The Deaners

Our Newest Addition...

2011-02-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Ellie Grace, we are all so glad she's finally here!

Excuses, Excuses...

2011-02-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

I have lots of excuses...and good ones to, as to why I have not posted in quite some time. However, instead of spending the time listing them, I thought I would do a super abbreviated recap of the last (ahem) four or five months :)
Who says there is not much to do in the TX panhandle? Betcha you've never been to a Prairie Dog Town...you're missing out! (Here's the proof that 1. The kids loved it and 2. The sign is proof that it does exist!

We survived the 20 hour (ea. way) road trip to Ohio for Thanksgiving. We didn't waste any time and stayed busy doing all the things we miss and love about Columbus (like trips to the zoo with cousins and the beautiful fall scenery:)

I realize Christmas has long since passed, but for memories sake, we had a wonderful Christmas with just our little family...never a dull moment with Josh as a dad!

I am convinced that my amazing, adventurous husband needs his own blog to document all his fun and excursions, but since I know that will never happen, here is a few pics of my hard working husband ;). He really does work hard, but is so good at finding the perfect balance of work and play. Here he is backpacking at Big Bend Nat'l Park, mountain biking (his new found love), in San Diego with his buddies at a "conference", and running in a race up the Willis (Sears) Tower. Like I said before, never a dull moment when Josh is around!

Phew, I think that is all for the update, I know it is not very thorough, but better than nothin'. Hopefully I can do better to stay caught up...

By the way...

2010-10-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

You know the saying, "Everything is bigger in Texas"? Well, that's 100% true, especially when it comes to my belly! That's right, we are having our third child...a girl, and hoping she is a sweet as the first two. I am 24 weeks (Due Feb 4th) and everything has gone great. Bailee is especially excited to have a baby sister and comes up with ideas for a name almost every day. Some of her latest include Asha, Hannah, Sara, Callisa, etc. Most names come from a name in a Barbie book, or names she's heard of with a slight alteration. I gotta hand it to her, she can get pretty creative. Gabe on the other hand has no idea his world is gonna be turned upside down in a couple months...that should be interesting. Anyhow, we couldn't be more excited, and realize what a blessing it is to be able to have children, and what a blessing each child is to us!

Happy, Happy, Happy, Birthday, Birthday, Birthday!!!

2010-09-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

August and September brings lots of Birthdays at the Dean house. Gabe, Josh and Bailee all turn one year older within less than two weeks of each other. It is like Christmas for me around this time as I have to plan for three birthdays and we eat more cake and ice cream than should be consumed in that short of time period. Being here in a new place meant we didn't have to throw any parties (since we haven't met a lot of people yet) which I was happy with, but we did manage to find some fun things to do around here as a family. For Gabers special day we had pizza, opened presents and went to a big bouncy place...you know those germ infested places with all the inflatable toys that the kids roll, sneeze, jump and slobber on. The kids loved it maybe even a little more than Josh, and I was perfectly happy to be the one taking pictures and catching the kids coming down the slides. Josh's birthday was pretty low key. It happened to be on Labor day, so that worked out nicely. He went biking in the morning and we just kind of hung out. We went to the Big Texan restaurant so Josh could get his free prime rib on his birthday. It is definitely a one of a kind place and pretty touristy, but it was fun to see it in person. I made Josh's favorite, carrot cake for his birthday and must say I was pretty excited that it turned out so yummy (considering the last time I made it, was disastrous)! Bailee talks about her birthday for weeks. Since hers is the last of the three she starts asking about it and planning things out weeks in advance. So, when the big day arrived she really milked it. She said things like. "I don't have to take a nap because it's my birthday huh." As always she was spoiled rotten, but living in TX and being obsessed with horses, she made it pretty easy for me. We bought a bike for her in OH before we moved here and have been hiding it ever since. Both her and Josh got bikes for their birthday, and they both love to ride them equally. It's been a fun filled couple of weeks for us, and it's a good thing I get a full year to recover before we get to do it all over again! No matter the month, I am so grateful these three were born, I love them all so much and couldn't imagine my life without them!

"City of Joseph"

2010-08-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

So, now Josh is graduated, we had some serious vacation time on our hands. We took advantage of every minute and started off to Nauvoo. We got there Sunday and walked around the temple and looked out over the landscape. It was absolutely beautiful! We went to as many historical sites on Sunday as we could and were able to attend a choral concert by the Sister missionaries. We decided to try and save a few bucks and camp...that was our first mistake. It was 90+ degrees and felt like 100% humidity! Josh set up the tent as the kids and I sweltered in the sun and fought off the mosquitos (do I have your sympathy yet?) We settled into bed, and no sooner had I fallen asleep did I hear Gabe coughing followed by vomit. I rolled off the partially deflated air mattress to discover Gabe covered in throw up (which he did a few more times). I went searching for the flashlight, only to realize, we didn't bring a blasted flashlight!! I used my cell phone and tried to clean Gabe and the mess up by the light of my cell phone. We got things cleaned up and settled back down when Bailee starts crying and complaining about the smell (just thinking about it now gets my stomach turnin). But, that's okay because as soon as I convinced her to relax and go back to sleep, the heavens opened and it started to thunder, lightning and rain (I have never been so happy to be in a thunderstorm). It is now we realize, it probably wasn't the best idea to camp and we are willing to spend a few bucks on a hotel. It was the best 100 bucks I've spent in a long time! Gabe decided he wasn't finished with his antics and threw up once in the hotel and in the car on the way home. Can I just say that throwing up in the car...especially in a car seat should never be allowed to happen!! Anyhow, we managed to do some fun things and see all that we (or the kids) could handle. I highly recommend visiting the church history sites as every time I have gone my testimony has been strengthened and I have a greater appreciation for the early Saints. It builds faith and helps to better understand and visualize history as it was. It wasn't the ideal vacation, but we definitely made some lasting memories. ;)

Rewind!!!

2010-08-24T19:15:00.001-07:00

Okay, so back up about three months, when we were still in Ohio and life was crazy. We were getting ready to move, looking for a place in TX to live, squeezing in every last minute with friends, and gearing up for graduation! It seems like forever ago, but it was a special day. Along with Josh's family, Bailee and I attended the hooding ceremony for Josh's Dental class. There was a nice reception following, and it was a little bittersweet knowing we were seeing some of our friends and accquaintances for probably the last time. Josh didn't really want to go the the actual graduation (for all OSU students) but I talked him into it, telling him "You only graduate from Dental school once." Mama Dean and I went in the blazing heat and watched Josh, along with 8,000 other students walk into the "Horseshoe". I have to admit, I was (and still am) so proud of him, I even got a little teary eyed. Throughout all four years of Dental school Josh consciously made the decision to not overstress (easier said than done). He was an amazing husband and father through it all, and in notorious Josh fashion, managed to have lots of fun and adventures along the way! Those four years in Ohio were definitely some of the best years of our lives. We already miss it, but we are looking forward to what our future life has to offer...

"My town to Chi Town"...Josh's bike series-Part II

2010-06-06T03:31:00.000-07:00

Actually it ended up being "Chi town to my town", but my crazy husband decided to do another bike trip with one of his buddies. Since it was raining the day they planned on leaving they decided to drive to Chicago and start the next day and bike back. They did 100 + miles a day, and during that time, Josh only had one beer can thrown at him! You'd better believe they followed the biker hatin', beer throwin', truck to the gas station down the road for a "friendly chat". Don't worry, just a couple kids up to no good, whom Josh called in for a DUI...that's my hubby, makin the world a safer place one drunk at a time :) Anyways, Josh forgot his sunglasses (kind of important), so after dinner when they got to Chicago, they went to the nickel arcade where Josh's friends were kind enough to donate all their tickets to furnish Josh with a pair of sweet 80's style glasses, florescent green sides and all! Without much training they were able to make it back home and accomplished yet another awesome feat!

Dancing Queen

2010-06-06T03:01:00.000-07:00

Nothing is cuter than a couple three year olds runnin around in tutu's. Just like any other little girl, Bai loves to dance, especially ballet. A girl from our ward taught a little ballet class a couple months ago and Bailee loved it. They had a little recital and it was so funny to see how Bai responded to performing in front of a "crowd". She turned into shy, silly Bailee, but still did a great job! The funniest part is when Gabe (who was running around behind where we were seated) somehow snuck up on the stage, ran to the front, and with the biggest grin on his face started waving with both hands. He stole the show for a couple seconds, but it was pretty funny, and boy, was he proud of himself. All her friends in the class have moved, or moved previous to the recital so I am glad she was able to do this with them before we move as well.

Accomplishments...

2010-05-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

Bailee and her little co-op preschool class had their graduation a couple weeks ago. We took turns teaching and it ended up being a great experience for Bailee and I have a greater respect for teachers! (especially teachers of toddlers!) The students wore their dad's white shirts/gown and a yellow construction paper hat/caps (poor Bai has such a large noggin that I actually had to rip her hat in the back in order for it to fit on her head...sad, I know, I just have to keep reminding her, "Big head, big brains" and that seems to make it okay :) They walked down the stairs to "Pomp and Circumstance" and were awarded their diplomas. They really had no idea what was going on, but knew there were treats on the table that were soon to be eaten. A lot of things seem to be coming to an end as our days here in Ohio get fewer and fewer. Lots of last time this, and last day that, but I managed to sneak a first in yesterday. Josh and I ran the Capital City Half Marathon. I have run quite a few races, but never a half, and figured it was now or never. My father in law paid for us to run it, which was even greater incentive (it was either that or pay back the $). So, we headed out in the rain to run, and it wasn't too bad ("too" being the key word). As I was running, I realized I consider myself a "casual" runner (running a couple miles a few times a week) and at about mile 8 I realized I didn't train as good as I probably should have. But that was no excuse cause there was Josh (who didn't train a stitch) running next to me the whole race and I had to keep telling him to slow down...annoying! Bless his heart for staying with me though. All in all, I reached my two goals of not stopping to walk, and finishing in under two hours. It really wasn't too bad, and I think it's kind of like having a baby, give it some time for me to forget all the unpleasant, uncomfortable parts, and I just might do another one.
Oh, and just so Gabe doesn't get left out, this is his latest accomplishment...

Class of 2010 Signing Day!

2010-04-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

So, it's official we FINALLY made the decision as to where we are moving! Josh and I are still trying to figure out how the two most indecisive people ended up together...but after much pondering, praying, and possibly even a few ulcers, we are excited about our decision! Also, a special thanks to Josh's bro. Jacob who came up with the ingenius, yet extremely cheesy idea of a press conference. Of course, I think Josh wanted to do this because he missed the opportunity of becoming a professional athlete, but also he needed something of this magnitude to make the decision concrete. Anyways, this is it, and as one of the last in his class to make our decision, we are goin' to...

Spring Break Cont'd...

2010-04-08T19:24:00.001-07:00

My posts are out of order, but we actually started our little vacation off in Rexburg. We were greeted by Grandpa who showed Bailee her "special drawer" which contained all sorts of treats, including, but not limited to the infamous cheese balls. (Last time there he bought a giant container and that is all Bailee wanted to eat for a week). We lucked out and had great weather, perhaps the nicest it had been all year. Josh and I took advantage and went running a couple times, jogging our old routes we've done hundreds of times...I must say, having so many different places and terrain to run is something I really miss. Anyways, it was good to spend time with Grandpa and Great Grandma Lora and to watch her face light up as she watched her great grandchildren destroy her not so child proof house...oops. It seemed my dad was in the garage fixing and gluing one thing after another without Grandma finding out, I guess we've learned our lesson. We had lots of fun bowling, playing at a bounce place, beautiful drive to W. Yellowstone, I-MAX, watching lots of basketball, eating good food and being with great company. The time always goes too fast, and I never take enough pictures, but we had a great visit and hopefully it won't be too long before we visit again!

Dad of course killed us bowling, but I think as a fair and legitimate excuse, the kiddies were highly distracting!!

Bailee and Gabe loved this place, but I think Josh and I had even more fun...what can I say, we're easily entertained.

The IMAX was a break through. Gabe never ever watches any type of television, etc. He loved the movie and sat and watched to whole thing, pointing with wide eyes the entire time. I must admit I enjoyed watching Gabe and his reactions more than the actual film. Oh, and as you can see, I think Gabe's favorite part was the popcorn.

Sweet Grandma Lora, 94 years old, can maneuver her Jazzy like you couldn't believe. I loved this picture of her watching Bailee, I think she really did find watching them quite entertaining.

Baltimore

2010-04-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Graduating from Dental school means we're on the job hunt. Josh's most recent interview took us to the Baltimore area. We turned our short trip into a mini vacation and found some fun things to do. The kids loved the National Aquarium, as Ohio doesn't provide much of a marine life, they found it very amusing. However, Josh and I got a kick out of the National Dental Museum (yes there is such a thing). Believe it or not, we were the only ones there ;) and took full advantage of the many photo ops we were presented. In all honesty and all things considered, it was actually a pretty impressive museum. It was a fun little family road trip, but only time will tell if we will be returning again sometime in the near future.

I know in this picture Bailee is just thinking..."Payback time"...(she hates getting her teeth brushed, although not half as bad as Gabe)

Ah, look at the smile on Josh's face, that's a proud father who's finally taught his son the correct way to brush. Now if only he can figure out how to get rid of that binky!

As a Dentist who secretly wants to be a cowboy, Josh has seriously vocalized his dream to one day ride his horse to work (He was kidding...I think). The fact that I caught him reading this makes me just a little nervous, hopefully it didn't stir up any new bright ideas.

Only Josh and his big mouth (and I mean that in the nicest way possible :) could fit that toothbrush in his mouth. When he says open wide...he means it!
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What does the fishy do?

How come I'm the one that looks afraid of the shark behind the glass...maybe it was the many viewings of Jaws as a child.

Tea Party

2010-04-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to be able to celebrate Grandma Peterson's Birthday with a special tea party. In her travels around the world and through the years, she has collected many, many beautiful and unique tea sets. She obviously doesn't use them for anything more than a display, but we've all enjoyed grandma's company more than once at our own little tea parties growing up. As a matter of fact, one of the first things she did when we arrived at her house was pull up a chair and chat with Bailee over crumpets and tea (aka pretzels and Sprite:). I thoroughly enjoyed watching them, and I couldn't tell who was actually enjoying it the most. Trish did a great job throwing it together, everyone came dressed the part, and the food was yummy! I think Grandma appreciated being able to actually use some of the china and see it all laid out (good job Cic). Minus the disgusting herbal tea that I promised I'd try (Cicelie made a smart move in smuggling her Diet Coke in a tea cup..ha) it couldn't have been a more perfect way to celebrate the birthday of such a sweet, adorable little lady!

Guess who doesn't get chocolate pudding again...EVER!

2010-02-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, did he have fun. He had pudding from head to toe, from wall to wall. I of course blame only myself for leaving the little mess maker unattended while eating his pudding...big mistake! Dispite the mess, I could only laugh because he was truly so thriled with himself and his masterpiece. But honestly, who could get mad at this face. Ahhh...the joys of motherhood!

All good things must come to an end...NZ post #4

2010-01-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

Continuing our road trip further north, we stopped at the Waitomo glow worm caves. Now, those of you who know me well, know one of my biggest fears are worms. I think it stemmed from an experience in third grade, but that is beside the point. Needless to say, I was a little hesitant when Josh said he wanted to do this. Ideally, he wanted to float down on a little inner tube through the cave, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Well, I don't know if I am just totally uneducated when it comes to the insect world but I was quite relieved to learn that glow worms aren't actual slimy night crawlers that glow in the dark. They are maggots (which aren't much better) and they secrete this mucus (which too is disgusting) that hangs from the ceiling in which they catch their prey. But somehow, the whole experience was pretty mesmerizing. We took a boat ride through the caves covered in glow worms, which gave the effect of a starry night sky. Kind of a random thing to do, but worth the stop. Next up, the beach side town of Paihia. The first day there we attended church at the small branch. The Branch President and his wife were kind enough to invite us over for a traditional Maori dinner. The Maori's are very generous and hospitable and I witnessed this with every one we came in contact with. Another highlight of the trip was the R. Tucker Thompson boat ride. I think Josh secretly wants to be a pirate(...and a cowboy, and a fire fighter...and a...) and was so excited he pretty much took over the ship. There were only a handful of us on the ship and we were responsible for "running" the ship, i.e hoisting the sails, etc. After our hot chocolate and biscuits on board we sailed for a couple hours to the shore. We were able to climb to the top of a hill and look out over the ocean. On the hill were bunkers and other structures built for lookout use during WWII. It was an unexpected surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed this historical aspect we encountered. When we got back to the ship, we had lunch waiting for us, and a rope swing calling Josh's name. It was a unique experience that we both really enjoyed! The last day there, we went to the Waitangi treaty grounds/Maori museum. I had been wanting to go to something like this, to get an idea of some of the Maori history and culture. We attended a show where I was taught how to do the poi poi and Josh did a mean haka (think BYU football pregame). Well, knowing our vacation was coming to an end, I decided I wanted one day to relax on the beach. Josh however had other plans and wanted to take on sea kayaking. Needless to say, Josh went kayaking, I read my book on the beach, which led to a short nap, which in turn led to a severe sunburn. Lucky for me it was the last day of our vacation, unlucky for me, it made for a pretty uncomfortable plane ride home. Well, as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end", and it was bitter sweet leaving this amazing country. However, I would be lying if I said I wasn't so anxious to see my kids, I couldn't get home fast enough!! We were truly blessed to have been able to go on this trip. Thanks to my in laws (a billion times over) for watching our kiddies and everyone else who helped out. And a big thanks to my travel agent a.k.a Josh, and his months of planning that made this trip even better than I could've ever imagined. Farewell New Zealand...that is until next time. hehehe

I was surprised, this was a lot harder than it looked...check out the concentration!
Josh and one other guy were the only ones who braved the rope swing. Josh definitely won style points on the back flip, however his form could use some work.

Ahoy Mateys! Josh climbing up to the crows nest (don't worry Mama Dean he had a harness on)

I like this pic because you can see the R. Tucker Thompson in the background.
This might look like raising the sails was easy, but give it some time...

and clearly I was struggling. I gotta hand it to those sailors, this was hard work!

Just a random pic of a "dairy". We frequented these for our sugar fix. Josh introduced me to all sorts of delicious junk food including, new flavors of ice cream, gummy candies, and of course the beloved licorice, I couldn't get enough! If I drove by a building like this in the U.S. there's a good chance I wouldn't have eaten anything from there. But the ghetto wallpapered facade drew me in every time!

We couldn't take pictures in the cave, apparently the glow worms were a little camera shy, so here is an okay image of the glow worm caves.

North Island or Bust! NZ post #3

2010-01-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

Farewell to the South Island! Josh and I road tripped it in our awesome station wagon from Wellington (Josh's mission) to Hamilton. There aren't any free ways in New Zealand which made for a windy ride through the mountains and over the hills. Since they drive on the opposite side of the road, I left the driving up to Josh (at least that's what I told him, but really I just needed a good long nap in the car:) So, what I saw when I was conscious was some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. Miles and miles of green rolling hills, some covered with sheep...lots of sheep and mountains along the horizon. Looking back I wish I would've taken more pics of this, but oh well. Along the way we stopped at some places where Josh served on his mission. We were blessed to meet up with a woman he baptized, found another woman he taught the discussions to, and happened to run into his old landlord. We ended this part of the road trip in Hamilton where we met up with one of Josh's companions and his sweet little family. We enjoyed spending a couple days with them, going to to the tree lighting at the temple, and attending a temple session with them as well. This was another highlight of the trip. On our few travels that we have made to different parts of the country and the world, it is always such a humbling, and faith promoting experience, to know no matter where in the world you are, the gospel is there. Always, always, always you will find faithful, loving members who welcome you in and share your same beliefs, and for me that is such a huge comfort and blessing.

This was no Temple Square, but they put on quite the production each night as the trees are lit. Very few people decorate with Christmas lights, so it was definitley the place to be, and I must say quite beautiful.

Not, the best pic, but a general idea of the green countryside, and little sheepies dotting the land.

Yep, this is it! The infamous apartment that Josh burned down on his mission. Let's just say the landlord had not forgotten who Josh was. haha And oddly enough, was pleasantly surprised to see and speak with him.

After a little searching for where she had moved, we found the apartment of a lady whom Josh taught on his mission. When he knocked on the door and told her who he was, she started to cry and was overjoyed to see him. She had gotten baptized and was a strong member of the church. I was touched to see how the gospel (through my husband) had influenced and blessed this woman's life and how extremely grateful she was for those hardworking missionaries 13 years ago!

Overlooking Wellington, the Capitol, with the De Silvas (Josh baptized the woman). They too were so excited to see Josh, and I was amazed at how much their son knew and remembered about him.

Next stop-Queenstown NZ post #2

2010-01-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

Ahh, Queenstown, the Adventure capitol of the world. Where people do all sorts of crazy, life threatening things and where responsible, sensible wives take the pictures of their husbands doing these crazy things. We stayed at an awesome resort and enjoyed some of the adventurous things this unique town had to offer. Josh being the maniacal husband that he is decided to go bungy jumping...again. You'd think once in your lifetime would be enough, but you can't blame him, he wanted to jump off the bridge where bungy jumping originated. I must admit that back in the day, I would have jumped (no pun intended) at the chance to go. However, now that I am a mother and a responsible adult (haha...I know) I really had no desire to take the risk. I was nervous watching him, but mostly because I wanted to get a good video and some pics so we didn't have to spend and arm and a leg on the video/picture package that they try and sell you. Phew, luckily he survived and got the rush he was looking for, hopefully that will hold him over for a while. Anyhow, we also rode the tram to the top of a mountain overlooking a lake. A beautiful view followed by lunch at the top. We couldn't resist the "luge" as they called it...think Alpine slide plus go cart, and clearly it was a blast. We rode these things down part of the mountain going down dips, through tunnels, etc. and boy was it fun! In Queenstown we also enjoyed running along the wharf, eating lots of good food, shopping, and relaxing.

The rare Kiwi bird, and the only one we saw. :)

Just in case you couldn't tell...I was having a good ol' time!

This was just after Josh got dipped. He went in as far as he could go, which was to his shoulders, however some get up to their waists.

Kia Ora! NZ Post #1

2010-01-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

I decided I should probably start posting some pictures from our New Zealand trip since their are so many beautiful pictures of the awesome country. We had a bit of a rocky start to the trip when our video camera got stolen out of our checked baggage and our digital camera broke in our luggage as well. This meant a new camera for us, and so many memorable experiences to take pictures of! So, I will warn you now of a picture overload, and try to give you a little glimpse of our "gonna be hard to top", "even better than I anticipated" trip to New Zealand! I thought I would start this first post with one of my favorite parts of the trip, the Milford Track. We signed up for this trip in June or July, as they only allow 40 unguided hikers on the trail per day. The spots fill up fast, so we were excited we got in and realize why it is such a coveted "trek" (as they call it in NZ). We stayed in bunk houses with our group and got to know people from Israel, Germany, UK, Belgium, New Zealand, and Australia. We hiked at our own pace and could come and go from the huts as we pleased. The scenery was unlike anything I had ever seen before, similar to being in the rain forest, with green, wet, mossy foliage, and mountains that took your breath away at their absolute enormity and beauty. All in all, it just really is one of those things that you have to see in person to truly appreciate its magnificence!
In order to fight off the didymo bacteria, we had to "disinfect" our boots before hiking.
We found this creature on the bottom of a fallen tree. The white stuff was a hard rubbery growth, which clearly looks like a face. Josh added the finishing touches and gave this little guy a stylin do'.
Ahh,the end of the trail. I enjoyed the trek, but the last day I couldn't get to a hot shower and warm meal fast enough!
Believe it or not, Josh made some serious sacrifices for this photo to be taken. What you don't see or hear is me telling Josh, "Whatever you do, don't get your boots wet, it's not worth it (hiking four days with wet boots=pain/blisters)." Nothing in the rain forest dries out, it was the first day and he was walking along the river bank to reach this vine. No sooner had I warned him, when he fell in, got not only his boots wet, but fell in up to his waist. I couldn't help but laugh, and Josh got the picture on the vine.haha,

Just a pretty picture!
Everywhere you looks waterfalls could be seen falling off the mountains. Some big, some small, but because of the large amount of rain, the waterfalls are so powerful they cut through large rocks and ripped down the mountains.
When we reached the top of the pass, we were hiking in a snow storm (wasn't prepared for that!) We stopped at the warming hut hoping the snow would stop and clouds would pass, so we could enjoy the much anticipated view from the top. We had just left the hut and readied ourself to continue on when the clouds parted and allowed us a few amazing pics!
This was one of my favorite plants that we saw. I guess it was kind of fern with these spongy (everything seems "spongy" in the rainforest) chutes that coiled at the top. You really can't get the full effect in the pic, but take my word for it...it was pretty neat. :)
Here's an idea at how clear the water was. Obviously it was pure run off, and actually the water we drank. I just loved how the blue matches the beautiful hue of my hubby's eyes. (I couldn't resist the cheesiness)
This is what is known as the Milford Sound. It was great to be able to take the relaxing boat ride back to shore and enjoy one last view of this absolutely amazing scenery.

2009-12-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again. The words of "Silver Bells" says it well, "See the kids bunch..dressed in holiday style...meeting smile after smile.." That's right, it's the holiday season, but for us, it's also family picture time (cheesy...I know, it just came to me haha:) Anyhow, we kind of just threw this together last minute, but my sis in law Rebekah pulled through (as always) and did a great job! She took these in her basement and I had to convince the lady at the photo lab that they were not "professional" (although Rebekah I do consider you a profesional 100%, but you know what I mean). So, I thought I would give you a little preview of the Deaner family 2009...

"Princess", "Belle", Bailee Bops" a.k.a Bai

2009-12-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Okay fam, once again, here are some pics of your little Bails...I love this time of year cause you can use the Santa Claus threat for a month and it works wonders. You know, you just have to start singing the song, "You better watch out, you better not cry..." and just like that your angel child is back. haha Luckily for me, Bailee is a good little girl and has told Santa so. This year she was brave enough to sit on Santa's lap, but she was most excited to see and meet was Mrs. Claus. She was inquisitive about "Santa's wife" and started asking questions. When we found out she was coming to the library we had to go. Bailee was so excited and chose to sit on her lap instead of Santa's...whatever. Anyways, she's my girly girl, I know, who'd a thought, and loves everything princess. She's a talker, from sun up to sun down, and now that I think about it, there is probably a reason Gabe's not talking yet...Bailee does it for him, either that or he just can't get a word in. haha (Sound familiar Kac:) Well, we love her all the same!

"Shadow", "Josh Jr." a.k.a "Gabers"

2009-12-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

This is a post only family will truly appreciate, it's been a while since I have posted any pics, so this should hold you over until I post again (probably a couple months:) As you can see, Gabe has been up to no good. :) He's been a little naughty, but hopefully Santa will understand (he's a 15 month old boy...enough said!) I can't believe how opposite he and Bailee are, two ends of the spectrum if you know what I mean. Gabe doesn't talk much yet, but there are a couple things he's made clear to us. He obviously does not like two things, 1. His teeth brushed (dad disapproves!) 2.Barbies (thank goodness). But, there is a couple things we know he likes 1.TOILETS...obviously 2. Food (takes after his mom:) He's such a messy eater, it kills me, but like I said before, he's a 15 month old boy...enough said! We love this little man even in all his messes!

Happy Birthday, Birthday, Birthday!

2009-09-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

Holy Smokes, it's been awhile since my last post, but it's good to have my life back. We had a busy summer and things finally seem back to normal (well, as normal as they can get around here:) Come August and September it's like Christmas for us. I have to start planning for Birthdays weeks in advance so I don't get too overwhelmed. Josh, Bailee and Gabe all have birthdays within 2 weeks of eachother. This year was especially crazy since Josh was turning the big 3-0, it was Gabe's first birthday, Josh was going to be in AK on his birthday and Bailee in ID, so we had to plan accordingly. I decided to throw Josh an OSU themed surprise party on Gabe's birthday (two birds with one stone...if you know what I mean;) and that way he was pretty surprised. I wanted to have it outside, but it ended up raining so we had to have it at the church. We were greatful that so many of our friends and family joined us for the celebration and they made for a great party! As for Bailee's birthday we spent it with the Cartwright's in Boise. Josh went to Alaska for two weeks, so I figured I'd brave the plane ride (never again I might add...that experience is a whole other post), and go see my other half and her fam. We had such a great time together and were lucky enough to have most of my family come visit us. Bailee had her birthday planned out, down to the cake and balloons, she had a princess cake and decorations, but little did I know she would have a life changing experience when she opened her Doodlebops DVD. Many of you have probably never heard of the Doodlebops (consider yourself blessed), however Bailee has formed a small obsession with them. She has a crush on Moe and insists she be "Moe" for Halloween. I told her she couldn't be Moe...he's a boy and that she could be Dee Dee instead. She replied, "I won't go trick-or-treating then...it's scary anyways." So, much to my chagrin, it looks like Bailee with enter the cross dressing world at age 3...oh well. Anyhow, we really enjoyed our little vacation and thanks to the Cartwright's for letting us invade for awhile. So, we're all one year older and wiser (and a few pounds heavier too...that's what three birthdays with cake and ice cream will do to ya:), but I'm grateful we were able to celebrate the lives of these three wonderful, special, amazing people in my life.

Grandma's favorite granddaughter...two peas in a pod :)

Gabe was a little sick on his b-day and didn't get to enjoy his cake. So he made up for it and loved Bailee's cake. ;)

Can we say spoiled?

One of the games we played for the kiddies...Pin the tutu on the Michigan wolverine (only true buckeye fans will fully appreciate this.)

O-H-I-O! Go Bucks!

Wild, wild west

2009-08-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our trip out to the wild, wild west could be summed up in three words, family, cheese balls and water. We got our fair share of all three. We had a great time in Rexburg visiting family, and staying with "Grandma Lora". Dad and Nick kept us busy, taking us to the spray park and carousel(multiple times), riding on the scooter, playing with Nick's new dog and boating in Island Park. Grandpa H bought a giant container of cheeseballs and Bailee...okay, and I were in heaven. Bailee ate so many, I thought before we left that her skin was going to turn orange. It's always good to go back home and always hard leave! We then headed to Utah for our Peterson family reunion. We look forward to it every year and since I didn't get to go last year, it was great being able to see all the family that I haven't seen in a while. We went to a water park, which I haven't done in a while and the kids (young and old) thoroughly enjoyed it. Nick pretty much threw me onto the scariest slide there (you know, the one that shoots straight down, and a mega wedgie is inevitable. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it brought back memories of the good ol' days when I wasn't such a wimp. Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Pete for always puttin on a great time. We spent a couple days with mom but as always time flies way to fast when you're having a good time, and the next thing I knew I was on the plane back to Ohio. Even though it can get pretty pricey visiting family as much as I do, it's worth every penny to get to see and spend time with the best family in the world!

This is as daring as my kids would get..the smallest fountain at the park...and lovin it!
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So, true to Idaho form, it was super windy when we went boating. There was no one else on the reservoir, but I told myself I came all this way and I was going to ride something. Needless to say, it was very choppy but I held on tight and survived.:) Oh, and that's a thumb's up...

Windy indeed...but again, lovin it!

There's a little cheeser to go along with the cheeseballs. (Don't worry the only thing that ended up turning orange was her thumb :)

Coops and Bai

Connor found a quicker way to get around, thanks to Uncle Ty.

Great Grandma and Bai, two lovely ladies...

Gabe was pretty tuckered out at the water park, luckily grandma was pretty ingenuitive and made Gabe a comfy little place to rest.

Nick's one and only true love ;)

Family Pics=Sad Babies

2009-08-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, so it wasn't that bad, but in all honesty who likes to fake smile and get their picture taken, over and over. When we got home from "out west" we had a Dean family reunion with all of Josh's siblings and their families. We really had a great time, and as always with any Dean get together lots of food, lots of fun, and of course lots of...kids! My camera was full ( I know, I'm as bad as Mama Dean, but I have every intention of taking care of that asap.), so I didn't take hardly any pics, however I did capture one pic of Mama and Papa Dean with all the little munchkins. Take note of how Gabe just happens to be the only child throwing an absolute fit, Also take note that the last time we attempted a grandparent/grandchildren pic, Bailee was the one acting like Gabe...seriously...what can I say, like mother like child (cause really inside every time we have family pictures, I feel crying like that). I think it is due to the fact that my family had professional family pictures taken every year of our lives until we moved away. They are great to look back on now, but they are still not my most favorite past time. Anyhow, I have the most wonderful in-laws and we always have a great time when we get together.

Hope you had a Happy 4th... (of July...and Aug.)

2009-08-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

We have done lots of fun things this summer and I've got a lot to update so hold on...First off, we had a great Fourth of July. We did the usual parade and fireworks (only I am a little concerned that we need to work on Bailee's parade etiquette. She really made no effort to get any candy. But, it didn't make matters any better that the little girl in front of us was so sweet and kept bringing back Bailee candy as she lounged in her chair. What is this world coming to, I thought I taught her better than that. We're talking elbows out, bag ready, etc...oh well.) As for the fireworks, my in-laws neighbor puts on quite a show (an illegal one) but a great one at that. Bai was scared...shocker, I know, but she was just fine watching them through the window. All in all we had a great day and a what better reason than to celebrate our freedom!

My House To The White House...CHECK!

2009-06-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

Cross it off the to-do list, four days and 450+ miles later Josh just got home from riding his bike from OH to Wash. DC. He had a great time and I can't believe he's hardly even sore today. They stopped a couple places along the way, and met some nice, friendly, and quite interesting people. They definitely had their ups and downs (literally), with flat tires and walking through mud, to 45 mile an hour speeds...crazy! We missed him while he was gone, but we are so proud he was able to accomplish this "feat". It's great to have him back, however I know his mind is already racing, planning the next adventure...who knows maybe "My town to Chi town?" Way to go Josh, you never cease to amaze me!!

To the White House or Bust!

They had a few minor setbacks...

did I mention the killer mountains of West Virginia...

but also some beautiful scenery

Mission Accomplished!

So Long, Farewell...

2009-05-26T19:57:00.001-07:00

I surprised my family last weekend and when my mom pulled into the drive way, everyone took a double take when I popped out of the trunk. I've surprised them before, but the execution on this one was pretty impressive. haha I took a quick trip home to help my parents move and kiss my childhood home good bye (not literally, but I could've). Anyhow, we worked hard and fast but managed to stay sane and happy by having some good ol fashioned (no pun intended) fun! It was good to see my fam and thanks to Josh for staying back with the kids so I could actually be helpful...915 Greenhaven, you've been good to us!!

Kacie was clearly surprised after my "grand entrance", obviously happy to see me :)

Nick needs to patten his "gork". He welded his golf club and a fork together which makes for a great wenie roaster. I thought it was hilarious...so Nick.

We hit the jackpot in one of the boxes in storage we were going through and found g ma's old dress we used to use for dress-ups, and of course moms box of sweet glasses...classic!

Posing for "Sr. pictures...oh so photogenic.

My Mama's...

2009-05-09T12:14:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to wish all the Mother's in my life a very Happy Mother's Day! I have been blessed with an amazing mother, a awesome mother-in-law, and two of the sweetest Grandmother's ever...I am one lucky girl to have these women to look up to. I think Abe Lincoln said it best when he said, "All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother(s)." You are all truly the BEST! Love you lots! xoxoxo (Grandma P. that's for you :)

Lil' Dr. Dean

2009-04-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

(I thought this was too funny not to post...) So, you know your husband is in Dental School when your 2 year old comes and asks to play school. Okay I thought, we'll practice our numbers and maybe put some stickers on a paper...right? Not so, we go into Bailee's room and she said to Gabe and I, lay down and open your mouth. That's right, Bailee wasn't just at any school, but her own, imaginary dental school. So she proceeds by saying, "Gabriel Dean, (in her high pitched talking to a baby voice) okay little guy, I need to look in your mouth." She forces his mouth open, not so gently, and the poor little guy completely helpless just cooperates. After opening his mouth, she then said,"Yeah, he's growing teeth." All the while taking notes in his "chart". I was the next victim/patient. She made me lay down, opened my mouth and said,"they look like straight." Thank you Dr. Mix (my Orthodontist 15 years ago:) It was a fairly painless check-up and she did a great job, and if you're interested I'm sure she could squeeze a few new patients into her busy schedule.

Okay, so her method might not be the most gentle, but hey, it gets the job done!

Dr. Dean charting/doodling...

Spring Break...kinda

2009-03-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

I say kind of, because technically Josh didn't even get a Spring Break this year. He had to work during Spring Break, so we decided to take advantage of the weekend and head to Palmyra, NY. It was a seven hour drive and the kids actually did pretty well, despite the fact that I crawled in and out of the backseat at least 15 times each way (yet another advantage of being a smaller woman:) Anyhow, it was an awesome trip and I am so glad we were able to go! We visited the church sites including, Joseph Smith's home, the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, and the Grandin Printing Co. Unfortunately the temple was closed for cleaning, but we went to the Palmyra ward on Sunday and also visited an LDS bookstore which brought back great Beehive Book memories...good times. Anyhow, we were lucky since it was colder we were pretty much the only ones on the tours. It was just an uplifting experience and I can definitely say that I felt the spirit and my testimony was strengthened. I especially loved walking through the sacred grove. To many at this time of year, it's probably just looks like a bunch of bare trees and dead leaves, but I sincerely saw a beautiful grove of trees that I felt were indeed sacred.
On our way home from Palmyra, we stopped at Niagara Falls. Everyone had told us that the view was the best from the Canadian side. So, we took an international trip across the border to Canada. :) It was definitely a site, however, I think that it is a one time visit for me. It rained that day and the mist from the falls was a double whammy on the wetness. I asked Bailee what her favorite part of the trip was and she said turning on the heater at the hotel and swimming. (The air control was right at Bailee's level and I guess she got a kick out of pushing the buttons...ah the blessing of being so easily entertained.) I guess for the short time we had together for "Spring Break" we had about as much fun as we could've possibly had!

"Oh how lovely was the morning..."

2009-03-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but to think of this hymn as we walked through the Sacred Grove on a beautiful, sunny, spring morning.

Atop Hill Cumorah

2009-03-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

She may not have found any gold plates at the top of the hill, but she thought this nasty black cat was something pretty special (It makes me wanna sneeze just looking at it:)

Going Foreign

2009-03-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Gabe (yes, he's in a pink stroller, and no we weren't prepared to get that wet), Me, Josh, and Bailee (just "hanging out") in front of Horseshoe Falls.

Hallelujah!

2009-02-07T05:18:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone know the good news...I just slept through the night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first time in over 5 months and I feel like a new woman!! I just have two things to say..."THANK YOU GABE!" and "HALLELUJAH"!

His face says it all...

2009-01-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

For all of you who see Gabe and I on a daily basis (or weekly, bi-weekly, etc.), then this post is not going to be the most exciting for you. However, to my long lost, far away, beloved, family and friends, I realize I haven't posted hardly any pictures of Gabe. Babies change so much every month for the first 12+ months, so here is a little tribute/update on Gabe and his many expressions...
Hungry Baby...who wouldn't love their first taste of rice cereal after drinking nothing but milk for 5 months?! Gabe couldn't get enough of the rice cereal and Josh had a hard time keeping up with his demand for this most delicious, fancy feast.

Surprised Baby...Did someone say ShArK?!!

Gomer Baby..."Duuude these googles are groovy."

Stud Muffin Baby...and all you little ladies out there remember, "BALD is BEAUTIFUL!"

Happy Baby...It's real hard to not love such a happy baby!

2009-01-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

And my personal favorite...Sleeping Baby! One who takes good naps and sleeps through the night! Clearly this little guy isn't doing either. He decided to test out the comfort of the excersaucer (or neglect-a-saucer in Traci's words) and fell asleep playing. Now really, you gotta love a content, beautiful, happy, peaceful, sleeping baby!

A Brief Holiday Update...

2009-01-06T10:53:00.001-08:00

We've had a wonderful holiday season, but as always it's good to be home and getting back into the swing of things. Or I should say, it's good to be home and not sharing our bed with two children!! We spent a couple weeks in Idaho and a very white Christmas...I wouldn't have it any other way! Josh and I took advantage of the bounty of snow and went skiing in Utah the day after we flew in. We went a couple times during the break and we both miss and love skiing/snowboarding a lot.

I was also able to spend a fun night with my girl cousins and aunts in Utah, all of whom I don't get to see nearly as often as I'd like. My family and I went to Mountain River Ranch and took a fun, nostalgic, sleigh ride to our dinner/entertainment. By nights end, we were snowed in there and had to wait to get the okay to drive home...it was quite the experience, but a memorable one at that!

On Christmas Eve, Bailee and Cooper, a.k.a Mary and Joseph reenacted the Nativity. Bailee loved being Mary, and the first thing she said on Christmas morning (after requesting to sleep with the baby Jesus doll), was "I want to be Mary".

We took full advantage of the snow (knowing there wouldn't be any back home) and had lots of fun! Josh and I went snowshoeing and Josh made a snow cave for the kiddies. It was pretty funny when Kacie and I went outside, we bundled up with our hats, gators, coats...the works. Bailee kept calling for me, but was looking at Kacie. I realized she couldn't tell Kacie and I apart in our winter attire. I finally had to take off my hat so she would believe that I was indeed her mommy.

Look out Ramones, our family has turned into a bunch of rockers! Okay not really... not even a little, but we did all have a blast (and neglected our children) playing Rockband and Guitar Hero. Bailee and Coops wanted to join in the fun and sang "Hey ho, lets go" over and over...ah, good times!

"Say Cheese"...

2008-12-08T03:26:00.000-08:00

So, I thought I'd post some family pictures that we got taken not too long ago. My sis in law, Rebekah took them for us again, and she does a great job! One child was hard enough to get a decent picture, but trying to keep two kids happy puts a whole new spin on things! As much as I hate getting pictures taken, I love having pictures of all of us together. So even if Josh had to tickle Bailee and throw leaves to get her to smile and I had to hide Gabe's binki as soon as the picture was taken, it was all worth it in the end.

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

We ran the Turkey Trot again this year, and it was possibly the coldest race yet. We pretty much run it because after a 5 mile run in the morning, when the Thanksgiving feast rolls around, you don't have to hesitate the least bit when you serve up that slice of pie that is really a serving for 3 people :) We waited for 40 minutes (the race started late) in below freezing temps and it took about a mile before my toes thawed out and I could feel them again. It just reaffirmed to me how much I hate being cold, but also how out of shape I am. Josh decided that the pilgrim costume was a little more conducive to running than the turkey costume he ran in last year and all four of us that ran ended up with pumpkin pies (Josh donated his to some church charity...hence three pies in the pic). It's funny how a little pie can be such a big motivator when you are running (the first 1000 men and women get one). Even though it was cold and I was sore for days after, it is a fun tradition that we look forward to. We had a great Thanksgiving at the in-laws, and as always with the Deans, lots of good food and company! Thanksgiving always helps me to stop and recognize just truly how blessed I am and although I feel undeserving of such abundant blessings I am sooo thankful for all I have been given. Thanks be to God for the amazing blessing of my faith, family and friends!

I already have a love-hate relationship with my son...Love this,

2008-11-23T13:07:00.001-08:00

This was just one spit up! I thought the design of a ski hill was pretty amazing, so I had to capture it on camera (my mind has been on skiing lately). He usually slimes me multiple times after each feeding. I think he thinks it's funny because his prime times to spit up are right after a bath when he's nice and clean, or immediately after I put clean clothes on him. We both change at least twice a day (I can only handle smelling like spit up for so long) and go through multiple burp clothes, which means my laundry is doubling..aahh. I thought babies were supposed to know when to stop eating, but I just think this little man loves to eat and won't stop until he is literally spitting up while he is eating, he is so full. Oh well, although it doesn't smell like roses, and it's no fun to clean up, I am grateful for my sweet little guy who is healthy, happy and oh so spitty (for lack of a better word :).

hate this!!

2008-11-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

A "Fairy" tale Halloween...

2008-11-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

This was Bailee's second Halloween, but really the first time she ever went Trick-or-Treating. The little cowgirl and I walked around to a few houses and she would say "Thank You" and after they gave her the candy, then she'd say "trick or treat". So, she had it backwards, but we'll work on it for next year. She got a ton of candy after only going to a handful of houses, but the funny thing is, she really could care less about eating it. I know, she's definitely not her mother's daughter in that aspect. She'll just take it out, ask me what it's called, organize it, then put it back in the bucket, and repeat. As for mine and Josh's last minute costumes...Josh decided it being "a Dentists favorite holiday", or the "holiday of tooth decay", that he needed to be a tooth fairy
(he preferred to be called the tooth "banker"). I made his tutu and wand and he drew the tooth on his shirt. It was actually quite a challenge to get him to come out of the house, but he was a good sport,,,afterall, he brought it upon himself. A stranger on the street said it best, when he said, "You know it's Halloween when you see a grown man in a tutu!" As for me, I went as Deb (Napoleon Dynamite's girlfriend) straight out of the 80's! My friend was Napoleon and since her husband didn't want to dress up for the party, I was her date :) I got all my garb at the thrift store for dirt cheap, and my favorite was the jelly bracelets and double socks...ahh the memories. All in all it was a "fairy"tale night...haha.

The Rummies Visit..

2008-11-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know how or where that name came from, but it has always been used in my family to describe...well, my dad and anyone with a rummy-like personality (whatever, it's hard to explain). I am getting a little behind, so I'll do a quick update. Dad and Nick came out for a couple of days. I was so excited to see them and we did lots of fun things and ate lots of great food! They were able to come to the OSU vs PSU game and even though we lost, we still had a good time. The main reason for their quick visit was Gabe's blessing, Little Gabe got all dressed up for the occasion and I am so grateful to my hubby for being able to give him a blessing and a beautiful one at that (short and sweet...hmm sounds like someone I know j/k :) Anyhow, Bailee was a little bipolar towards Nick, and would randomly say, "Nick's nice", only to turn around an hour later and say, "Nick's scary". Bailee is scared of everything, mind you, but I think the "magic tricks" that he did for her backfired. However, Bailee started crying when we dropped them off at the airport because she wanted to go with grandpa and Nick, so I think things are looking up. I always hate when family has to leave, but it made it a little easier knowing we would be seeing them soon at Christmas...yay!

Virginia Is For Lovers...

2008-10-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

As the saying goes, "Virginia is for Lovers", well love it we did. Last weekend we took a little trip through W. Virginia into Virginia. The drive this time of year was absolutely breathtaking (for lack of a better word), with the rolling hills and dense vegetation, the colorful leaves were amazing! The kids were champs and were great travelers, even Bailee seemed to enjoy the scenery as she just sat and gazed out the window for quite some time. On our way there, and one of our many feeding stops, we randomly ended up at the Bob Evans Homestead. We missed the big festival starting the next day, but we stopped for a yummy dinner. We had an eventful couple of days and stayed in Lexington. We took a carriage tour of the historic town, and of course Bailee was scared of the horses at first, but it wasn't long before she was having a good time. We then met up with the Fawsons in Buena Vista, VA which is the home town to the Knights, the SVU knights that is. Anyhow, Josh and Dave were roomies and teammates here and as alumni decided to come back for homecoming. I know, sounds kinda cheesy, but I think Josh was more interested in seeing his best bud than participating in the festivities. However, I got a tour of the campus, and town (which didn't take long :), as well as my first taste of raw chicken, and blowing $70 after checking into the only motel in BV and after seeing/smelling it, immediately checking out. Our trip also included a visit to the coolest petting zoo. I know you will be shocked to hear that Bailee was terrified of ALL the animals and cried to leave the entire time. Granted there were llamas and other animals roaming freely and her father who actually finds it amusing to watch her get scared (as by the camel in the pic). Here at the zoo, Josh and I spent the best ten bucks of the trip and rode on an elephant. I was surprised at how hard and rough its skin was as his huge ears flapped against my feet I was trying to keep my flip flops on, all the while a little disgusted by the texture on my toes. It was quite the experience...Anyways, the only real downer of the trip was the sleep deprivation. Sharing a hotel room with a toddler and a newborn isn't exactly a recipe for a good nights rest! All in all, good times, great friends, and lots of laughs.

Fine Dining?!

2008-09-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

So, it's no secret that Josh and I don't have much of a "refined palate". There is evidence of this in the fact that Josh's all time favorite place to eat is the Der Dutchman. This Amish restaurant is the epitome of down home cooking (maybe that is why he likes it, one of the few times he gets home cookin :) and the "Barn Raising buffet" is sure to please every time. Yesterday we decided to make the pretty country drive to the Der Dutchman. We went early in the evening and you'd better believe we were the youngest ones there by at least 40 years (old people love this place...and buffets). In the restaurant they have one buggy booth, the type of buggy pulled by horses, that the Amish still use today for transportation. Well, we couldn't resist the opportunity to dine in true Amish style (and we thought Bailee would enjoy it). So, I guess the secret is out, all the Deans need for a good time and fine dining is a buffet and a buggy...who'd a thought?!

Scaredy Cat!

2008-09-13T18:34:00.001-07:00

Okay, so Bailee had a wonderful 2nd Birthday! All she wanted to do and talked about literally for weeks was to go to Chuck E Cheeses. So, we went to Chuckees and no sooner did we walk in when "the mouse" came walking out. Sadly it pretty much ruined her whole Chuck E Cheese experience because she kept worrying about the mouse. We told her the mouse went home to take a nap and she was able to relax a little. However, there is also a stationary, mechanical mouse that "sings" and "dances" next to the stage, and that scared her just as much. Anyways, that is just one example of Bailee's many real fears. And when I say fear, I mean she usually breaks down into a state of hysteria until she is removed from wherever or whatever is scaring her. As you can tell, she is also scared of Santa, Bob the Builder, the Geico Gecko, Chuck E, and not pictured the Easter Bunny. Oh, but that is not all, she is scared of balloon animals, anyone wearing scrubs (reminds her of the Doctor I guess), nursery (well, not anymore, but she used to say "nursery kinda scary", just to name a few. So, I am a little worried and hoping this is just a stage, but I wonder is there such thing as omniphobia?

9/11: A Day To Remember...

2008-09-11T04:18:00.000-07:00

September 11th will always be a day to remember. A day of sadness, anger, fear, and sorrow. A day when many lives were lost and the effects of what occurred literally changed a nation. However, for me, 9/11 remains an unforgettable day for another reason. It was a day of happiness, relief, joy and gratitude when our "Sweet little Angel" was born. Although the effects of what occurred five years later may not have changed a nation (yet:), it certainly changed my life! What a blessing little Bailee is, and lucky for us we now have a reason to celebrate on this sad day. We love her so much and hope she has a wonderful Birthday! Happy 2nd B-day!!!

Introducing...

2008-09-02T16:25:00.001-07:00

Baby Gabe has arrived! Gabriel Joshua Dean was born 8/28/08, weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz. So, we are officially a family of four and so far things are going just great! The surgery went smoothly and I don't know what I would have done without my amazing hubby. I tell ya, it really pays off to have a husband who's a nurse, and a good one at that! My mom is in town helping out for a week (thank goodness), and I just love having a little baby to hold. Bailee too loves to hold Gabe, and gives him lots of hugs and kisses. I know she is going to be a great big sis, a little bossy, but I guess that comes with being the oldest child. ;) Just a quick update, but I thought you'd like to know that we're doing great and looking forward to this new adventure!

Like Father, Like Daughter...

2008-08-27T04:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, so even though Bailee really is a total Mommy's Girl, I love this picture. Josh is a big fan of these Converse shoes (Chuck Taylor's) and if he could, he would own them in every color. So, when Josh saw these shoes, he of course thought it was imperative for Bailee to have a pair. Anyways, I just hope Bailee knows that she doesn't have to wear the same shoes as her father if she wants to follow in his footsteps, and yes, they are big shoes to fill, but I know someday she could do it.
p.s Thanks to Rebekah (my sis in law) for taking and making this picture...I love it!

This is what Bailee has been reading...

2008-08-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

And this is what I have been reading!

2008-08-05T05:47:00.000-07:00

So, some friends and I decided to crash the teeny bopper party Friday night at Barnes and Noble and get the book hot off the press. Since I got the book, I must admit my priorities definitely went out of whack, and my dear husband even asked my when I would be coming back to the family. I figured this would probably be the last book that I read for a while (since Jr. arrives in 23 days woohoo!) so I guess I justified neglecting my loved ones one last time. So, there has been some good reading going on at our house, but now that I am finished, I should probably follow Bailee's example and read more of the "good word".

Hmmm....Where Should I Begin?

2008-07-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

We have lots to share about our summer so far, so I'd better get started. First of all, our trip home to ID was great, fun, and of course went by too fast. Bailee and I went out for two weeks while Josh studied for the boards (we figured we wouldn't see him anyways since he studied all day:) then Josh came out for a week and we did lots of fun things. Bailee's personal favorite, as you can tell from the picture was the splash park, but the "bucket" in particular. Weeks later she is still raving about the big red bucket that dumps out water on the kids. Note: Bailee only watched the bucket from a safe distance making sure not to get dumped on!
SInce my parents are remodeling their kitchen, we didn't have much of a place to cook, so we ate a lot of bad food(well good depending upon how you look at it). Bailee is recovering from an addiction to McDonald's breakfast burritos that grandma got her addicted to. She would wake up and the first words out of her mouth was "Beeto" (burrito). However Josh and I are having withdrawals without our sno cone fix. They don't have any around here, so we took advantage and loved the sno cones...w/ice cream on the bottom...mmmmm.
We also took a vacation from our vacation to Island Park. This is one of our most favorite places ever! No matter the time of year, it is so beautiful. We went canoeing, wakeboarding (well Josh did as I jealously watched from the boat), hiking, the playmill theatre, and Josh and dad played a killer game of Jenga. You should be impressed that these two mastered the game...if that is possible. They played the pieces till you couldn't pull anymore out...I was impressed (hence the picture). p.s. I am convinced the only reason it never fell was because the foundation was a Book of Mormon...my Book of Mormon.
Josh, Bailee, Cooper and Nick went to Bear World. Josh and Nick said they thought the kids would like going there, but judging by the picture in the gift shop, it looks like the adults were enjoying it more so than the little ones. Actually, they all had a great time.
We did lots of other fun things, but I just really enjoyed being with and doing things with my family! We had some mallow roasts, got haircuts together (Thanks Kac! p.s. It was a little traumatic at first, but it is starting to grow on me...no pun intended) and just plain old hung out. Anyways, always a good time, with good company, but good to be back...

Happy _______ Day!

2008-06-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish my "other half" a very Happy Birthday! I am so glad we could spend our Birthday together (even if it means having to share a cake :), and as the saying that we both like goes, "God knew I loved you too much to just be your friend, so He let me be your sister." Love ya "Biff"
I also wanted to wish the two best fathers in the world a Happy Father's Day. I have been blessed with the best dad in the whole world, as well as an amazing husband and father. They are both great examples of fatherhood and I love them sooo much!! Again, as the saying goes, "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad." I must say these are two very special "dads"!!

What Motivates You??

2008-05-28T10:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, a little addition to the last post of the latest with the Dean fam. First of all, in Josh's words, "He can die a happy man." No, he did not win the lottery, and the Buckeyes did not win the National Championship, so why can he die happy??? Josh got to school and learned that his idol, mentor, motivator, hero, whatever you want to call it, Lance Armstrong was coming to OSU. He ran to the store bought a disposable camera and waited on the front row for 1 1/2 hours. Well worth his wait I must say, not only did he get some great pics, but he got his autograph and a LIVESTRONG bracelet (that's right, Josh is bringing back the bracelet) that he threw into the crowd. Lets just say he was in one good mood when he got home! Well, my motivator is a bit different. It's actually my growing belly that motivates me to get out and excercise. Josh and I ran in a 5K last week, but we signed up to run in the Race For The Cure a couple of months ago. I must admit I wasn't planning on being as large as I am, but Josh said it was only fair that since I was "with chid" that he too should be "with child" and ran the enire 5K with Bailee on his back. She actually loved the backpack and seeing all the people, etc., I don't know if I will be running another race anytime in the near future. However, I just invested in the best invention (actually coming in third after the wet suit and the electric blanket :). I know it sounds silly, but the Belly Band is amazing to run with. It helps the belly not bounce around as well as reduces back, leg, and any and every other pain that comes with pregnancy when I run. I don't know how I ever did without it. Anyhow, I highly recommend it (I should be getting paid for that endorsement or something). Well, I am going home in 10 days and I am sooo excited. I have really had the "home bug" these past few weeks and can't wait to see everyone. That's all from the Deaners for now...until next time...

2008-05-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the food storage shelves I was talking about. The cans roll down when you take one out, then you replace at the top. Makes for an easy rotation, works great, and lots cheaper than the metal ones you can buy!

The Latest and Greatest...(show on Earth)

2008-05-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty busy here in the month of May. First of all we decided to at least get started on some type of food storage. Josh came up with the design for the shelves him and his dad made, and I am really excited how much storage room there is and we even have room for quite a bit more food. Josh had his second Lasik surgery on his eye (long story as to why he had to wait 6 weeks for his eye to heal after the first surgery). He can now see 20/20 and is very happy with the outcome, and I am left feeling jealous every time I put in a contact or go to put my glasses on...oh well, someday. I have also been busy "nesting" which Josh thinks three months early is not necessary, but I have finished all my projects in the nursery and around the house. One of which included refinishing my first piece of furniture. I got this little chair at a garage sale that I thought would be fun for Bailee's room. Josh likes to refinish furniture and is great at it, but I was too impatient and wanted it finished, so I decided to give it a try, and it turned out great! Lastly, we randomly decided to go the Barnum and Bailey circus on Sat. It was mine and Bailee's first time to the circus and what can I say, we both enjoyed it. Bailee especially enjoyed the animal aspect of it (elephants, tigers, zebras, etc.). Anyways, there are a few other things we've been up to that I will post later. Sorry, this post isn't too exciting, but it will have to do. Until next time...

Whatever it takes to get some Zzzzzzz's...

2008-04-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

And Josh wonders why I still worry about Bailee when she sleeps...When we moved to our new apartment, the first night we didn't have the crib set up yet, so Bailee slept in the twin bed. The next day for her nap, she didn't want to sleep in the crib, but in her big girl bed. Well, just like that, the transition was made and she loves sleeping in the bed. The only draw back is she has more room to wiggle around on and as you can see she likes to kick the wall. The other day she was having a great time playing around and kicking the wall and I guess found a comfortable position with her leg up on the wall, and fell asleep. However, all this play room on the twin bed and moving around just might not be so good for her quality of sleep. The picture with her milk (I know she looks hung over, but I swear it's milk) is what happens when she doesn't get the quality of sleep she needs (sounds like her mother)...

2008-04-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

Bailee's gonna be a what?!!

2008-04-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

That's right, Bailee's gonna be a big sister which means only one thing...We are having another baby! I have made it over the half way hump and it has gone by super fast. Josh and I both thought for sure we were going to have another girl, but we were both excited to find out we are expecting a little Josh Jr. I am still not quite sure what I am going to do with a little boy, since Bailee is as girly as it gets, but I am excited for our new little adventure! We just moved to a three bedroom apartment this weekend (same complex) and I made the mistake of telling Josh that if we have a boy he could put his weights in the room. Like I said, I thought for sure the weights would be staying outside in storage cause I thought I was having a girl. Well, much to my dismay, Josh decided to purchase a weight system thinger that takes up half the nursery. Oh, my poor little boy...his nursery is being taken over by his father, who I know can't wait to wrestle and rough house with the little guy....oh well. We've had a lot going on lately, and I will have to post more later, but I just thought I should share this wonderful news with my friends and family!

Bailee's Latest...(video moved to bottom of page)

2008-04-14T07:45:00.001-07:00

So, Bailee is at the age where she seems to be learning things very quickly. However, there are also some things that we didn't need to teach her, and she just seemed to learn on her own...unfortunately her favorite just happens to be the word "No!" We thought the video was kind of funny because she was saying it in a higher pitched voice. Anyways, she learned how to count to ten a while back, but then digressed and would only count "3, 7, 9" (I guess she has a thing for odd numbers). Well, she can count to ten again, only this time she skips the number 8. Oh well, we are just greatful for the daily entertainment she provides us. p.s sorry, for some reason I can't download my videos through blogger, so youtube will have to do. Remember you can go to the bottom of the page and pause the music so you can hear the videos. ENJOY!

The Wheels on the Bus

2008-03-30T17:58:00.001-07:00

One of Bailee's favorite things to do is sing songs (with actions) and lead the music. She is always turning on the radio, and somehow with her unfortunately musically untalented parents has developed this love of music (as I am sure most children do). Recently her favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus", we can start singing this song no matter her mood she becomes instantly happy! We just taught her what the baby and the mom do and we thought it was kind of funny...It is amazing what is entertaining once you become parents! p.s. to hear the video, you can go to the playlist at the bottom of the page and pause the music...

March 23, 2008...

2008-03-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

March 23rd was a very special day this year. Many important events happened on this day...of course it was Easter, but it was also my Grandma Peterson's birthday, my good friend Kim's Birthday, and Bailee's first day of nursery. Unfortunately living across the country, I didn't get to go to any birthday parties, but I was able to go to nursery with Bailee. That's right, Bailee kept a close eye on me and made sure I didn't make any moves to leave. I guess that is probably normal for the first time, but I 'm just hoping she doesn't pull a Cooper (sorry Kac) for the next year. We had a wonderful Easter dinner at Mama and Papa Dean's new house and Bailee also went on her first Easter egg hunt. She was doing pretty well picking an egg or two up and chucking them into her basket, that was until she discovered there was chocolate inside. While on our trip back to ID grandma decided to show Bailee what she was missing out on and now she has what I call a small addiction to chocolate (don't worry it is not near as bad as the addiction she now has to her beloved binky!!) Once she realized there was chocolate in the eggs she really went to town and was quite the egg hunter...that's my girl!

Wigwams, Caves and Bats(...baseball that is)

2008-03-25T05:29:00.001-07:00

Being a stay at home mom, you don't really get a "Spring Break", so I decided to take it upon myself and go on an extra long Spring Break vacation! I was able to go home for two weeks, and as always I had a great time with my family. I couldn't believe how much snow they still had and I am hoping it all melts before my next visit! I was a little disappointed that Kacie decided not to have her baby a week early so I could be there to see the new babe...oh well. Anyways, it's just always so nice to be home with my fam, but Josh decided he can't handle his "girls" being away for that long again (I think mostly because he went on a strictly cereal diet while I was gone j/k). Then, when I got back from Idaho, we took a weekend trip to Kentucky. We went to the Louisville Slugger baseball museum and factory, and we also went to Mammoth Caves. Okay, the caves were awesome, but I must say when the grown lady in front of me started to freak out and cry and ended up going back to the bus after only stepping into the cave, I started to get a little nervous. We went REALLY far down tons of stairs to get to the actual cave tunnels. The caves are supposedly the longest in the world (or something like that) and the two hour tour proved to be a little much for Bailee who ended up falling asleep in my arms. The end of the tour was the "Frozen Niagra" which the picture of the stalacmites doesn't do it justice. Anyways the wigwam or tee pee (I don't know the difference) was Josh's surprise to me, and boy was I surprised, cause this was our "hotel". The plaster wigwam "newly renovated" (that term seems to be used more loosely each year) consisted of the original 1930 furniture, a bed, TV and small bathroom. I was skeptical at first but then Josh reminded me of my heritage (Pocahontas is my 14th great grandma) so I decided to suck it up (okay so Josh didn't really say that but she really is my g-ma :) Josh is always keeping things interesting that is for sure, there are so many things I have done in my life that if it weren't for him I would have never experienced, and this was definitely one I will never forget.

Cute vs. Not so cute

2008-03-25T05:21:00.001-07:00

Lately, my sweet little Bailee has been making the saddest, ugliest pouty face. She sticks her bottom lip out and scrunches up her face and even though she wants us to know she is not happy with something, I can't help but laugh, and wonder "Where did she learn how to do that!?"

Uh Oh!

2008-02-22T04:44:00.001-08:00

Okay, so whenever Bailee gets anything on her skin that she know shouldn't be there (marker, pen, etc.), she will say "Uh oh" and continues repeating it and pointing to it until you clean it off. She also does this to other people with "marks" she doesn't think belong. Josh has a mole on the side of his face that Bailee will point to with a concerned look on her face and say "Uh oh"! We thought it was pretty funny...that is until last night. Josh was standing in line at Subway. The guy in front of them was pretty much a walking tatoo, with all his exposed skin covered in tatoos. Well, it didn't take long for Bailee to notice that this guy had "drawn" all over himself and she pointed to him and kept saying "Uh oh". Needless to say the guy obviously heard and Josh was embarassed, but hey, what do you do?!

XOXOXOXOX!

2008-02-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

What can I say, LOVE is in the air at our house! Bailee is always so full of love! She gives everyone and everything kisses, including fake babies, real babies (Clara and Jeter...who enjoyed it :), and a big smooch coming your way! We just wanted to wish you all a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...PUCKER UP!

Shop Til' You Drop!

2008-01-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday some friends and I decided to brave the freezing cold weather and head down to the outlets. As you can clearly tell, Bailee was thrilled to go shopping in such pleasant weather. By the end of the day Bailee could handle no more. I was a little disappointed in her endurance, I guess we'll have to work on that. I remember many a shopping trip when my mom almost had me in tears because I was so tired and could shop no more. I am sure some of you know what I am talking about when I say that I was even doing the tired shopping walk where your legs and feet are completely limp and you some how pick up your foot and put it down again, just so you can keep up with your mom so you don't lose her. Funny though, because this happens so often to our family (my mom just out shopping us and eventually losing her) that we came up with a game called "Where's Valdo" (you know, like "Where's Waldo" but with Valerie). Pretty much whoever finds her first wins and gets to cuss her out about not having her cell phone, etc. What can I say, you gotta love her...she's the best!!! p.s. I bet you cant guess what Bailee's favorite color is ?!

Parenting 101...

2008-01-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

Everybody knows that you can fix anything with Duct tape...even your child's bad habits ;) Josh had had enough of Bailee picking up her bowl and dumping the food out (which happens faithfully at every meal). So, as you can see, Josh got the bright idea to tape her bowl to her high chair tray...genius, sheer genius...only Bailee just looked at it and ripped the tape off. hahaha Well, he only did it for a good laugh which I had, however Bailee didn't think it was too funny!

Bailee's New Best Friend!

2008-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

I'm sure as most kids do, Bailee loves animals, her favorite being dogs. For Christmas I decided to get her a puppy. No, of course not a real dog, but a remote control one. Sad to say, that will be the closest she gets to having a pet. Anyhow, it barks and walks (real slow) but she just loves the little mut.

Farewell 2007!

2007-12-29T20:41:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone, but as always it has been a wonderful holiday season. Since Bailee was only 3 months old last Christmas and slept through pretty much all the festivities and such, it seems like it was actually her first Christmas. As you can see from the pics, she had fun playing with some of her new things, but it wore her out pretty quick. It was fun to be able to have our own little Christmas and do our own thing. It has been sooo nice having Josh home during his break and we have enjoyed every minute spending time as a family. We had a wonderful Christmas and really the only thing that could have made it better was a little snow. Sad, but I was actually excited on Christmas morning to see frost on the car windshields ;) Anyways, as the year ends and I reflect back on Christmas and the past year, 2007 has definitely been good to me. I have been so blessed and can't think of much more to say except that LIFE IS GOOD! Hope you all have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Meow = Sniffle, sniffle, sneeze

2007-12-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

We spent a couple of days at Josh's parents house. We had a great time, and of course with any Dean get together lots of yummy food. It gets pretty crazy with all the grandkids running around, but suprisingly everyone made it through the week without any serious injuries. As for the picture with the cat, it's kind of a long story...I'll give you the shortened version. When Josh and I first got married we stayed overnight at his parents' house. In the middle of the night I woke up and could hardly breathe, I was so miserable that we ended up sleeping at someone else's house. To get to the point, Mama Dean ended up giving her cat away so that Josh and I could visit without any itching and sneezing...bless her heart. Well, from then on, it has been an ongoing joke. I have received everything from cat socks to this artificial cat that Mama Dean gave me this year. I feel bad that she sacrificed her furry little friend, but just wait, I'll get her back...someday.

True Idaho Spud!

2007-12-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, no one is a true Idahoan unless you played with Mr. Potato head as a child. While we were in Rexburg Bailee played with some of my old toys that mom had kept. Bailee actually enjoyed playing with the same Mr. Potato head that I played with as a youngster. I think the picture of Kacie and I is pretty funny since Kacie has a black eye, I swear it wasn't me (or maybe it was...who knows!) and also because the pacifier I am sucking on looks more like a door knob. Okay, so they don't make toys like they used to, but the pacifier has definitely come a long way!

Home Sweet Home...it never gets old!

2007-12-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

In the words of Dorothy "There's no place like home." Josh is lucky enough to get four weeks off for school so we took advantage and left the day after finals to head to Utah. Tristen (Miller) Brigman got married on Friday in the Mt. Timpanogos temple. She looked beautiful and I know she'll make a great wife to Dan. We enjoyed the festivities and seeing friends, and also being able to spend quality time with grandpa and grandma Peterson. Those of you who know them, know what great hosts they are and it was worth the flight just for grandmas breakfasts! A storm came through Utah so we stayed an extra night, so we didn't get to Rexburg until Saturday. Tyler came from Boise so we were able to see him as well. Josh and I had a couple of things that we definately wanted to do while in town, one of which was skiing. We went to Grand Targhee and pretty much had the mountain to ourselves (probably due to the fact that it was freezing...well colder than freezing and snowy, which equals lousy visibility). Despite the conditions, which were really only towards the end, we had a great time! We were reminded yet again, how much we love, love, love the mountains and skiing (and Josh snowboarding) :) Anyhow, we had a great time on the slopes and took advantage of the hot tub almost every night...ahhh (another thing we were reminded of loooving). Bailee was in heaven with so much room to play and run around in at her grandpa and grandmas house compared to our small apartment. Cooper and Bailee got along great and it was fun watching them play together and fake laughing when the other one laughed. Now, we've tried to be good parents and teach Bailee not to call other kid's names. However, whenever she said "Cooper" it sounded more like "Pooper" and I am worried (for Coop) that this might be a sign of what the future holds...sorry :) Well, all in all we had a great time and we're glad we were able to spend time (too short of time, of course) with family. It was great to see everyone, we love and miss you all and hope you have a great Holiday!
p.s. as if this blog isn't already long enough, there are lots of pictures below!!!

2007-12-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

Grandpa, I mean Santa came to visit Kacie's house. Bailee clearly was not a fan and I felt bad for making her sit there while we took a picture, she was not a happy camper!! However, she was a huge fan of taking ornaments off the Christmas tree and has even been known to break a few. Oh well, at least we got her to crack a smile!

2007-12-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

"Here comes the bride...go T-dog"! :)

2007-12-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

Bailee's first time playing in the snow. Okay, maybe not playing, but touching the snow. Well, maybe not touching..how about the first time we tried to get Bailee to like the snow. I'd like to think we were successful.

2007-12-15T19:43:00.001-08:00

Yep, in case you couldn't recognize my nose...that's me! Like I mentioned, it was a bitter cold day to go skiing, so I made sure nothing was exposed (I guess my nose escaped :) Also a disclaimer about the helmet. I don't usually wear it, but I wore it for a couple of reasons. First of all, my husband is what I like to call accident prone, to put it lightly. He gave me the line "I'll wear my helmet if you wear yours"...enough said. Secondly, as a safety precaution. It was the first ski trip of the season, I wasn't sure just how rusty I'd be. And simply because it was a whole lot warmer than the knit hat I brought home. There you have it.

2007-12-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing her daddy is going to be a Dentist, cause as long as there is a grandma around there is going to be way too much sugar on those little teeth. Bailee ate the whole piece of licorice (minus what she left on her face and the high chair, which I think actually equals about a half a piece.)

2007-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Crazy Bailee...she was playing in some bandanas (long story as to why I have a bandana in every color) so I tied one on her head. I thought she would rip it off, but she kept it on, and I think she thought she was pretty cool.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

2007-11-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

Josh and I celebrated our Anniversary this weekend and it's just crazy how the time flies! I am one lucky girl to have such a wonderful husband and for Bailee to have an amazing dad! I look forward to many more exciting, crazy, wonderful years together...Happy Anniversary! xoxoxo
~"In the enriching of marriage the big things are the little things. It is a constant appreciation for each other and a thoughtful demonstration of gratitude. It is the encouraging and the helping of each other to grow. Marriage is a joint quest for the good, the beautiful, and the divine." James E. Faust

You'll shoot your eye out...

2007-11-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

So, Josh and I decided we wanted to go to Cleveland this weekend. We looked on the internet to see if anything fun was going on. Well to our sheer delight, the first anual "A Christmas Story" Convention would be taking place. We had been wanting to see the house anyways, so we got a great packaged deal through the hotel and had a great time. We were able to go to the "meet and greet" with some of the cast. Miss Shields, was really nice as well as Flick (tongue stuck on the flag pole boy...by the way, hate to burst your bubble, but it wasn't actually stuck. There was a hole in the pole and a vaccum/suction that made his tongue look like it was being stretched. I know, I was disapponted too ;) The head elves were extremely nice and sang us a Happy Anniversary song and gave us a free autographed pic (everyone else sold them for $20). Anyhow, I was acutally quite disappointed because I didn't think that I was going to be able to see Farkus and Randy. We were one of the first ones in line and after 40 min past the opening time they still weren't there. Well, I know you are all going to be upset when I tell you this, but I think...no, I know they were hung over. You could tell that Farkus was kind of a bad boy, and Randy looked like he rolled out of bed and had zero personality. It kind of burst my bubble, but oh well. We were also able to tour the house and museum, but my personal favorite was shooting the "Red Ryder" BB Guns in the backyard. All in all, we had a great time and what better way to kick off the perfect Christmas season with a classic! Oh, and don't forget to drink your Ovaltine.

This is an OSU helmet...

2007-11-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

and this is my husband's head!!!! (on the right)

2007-11-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to begin! Okay, so Josh has been an OSU fan since birth. He finally admitted to choosing OSU Dental School so he could get season tickets to the football games (I knew it all along :) We have had fun going to the games and cheering on the buckeyes (that's right...their mascot is a nut...literally). However, Josh also has a pure and utter dislike for the University of Michigan. He thinks that we should just "give Michigan to Canada" (can't take credit for that one, I got it off Josh's t-shirt). Anyhow, him and three of his friends won the "lottery" for the showdown and got tickets to the OSU vs. U of M...in Michigan. I was a little nervous about him going into this hostile territory, but he assured me he would be okay. So, Josh calls me Saturday (game day) and tells me that some lady at the hotel told him to go back to Ohio. "That's rude I thought", then later he tells me that an old lady wanted her picture taken with Josh. Well, it wasn't until he got home that these phone calls all made sense. If I saw some punk kid Michigan fan with a mohawk, I probably wouldn't tell him to go home, but I can't deny thinking it. And the old lady was on OSU fan who thought their OSU helmet mohawks were...oh I don't know...neato. I'd like to think that his friends peer pressured him into it, but something tells me it was all his idea. So, there you have it, Josh helped bless his sisters baby the next day, so luckily the mohawk had to go. My husband is what I like to call a FANatic, but he definitely lives life to the fullest and is so much fun!

TAGGED...

2007-11-13T04:37:00.000-08:00

For those of you who tagged me...here are 6 things that you may not know about 'Yours Truly':
Hmmm lets see...
1) I am allergic to the cold. Yup, I grew up in the "land of the frozen chosen" (Rexburg) and survived. Actually I self diagnosed myself with cold urticaria last week. If I am exposed to cold temperatures for a while, I get really bad hives. Crazy, I know since two of my favorite things just happen to be skiing and running (which seems to be the worse after I run.) I have now made good friends with the antihistamine Benadryl, so it's all good.

2) I can say the alphabet backwards. I'm not quite sure why or how I know this, but Iearned it years ago...zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba.

3) I'm not a night person (and usually fall asleep during every movie I watch..unless it is "Troop Beverly Hills"). I am not a morning person either, so Josh says that I am an afternoon person, and I couldn't agree more!

4) I have been accused of being a neat freak and like to organize. I can't leave my house or go to sleep without everything being in order. Josh used to tell me to just do it in the morning, but he has since realized that I'm stubborn and lets me do my thing. Bless his soul :)

5) I love to read. I am a big fan of WWII and other war books. I particularly enjoy historical fiction and non fiction books. What can I say, I'm a sucker when it comes to a good book. However, I am a little nervous about starting a new book because I might neglect my daughter...once I start one, nothing can stop me from finishing.

6) My biggest fear? You guessed it, WORMS! I hate worms with a passion, I think I was traumatized as a child. Granted I am not a big fan of spiders and such. But I hate it when it rains and all the worms come out. Literally when I walk I try to avoid stepping on one. They're just plain ol' nasty!!!

Well, there you have it, I am even more weird than you thought (sad, I am even weirder than I thought) ;) Oh well...For all those of you who haven't been tagged...YOU'RE IT!! hehehe

A Few Family Fotos

2007-11-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty busy this past month, and this included getting our first (I know...sad, but true) family pictures! Josh has been pretty busy with school and Bailee and I manage to keep busy as well. The latest with Bailee is saying prayers. I know, you're thinking that's great. However, as of yesterday she learned to fold her arms when we say "prayer". Well, after the dinner prayer yesterday, Bailee kept folding her arms (we're talking 8-10 times) and would look at us so seriously and wait until we folded our arms and said a prayer. She'd wait a few minutes and then fold them again and wait until a prayer was said to resume eating. It was pretty cute and even though dinner took a while to finish she has literally taught us what it means to "pray always".

Cute as a bug!

2007-11-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

So, Bailee also dressed up as a lady bug for Halloween (Josh says you can only dress up as a turkey so many times before you start to lose your dignity;) The lady bug just happens to be the Ohio State bug (which has nothing to do with why she was a lady bug this year...thanks Krista for the costume.) I should have taken more pics but this will have to do...

What a Turkey!!

2007-11-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Josh bought this turkey costume, but the only way I could get him to wear it to the party was to somehow come up with a family theme. I already had the indian costume, so I made Bailee's pilgrim outfit (which I know is a boy pilgrim, but the girl pilgrim looked like a pioneer and I didn't want any confusion :) and there you have it Happy Thanksgiving and Halloween all rolled into one!

Idaho meets Ohio

2007-10-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, mom, Kacie and Cooper made it to Ohio. They were here for a week and we had lots of fun! Bailee especially enjoyed having a little buddy to play with and follow around...we know when it got quite that they were both up to no good:) I tried to keep them busy and we did some fun things. We of course did a little...okay, who am I kidding, a lot of shopping, went to the zoo, a chocolate factory, huge play land (nets, slides, ball pit, you know, the nasty, germy play places that kids seem to love), an Amish Restaurant, the park, Bellefontaine (where Mama and Papa Dean live), a little pumpkin patch, and just had so much fun laughing and being with the girls! Oh yeah, we also attemted (key word) to have Bailee and Coop's pictures taken together. It went a little something like this. Bailee is woken up from her nap. We get to the portrait studio and the guy wants Cooper to hold Bailee. Well, no sooner had we set Bailee in Cooper's lap he kicked her off. So, the guy decided to break out the Elmo puppet. The puppet scares Bailee and the rest is history. We took her back in the room, and she didn't hardly smile, still trying to figure this guy out. Anyhow, They left today and I already miss having them around. I guess we have to go back to reality (Josh is pretty excited cause he gets his bed back)...

Smile?!

2007-10-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

Fun at the park

2007-10-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

AIR SHOW

2007-10-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Air Show

2007-09-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

We got free tickets to "The Gathering of Legends and Mustangs" Air Show in Columbus, so we decided it would be a fun thing to do this weekend. Bailee has been pointing to planes in the sky lately so I thought she'd like it as well. It was really cool to see all the old planes and the military air craft. There were a lot of legends (military pilots) from different wars who told their stories and signed autographs. The coolest part of the show was watching the Air Force Thunderbirds. They are the planes that do formations and crazy things in the air. The first time Bailee saw the planes fly by she looked at me and said, "WOW"! It was so funny! Then as the planes flew closer over head it was REALLY loud and even though we covered Bailee's ears, she wasn't liking it so much after a while. All in all it was a beautiful fall day with clear skies, perfect day for flying (or watching people fly:).

Happy...Sad...Happy!

2007-09-11T18:02:00.002-07:00

Bailee's Birthday

2007-09-11T17:48:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that Baileee is already a year old. She's only one and got her first car and a house (thanks g-ma) for her b-day. We gave her cake, but she just grabbed it, threw it, and started crying. She still doesn't have any teeth and we think she might be teething. Aunt Rebekah brought over a little walker that pushes around and loves it, she'll be walking in no time. Josh got out of school early so we had fun playing with Bailee most of the day. She has the biggest gummy smile and she just makes us laugh, silly as can be...Well, that's the latest with us Deans, hope you all keep in touch. Luv YA