardy

2010-02-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

He's a pic of our next baby boy arriving at the end of June!

Pie

2009-12-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Just before Thanksgiving I asked my kids what kind of pie they would like. Payton asked for chocolate or cherry and Cole asked for

Fruit Snack Pie. I told Cole I didn't know how to make fruit snack pie and asked him to pick something else. Nope! Fruit snack pie was all he wanted. Here is Cole's recipe just in case you want some too:

1 slice of cheese

2 slices of turkey

1 packet of Spider man fruit snacks

Roll it up and enjoy!

Cole thought it was so yummy he ate two pieces of fruit snack pie!

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

This year Payton was 100% sure about his costume choice, Obi Wan Kenobi. Cole changed his mind a zillion times. Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Woody (from Toy Story), Jessie (from Toy Story), Batman, Darth Vadar, Yoda a super hero.... his final choice... Indiana Jones. They were both super excited to go trick or treating! Every year we go to our church for Trunk or Treat. I think the boys have as much fun playing with all their friends as getting lots of candy.

Cole's bucket started to get a little heavy and he was finished. He went to help Brian pass out candy.

The boys love to dump out all their candy and find their favorites.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

Our family loves the annual pumpkin carving. Payton had a great time cutting lots of wholes in his pumpkin.
Cole wanted nothing to do with touching the insides.

Payton loved diggin' out the guts!

What would pumpkin carving be without power tools!

Cole was so proud of his finished pumpkin.

Pumpkinolgy

2009-11-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

Payton's 1st Grade class did a fun Halloween science project last week.

I was lucky enough to help.

The Project: measure the handle, measure the circumference, count the seeds and carve a face.
It was so much fun!

Pumpkin Picking

2009-10-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

A couple Saturdays ago we made our annual trip to the orchard to pick some pumpkins. This was our best year yet. There were a lot more pumpkins than usual. The boys lined up a bunch of pumpkins and finally picked their favorites!

The kids loved running through the orchard. It's a great way for my crazy boys to get out some extra energy!

Fall Fun

2009-10-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

I love fall! It's a little difficult to enjoy all the beauty of the season in the middle of the desert. We were lucky enough to find some colors of autumn at the Bellagio. The kids were amazed with all the giant pumpkins!

Meet Mr. Turtle

2009-09-30T13:30:00.001-07:00

The kids have a new friend at home, Mr. Turtle. They love to feed him, take him outside (he needs a little sun every day to help harden his shell) and play with him. Every morning before school, Payton washes lettuce to feed him. Last week Payton forgot to put the lid back on his cage. By the time I had noticed Mr. Turtle had escaped and was roaming free in the house. Cole & I frantically searched for nearly an hour before we found him. What a relief! He really is pretty cute!

Three

2009-09-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

This week Cole turned 3! Every morning for the last two weeks he would wake up and ask if it was his birthday. The big day finally arrived and he was so excited! Any time people wished him Happy Birthday during the day he would say "Happy Birthday to you too." It was so funny! We had a little backyard BBQ to celebrate. He had a blast "whackin' the pinata" and opening his presents. Cole loved his Buzz Lightyear cake. He blew his heart out trying to blow out his candles and finally had to get help from Payton. Happy Birthday, Cole!

Little Fishes

2009-08-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

While we were visiting our family in Utah the kids were so worried about missing out on a swim day. Kristen's brother-in-law has a fun pool with a slide and diving board. Payton & Cole were thrilled to be able to go swimming. I can't believe what a dare devil Cole is. His favorite thing is to jump off the diving board and scream Cannon ball!

Hogle Zoo

2009-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

The kids love our annual trip to the zoo! We had a great time seeing all the animals and hanging out with family and friends.
Payton, Cade, Addison and Cole pretending to be giant gorillas.

Cole couldn't get enough of the giraffes long black tongue.

Payton and Cade getting cooled off by the giant fan.

The boys thought the rhinos were awesome!

Gotta love all the gift shop goodies!

I love my two little monkeys!

We Love the Treehouse

2009-07-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

My kids love The Treehouse Museum! We have to go there every time we visit Grandma's house. They have the coolest new exhibit this year. It's a rodeo theme. The boys loved dressing up like cowboys and riding the bulls. They were so funny to watch. They kept shouting out "Yee haw, ride 'em cowboy."

We spent all afternoon having fun & playing with all the cool toys.

Family Reunion

2009-07-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

This year the boys & I were lucky enough to be in town for the Scott Family Reunion. It was fun to see cousins, aunt, uncles...that I haven't seen in years. I was really excited to see my Grandma! She'll be celebrating her 90th birthday in September.
Cole and my Dad had a great time playing catch!

It wouldn't be a reunion without a game of BINGO!

4th of July

2009-07-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July! I love dressing the boys in red, white & blue! We went to the Summerlin parade in the morning. The boys had a blast catching candy and prizes at the parade!

That afternoon the boys had target practice in the backyard. My little Cole can actually hit the target!

That night we went to a BBQ with some friends. The kids loved doing sparklers!

Earth's Planters

2009-07-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

One of the boys friends invited us to a kids garden party called Earth's Planters. The boys got to decorate their own pot, fill it with soil and choose a flower to plant. They had a blast sticking foam shapes and gluing feathers and pom-poms on their pots.

After they finished planting the played water balloon games and had a fun little picnic. It was a great (just a little too hot) day at the park!

Trip to Fresno

2009-07-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

In June, Kristy & Travis got to be sealed to their baby boy, Brennan. We were luckily enough to be there at the temple. The sealing was so special. We are so excited for their cute little family. It was a super fun weekend with swimming and BBQs.

Cole was so excited to hold his newest cousin, Sam.

Payton is always glad when he gets to hang out with Uncle Travis!

Mandalay Beach

2009-07-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Last month Brian's sister, Kristy, came to Vegas for work. She stayed at Mandalay Bay and had to go to meetings all day. She wanted to get her moneys worth at the pool so gave us her room keys to get in. It was so fun!!!! We invited a few friends and played at Mandalay Beach for two sun-filled days. The boys loved the sand and lazy river. I loved relaxing with the girls and drinking pina coladas. Thanks Kristy for the mini vacation!

Family Visitors

2009-06-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

The first week of June my family came to Vegas. It's the first time the entire family has been to visit. They all stayed at my parents time share downtown so we did all the fun tourist stuff. The kids loved just hanging out at the hotel. Addison and Cole pretended to be puppies while Matt, Brian and Payton played pool.

We ate at the Rain Forest Cafe, walked the strip, shopped, swam and had lots of fun together! We can't wait for everyone to come visit again!

Shark Reef

2009-06-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Friday we went to Shark Reef with Matt, Rebecca & Jackson. The boys loved all the different fish we saw. My favorites were the jelly fish. Payton was thrilled that he got to pet a sting rays!

Viva Las Vegas

2009-06-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

While my family was in town, they wanted to see all the sights on The Strip. We spent Friday night walking up and down Las Vegas Boulevard. It was fun the play tourist just 20 minutes from home. My boys love to watch the water show and Bellagio. Payton thought M&M world was awesome. He wanted to get every color of M&M.

Family BBQ

2009-06-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday night my cousin, Taryn, invited us over for swimming and dinner. Payton and Cole have so much fun hanging out with her kiddos: Kaleigh, Jordan & Jayce.

Kaleigh and Cole just chillin' in the hot tub.

Addison, Jayce, Payton & Cole practicing their stroke on the putting green.

Cole loved dressing up in the Mickey Mouse gloves!

Goggles are a must have for the pool.

By the end of the night Cole was worn out and ready for bed.

Kindergarten Celebration

2009-06-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Payton had a awesome year in school! He had the best teacher and such a fun class. The program was so cute. His class sang songs they had learned throughout the year. His teacher made a DVD slide show of activities and passed out awards. Payton tied for reading the most books in the class. Way to go Payton!

Payton was so sad when school was over. He's ready for 1st grade!

Swimming Day

2009-06-05T17:21:00.001-07:00

Hot summer days are here in Vegas... perfect for swimming! The boys are loving the water and getting to be really good swimmers. Cole is a dare devil... he loves to go down water slides (by himself) and do cannon balls. Payton can swim like a fish. Thanks to all our friends that invite us to swim!

Field Day

2009-06-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

Payton's school had a Field Day for all the kindergarters. Payton had a blast competing in all the different relay races. It was a super hot day so Payton was excited about the water races and eating Otter Pops.

Water Fun

2009-06-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

The kids love going to the water park! We met some kids from Payton's school class. The boys ran through the water, went down the slides and ate lots of Otter Pops!

Disneyland

2009-05-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Our little family spent four fun-filled days at the Happiest Place on Earth. Our friends the Hydar's got to go too. We all had the best time.

We went to the Aloha Lilo & Stitch Breakfast at our hotel.

We wore the kids out and they all needed a little R&R in the stroller.

Payton got to train to be a Jedi and have a light saber duel with Darth Vader.

Payton enjoyed meeting Burt & Mary Poppins. They named him the Pirate-Jedi of the day.

We got to eat at Club 33! It was so exciting. The kids loved riding in the old French elevator up to the dining room. It was definitely the best meal of the trip!

I Want To Be A Cop

2009-05-06T20:19:00.001-07:00

Every year Payton's school has a special day to honor a police officer that was killed in the line of duty. There was a parade on the field with horses, motorcycles, police cars and SWAT. The kids loved seeing all the police vehicles. After the parade the kids got to go around and meet police officers, climb in all the different cars and trucks and pet the dogs from the K-9 unit. Payton thought it was so cool. He can't wait to grow up and be a cop and get on the SWAT Team!

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Easter morning Cole was so excited to get in the bath tub, he ran past the living room without noticing what the Easter bunny had left. After his bath the baskets caught his eye and getting dressed was a little bit of a struggle. Payton was quite happy with the Easter Bunny--Lego Batman video game was exactly what he wanted!

Luckily, the Easter Bunny hid just enough eggs for both boys to fill their baskets!

Cole just wanted to eat all the candy as soon as he opened each egg. Payton wanted to crack the eggs and then count the candy.

The boys looked so handsome in their new Easter outfits for church!

No nap Cole fell asleep at 6:30 and didn't wake up until morning. What a day!

Coloring Eggs

2009-04-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Payton loves to color Easter Eggs! Sadly, Cole has yet to discover the excitement of it. Every year he seems to fall asleep right before the event. Payton is such a good big brother; he made several eggs with Cole's name and dyed them PINK just for Cole.

When Cole saw the eggs he was so excited! He didn't really get that they were fragile. He wanted to play golf with them!

Easter at the Park

2009-04-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Mountain Crest Park had an Easter Egg Hunt the day before Easter. The kids were so excited they got to see the Easter Bunny! The egg hunt was a little nontraditional. Different vendors set up booths; the kids went to each vendor got an egg and then went to trade in their eggs for candy. Kind of a crazy idea but the kids thought it was great!

The Fair

2009-04-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to take the fam to the Clark County Fair. One of Payton's friends from school was competing in the mutton bustin'. Payton got to go early with his friend to watch and we caught up with him later. We watched the rodeo, ate lots of goodies, rode some rides and played silly games. Payton and his friend won matching dogs. They were so proud!
Cole loved all the little rides!

Brian is such a sucker for all the games at the fair! I was really proud of him for only playing three games this year.

Payton's 1st Field Trip

2009-04-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

The kindergarten classes got to go on a fun field trip to a local children's museum. I was really excited to be able to go along and bring Cole. They had so much fun exploring and playing. Some of their favorites included the hurricane tunnel, shopping at the grocery store and The World of Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Payton had the most groceries of all the kids. You can tell where he learned to shop.
We all had a blast and can't wait for the next field trip!

The Big One

2009-04-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Brian celebrated his 30th birthday on March 25th. He was out of town for work so he sat in his hotel room and ordered room service and watched TV. I felt terrible for the poor guy! The boys and I were so excited to see him after a long week of him in Reno. We had a fun party with ice cream cake and presents! Happy Birthday, Mister!

Cole had to show Brian how much his muscles grew while he was gone! What a stud!

Goo

2009-03-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last week Payton's school was selling Goo. What is Goo? Yucky, slimey, clothes staining stuff that boys love and moms aren't crazy about. I made him play with it outside as to not get goo all over the house. It was the best dollar I've spent in a long time. He played with it for hours. Even though he didn't share the goo (which I'm happy about), Cole had fun playing with the plastic egg it came in.

Red Ryder BB Gun

2009-03-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Payton got a BB Gun for Christmas and finally got a chance to shoot it. One sunny afternoon Brian skipped out of work early and took us all on an outing to the middle of no where to do some target shooting. Brian practiced on turkey targets with his shotgun, Payton shot squirrel targets with his new BB gun and Cole played around with his super cool Star Wars gun. After Brian was finished with a turkey target, he'd give it to Cole. Cole was so excited! He ran up to me and said, "Mom, Dad shot a turkey for me."

Here's Cole and his turkey Dad shot just for him.

Welcome To The Jungle

2009-03-02T11:09:00.000-08:00

Last week for family night we took the boys to King Putt's Mini Golf. Cole had a blast "whackin' the ball." Payton thought it was way cool that everything was glow-in-the-dark, even his shoes!

I've Been Tagged!

2009-02-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm not one that has EVER followed through on a tag. But I will just this ONCE because of threats from my tagger. So here goes. . .

The rules: On your computer, go to your 4th folder and bring up the 4th picture, post and tell about it!!!
Funnily enough my picture is of Brian holding my taggers daughter, Reese. Jill was trying out my camera and snapped some cute pics of the kiddos playing Wii and Brian making Reese laugh.

I tag Kristen, Kristy, Mandy & Whitney. Have fun girls!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T16:43:00.001-08:00

Cole's Favorite Color

2009-02-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

My little BOYS favorite color is PINK. This morning I found him coloring with markers. I couldn't yell at him; I just laughed and grabbed the camera. He had colored his entire chin bright PINK. I must say he is very talented when it comes to chin coloring. He didn't miss a spot or get it on his clothes and he wasn't even looking in the mirror. Thank goodness for washable markers!

Bows in the Backyard

2009-02-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Just in case you didn't know, Brian is an archery fanatic. He dreams about it at night, watches TV shows, movies, podcasts, reads magazines...and on and on. Next weekend is the annual Las Vegas Archery Show so naturally he's got archery fever. He even went and bought Payton a new bow. They spent hours in the backyard on Saturday for target practice. They had a blast!

Zoo Day

2009-01-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

Last week the kids were out of school for teacher work day so we made a trip to the exciting Las Vegas Zoo. It's more like big dog kennels with animals but the kids loved it.

There were hundreds of bird and chickens running around everywhere. At first Cole was terrified of all these winged creatures. After about an hour he was sharing food with them. I couldn't take my eyes of the little guy, if I did he was into the bird feeders stuffing his mouth with seeds.

All the kids did their best impressions of the lions.

Payton, Cole & Ryder went for a ride on the turtle.

Cole is becoming quite the ladies man.

The kids had a blast; the moms were totally out numbered 4 to 13. We were just lucky it wasn't crowded. It was a great day at the zoo.

Bowling

2009-01-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

This weekend we met our friends, the VanWagoner's, at Red Rock for lunch and bowling. The kids were super excited to see Ryan, Ethan and Reese! Our Wii bowling scores are much higher than our real bowling scores, but we still had lots of fun!

Cole didn't help Brian's or my score. He just had to help me throw the ball. I had a fowl on almost every frame. But he had tons of fun!

Blue

2009-01-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

The other day, Cole asked if he could have a fruit roll up. I said no. He must have really wanted one because after I had left the kitchen he helped himself to a blue fruit roll up. What really frightens me is where is the plastic? We still haven't found it.

Why We Love Vegas

2009-01-15T10:56:00.001-08:00

After spending time up north in the snow, it's so great to come home to beautiful sunshine. It has been so nice outside. We've been spending lots of time playing at the park and in the back yard. The boys are loving it!

Life doesn't get much better for Cole than to be playing outside and eating a sucker!