Schaugaard Family....Forever!

~Let Freedom Ring~

2011-07-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July and I love that there is so much going on in celebration of the 4th of July in our small hometown. There is always a street dance with live bands going on the night before and a rodeo, but we always go to the rodeo on the 4th of July so we can watch the best firework show around that follows the rodeo that night. On the 3rd of July we always take the kids to the Aurora park where they have all the bounce houses and bounce slides set up and Rylee performs her cute mini cheer dance. After the fun, we stay to watch the fireworks at the Aurora park with grandma and papa Schaugaard. Everyone came to watch Rylee perform, there was grandma Dean and Tom, grandma and papa Schaugaard, and grandma Shauna.She did such a good job and looked so cute out there.
On the 4th of July, we start the day off by taking the kids to all the fun little games, races, and lots of treats. I took the kids on the fire engine ride and Dax was so scared when I climbed on there with him. Brett didn't come with and since he is such a daddy's boy and was afraid he was reaching out for Brett crying. He cried for the first few blocks, then he was fine and had fun. Although he wasn't loving it when the siren would turn on. Then we can't forget to watch the grease poll; where teams get together and climb a wooden poll covered in crisco. Of course it has an incentive, the poll is also covered in money, and the higher you can get, the more money you will get. It is crazy watching them climb on top of each others heads and shoulders to get to the top. After the games, we went and had lunch and then got ready for the parade. Rylee got to ride in the parade this year with the mini cheer group. She has fun doing that kind of stuff and gets so excited. Dax loved the parade and chasing after candy. I had to get out there and get candy for Rylee, which I don't mind since I am like a kid still when it comes to all this fun holiday stuff. After the prade we went home and got changed into warmer clothes and loaded up our stuff for the rodeo. The best part about the rodeo is always the bull rides, those have always been our favorite. But the reason we really love to come is for the best firework show around. I love the music they play that sets the mood for this whole celebration and what its all about, along with some extremely awesome fireworks. And there is nothing better than watching them from the hill and having them literally explode right above you.
I just love this holiday. It seems like everyone that has moved away comes back during this holiday, so its nice to see old faces around.

It's MATOR

2011-06-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

On our way to the Manti Pool we saw Mator at the Gunnison theatre. It was so cute and because Dax absolutely loves Cars, I had to stop.

Fun in the Sun...

2011-06-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the Manti pool for the first time this summer. They had a blast! At first, Dax wasn't sure what to think about the whole thing, but after just a few minutes he was loving it. It is so nice over there because it starts out shallow and gets deeper, like a beach would be, plus it has the waterslide, the part where the water moves you around fast, and basketball hoop. So it works out for all ages. Dax crawled around in the shallow end the entire time and was loving it, but by the end of the day he had wore two raw sores on each knee from crawling on the cement bottom. Rylee had so much fun floating all over in her life jacket and even went down the waterslide. It was a fun day spent with my sister and her kids.

Lets Go Fishin'

2011-06-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

We took the kids camping with Brett's parents and grandma and grandpa Schaugaard at Forsyth and the kids were so excited because they were going to be able to fish for the first time. And not just any fishing, but they got to actually fish from the boat, which they thought was absolutely the neatest thing ever. Camping is always fun and the kids had a great time and absolutely loved fishing and just riding in the boat. I can't wait to take them again soon.
The next morning we got up and went on a really long four wheeler ride. Of course, both kids cried to ride with their dad, and once again I found myself bribing Rylee to ride with me. When it came time for Dax to take a turn with me, he cried and tried to lift his leg over and jump off to go with dad. Yes it makes me sad....I swear I am a fun driver too! Rylee thought it was pretty neat that we went on a trail named "Riley trail" and by the end of the ride Dax was sound asleep on the four wheeler. It was a fun camping trip.

Family BBQ

2011-06-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

I love summer days....I love hanging out and having a BBQ....and even more, I love having a BBQ in the summer with all my family there. Its just so nice to hang out, laugh, joke, eat, and just enjoy each other. It doesn't happen often enough with all of our busy lives. Mark was in town visiting from Hawaii so we made sure to plan it for that weekend. It was a lot of fun! All the cousins get along so well and have such a great time together. Hearing them run around and giggle is music to my ears. I think back when I was little and I grew up so close to all my cousins. We had family get togethers all the time and looking back now, that is where most of my memories as a child come from. I hope our kids can be close growing up and create some fun memories like I did as a child.

Rylee plays T-Ball

2011-06-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

This year was the first year that Rylee played T-ball. We were hoping she could do coach pitch because she can do that so well and it is a little faster paced, but at her age they only have t-ball. She did such an awesome job and had a lot of fun, but definitely likes dance, gymnastics, and soccer more. I swear she is so good at everything she tries and once again we were so proud of her. She got out there and hit the ball so hard. It was a lot of fun watching her.

Preschool Graduation

2011-05-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Our big girl has officially graduated from preschool and will be a big Kindergarten girl next year. I honestly cannot even believe it. It has flew by way too fast. It makes me so proud to watch her. She is such a smart and outgoing little girl and is so kind to all the other little kids around her. She has learned so much and had so much fun this past year of preschool. She loved her teacher Mrs. Nelson and will miss not having her for the next school year, but is also very excited about going to the "big school".

We love you and are so proud of you Rylee-Bug. Always follow your dreams...and never give up.

Bubble Time!

2011-05-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

I love watching the kids jump around and chase after bubbles. There is something about it that just melts me. The simple joy it gives them to chase after the bubbles and stomp on them as they hit the ground or the loud giggles they let out when one lands on their hand or their face. I love everything about it.

Love these kids....

2011-05-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

....to pieces!!!

Soccer 2011

2011-05-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

Previously I had mentioned that Rylee was in Soccer and I even posted a few pictures. She had a lot of fun and did such a great job this year. I coached her team and had so much fun doing it. Here is our team picture.

~Cousins~

2011-05-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

On May 3, 2010, we went out and took some pictures of some of the cousins together. Unfortunately everyone couldn't make it at the same time but we got some cute pictures.

My Adorable Kids

2011-05-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

On May 3, 2010, I decided to go out and take a few very quick pictures of my kids as part of a Mother's Day gift we were putting together for my mom and Brett's mom. I love these two ADORABLE little kids!!!

Dance Recital & Gym Meet

2011-05-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Rylee was in both dance and gymnastics this year and loved both. She does so good at both and seems to have a natural talent for it because she catches on so well and learns things so quickly. In gymnastics, this was her first year and by February she was not only doing her backbend and kicking over but she was doing her leg-up back walkover with no problem. Which is how she broke her arm. She had them mastered and was practicing doing four in a row and one of the times she just landed wrong. She was out of gymnastics for 8 weeks because of this break and I was really worried because the gym meet was only a week and a half after she was able to return to practices. So she had one practice before the gym meet.

The gym meet and dance recital was on April 30, 2011. She had to do two passes....one of the passes, I believe, was handstand tuck and roll, front roll, rebound, back extension roll, rebound and the other pass she had to do cartwheel, one-handed cartwheel, round-off, rebound. She was barely able to do the one handed cartwheel a week before the meet and she did awesome. Anybody out there that didn't know she had a broken arm would have never even been able to tell she went without so many practices. She was up against 5 and 6 year olds. She ended up taking 1st place overall for her level and group. We couldn't have been more proud!

At the dance recital she had so much fun. She always loves getting into her costume, putting on makeup and glitter and going out there with all her friends and dancing. And boy can this girl do some awesome toe touches. She also loves that afterward she can stay and watch all the other dances. Usually after Rylee is done Brett will take Dax and head home while Rylee and I stay and watch the whole thing. Dax does not like sitting still, so 30 minutes feels like hours when trying to get him to sit there and watch.

It was a really fun year and we look forward to the next season of dance and gymnastics, which starts in about two weeks now. She loved doing both dance and gymnastics and really liked her teachers Miss Bree and Miss Katie.

Getting Caught Up...

2011-05-01T02:19:00.000-07:00

Our Dax is getting so big! He has been potty trained since about a week after his 2nd birthday. It is so crazy seeing my baby in big boy underwear....I am so proud of him, yet so sad to know my baby is growing up. Good Job Dax, Mommy & Daddy are so proud of you!!!

Rylee got her cast off on April 4th. The days leading up to it she kept saying she would just have it on forever. She was scared to get it cut off. But the day before she started getting really excited and was excited while waiting at the doctors even. It wasn't until he pulled the cast off her arm that she got scared. I could tell she was more worried about what her arm might look like or that it might hurt than just having the cast taken off. She did so well with it on that the 6 weeks just flew by. She could write with her left hand better than some kids her age can write with their normal hand. She did everything left handed without any problems.

Rylee played soccer again this year and loved it. She was so good this year. I coached her team and loved being able to experience that with her and be a part of that. Our first game she scored all 5 of our points and Brett and I couldn't have been more proud of her. We ended up playing the entire season undefeated and all the kids seemed to have such a great time. (I will post more pictures later).

She also played T-Ball this year. They just finished up a few weeks ago. She had fun but I think it was a little slow paced for her with it being t-ball rather than coach pitch. I think we will let her stick to dance, gymnastics and soccer for right now, but overall she had fun and did such an awesome job. She was so good at hitting the ball. It was a lot of fun watching her. (pictures to come soon!)

~Easter 2011~

2011-04-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

The kids both had so much fun on Easter morning. It was a big difference for Dax compared to last year. They were both so excited when they saw their baskets and both loved finding eggs. The Easter bunny spoiled them as usual and hid a whole lot of eggs both inside and out. They were even spoiled by mommy & daddy and also grandma & papa.

Caineville Wash~Spring 2011

2011-04-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

We love to go camping and riding four wheelers and the kids love it even more. Every year we go camping at Caineville Wash with Brett's parents, Rick and Judi. Rather than going camping on easter weekend this year, we decided to go about a week before Easter. The kids had so much fun riding their bikes, playing in the dirt, climbing the hills, and even rolling eggs down the hills. Our friend Steven also came with his three kids, which Rylee loved because it gave her lots of kids to play with. They roasted marshmallows, played games, rode their bikes and even watched a movie together. They all get along great!

Both the kids did such so good on their four wheelers all by themselves. Dax rode around camp really well and steers his way around stuff perfectly. Rylee did so good and would ride all by herself on long rides. She would follow behind us so good. She is getting too big for words!

100% GIRL

2011-04-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem to matter how old our little Rylee-Bug gets, she always loves to wear make-up and play dress up. If its not dress-up, she is wearing old dance costumes and dancing around to music. She loves to dance. Here is a picture of her from April 23, 2011. She came out to model it for grandma Judi & Papa and I quickly got a picture of her.

Our Handsome Boy

2011-04-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

What more can I say...he is such a handful but so handsome and we love him to pieces. Although it takes some work to get pictures of him, every once in a while I am able to succeed at tricking him into taking a good picture. I love the way these turned out.

The Cinderella Pageant

2011-04-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

On April 2, 2011, Rylee participated in the Cinderella pageant. She had so much fun doing it and is so cute out there on the stage. I really enjoy watching her and seeing how happy it makes her to do it. She was pretty tired by the end of the day since she had played a soccer game that morning and then we ran home and got her ready and headed straight to the pageant and was there until at least 10 pm that night.

With this pageant they do their back stage interview, then they have their casual wear on stage, their on stage interview, and then they have their party wear on stage. She did great at all of them and had such "pretty feet" on stage.

She ended up taking "Overall Photogenic" for her division and received a sash, crown and plaque. She was exstatic. I love seeing her get so proud of herself. We love you Rylee-Bug and could not be more proud of you. Just seeing her have so much fun makes it fun for us too.

Four Wheeler Fun!!!

2011-04-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

Dax has been riding his little four wheeler since he was two years old and he absolutely loves it. He can fly around on this thing at high speed and drives like a little pro. Although it does scare mom a little, he loves it. These pictures were taken on March 27, 2011, so he had just turned two and has an absolute blast and does such a great job. Both Rylee and Dax caught on to riding four wheelers very quickly and at a young age. Rylee was only 21 months when she started riding one and Dax 24 months.

Happy 2nd Birthday DAX!!!

2011-03-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

Meeska! Mooska! Mickey Mouse!

We celebrated a very special 2nd birthday at Dax's clubhouse!

On March 17th, our little Dax turned TWO years old. I cannot believe two years have already gone by since he was born. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him in my arms at the hospital. It makes me sad that he is growing up so fast, but at the same time I love watching him grow and learn new things. He has been such a huge joy to our lives!

For his 2nd birthday I had huge plans! I planned to make cute Mickey and Minnie ears for all the kids to wear, I planned to make this adorable 2-tier fondant cake, and cute Mickey invitations and treat holders. Every year I forget how busy the month of March is for me and when his birthday comes around I am stressed out trying to pull it all together. I guess that is my own fault for planning so many ideas for his birthday party!

I got an early start on the ears and the treat bags because I knew March would be very busy. The only thing that I was not able to pull through on is the cake. I wanted to make something similar to this cute cake I had found online....

And then as the time came, I thought maybe I would do something a little simpler, similar to this....

And when I woke up to no power the morning of his party, I sent Brett to Walmart for an already made cake and placed some Mickey toys on top. So this is what his cake ended up looking like.

Of course the kids still loved the cake and ice cream. It didn't have to be a perfectly planned out cake for them to enjoy it. The kids all seemed to have a great time! Dax loved opening his presents and wanted each thing out of the box, right away. When it was time to sing "Happy Birthday" to him he was so cute....he sat there moving his head back and forth while we sang and when we were done he started singing "happy birthday" so we started singing it again and about 5 words in he blew out his candles. It was the funniest thing! He loved that it was his special day.

It turned out to be a great day spent with family. Happy 2nd Birthday Dax....We Love You!!!

My Gorgeous & Photogenic Rylee

2011-03-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

On March 29, 2011, we went out and took some quick pictures of Rylee to enter into the Cinderella Pageant. I had so much fun taking them. I also took some of my niece Jayde the same day. The girls had fun and so did I. I think they turned out great! She is such a gorgeous little girl and we just love her to pieces. (Not sure why the pictures are not posting as clear as they really are....maybe I need to find a better way of uploading them.)

The Petting Zoo

2011-03-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

We went to meet my sister-in-law Lenny and my cute little niece Savanah on the way to Cruz's baseball tournament and while we were waiting for them we walked over to this small petting zoo. The kids were loving it and so was Judi and I. They had the cutest baby zebra. Both Rylee and Dax fed the zebra and goats right from their hands. It was so cute!

Look what I can do....

2011-03-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here is Dax riding his 4 wheeler for the very first time! He was loving it. He actually did a really good job. I made sure Brett stayed pretty close at all times, but for the most part he did really well and he loved every minute of it. My baby boy is growing up too fast!

Happy St. Patick's Day...

2011-03-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Not only is today St. Patty's Day, but its Dax's 2nd birthday. He is our little lucky charm!

Rylee was pretty excited when she woke up this morning because right away we could see that some silly little Leprechaun had ran through the house leaving little green footprints all over the place. We found them on our papers, our paper towels, our vitamin container, the fridge, the milk carton, just everywhere. He had turned our milk and our pancake mix green! So for breakfast we had green pancakes with green milk. The kids thought it was quite exciting.

Later that night we came home to find gold chocolate coins scattered down the hall and into both kids' bedrooms and on their beds. Rylee was running around gathering those coins up as fast as she could.

The kids had a fun St. Patrick's Day! (This is the only picture I have and it was with my cell phone, so not the best!)

~Vegas Here We Come~

2011-03-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

You have no idea how excited I was for this girls trip. I have been married for 7.5 years and have never had a girls trip. It was a much needed vacation and I could not wait. We had been planning it since the very beginning of January and it ended up working out even better than planned when my friend Britania moved to Salina from St. George.

Britania and I loaded up into her car and headed toward our next stop, which was Parowan for Tiff. We stopped there and picked up Tiff and her son Tanner and headed to Las Vegas with one stop at the Target in St. George on our way. We were already running an hour late so Shauni wanted us to hurry and get our butts there.

We arrived at Shauni's house, unloaded all our stuff, got ourselves all cute, and headed out. Friday night we watched a band called Yellow Brick Road, which was a ton of fun. We danced and had a good time together. Afterwards we hung out for a bit, grabbed some good ol' Del Taco and headed back to Shauni's house. We could not stop laughing and had such a good time together.

Saturday we got up, got all ready, loaded all our stuff up, left Jason with the kids and headed out for some shopping at the mall. I must mention that I bought my first VS bra ever and I have no idea why it took this long for me to buy one. Its the best thing ever...I love it. (Thanks girls for convincing me that I would love it.) Afterwards we went and checked into the hotel, got all ready for a night out on the town, had some drinks, and then headed to meet Tisha and her roommate for dinner at Cabo Wabo. After dinner we headed out to some different bars, listened to some different bands, danced, and had the best time ever. I have never laughed so much in my life. I love those girls and love the times I get to hang out with them. I have been great friends with all of them since 6th grade and I love that we are all still such great friends. I look forward to the next girls trip, and I am sure it will not come fast enough.

Poor Dax!

2011-03-17T23:34:00.000-07:00

My sweet little Dax started sounding sick around the 6th of March and that night was up having a hard time breathing. Brett and I took turns sitting in the steamy hot bathroom with him, which seemed to help. I could tell immediately that he had croup. I knew I was going out of town the next weekend and wanted to make sure I knew what was wrong and that he was feeling okay before I left. I took him over for a doctor appointment on the 7th and found out it was croup and he was given a steroid medicine. We did some breathing treatments, which he was fine with the first 2 minutes but after that he cried and got mad. I had to do them while he was sleeping after that.

That night he slept better but all day Tuesday he was fevering really high and very lethargic. He layed around sleeping most the day and just wanted mommy to lay with him. It was so sad. I feel so helpless when my kids are sick. I called the very next morning and got another appointment to have him seen again. We went in and they decided to do a chest xray. The doctor gave him an antibiotic shot and a prescription for an antibiotic. He layed around a lot that day, but Thursday it was like night and day. The antibiotic had kicked in and he would get up and play for a short time and then take a rest. I could see a huge difference and by Friday when I left he seemed so much better, besides I was leaving him with his daddy so I knew he would be just fine. On the way out of town I got a call letting me know that he did have pneumonia and to make sure to continue the antibiotic for the full 10 days. Poor thing! I felt so bad, but was glad he was feeling so much better and that the antibiotic was doing its thing.

Rylee's Cast!

2011-03-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

So it has been almost 4 weeks since Rylee broke her arm and almost 3 weeks since she got her hard cast on. I have to be honest, the time has flew by. She does so good with that cast, it amazes me. Honestly, you wouldn't even know she has a broken arm. She runs around playing, doing toe touches, riding her big wheel, playing kick ball, just about anything she could do before. She is so big about the whole thing, and actually she told us that she is scared to get it off and would rather just keep it on forever.

~Cute Baby Bums~

2011-03-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

I had just bought a mirror to use as a photography prop and decided I would test it out on Dax first. I love baby bums and since Dax is almost two, it won't be long before he is too old to use with this type of prop. Here are a few pictures I got of him at 23 months old. He was actually scared sitting on the mirror....he didn't dare move. He acted as if he was going to fall into this hole to nowhere. It definitely made it easier for me to snap some pictures.

Finally...

2011-02-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Rylee was able to get her hard cast! She has been counting down the days until she could get her hard cast on because she wanted to be done with her sling. We were scheduled to go over and get it on February 28th. On the morning of the 26th we received a call from Dr. Nay's nurse asking if we could come over in an hour and get Rylee's permanent cast put on. Of course, without hesitation, I said "Sure!"

When I hung up with the nurse and told Rylee she was so excited. We rushed to get ready and out the door we went. I had tried to call Brett to tell him, but wasn't able to get a hold of him. We decided we wouldn't tell him and when he got home from the gym and hair cut, he would be surprised to see her with her cast on.

We were the only patients at the doctor office since they opened up for him to come in and put her cast on before going out of town. Dax was a little monster in there, going from room to room, but once we found him a toy to play with, he stayed content for at least 5 minutes.

Rylee was extremely brave, of course. I was told by a nurse at the hospital to make sure she is sitting when the takes off her temporary cast because 90% of the time they pass out. She said it doesn't hurt but they are always scared it will hurt or what it might look like. She said her son has broken his arm three times and passed out every time they took it off. Not my Rylee-Bug! She sat there with no problems and did everything the doctor asked her too. He had asked her about pain and when she said that it wasn't hurting too bad, he said this little girl definitely has a high pain tolerance.

She chose to have a blue cast! I was sure she would choose pink, but she said that her favorite colors are blue, pink and purple and in that order. She said pink use to be her very favorite, but now blue is. I am sure I will be glad by the end of the process since pink would look diry much faster. The doctor did say that she needs to be very careful with it for one more week and still needs to wear the sling for that additional week.

Today she will go back to school for the first time since she broke her arm. She is a little nervous about what people will think or say. She has been such a big girl about everything. I am so proud of her and love this sweet little girl more than she could ever imagine.
Here are some pictures of us on our way to get her permanent cast, while she is getting it put on, afterwards and then her first day going to school with her cast. Only five weeks left!!!

Look what I can do!!!

2011-02-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

Rylee has learned to tie her shoe. She figured it out on February 12th, 2011. We were sitting at home, Brett had just went to bed, and Rylee and I were sitting and watching some television. A song came on about learning yo tie your shoe. She decicded she wanted to try again. So she grabbed one of her shoes and learned within two tries. She went in to show her daddy and he could not believe that he had just went to bed 5 minutes before and she already learned to tie her shoe in that time. She was super excited and so were we. We are SO proud of her each and everyday!

Our Poor Little Rylee-Bug~

2011-02-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, February 20th, our sweet little Rylee hurt herself pretty bad and we ended up in the emergency room. It was so sad! (Here is the whole story. You may want to grab some popcorn for this one. It is a bit long, I must say.)

Dax was sleeping and Brett had went over to his parents house to help his dad with an engine. I was making some stuff for Dax's upcoming birthday party and Rylee was in the living room, just across the bar from me, practicing her leg-up back walkover. For her pass she has to do 4, leg-up back walkovers in a row. So she started practicing and did three of them in a row, perfectly! Then she ran out of room, so came back to try again. I was looking up and watching her, and when she threw herself back, she must have second guessed something she had done because she sort of twisted to her right side, which made her land with her weight on her right arm. (Yes the arm she does everything with). I heard a really loud "crunch". Right away I said, "ooh, Rylee, did you pop your finger or something?" And I looked at her and she was holding her wrist. Not crying, just making a whimpering noise. I ran over to look at her wrist because I knew I heard a crunch and when I saw her holding her arm, I immediately had a bad feeling. I cannot even begin to describe how I felt next. I looked at her arm and it looked like a bent rubber snake. All the way up her forearm was "s" shaped. I started to freak out! I started yelling, "oh my heck, you broke your arm." I think I repeated this over and over as I ran through the house. I kept telling her to just stay where she was and not to move. I grabbed my phone and frantically called Brett as I was grabbing Dax from his crib and loading him in the car. Then I came back and loaded Rylee into the car. I got about 3 blocks when Brett called and asked me to wait for him. I did not want to waste any more time and told him to meet us at Barrett's and get in there. When we picked him up, he got in the car and said, "Oh honey I am so sorry, are you okay?" Rylee said, "I broke my arm." Still not crying! She kept saying, "ohhh, ohhh, it hurts like 100." I could barely even speak without crying. Seeing your kids hurt and not being able to take the pain away from them is really hard.

I had called the hospital on our way over because I wanted to get her right in and not worry about admitting and everything. Right when we got there, the doctor walked in. It was Dr. Nay, and he did such an awesome job. Rylee loved him and so did me and Brett. They took two xrays right away and realized it was broke all the way through both the radius and the ulna. The brake was also diagonally rather than straight across. As she was being wheeled from the xray room and back to her room, grandma Judi and papa Rick came walking in. She was really excited to see them there.

Dr. Nay knew as soon as he saw it that he would need to set it back into place. So he had a nurse come in and give Rylee an IV. That was the worse part. I know how bad they hurt from having babies and I will say that out of everything I went through when having two kids, the only thing I dreaded was the IV.

At this point Rylee still had not cried. When they poked her with the needle, she must have still been trying to be so strong because she still didn't really cry, but she said "ouch" with a sad voice and a tear ran from each eye. I felt so bad, I just kept wishing I could take her place. I hate seeing her like this. After that the nurse and doctor got everything ready, which included having the xray tech bring the xray machine to her room and get it ready to take an xray the second Dr. Nay had it set and wrapped. If it did not set right he would have to take this hard half cast back off and start over. They put the medicine in her IV and shortly after she was out. Sound asleep!

At this point Dr. Nay asked me and Brett if we are okay with being in the room while he sets her arm (which consists of him straightening and braking it back into place). Immediately I said I will have to go out. I knew I would not be able to handle it and would have passed out. I stood right outside the door and even through that big wooden door I heard, "crunch-crunch". After he set it, he put on something that is hard like a hard cast but just goes about 3/4 of the way around the arm, leaving a slit so it can expand with the swelling of the arm. Then it is wrapped with an ace compression bandage. Because of where her break was at, he did not want her to be able to bend her fingers or her elbow. The cast goes from the tips of her fingers to her elbow and then she was placed in a sling. The doctor told us that she must always keep her arm at a 90 degree angle and tkae it easy while she has this cast on and especially during the first 2-3 days.

She slowly started to wake up and she was quite funny when she woke up. I asked if she had a good nap and she said, "Yes, I like naps." Then she told us that she had been sleeping for hours, when really it was about 15 minutes. She kept saying how nice her nap was. Then she saw her sling with Charlie Brown and Snoopy on it and said, "Oh thank you, I like this." When papa came in he said, oh wow, Charlie Brown, I like him and Rylee said, I knew you would! It was cute.

We were so thankful that Rick and Judi were both there because while we were both able to sit there and comfort Rylee, they were walking around keeping Dax entertained. It made a huge difference and was so much help. They had her lay around for about 30 minutes after she had woke up and then sent us on our way.

When we got home we made her a nice comfortable spot on the couch and put in a movie of her choice. Soon after we got home there was a knock at the door. It was Cody & Amy Boyce bringing Rylee some treats and a juice. It really made her happy. About an hour later there was another knock at the door. It was Aunt Shanda, and cousins: Teyara, Rylan, Jayde, Jayslin, and Trayton. They had all made her individual cards specially from them and brought a huge bag of candy and a bug juice. She was so excited and happy as we read each card to her. Shortly after, Dylan and Aunt Andrea came to the door with ice cream bars for her. Rylee loves ice cream. A little later grandma Shauna came with a balloon for Rylee and a few little activities to keep her entertained. There was a Mrs. Potato Head and a coloring page. She was really happy. So many people came and I know it made her happy because when Andrea knocked, Rylee said, "I bet it is someone else to make me feel better."

The next day Andrea and Teyara brought over some flowers and balloons from all of them. They were so pretty and it made Rylee really happy. She also got some flowers, balloons, and a little stuffed lamb from Brett and I. The next day grandma Judi brought some treats and then she got a card in the mail from grandma and grandpa Schaugaard which really cheered her up.

Between all the sweet treats, the phone calls, and the texts, everyone has been so sweet and concerned about our little Rylee and we really appreciate it. We have such great friends and family.

The first night was a little rough, especially for me I think. I had her sleep with me and I was so worried about her straightening out her arm that everytime she moved I would jump up to check on her. Each night has gotten better and better.

She constantly realizes how hard it is only having one hand and especially only one left hand, but she actually does very well with her left hand. She wrote her name the very first night and I took a picture of it. It was surprisingly good for being her first try. She also drew a flower and wrote I {heart} U and she did awesome.

We went to her follow up doctor appointment on February 23rd and they first took some xrays to make sure it has stayed where he set it, which it has, so that was great news. She was hoping to get her hard cast today, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. Dr. Nay said that it was looking good, but was still very swollen and scheduled us to come and get her permanent hard cast on Monday, February 28th. He did say that her cast will have to go past her elbow, which is really sad, but whatever will help her heal correctly.

So far everything is good and we are counting down to the day she gets her permanent cast and no sling. The hardest part has been baths, changing clothes and Rylee getting so bored and wanting to still jump around and play with her brother. I will update again soon with her new cast once she has it.
We have been so extremely proud of our little Rylee. She has been so brave and so strong through the entire thing. It makes me realize how much of a stronger person I am because of Rylee. We {heart} you little Rylee-bug!
Thanks again to everyone that has been so sweet and so concerned about Rylee, we are so grateful to have such great people in our lives. xoxo.

Happy Valentine's

2011-02-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Valentine's Day! I am not completely sure what it is about it, but I love it. I love showing extra love to my family, I love helping Rylee make her cute treats for her class, I love seeing red & pink everywhere, I love that I have an excuse to give extra kisses and hugs to my kids and my loving husband...I absolutely {heart} everything about this day!

This year we decided to celebrate it as a family. It was such a nice day Saturday, so we decided to take the kids to the park. There was still some puddles around from the snow melting and of course Dax found every single one of them. I tried my hardest to keep him out of them, but he still left the park with wet shoes, socks and pants. After that we went to have a late lunch/early dinner together. When we got home, Dax, Rylee, and myself all layed down to take a nap. Rylee wanted to nap because she wanted Valentine's to come faster.

When we woke up, grandma Dean and Tom showed up with a valentine treat for both kids. After they left, we decided to give the kids the stuff from us and from grandma Judi & Papa Rick. They were so excited! From grandma Judi & papa Rick they got valentine jammies and some candy. From us, Rylee got a jewelry box, a cute diamond necklace that looks like a key with a heart on it, "I Love You" book, a cute caterpillar stuffed animal that sings, and lots of candy. Dax got a tractor toy, a diesel toy, a big stuffed animal dog and candy. Then we gave them a movie together. They were both really excited and looked so cute in their new jammies.

Today Rylee had her class party at school. She couldn't wait to take her treat bags to class and hand out to each one of her classmates. She looked so cute after we got her ready for school that we decided to go outside and snap a few quick pictures of her. At class, they got to decorate their own miniature cake. She had a fun day!

Like I said before, I LOVE this day! I love my cute little family. I love Rylee & Dax to pieces....more than words could ever say! I love my sweet husband Brett. He is the reason I am who I am today. He is a great daddy to our kids and such a great husband too. We have been together for 14 years and 5 months (as of yesterday). We have been married for 7 years and 5 months (as of yesterday), and I look forward to many more years with my cute family. I am thankful for all the love I have in my life....from my husband, my kids, all of my family, and my friends.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy {HEART} Day!

2011-02-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

I {HEART} Valentine's Day!

I {HEART} my cute little family....and even though I let them know this each and every day, I absolutely LOVE getting to show them even more on Valentine's Day with all the cute little "I Love You" gifts they have out there!

I had an idea to take some pictures with the kids and letters. The kids were not at all into my picture taking that day, but we got a few. I absolutely LOVE the ones I took of them together.

I hope everyone has a Happy {HEART} Day!

~22 months....continued~

2011-01-30T23:44:00.000-08:00

Since I posted Dax's 22 month update, I have thought of quite a few things I forgot to mention. Rather than going in and updating my previous post, I figured I would just create a new one.

I had a few pictures that I snapped over the last month that I thought was really cute. It seems like lately Rylee and Dax play so good, but they also seem to fight a lot more too. I never thought an almost 2 year old and a 5 year old could fight so much. But when they are getting along, its great! They have so much fun together and will sit in their rooms and play together or chase each other around the house. They love each other so much and are so cute together. Rylee is such a sweet big sister when she wants to be.

Whenever she sits at the computer to play her game, Dax has to come over and sit on her lap so he doesn't miss anything. And even though you can tell its tough for Rylee to play with him on her lap, she doesn't seem to mind one bit.

They love to play like they are camping out in Dax's play tent, or use it to hide in or play cats and dogs in. I snuck in and got a few pictures of them the other night while they were in playing like they were sleeping in the tent.

Over the last month Dax has become extremely independent. He will not let you feed him at all anymore. If you ty to feed him he just gets really mad and upset and will not eat. Then if you sit him at the table and let him feed himself, he is as happy as can be. One day Rylee had a can of pringles out and he wanted some, so she gave him a chip and he got so mad and started crying and screaming. I thought he wanted her chip instead, so to stop the loud screaming I asked her to just give her chip to him and get herself a new one. So, she did, and he screamed more. Finally, I thought maybe he wants the can. So I handed the can toward him and all he wanted was to reach in and get his own chip. Grandma Judi learned this the hard way when she kept trying to feed him spaghettio's the other day and I kept telling her that he probably won't eat it that way because he is so independent. She tried and he got mad, she tried again and he yelled, and the third time he just started crying and came in to tell me. It was pretty funny. Then I tried putting a dish towel around his neck like a bib and he was not happy about that either. I have learned that he wants to do it all on his own and does not want to be treated like a baby at all.

As much of a big boy as he tries to be, I am happy to say that he still loves to give hugs, kisses, and to cuddle. That makes me very happy. He is such a little lover boy.

He loves laying in our bed or Rylee's bed to watch movies and tries to get us to let him sleep in them at night for bed, but I am not ready to take him out of his crib just yet. He just seems too young and I cannot imagine that naptime would be so easy if he was in a bed that he could easily climb out of. So for now, we will stick with the crib. (Maybe in another 6 months or so.)

He has a big box of all kinds of trucks, cars, four wheelers, bikes, and diesels to play with and he loves them. All day long I am picking up cars. He drives them all over the house and wants us to all join in. He makes the perfect "vroom" noises for each vehicle too. I love it. He is such a cutie!

Some of my favorite things to hear him say is "I Love You", "uh-oh spaghettio's" and the cutest ever is when he says "Schaugaard". It is so funny because we were all just talking and I said something to Rylee about spelling our last name and when I said Schaugaard, Dax started saying "Stou-dard" "Stou-dard", over and over. It was the cutest thing ever and to this day I think he loves to say it because any time he hears us say it, he has to repeat it a few times.

Another milestone I must mention is that he finally dares to take a shower. He has always been so terrified of showers. When Rylee was a baby we would take her in the shower sometimes and she loved it. We tried with Dax and he was terrified. Every once in a while we would try again and he would scream in terror, so we had to get him out. He just barely got to where he is not scared of them and loves them.

He LOVES to dance and boy can this kid dance. He has got some rhythm too. He gets all low and gets all into it. He pulls this serious, rockstar facial expression. I cannot really explain it, but he looks like a rockstar, it is hilarious. And while pulling this face he is getting down and dancing. It makes me and Brett laugh every time. Rylee loves to dance too. So of course any time we have music going at the house, we have two cute kids dancing around to the beat.

Dax is still very shy when we go places where there is a lot of people, even if its people he knows. He is not a fan of huge groups of people I guess. It takes a good 45 minutes just to warm up enough so that me or Brett can even put him down. My nephew Jayden was amazed at how shy he is at big gatherings versus how he is at home when Jayden has come over. It is like night and day. It is definitely the big crowd thing that he doesn't like though because even when I go to watch Rylee dance and there is just a few "strangers" there, he will get down and try to play ball or trucks with the other people there with no problem.

He has this big Tonka truck that he got for Christmas and one day I went to check on him and he was sitting in it just playing with his toys. Brett decided to push him around in it and now he loves to go for rides in the Tonka. He had Brett, Dylan and me all pushing him around that day.

I could go on and on. He has such a cute personality and is such a sweet little boy. Although I do have to mention that he is still a daddy's boy. He loves me and wants me, but if daddy is around he usually chooses daddy over mommy. Some days I am lucky enough to be the favorite and I love those days. Maybe its because he is home all day with me and by the time Brett comes home from work he is needing some daddy time. It is pretty funny though because for some reason he seems to think that only Brett can touch the remote. If we are all watching t.v. and I pick up the remote at all, he will come and take it from me and take it right over to Brett. Same with Brett's phone. He knows which phone is Brett's and if I touch it, he will take it from me and take it to Brett also.

He is one silly little boy and we love him to pieces!

29 and Holding!!!

2011-01-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

I have officially turned 29 years old. That means only one year left until the big 3-0! I don't know why but thirty just sounds so old to me. I don't feel that old. And I guess that is what really matters, right? I have always said that I am only as old as I feel and act, so I would have to say that I am forever in my upper 20's. I guess as long as I feel great, then being so close to thirty really shouldn't bother me. So, here is to my last year in my twenties!!!

I had a really great birthday. For lunch, my sisters (Andrea, Shanda, & Brinne) and my mom took me and my kids to lunch at El Mexicano. They are so sweet; I love them all. I just love getting to go spend time with all of them, whether its for my birthday or one of theirs. Later that night Brett's parents took the kids and Brett and I went to have a nice enjoyable dinner at Steve's Steakhouse where I also had the best piece of cheesecake ever. Afterward we went and saw the movie "Little Fockers". It was funny, but none of them will beat the first one, "Meet the Parents." That was and still is my favorite one. Then we picked up the kids and went home and relaxed together. I had a really fun time with him.

I got some really great gifts on my birthday. I got 3 pairs of pajamas and some yoga pants from Victoria's Secret, a really cute black long sleeve shirt, a super cute hand-made magnet board, some sweet birthday cards, money, and from my sweet, loving, and wonderful husband, I got a new Nikon D3000 SLR camera, which I was extremely excited about. I have been wanting a digital SLR camera for a very long time now.

My day turned out great thanks to everyone! I don't have any pictures from my birthday, but here is a picture of my new magnet board.

~22 months~

2011-01-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that my baby is almost 2 years old. Where did the time go? We just love him so much and have enjoyed the entire 22 months with him. He is the funniest little boy ever! Rylee adores him and he adores her. He loves to play with her, it is so cute. He says more and more words. He has always been really good to repeat just about any word I say, but he is repeating more and learning how to ask for things by name rather than just taking me to them. He easily can say 50-100 words. He loves to help me pick up so I will hand him something and tell him to take it to his toybox, or Rylee's toybox, or the dirty clothes hamper and he takes everything and puts them where I say. He LOVES pickles still and pretty much any kind of fruit. I cannot cut up an apple without him eating half of it. His favorite foods definitely have to be anything Italian. He likes things with spaghetti or marinara type sauces; such as, Spaghetti, Ravioli, Pizza, Parmesan Chicken, and spaghetti-o's. I always know that any time I make Spaghetti or my Italian Bake, he will eat really good those nights. He loves milk and wants his cup refilled all day long. It is amazing he even has room for food as much as he enjoys his milk. Some of his favorite cartoons are Yo Gabba Gabba and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Some characters he also likes is Spiderman, Spongebob, and Buzz and Woody. At 22 months he weighs 28.5 lbs. and is 35 inches tall.

Before we know it, we will be celebrating his 2nd birthday!!!

I took some 22 month pictures of Dax with my new camera. It was a great way for me to try out my new camera and also get some practice with photoshop.

~It's a New Year~

2011-01-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

It's 2011 now and I am looking forward to whatever it may have in store, as long as it is spent with my wonderful family then I am HAPPY! I look forward to all the fun activities we get to do each year together from birthday parties, visits to the lake, the dunes, camping, traveling, playing at the park, and even just sitting inside eating popcorn and watching movies. I love my LIFE and am thankful for each person in it.

Almost every year my new year resolution is to lose weight and get into shape for the coming summer. This year is not a whole lot different, but instead of just wanting to lose these winter pounds I packed on, I also want to start eating right, exercising, and drinking more water. That is a big one since I am horrible at drinking water. I know our bodies need it, and it makes our skin look better and younger and less dry, but I still struggle at doing it. Well I am determined, starting TODAY, to drink more water, eat healthier and stay active.

Another goal of mine this year is to be a better mommy and wife. Really just a better person in general. Now I know if my husband read this he would probably say something like, "Babe you already do the best job you can as a mommy and a wife," but I want to do more. I want to make sure that I enjoy the little things with my kids more often, have even more patience with them, get to laugh at all the silly things they say and do even if I am stressed about something else, I want to stop and take the time to play around and be silly and not just with my kids but with Brett too. I want to take the time to enjoy the little moments with Brett, even if its just getting to watch an hour of tv together before he goes to bed or cuddling in bed on the weekends and watching a movie. I just want to stop and enjoy each moment and each person I get to spend it with.

I am looking forward to a great 2011.....

Christmas Joy~2010

2010-12-30T14:30:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house;

Two creatures were stirring and laughing about.
The stockings were hung on the door with care;

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Then we tore open our Christmas Eve gifts with "Ooh's and Aw's";

How exciting, its pajamas and the movie "Santa Paws".

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;

Watching their new movie with their tired little heads.

Special cookies were made and set out with some milk;

Now Rylee lay in her bed made of cozy soft silk.

For she knew the sooner she went to sleep;

Santa would arrive with some special gifts for her to keep.

The excitement was almost too much for her to bare;

So she asked dad to snuggle and asleep they soon fell as a pair.

Soon we were all snug in our own beds;

Santa visited with a sack full of toys and then he fled.

Now it wouldn't be long before the kids would awake;

With excitement and smiles there would be pictures to take.

Please enjoy our Christmas pictures, they are out of sight;

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!!!

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Rylee woke up around 6:30 am on Christmas morning and came into our room. I didn't even look at the clock, but I know it was still dark, so I told her to climb into our bed and go back to sleep for just a little longer. Soon I noticed it starting to get light and I had tossed and turned a few times. Apparently Rylee was still awake also because she said to me, "Mom, this has been the longest night ever, hasn't it!?" Then we both went back to sleep. Around 8:45 am Brett woke her up and said, "Rylee its Christmas". She was so tired from laying awake for so long that she told him to give her a minute because she was still really tired. She is so cute!

Within about 30 seconds, I think she must have realized what he had said and she woke right up. I came out and plugged in the tree lights and got the camera ready while Brett and Rylee went to get Dax up. Both kids were super excited when they came walking out. There sat matching Big Wheels. A pink one for Rylee and a red one for Dax. They both had to try them out really quick. Well except Dax, he just wanted to keep playing on it. Rylee went right into opening presents, but Dax had to be convinced at first. Once he realized there was fun things inside, he just kept opening them, pausing for a moment to play with each one. Rylee did so good at reading each tag and then showing me so I could confirm who it was to and from.

Rylee had a hard time deciding what she really wanted this year. Everything she thought of was just smaller toys. She asked for a talking Jessie doll from Toy Story 2 and 3 and she also asked for a Rescue Pet mommy dog with puppies in her belly. She got both of those from Santa and also a Zhu-Zhu pet, some Moxie doll's and stuff for her Moxie dolls, coloring books, crayons, hair stuff and headbands, and a whole bunch of candy. Dax got his Big Wheel, trucks, motorcycles, coloring books, and candy.

Some other stuff Rylee got was a spongebob doll and blanket, Baby Alive, newborn baby, big Minnie Mouse stuffed animal, Easy Bake oven, bean bag, Moxie doll head to do her hair and makeup, Aquadoodle, Lalaloopsy, lots of clothes, shoes, overnight bag, movies, littlest pet shop stuff, and lots of art stuff.

Some of the other stuff Dax got was a lot of trucks, diesels, big Tonka dump truck, Tapout shirt and beanie, a few toy guns, woody doll with a blanket (he loves Toy Story), movies, clothes, shoes, remote control car, and a tool box full of his very own tools.

Santa brought Brett and I a flatscreen TV for our bedroom. We were really excited. Brett and I also got lots of clothes, pajamas, bedroom set (for both of us), knife cutlery set for the kitchen (which was desperately needed), some dish towels that grandma Schaugaard makes us every year and I LOVE them so much, a handmade picture frame/shelf that my father-in-law surprised me with that I wanted very badly (I posted a picture of it with the blocks I made-I LOVE the way it all came together) and with his craftiness he pulled it off, and money which is always extremely helpful during this time of year!

Afterwards we had a really nice sized mess to clean up, but it was all worth watching the excitement that these two cute kids had on their faces. I loved every minute of it.

We all had a really great Christmas and we are so thankful to be able to spend it together as a family. We are all so lucky to have each other.

After the clean-up, I made a big breakfast and then we sort of just hung out most the day and played with all the new toys we had got. It was a nice relaxing day that ended with a nice ham dinner and then cuddling in together to watch our new movies.

We hope everyone else had a fun and safe holiday....Merry Christmas!

Christmas Party #2

2010-12-27T23:38:00.000-08:00

On December 19th we had our Christmas party on my side of the family. We had it at my sister Andrea's house and as always there was a lot of people, which makes it fun for th kids. There ended up being about 22 kids there. We had a big lunch with everyone and then while the kids were playing, Santa came walking in. Rylee had told me on the way that if Santa comes to this Christmas party she wanted to make sure she let him know that she wanted the talking Jessie doll from Toy Story 2 and 3 since she had forgot to tell him the time before. When Santa called her name she hopped right on his lap and told him that she wanted the Rescue Pet mommy dog with baby puppies and forgot to tell him about Jessie again. I told her it was a good thing that we have Buddy the Elf watching over her and reporting to Santa each night if she was good or bad that day and letting him know the things she wants for Christmas. She made sure to go right home and let Buddy the Elf know she really really wants a talking Jessie doll.

Now Dax was a different story. He is already a bit shy and nervous at my family get togethers because there is always so many people running around and being loud that he wants to be held by either me or Brett the entire time and will not let anyone else take him. So when Santa called his name and I took him up there, he screamed so loud. He was terrified. I tried moving him from one hip to the other so we could attempt to at least get a picture or see if he would take his present from Santa, but he clung onto me like a little monkey with suction cup hands and feet, while screaming at the same time. We did get one picture, but you cannot see Dax's face and my head is cut off. It was about all anyone could get in the dramatic moment. Poor little thing.

Both my kids looked so cute for both the Christmas parties this year. I just love these kids so much and think they are the cutest little things ever.

I love getting together for the holidays and having these family parties. Family, friends, food, fun, and Santa....it doesn't get much better than that.

Our First Snowman!

2010-12-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

We finally got a big enough snow storm to build a great snowman. This year has seemed so strange. We have had small snow storms here and there, but it seems like the snow melted so fast or it was light and powdery and didn't roll into a ball well. At last, we got a hige snow storm with about 14 plus inches of snow and it was good snowman building snow too. Rylee went out and rolled a huge ball in no time. Dax and Brett went out to join her in the snow fun while I stayed inside the warm house baking. Rylee and Dax worked together to build there first snowman all by themselves. It turned out perfect! Rylee has always LOVED the snow and Dax seems to be the same. They all had fun util Brett decided to give Rylee a little mini white wash and she was not happy. She came in the house crying and I told her to just stay inside with mommy, but I guess it must not have been too bad because she was back outside trying to get Brett back within minutes.

Christmas Party #1

2010-12-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

This year the kids were lucky enough to see Santa twice and both times were during a personal visit to our family Christmas parties. Of course, I would have to admit that poor Dax was probably not so thrilled about either one. He is terrified of Santa this year. Poor kid! He actually did a little better at the first family party than the second, but I think it was because he was already shy and nervous at the second one because there was a ton of people at that one.

Our first family party was with Brett's side of the family. Brett wasn't able to make it because we had it at 5 pm and he wasn't able to get off work early enough. I took the kids and went to his grandma's house. There was grandma Dean, Tom, Uncle Jeff, Judi, Josh, Michelle, Mercedes, Gage, Rylee, Dax and myself. We were all just hanging out and enjoying the kids when in walked Santa with a loud, "ho ho ho". Dax got scared instantly and wanted to come right back to me. I was hoping he would sit with grandma since I was in charge of getting some pictures, but it didn't happen. Good thing I can multi-task!

When Rylee heard Santa come in, she said she thought it was Uncle Jeff just messing around and pretending to be Santa when she just heard "ho ho ho-Merry Christmas", but then she realized that Uncle Jeff was right there with us. Her jaw dropped and then she got the biggest smile ever. She got right up there and told Santa that she wanted a toy mommy dog with babies inside her belly. They are called Rescue Pets and the mommy is pregnant with puppies and you end up with with a surprise of two or three puppies inside.

Tom thought all along she had asked for a real puppy and was trying to convince Grandma Dean that they should get her a puppy. Thank goodness they cleared it up with me before buying her a real puppy.

Afterward all the kids played with their presents and had a great time together. Michelle and Josh came to see our new house after the party and hung out while Rylee and Mercedes played.

It is always so much fun getting togetherfamily during this time of year!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

...and a Happy New Year!

With Love,

The Schaugaard's

Brett. Krista. Rylee. Dax.

Fall 2010~Maple Grove

2010-12-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

I try to get some pictures of the kids every Fall. I love Fall weather, it is so nice and so pretty. It took a while getting around to taking pictures this year. Fall is pretty busy for us; between Rylee's birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and other family birthdays, we are lucky to get out to take pictures. But I would not miss it for anything. I am glad I was able to get out and get the pictures when I did. If we would have waited any longer, we might have missed the colorful leaves. It was not the easiest task. Dax wanted me to carry him most the time and it was a little muddy near the creek, but we still got some cute pictures of the kids.

I still got it....

2010-12-16T23:52:00.000-08:00

Just because I am almost 29 years old does not mean I cannot still do handstands, cartwheels, round-offs, and even a little cheerleading. Rylee loves to play "cheerleader". She likes to stand up on my knee and do little stunts and poses. So, I decided to show her what I could do. We had fun! She watches her cousin Savanah cheer and Savanah passed down her old cheerleading uniform. Rylee loves to put it on and play cheer in it. Rylee has been doing SO good in gymnastics. This is her first year and she can do her cartwheel perfect, her standing roundoff and running roundoff really good, her one handed cartwheel, and then she can also do her running round-off and then back hand spring with a spot. She can also do her back walk over with a spot and back hand spring with a spot. We are so proud of her and she is loving both dance and gymnastics this year. I cannot wait to watch her perform, they always look so cute!

~The New Puppy~

2010-12-16T23:41:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Papa got a new puppy and they named him Max. When they got him he was only 7 weeks old and so tiny. The picture of him by the DVD case shows how little he really is. Rylee loved him and Dax wasn't too sure about him. Dax hates when things jump at him or go for his face, so he was a little scared. Rylee cannot get enough of cute little Max and wants to hold him constantly. Another name they considered was Harley, but Max fits him very well.

~Cousins~

2010-12-16T23:32:00.000-08:00

Rylee loves getting together with her cosuins. She has so many cousins so close in age that she has fun every time they get together and I am sure she would love to play with them every day if she could. One day she had her two cousins Jayde and Jayslin over to play. They weren't there for too long, but they all had fun giving each other makeovers. They drew names to decide who would give who a makeover. They all did such a good job. It amazes me how good Rylee puts makeup on already.

Now that we are in the new house and she has her own room, she has been asking to have someone come and sleep over. So one night after having Kailey over to play and them begging for a sleep over, I said yes, of course. They had lots of fun. They played games, ran around, did cartwheels, watched movies, and told Buddy the Elf what they wanted for Christmas. These two are only one day apart in age and when they get together they are really cute together, but every once in a while they fight because they both want to be the leader. They act more like sisters; they have this love-hate relationship. Rylee is glad to be so close to all her cousins. She loves getting together with them every chance she gets.

Sister & Brother Time!!!

2010-12-16T23:20:00.000-08:00

Rylee and Dax are SO cute together. She is such a good big sister and most the time is so good to help him and tries to teach him new things. She is very protective of him also and if she see's him doing something that she thinks might hurt him, she panics a bit. It is so cute watching them play together. She will say, "come on Dax, let's play cat and dogs." He gets right down and starts crawling around and barking. He usually plays the dog and Rylee the kitty. They love to hang out in the mornings on the couch and watch some cartoons together while I pick up the house or get ready. The other night Rylee had her little cousin Kailey over for a sleep over and they were in her room watching Monsters vs. Aliens and Dax wanted to han gout with them so bad. I went to find him to take him to bed and he was in sitting right next to them watching the movie like a good little boy. It was so cute! And on occasion they will even make some big messes when mommy is not looking...like toilet papering Dax's. Actually, this was all Dax. He took a hold of the toilet paper from the roll on the wall and strung it through the bathroom, across the hall, and all over his room. Rylee didn't think it was okay to join until she saw me get out the camera with a smile on my face. Watching these two play and listening to them laugh together makes me so happy. I love it!

21 months old

2010-12-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

My little Dax is 21 months old, already! I honestly do not know where the time went. It is crazy for me to think that in only 3 months I will be saying my baby is TWO years old. Like I have said many times before, I LOVE this boy more than the WORLD. He has got the cutest little personality ever. And I hate to say it but he has become a Daddy's boy! Well when Daddy is not around he is a Mommy's little boy and wants nobody but mommy, but the second dad walks in the door its all daddy. Not only does he just want daddy when he is around, but if anyone, including myself, tries to touch him or talk to him while he is with daddy he gives a dirty look and says UGH! all mean like he wants you to get away. He is such a big boy now and he is becoming so independent already. He wants to do it all on his own. He eats at the table or counter with no high chair and has to feed himself. He is very strong-willed and knows exactly what he wants and when he wants it. He loves Spiderman and says "Spidermaaan" so cute! Is is so funny because as a baby he hated hats and would not leave one on for more than 2 seconds. The last 3 months or so, he has started to put on every beanie or hat he finds and will wear it for a really long time around the house. He still loves playing with his big sister and is even getting to where he enjoys sitting with her and watching cartoons. He likes Yo-Gabba-Gabba, Spongebob, Dinosaur Train, and Word World. We have a DVD player in the Yukon now and he loves watching it. His favorite movie is Toy Story 2. He is getting so BIG so FAST! I love this little boy and his big brown eyes and pouty lips.

I LOVE these two...

2010-12-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

...fun-loving kids of mine!!!

Happy Birthday

2010-11-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

This year I wanted to make sure that I wished each and every niece and nephew in my family a Happy Birthday and post a picture on my blog of them. Well I started out doing so good, but started to get a little behind on it and at times I forget, especially if I wasn't there to celebrate and take a picture. So I am here today to catch up on all of them and also to wish each and every person in my family a Happy Birthday.

First, I want to wish my gorgeous and talented little niece Savanah a Happy 12th Birthday!!! She celebrated her birthday on August 5th. This girl has got to be the sweetest girl I have ever met. She is always so concerned about others feelings and is really sweet with Rylee. Rylee just adores her more than anything and everytime she hears that we are going to visit Savanah she gets SO excited. She thinks Savanah is one neat girl. Savanah has been cheering since she was about 6 years old and she is awesome at it. Watching her cheer is seriously like watching the show Bring It On! It is nothing like watching our local High School Cheerleaders, no offense, its just that at Mac's Cheer they do way more stunts and much bigger stunts that I have ever seen any H.S. cheerleaders do. We are so proud of her and love getting to come watch her any chance we get.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAVANAH....WE LOVE YOU!!!

Next, I would like to tell my nephew Cruz Happy 16th Birthday! This is a special one and because he is such a sport fanatic, he was out of town for baseball on his birthday, but his mom made up for it with a big Halloween bash for him instead. Cruz is such a good kid and always has been. Ever since he was little I always thought he was so good to Savanah. Most big brothers are mean to their little sisters, but Cruz was always so nice to her and always took her feelings into consideration. I always hoped that my kids would be as sweet to each other as Cruz was to Savanah. Even if his friends were around, he was still nice to her. Cruz has been playing sports since he was about 4 years old and he is awesome at all of them. It seems like every sport he tries, he is good at. That is one talented kid! We enjoy watching him in everything from Baseball, Football, Basketball, you name it. I also learned recently that he can jam on karaoke too. We hope you had a good 16th Cruz. We miss you and love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRUZ!!!

Only one day after Rylee celebrated her 5th birthday, my niece Kailey celebrated her 5th birthday. Kailey is such a rambunctious little girl. As wild as she is, she can be very soft hearted and sweet at times too. She has a hard outer shell but inside she is sweet and caring. Her and Rylee are so funny together because they act like sisters. They love each other and have so much fun, but they can fight over the silliest things too. It is pretty funny sometimes to listen to them. They both like to be the leader too. I think its cause they are the same sign. It is really fun having them so close in age. I had cousins close to my age growing up and I always thought it was a lot of fun. Rylee, Kailey, and Trayton will all be in the same grade going through school, which I think will be a lot of fun for all of them. Besides, it makes school programs much easier for grandma, she can come to one event and watch all three kids. It has been fun watching Rylee and Kailey grow and learn so much together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAILEY...WE LOVE YOU!!!

On November 14th my nephew Rylan turned 9 years old. I cannot believe he is already that old. It seems like it was just yesterday that he was born. It is so funny because he is at that age where he tries to act all cool and smooth. When I was getting a picture of him while he was being sang "happy birthday" to, he just stayed all serious and then blew his candles out so fast I couldn't even catch a picture of it. It has been so much fun watching him grow up. He is such a caring little boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYLAN....WE LOVE YOU!!!

Our Family~October 2010

2010-11-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

It was definitely time for some new family pictures. The last time we had them done was a year ago when Rylee just turned 4 years old and Dax was only 6 months old. Here are some new pictures of us together and the kids. Rylee just turned 5 years old and Dax 19 months old in these new pictures. We had them done by Photography by K'Brina and I love the way they turned out.

Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.

-Brad Henry

Happy Halloween....2010

2010-10-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE halloween! No matter how hectic and crazy it might seem trying to get everyone ready and running here and there, I just love everything about it. Making spooky shaped cookies with the kids, pumpkin carving, the pretty leaves on the ground, seeing the kids in their adorable costumes, spending time with family, getting dressed up myself, going door-to-door, seeing all the excitement on the kids faces while they are trick-or-treating, and even eating candy until it makes you sick. Everything about Halloween I enjoy.

This year Rylee was a girl genie and Dax was a vampire. Both kids costumes turned out perfect and they both looked adorable. Rylee was definitely the cutest little genie I have ever seen and Dax made the most handsome little vampire.

Also, a few days ago I went to the Zumba Halloween party and dressed up as an 80's chick. We worked out for 2 hours and then they handed out prizes, had refreshments, and just hung out for a bit. It was a lot of fun! And dressing up as an 80's girl was also a lot of fun.

On Halloween morning we got up and got the kids ready for the trunk-or-treat, which was at 11:30 am. After that we all had lunch, took Dax back home for a nap, and then back in our costumes and off for some trick-or-treating. The weather started out nice and perfect in the morning. Then at about 2 pm it started raining really hard, but by 3:30 pm it stopped raining and cleared up long enough for us to go to all the houses we had planned to. At first Dax wanted me to just carry him from house to house, but once I put him down he was loving it. He wanted to run as fast as he could across the yards, not wanting to wait for anyone to answer before skipping to the next house. Soon I had to go back to holding him so we could wait up for everyone else and so I could keep up myself. That kid is too fast for me.

After all the trick-or-treating fun we stopped to see grandma Shauna, then I took the kids to see grandma Dean and Tom and then over to see grandma Judi and Papa where we ended our night. We ate dinner and then Rylee helped answer the door for the kids and hand out candy. They couldn't come fast enough for her.

The kids had an exciting day and ended up with more candy then they even know what to do with.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

~Corn Maze~

2010-10-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Rylee was both excited and a little hesitant this year about going to the corn maze. Last year when I took her it was an all-out haunted corn maze, which I didn't know before taking her. She actually did okay for how scared some of the other kids were, but the next day is when I really noticed how much it affected her. While trick-or-treating, anytime she saw someone with a mask she would panic. If there was decorations on someone's porch that looked like a scary person with a mask, she would not go to that door. I swore I would not do that again.

So my sister Shanda and I decided to take the kids during the non-scary hours. When I told Rylee we were going to the corn maze she asked if it was going to be scary like last time and I told her no. Once she knew that she was so excited she couldn't wait.

Since it was not going to be scary, I decided to bring Dax along also. We all met at the corn maze and headed in. Right away we realized it was slightly scary. Not what I would call scary, but apparently what little kids consider scary. As long as Dax was being held, he was just fine. He gave some dirty looks to the people with masks, but that was about it for him. Now Rylee on the other hand was scared right when we got there. The second she saw someone in a spooky mask she was saying I want to go home and wanted me to please hold her. That was when Shanda took Dax and I carried Rylee. Thank goodness all five of Shanda's kids were brave enough to walk. After just a few minutes Rylee realized it wasn't so bad and she wanted down to walk with all the other kids.

It did take us quite a while to find our way out. Tip to self for next year, when the older kids run down the trail and come back saying "dead end", make sure to go check it out yourself before turning around. This is what happened and we kept skipping the one he said was a dead end and after trying everything we headed down it again and sure enough it was not a dead end, it just looked like it from a distance. But that is okay, we had a good laugh and a lot of fun. The kids loved it!

Halloween Surprises!!!

2010-10-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Oh how we LOVE our Halloween jammies! Every year Brett's mom and dad (grandma Judi & papa) get the the kids something fun for Halloween. This year they got the cutest pillows and blankets, pajamas, and a whole lot of candy.

They both look so cute in their new jammies and love their soft blankets and pillows.

Another thing we always like to do is let them wear a Halloween shirt the day before Halloween. Here are some pictures of the kids in their Halloween shirts and with their stuff from grandma and papa.

~Rylee's Preschool Halloween Party~

2010-10-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

On October 28th Rylee got to wear her costume to school for her preschool classes Halloween party. All the little kids dressed up and then at the end of class they sang some cute halloween songs to all the parents and then all lined up for a trunk-or-treat from the parents. They all looked so adorable in their costumes and singing the Halloween songs.

This year Rylee picked out a girl genie costume and it turned out SO cute! She picked it out by herself and wanted nothing else once she had her eye on this one. So far, out of all the halloween costumes Rylee has had, this and her ladybug is by far my favorites. She got so many compliments on this one and looked absolutely adorable.

She was so excited to wear her costume to school. Here are some pictures of her with her little preschool class.

The annual Halloween party....

2010-10-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

Every year Sam and Lennette have a huge, all out, adult Halloween party with lots of fun, food, costumes, drinks and karaoke. This year Brett dressed up as Dr. Shots and I was a Nurse. I won the prize for the "Sexiest Costume".

She has been having the same girl come for a few years now that brings all the music and karaoke equipment. It is such a blast. Trust me when I say that I never thought you could ever get me up to do karaoke, but every year, without fail, I get up and sing.

This year our friend Brandon came with us to the party. Of course he was a little hesitant about going since he didn't know anyone except for us and then Sam and Lennette, but he came anyways. He was so glad he did because he ended up having such a great time. So much fun in fact that he was ready to be carried to his bed at 11:30 pm.

Its definitely nice for us because we have no worries about how we will get home because we just crash at their house every year. It makes it so convenient for us. This way we can have as much fun as we want and stay up as late as we want with no worries.

They definitely know how to throw a good party. Its been the funnest Halloween party we have ever been to and we always go back for more year after year.

Rylee turns FIVE!!!

2010-10-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

On October 17th, our little Rylee-Bug turned 5 years old.

I cannot believe she is already five years old. It seems like just yesterday we were holding her in our arms at the hospital. These past five years have been nothing short of fantastic. She brings more joy to my life than I could have ever imagined. Seeing her succeed and learn so many new things brings complete joy to me everyday and I couldn't ask for a sweeter and more caring little girl.
She is such a polite little girl and anytime someone compliments something on her, she compliments them right back. She is shy at times, but very outgoing also. She loves animals, especially cats. This little girl could sit outside and play with little kittens for hours. She loves playing with friends, going to grandmas house, watching Milo and Otis and Beauty and The Beast, and she loves the color pink.
For her 5th birthday party we decided to go with a "Hello Kitty" theme. We found some really cute invitations, decorations and a cake for me to make. For Dax's 1st birthday I made him a 2-tier fondant cake and Rylee asked if I would make her a special cake like that for her next party, so I had to keep my promise. Besides I love the way they turn out. So together we searched online and found one that Rylee liked. It was super cute!

We had everyone meet at the Gunnison park for her birthday celebration. All the kids played at the park while we waited for everyone to arrive. Then we all sang "Happy Birthday", had cake and ice cream and then opened presents. The cake turned out fantastic and everyone liked it. My family thinks I need to make cakes as a little business on the side. I would love to do it for friends and family, but no business. After that we took all the kids to the indoor swimming pool, which is right by the park. It worked out perfect!

The kids were so excited to go swimming and everyone had so much fun. I made sure all the little kids around Rylee's age had their life jackets on at all times. I didn't want anyone getting hurt. Accidents happen so fast. I was standing about 2 inches from Dax when I turned to say how hot it was at the pool and when I turned back he was under water. Both Brett and I stepped in and grabbed him. I only got about an inch of my pants wet since he was just sitting on the top step, but it scared me SO bad. After that Brett put on his suit and stayed in the pool with Dax. A little while later the same thing happened to my nephew Layker. They are so little, yet so curious and they jump around and play where they can reach but if they stumble and go under they have a hard time standing back up. It is a scary thing and happens so quickly.

The kids played in the pool for over an hour and Rylee even went off the low-dive for the very first time. She was pretty proud of herself. Soon everyone started leaving, but Rylee and her friend Ady just couldn't get enough. Brett took Dax and headed home while I stayed back with the girls for a little longer. Soon I convinced them it was time to go and we headed home.
Rylee said she had the best birthday ever. She loved everything she got from family and friends. Some of the things she got is a Pillow Pet, Beauty and the Beast movie, vanity set full of makeup, barbie and car, dress-up outfits, messenger backpack, huge container of gumballs, spongebob pajamas, and lots of money. She is pretty excited to go pick something out with her own birthday money. After her party she gave herself a makeover and then gave her mommy the best makeover ever!
I am glad she had such a great 5th birthday! I look forward to clebrating each and every year with this sweet and wonderful girl of mine. She brings pure joy to our lives and we LOVE her more than the world.

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY RYLEE-BUG!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Here she is the day she was born....and then all her pictures from her 5th birthday party.

~Sand Mountain~

2010-10-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

Winter is almost here and we haven't even had a chance to go to the sand dunes since Spring. We wanted to make sure we got to go before it snowed or was too cold to enjoy it. The kids absolutely love going on four-wheeler rides and sandrail rides. Besides its like having a giant sandbox and they both love that too.

This new Yukon we have has worked perfect and was great for this trip. Rick, Judi, Brandon, Lilly, and us four all fit comfortably with the third row of seats. We had Brett and Rick in the front, me, Dax and Brandon in the middle, and Judi, Lilly and Rylee in the back row. We had the DVD player going for the kids and it even pulled the enclosed trailor perfectly.

The second we got there Rylee wanted to go on every ride with every person that went on a ride. She couldn't get enough. She loves going in the sandrail and even going as fast as it will go up the face of Sand Mountain doesn't scare her! Dax loved riding in it too. We had a really good time. It's funny because when Rylee was 18 months old she would get that feeling when we would go over hills and didn't like it, but with Dax he just says "whooahhh" and "weeee" and loves everything about it. Because he was loving it so much and taking it so well, we decided to take him at turbo speed up the face of the mountain. He didn't get scared one bit. I have one extreme little boy on my hands. Rylee is like her mommy, she likes extreme stuff but does it with caution. Dax is just extreme, like his daddy.

We all had a great time and the weather was perfect!

As many times as I have went to the sand dunes over the last 14 years, I had never seen the spider tree. Rick took me in the sandrail and showed me where it was. Then I took Brett and Rylee to see it and then took Brett, Dax and Brandon to see it. It really does look like a Spider Tree.

Can't wait until Spring so we can go enjoy the dunes once again....

~That SMILE~

2010-10-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Oh how that smile of his can melt my HeArT. Every time my little Dax smiles with that sweet little dimple of his, it makes me melt instantly. He has got the cutest little face and smile that lights up a room instantly. Here are a few pictures I snapped of him playing with his daddy. Brett is the best daddy ever and they love him to pieces. Dax was getting so excited to jump to Brett and you can tell by his sweet face.

Girl Time!!!

2010-10-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while we have to have a little girl time and I love our little girl times that we have together. I cherish each and every moment I get to create with my little Rylee. And here is one of those special moments we had recently....

~Happy Birthday Uncle Jeff~

2010-10-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

On October 3, 2010, we all went to Grandma Dean's house to have cake and ice cream for Uncle Jeff's birthday. I have to say, it is pretty nice when a birthday comes around because we all get together for cake and ice cream. It's always fun getting together with family.

This time we all got to enjoy the newest baby in the family. Little Gage is now 2.5 months old and gets to join in on the birthday fun, well a little anyways.

Rylee and Mercedes always have a fun time playing outside and because Kailey lives across the street they always end up having her come play too. The three little cousins get along so cute! When Gage gets a little older, him and Dax will be able to be little buddies since they are only a year and four months apart.

Little Dax has always been a little afraid of Uncle Jeff. He is afraid of most guys that he doesn't see often enough to get use to. Well Jeff is no exception, but he tries to get him use to him everytime and Dax just cries. Well today Jeff asked him if he wanted to go with him to find his daddy and Dax went right to him. It was so cute! I was able to snap a quick picture of it too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JEFF.....We Love You!!!

Hanging out with Great Friends!!!

2010-10-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our really good friend Brandon has been staying with us for a little while, so we decided to all hang out. Me, Brett, Brandon, and our friends Jaron and Jenny.

Our friends came over, we ate pizza, and had some drinks. It is always a good time when we all get together.

~Our First Wine Tasting~

2010-10-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

We decided for our 7 year anniversary, we would go to Mesquite for a night and hang out. We wanted to see our friends Jess and Aldo and invited them to come hang out also. Originally we had planned to hang out by the pool when we first got there, then go to the comedy club, and gamble and hang out afterwards. When we found out they were doing the wine tasting instead we were super excited. I have always wanted to do a wine tasting, but never had. So we got there at 1pm and went to buy all our tickets for the Casa Vino Wine Tasting Event.

It started at 2 pm and went until 5 pm. All you can drink wine for three hours. They had tables set up with different wines to taste and at each table you could rinse out your glass for the next wine. It was a ton of fun. Definitely my funnest Mesquite experience by far.

They gave out some fun party hats as we like to call them that I thought were pretty cute. We also ran into Jess and Aldo's friends Ron and Lynnette and was able to hang out with them for a while too. We all roamed around the wine tasting and had a lot of fun.

Afterwards we went back to the hotel room and hung out for a while, then to dinner and to do some gambling. Then to the hot tub to relax a little before Aldo and Jess had to head back home.

The next day Brett and I went to breakfast and then hung out and went to a few different casinos before heading back home.

We had a great time together. I love my husband with all my heart and don't know what I would do without him. He is the best! We have been together now for 14 years and married for 7 years. I look forward to many more years with him. I LOVE YOU BABE!!!

~18 Months Old~

2010-10-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

Wow! Dax officially hit the half way mark between one and two years old on September 17th. It seems so crazy to think my baby boy is one and a half years old. He is definitely one energetic little boy and full of personality. He is a little chatter box and will repeat just about any word you say. Now if I ask him to say something, that is a completely different story. But if I just say the word while showing him, he usually copies and repeats. Not only does he repeat every word but he says sentences. Mostly two and three word sentences, but it is so cute.

I could go on and on with the words he can say but I would never be able to remember them all. He says well over 30 words. He climbs on anything and everything! He loves being outside and his favorite thing is going on 4-wheeler rides. He will say "go ride" and point you in the direction of the 4-wheeler key. Getting to play with his big sister always makes him smile and laugh. He loves her to pieces.

This little boy knows how to run...and fast! He thinks its funny to run to the road, which scares me so bad. He will be playing just fine then take off on a dead run to the road without any warning. Since I know that he does this I watch him like a hawk when he even gets near the end of the driveway. He runs so fast that most the time I barely make it to him and that is running as fast as I can.

He weighs 25 pounds 2 ounces and is 34 inches tall. For his age he is in the 46th percentile for his weight and in the 95th percentile for his height. Because he is so tall, his weight for his height is only in the 17th percentile. He knows how to eat well with a fork and a spoon, but it does get a little messy. He loves books and is obsessed with toothbrushes, but his favorite toys are his trucks and motorcycles. There for about a week he carried at least 2 toothbrushes in his hands at all times. The only time I would make him give them up is for nap time and bed time. Although he still loves them and wants them often, he is not spotted with one at all times.

He loves his daddy and will just lay on him and watch t.v. for a really long time. If Dax doesn't like the show they are watching, he will find the remote and give it to Brett to change the channel. He is a smart little boy!
He loves to climb on anything and everything and has figured out ways to even climb onto my kitchen counters. He loves climbing on the toilet and playing in the bathroom sink too. This kid can figure out how to get into anything if he really wants to.

As you will see by the pictures, he knows how to stick out his tongue on demand. He is super silly just like the rest of us and fits right in.

I posted a picture of his worst owie to date. We were all walking outside one night to get stuff out of the car and as I opened the screen door about 10 moths started flying at my head so I was hurrying to push the screen door shut. Well our screen door is old and made of medal and sharp along the edges. It felt like it was a little hard to shut so I looked down at Dax's feet to make sure they weren't in the way and they weren't. So I pulled it again and just then I realized he had his little finger in the inside crack of the door jam. I felt HORRIBLE. Worst feeling EVER! He didn't even cry until I picked him up and it just started bleeding everywhere. I didn't know if it cut his finger off or what. I was freaking out and felt just horrible. I still feel so bad about it. Poor guy! It was cut right along the nail bed and around. It ended up healing really well. He is a tough little boy!

He knows what the potty is and knows what going potty is. I am hoping he will be as easy to potty train as Rylee when the time comes. The other day I took off his diaper and he got up and ran away. He started to look like he was about to pee and ran into the potty, but once he was sitting on it, he said "all done."

He is our little sweetheart and loves giving hugs and cuddling. He loves cuddling with his blankets at bed time, but doesn't care which blanket it is as long as it is soft. Neither one of my kids have had attachment issues with objects like a certain blanket or toy, which is great!

Dax's hair grows so fast. We had it cut into a fohawk when he was only 14 months old and to make sure it wouldn't have to be cut in a month we started with it pretty short. Well it grew like a weed and was beyond time for a haircut. You will see by the pictures how tall his fohawk was getting. We got it cut again on his 18 month birthday. He is always such a good boy and just sits so quietly for the lady.

This little sweet boy of ours has got the smile that will light up an entire room. And the cutest dimple to go along with that sweet smile. He has got the biggest and cutest personality ever! We love this little boy with all of our hearts <3

~Grandpa Chris & Melody visit Utah~

2010-09-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

The weekend of September 11th, grandpa Chris and Melody came to visit and see everyone. We didn't get to do a whole lot with them since they have so many stops to make while they are here, but we were able to see them twice. The first time Rylee wasn't with, so they made sure to come back when Rylee was home.

Dax is getting to where he is afraid of strangers and since he hasn't seen my dad since he was only 3 months old, he was a bit nervous at first. All it took was a little candy to bribe him with and we at least was able to snap a picture of him on their laps.

When they came to our house, Dax was a lot more comfortable with them. Rylee sat with Melody and showed her all her baby albums that I have scrapbooked from newborn through about 3 years old. At one point, Rylee said, "grandma, come see my room." I think it threw Melody off a bit. I thought it was pretty cute!

It was so nice getting to see my Dad and Melody. The last time we got to see them was when we were on our way back from Texas in June 2009. So over a year! It was a much needed visit and I was so glad to see them. Can't wait until next time....

2010-09-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

And while Rylee is at her first day of school, Dax gets to play with his cousin Mayson while mommy gets to chat with Aunt Shanda!

Rylee's 1st day of Preschool....

2010-09-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

My little girl is getting older. It makes me sad to think she will be in Kindergarten next year. So for now, I will enjoy the fact that she is still in preschool.

This is her second year of preschool. She absolutely loved her teacher Mrs. Nelson and learned so much last year so we put her in the same preschool this year.

Yesterday we went to the open house, where she got to color a cupcake that had her name and birthday on it and hang it up on the wall. She met a few of the kids that would be in her class and saw where she would be sitting the first day of class.

Today was her first day of preschool and she was really excited. She picked out which outfit she wanted to wear for her first day. Last night she asked Brett to set the alarm for her to make sure she didn't sleep in. She is quite the character! We made her favorite breakfast, scrambled eggs, and she couldn't wait to put on her new clothes. She looked adorable!!!

After a successful and fun first day of preschool, we came home and made root beer floats. She told me that the parents came too soon and they didn't get to do everything they wanted to do. She said she made two new friends that she really liked, named Emerson and McKaydee.

I am so glad she had a fun first day....

Schaugaard Family....Forever!

~Let Freedom Ring~

It's MATOR

Fun in the Sun...

Lets Go Fishin'

Family BBQ

Rylee plays T-Ball

Preschool Graduation

Bubble Time!

Love these kids....

Soccer 2011

~Cousins~

My Adorable Kids

Dance Recital & Gym Meet

Getting Caught Up...

~Easter 2011~

Caineville Wash~Spring 2011

100% GIRL

Our Handsome Boy

The Cinderella Pageant

Four Wheeler Fun!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday DAX!!!

My Gorgeous & Photogenic Rylee

The Petting Zoo

Look what I can do....

Happy St. Patick's Day...

~Vegas Here We Come~

Poor Dax!

Rylee's Cast!

~Cute Baby Bums~

Finally...

Look what I can do!!!

Our Poor Little Rylee-Bug~

Happy Valentine's

Happy {HEART} Day!

~22 months....continued~

29 and Holding!!!

~22 months~

~It's a New Year~

Christmas Joy~2010

Christmas Party #2

Our First Snowman!

Christmas Party #1

We wish you a Merry Christmas

Fall 2010~Maple Grove

I still got it....

~The New Puppy~

~Cousins~

Sister & Brother Time!!!

**21 months old**

I LOVE these two...

**Happy Birthday**

Our Family~October 2010

**Happy Halloween....2010**

~Corn Maze~

Halloween Surprises!!!

~Rylee's Preschool Halloween Party~

The annual Halloween party....

Rylee turns FIVE!!!

~Sand Mountain~

~That SMILE~

Girl Time!!!

~Happy Birthday Uncle Jeff~

Hanging out with Great Friends!!!

~Our First Wine Tasting~

~18 Months Old~

~Grandpa Chris & Melody visit Utah~

Rylee's 1st day of Preschool....

21 months old

Happy Birthday

Happy Halloween....2010