Bastian Bunch

Site Words

2012-02-16T15:38:00.005-07:00

Tyler is working on site words in kindergarten right now. I want him to be successful and to be a great reader so we practice these words everyday. His teacher sends home 5 words. He practices them and if he feels he knows them well enough, he takes the list back to school and if he can tell them the words he moves on to the next list.

So I thought I would help him out. I have made flash cards with a lot of words on them. I have lamented them. When the list is sent home I pull those words, write the list number on the back and we practice them, in different orders.

I have put the list on our word wall. When he passes off a list, it gets taped to the wall. Also, when Tyler passes off his words, he gets a star next to that word.

We also have letters with magnets on an oil pan. This way he can see the letters, move them around to spell words but also be able to write them. I wanted to buy a white board but they are really expensive. I found this oil pan at walmart for under $10.

The vowels are red and consonants are blue. I have several sets of these letters in case we lose them or if he needs more for his word he is trying to spell.

After we have practiced his words I send him to the board, give him the word, have him spell it with the magnet letters and then write it out. I feel he will hopefully be able to learn them better. He can see them and write them. Also, this will help prepare him for spelling tests in the future.

This oil pan is also great for drawing on. This is Tyler and Katie's famous art work. They love to spell words. Katie will ask how to spell a word and then she finds the letters.

Snow Day

2012-02-03T10:20:00.005-07:00

I was so happy to get that email this morning saying it was a SNOW-DAY!

That meant I got to sleep in right, no. My kids were up at 7 this morning. I just don't understand. When they have to get up for school they sleep forever, Saturday mornings or snow days, they are up bright and early.

Glad to have my kiddos home today and they are playing well together.

Thank Heaven!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T21:02:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas to everyone!

We are so thankful for this time of year to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We hope this finds you well.

We have had a great year and have enjoyed spending time together.

Brad continues to work at Progressive Insurance in the IT department. He continues to improve his skills programming skills. At church, Brad is serving in the primary with the 9 year olds. He loves his calling and is doing a fantastic job. He is able to occasionally get in a golf or racquetball game. His dad and brother were able to visit us this year in Colorado and spent 3 days golfing. Every boys dream.

I have had a busy year. I continue to take pictures and have enjoyed every photo shoot. I was able to take a photography class and I loved it. I have also started teaching preschool this year. It is going really well and I would love to continue teaching.

Tyler is 6 this year, in Kindergarten and doing really well. He is improving his hand writing skills and his reading is coming along nicely. In November, he finished his 5th soccer season. He finally scored a goal and was the happiest boy you have ever seen. He also played t-ball this year and did fairly well considering he has never played before. He also took his first leap off of grandma and grandpa's diving board. He loved it!

Tyler is a great help around the house and he loves to make Katie laugh. When the two get together they continue to laugh on a continuous basis. He has the best smile in the world.

Katie is 3 and continues to amaze me everyday. She is a little mama in training. She loves to help around the house, she loves to color and draw. Most days you will find her with markers and paper in hand. Katie knows her alphabet and I think she will be reading before she starts Kindergarten. She loves to learn and read books. If I would read to her all day, she would let me. Katie loves to swim. She was so brave as she climbed the ladder to the big slide at the pool. She tried many times but didn't have the courage to go down. One day she had enough courage and took the plunge. She loved it from then on. She also went off the diving board. She continues to ask when she can go swimming again.

We were lucky enough to have a few visitors this year. Grandma and grandpa Clonts, Grandpa Bastian, Uncle Reed and the Lindsey family. We welcome all who would love to visit.

We hope everyone has had a great year.

101 update

2011-12-17T10:36:00.005-07:00

Here is an update on my 101 list. I still have a long way to go but I feel I can accomplish this list, at least most of it. I am really excited to really push forward this next year. In Young Women's for one of our activities we are going to be talking about goals and I get to share my 101 list with the girls and talk about how to set and accomplish goals.

1. Go to Disneyland

2. See the Braves play in Atlanta (5-12-2011)

3. Take pictures of all the temple in Utah (that are currently built 13) (2 completed)

4. Design a new business card (10-12-2010)

5. 1 photo shoot weekly for 6 consecutive weeks

6. Fit into wedding dress

7. Attend General Conference

8. Sell temple prints

9. 52 consecutive weeks w/ different theme, post picture weekly on blog

10. Attend the temple everyday for one week (tue-sat)

11. Visit a temple I have never been to...Columbus Ohio Temple 10/2010

12. Earn enough money from photo shoots to buy a full frame camera

13. Take a photography class (5-11)

14. Learn or improve 5 new photography skills White Balance, DOF

15. Read standard works: Old, New, BOM, D&C, PGP (completed BOM 2x, completed PGP)

16. Stop biting finger nails (10-11)

17. Buy a home

18. Cook dinner every night for 30 days

19. Run 5k

20. Go back to school

21. Create a March of Dimes team

22. Go to education week or women's conference

23. Weekly outing with Tyler and Katie for 2 months, then continue

24. Memorize The Family Proclamation

25. Memorize The Living Christ

26. Hold Family Home Evening for 2 consecutive months

27. Kiss Brad every day for 15 seconds for 2 consecutive months

28. Read 5 church books within 10 months

29. Quiet time with Brad for 30 minutes; no kids, no TV, no phone. 3 months daily

30. Bridal shoot or wedding (wedding in April or May)

31. Read entire conference issue for November and May

32. One night a week no TV from 6pm to bed 2 months 12-11

33. Morning scripture study before getting on the computer for 2 months

34. Write in my journal weekly for 3 months

35. Make 100 baby blankets for the NICU

36. Design another website for photography (10-11)

37. Save 10% from every photo shoot

38. ~~Read from Book of Mormon every morning with Tyler before he goes to school. 3 months~~
Have family scripture study daily, 1 month then continue 1/2011
39. Pay off credit cards
40. Host a game night

41. Visit 3 states I have never been to before (Montana, Wyoming, Georgia, Ohio) 10/2010

42. No fast food for a month 1/2011

43. Watch a sunrise and sunset in the same day with Brad, NO KIDS

44. Visit 5 different museums (visited 2)

45. Encourage someone else to start a 101 list 11/2010

46. Complete a 1000+ piece puzzle by myself

47. Visit 3 national parks (Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, ...)

48. Attend an outdoor concert

49. Donate blood at least 3 times

50. Friday night date night for 2 months

51. Kiss in the rain

53. Go golfing with Brad

54. Finish Tyler and Katie's 1st year scrapbook

55. Donate $5 for PEF for every goal I do not complete

56. Invite a new family once a week to dinner for 2 months

57. Climb the incline with Brad

58. Make a new quilt for my bed

59. Finish Tyler's bed spread (10-11)

60. Make a bed spread for Katie's bed

61. Volunteer at Tyler's school once a week for 2 months 12/2010

62. One week, do not go grocery shopping for food and live off food storage

63. Start riding my bike again

64. Learn to bottle applesauce

65. Identify 100 things that make me happy

66. Plan a 6 month dinner calendar 1/2011

67. Make a "bucket list" of 20 things or places I would like to do or visit, be specific

68. Learn to make homemade bread

69. Get a couples massage

70. Floss every day for one month (Nov 2, 2010)

71. Go on a picnic with my family

72. Do 50 consecutive push-ups (hundredpushups.com) (I can't even do one now)

73. Go on a girls weekend trip

74. Blog at least once a week on family blog for 3 months

75. Start a new family tradition 11-2011 Thanksgiving Tree

76. Take a photo of 26 things, one for each letter of the alphabet and post on my photography blog

77. Go horseback riding as a family

78. Learn to identify 10 constellations

79. Memorize 25 scriptures

80. Try zumba 12/2010

81. Put together a family tree with as many pictures as possible 4 generations

82. Take a picture of my kids with their grandparents and great grandparent

83. Do the 200 sit-up challenge (twohundredsitups.com)

84. Become an organ donor

85. Post on DPS for 3 months, every challenge

86. Go to bed every weeknight at 10 for a month

87. Potty train Katie (08/2011)

88. Make a portfolio

89. Take a random road trip with Brad, we could try spontaneously, but we have kids

90. Watch a movie with Brad in the country

91. Have a big 4th of July celebration party (Brad's favorite holiday)

92. Milk a cow

93. Take a trip to Texas with my mom to find more genealogy

94. Go whale watching

95. Write 101 love notes for Brad 2/14/2011

96. Pay for someone's meal who is behind me in the drive thru (9/2011)

97. Serve 10 people in a month, random acts of kindness

98. Read 15 minutes with Tyler and Katie daily, 1 month then continue

99. Write a letter to self on 1st day of challenge to be read on last day of challenge. Letter should include how I am feeling about self, goals, and where I am spiritually. Also relationship with Brad. (10-2-2010)

100. Write another 101 in 1001 if I enjoy this challenge

101. Move back to Arizona! (really a wish)

Wow I have A LOT to do.

Tyler's 1st tooth

2011-12-06T14:58:00.004-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I took the kids to the dentist for their 6 month check up. I was completely shocked when they told me Tyler had 2 lose teeth. He had been telling me they were lose but I never saw them move.

Monday night Tyler's 1st tooth came out. He came in from brushing his teeth with a mouth full of blood. I couldn't believe he had pulled his tooth out on his own. He was so excited. So we rinsed his mouth until it quit bleeding.

Katie was so disappointed that she hadn't lost a tooth. She was really sad.

We told Tyler to put his tooth under his pillow so the tooth fairy could come. Luckily he put it in a plastic bag because it is the tiniest tooth I have ever seen. So we took his tooth, put money in his bag and went about our business. This morning when Tyler woke up, he was the saddest boy in the world. He didn't want money, he wanted his tooth. So when he got home from school, he went straight to his room and was so happy because his tooth was back, along with the money. He thinks he is so big now.

Tyler has already lost his tooth. We can't find it anywhere. With it being so small, I don't know if we will ever find it. He was hoping the tooth fairy would put it back under his pillow. He kept checking every couple of hours. Sad boy.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T13:25:00.003-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Arizona. We had a great time. Brad and I celebrated our anniversary and we were able to spend time with family. We were expecting some warmer weather but it was chilly. We spent a day in Mesa at the Dr, Golfland and doing a photo shoot for a great friend.

We didn't do much, but the kids loved it. They love being at my parents house. They can roam free. They play in the dirt and rocks, jumping on the trampoline, playing with the dogs and this year we went shooting. Tyler even hit a couple of targets. He said it was the best day ever. I love when that little boy smiles.

We had a big turnout for Thanksgiving dinner, unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of everyone. We got a picture on Saturday but are missing a lot of people.

We took Tyler and Katie to this coral in town that has donkeys and Shelton ponies. They enjoyed petting them.

I love going home. There is nothing like it. It is comfortable and peaceful.

Family, Friends and Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T09:36:00.005-07:00

Last night a tragedy occurred. As we were coming back from Mesa, we saw this light on Superstition Mountains. We couldn't tell what it was, I thought maybe it was a hot air balloon and you could see the flame from it. Not really knowing what it was, we continued on our journey back to Safford. We saw 4 police cars racing down the freeway, lights and sirens driving like I had never see police cars go. I wondered what had happened and wished those safety.

When we got back to my parents house, the news came on saying there was a plane crash on the Superstition Mountains. My thoughts immediately turned to my dear friend Deanna who I knew what traveling from Idaho to Arizona. I thought maybe they had stopped in Mesa to refill their plane. Tears immediately started to roll down my cheeks. The thought of losing her was almost unbearable. The thought of her, her husband and 4 beautiful daughters passing at such a young age. I called her but their phone number had been changed. I tried to reach her on facebook and nothing. I had no way of getting a hold of her. I continued to check facebook and saw that her and her family were okay. They were safe in Safford. I felt relief for them knowing my good friends were okay.

As I continued to watch the news and see what was going on, it became known that the airplane belong to Ponderosa Aviation. That was my friend Mikel's company. Then my thoughts turned to his family. What if it was Mikel's family that was on board that plane. Again the tears rolled.

As information became available it was Mikel's brother who was on board. My heart aches for their family and for the families of those who were on the plane. There was a total of 6 people. 3 adults and 3 children. I don't know any of them but to have such tragedy come to these families is heartbreaking.

I guess the moral to my story is to love those around you. Don't argue or fight. It isn't worth it. It isn't worth being angry or upset over things that have been said or done to you. Life is to short to hold a grudge. You NEVER know when it is your turn to meet your maker. Love your family and friends more. Tell them you love them, show them you love them.

I am thankful for my friends and family. I am thankful for their love of me. I am especially thankful for my little family. I have the best husband in the world. I have 2 miracle babies that I love to death. I would not trade any of them for all the money in the world. I am thankful for the gospel in my life. I am thankful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I am thankful for temples and to know we can be a family forever. This is what is important to me.

To all my friends and family, I LOVE YOU! I am thankful you are a part of my life. I am thankful for the things you have taught me.

8 Years

2011-11-14T16:07:00.005-07:00

We are celebrating our 8th anniversary this year. We have had our up and downs, many scary situations, fun times, lots of laughs and tears. Through it all it has been wonderful! I am married to the best man in the world. Brad is absolutely AMAZING! He loves me, even all my downfalls and insecurities. I can't wait to spend eternity with Brad. Happy anniversary Brad! I love you! I can't wait for all the years to come.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-14T16:03:00.004-07:00

I know this is late but better late than never, right?
We had our 2nd Annual Halloween Party. We had about 25 kids and it was tons of fun. Totally hectic but fun. We had bowling, wrap the mummy, pin the bow tie on mr bones, pumpkin toss and bean bag toss. At the end we had a pumpkin made out of balloons. Everyone got to pop a balloon and there was a treat in side. We then had pizza and cupcakes. I think everyone had a great time, kids and adults. Thanks to everyone for coming and helping this be a success.

Soccer Season

2011-11-14T13:36:00.004-07:00

Tyler recently finished his 5 soccer season. He has improved A LOT! He still has a long way to go but this little boy is starting to get the hang of it. He even scored a goal this year. I wish I would have gotten pictures of it but I was way to busy cheering for him. It was so fun to see. I can still see the smile on his face. He was beaming ear to ear.

After the game was over, Tyler's coach called him to congratulate him on his goal and a great game! We have the most amazing soccer coach. We have been with Ron since the beginning and the same boys too. It has been really fun getting to see them learn the game of soccer.
Tyler's coach would tell the boys to get on a red shirt. Tyler would guard his guy....literally! He wouldn't pay attention to where the ball was, he was too busy watching his guy.

Thankful Tree

2011-11-07T16:47:00.002-07:00

Tonight for Family Home Evening, we are talking about giving thanks. I found a talk called Gratitude and Thanksgiving by President Marion G Romney (link here:

http://lds.org/friend/1985/11/gratitude-and-thanksgiving?lang=eng&query=give+thanks ) It talks about the 10 lepers. It made me think how ungrateful I am sometimes and I need to give thanks more.
Starting tonight, we will create out Thankful Tree. Every day we each will write something we are thankful for on our leaves and create a beautiful fall tree. I hope it will remind us of the things we should give thanks for everyday. Our Heavenly Father has given us so much and we are indebted to Him for all we have.

Here is what our tree looks like now .

First Snow

2011-10-08T18:23:00.003-06:00

This morning we woke up to snow. Tyler's soccer game was cancelled and so we stayed in most of the day. Around 2 o'clock is finally stopped snowing. Oh how I can't stand cold weather, especially SNOW! I think we got between 2-3 inches of snow. I hope this isn't a forerunner of how our winter is going to be this year.

Field Day

2011-09-24T08:44:00.003-06:00

Tyler had Field Day at school. The entire school participates. They set up races and all the kids compete against each other. Everyone gets a ribbon. It is really fun to watch. All the kids love Timber, he is the school mascot. Katie wanted to follow him around everywhere.

The first race of the day for Tyler was the shoe throw. He got 2nd place in that event.

Then we moved on to the "sac race". That isn't Tyler's strong point, he ended up in 6th place. Better luck next year.

He ran the 40 yard dash. There are some fast kindergartners. I love the smile on his face!The run around the school. He did good. He got 3rd.

Receiving his ribbon

Tyler truly excelled in the long jump. He got 1st place. I guess the boy can hop.

Last was the go-cart race. He left the start line in a hurry. He ended up getting 2nd which is fantastic. His bike riding really helped him out on this race. He was determined to finish strong. Look at the look on his face. FOCUSED!

He had a great time. The weather was nice, a little windy but nice sun shine. I love being able to participate in Tyler's life, to be able to support him in his activities.

Katie's Bike

2011-09-23T15:17:00.003-06:00

We bought Katie a bike a few months ago and I haven't ever posted her picture of her and her bike. She LOVES it! Her and Tyler would ride all day if they could. I love that we live on a cul-de-sac so we can ride and not worry about to many cars. The kids love riding in the front because there is so much more space than our sidewalk in the back. Hopefully soon, she will be riding without training wheels.

Tyler is still loving his scooter. When his friend Brad is over they take turns on the scooter and Tyler's bike. Notice, neither of my kiddos are wearing shoes.

1st Time Camping

2011-09-23T14:48:00.000-06:00

We took the kids camping to Estes Park. It was the 1st time they have gone camping and they loved it! The best thing about camping for them was the fire. Tyler and Katie LOVED the fire! We had a hard time starting the fire because it was raining and wet. We finally got it started and it was nice to be able to sit around the fire together.
Tyler and Katie loved roasting the marshmallows and cooking hot dogs over the fire. They asked if we could do it again. So maybe next summer we can do it again.

The next morning we drove into town and this is what we saw....yup, an elk crossing the road. He had no cares in the world. He didn't even know there were cars around him.

We walked around a lake and it was beautiful! The sky was perfectly blue, the water had fish in it, the temperature was great. It was a nice day.

I love this picture! The sun was coming up, the rays from the sun, mixed with the smoke from the fire....I think it is amazing!

Bastian Family Reunion

2011-09-20T16:32:00.002-06:00

Over Labor Day weekend we went to Idaho to the Bastian Family Reunion. It was so nice to see family and meet family. We had a fantastic time once we got there. It took us 15 hours to drive. We stopped a lot!

We stayed at Merrill & Darlene's. They have a beautiful home and the feeling inside their home is just as beautiful. We got to meet some of their children, which are Brad's cousins. Tyler and Katie thought they were in heaven having a trampoline in the back yard. Tyler went for a ride on the wheeler and they got to shoot off rockets and launch water bottles. It was beautiful weather, great company and food. Brad and I are the Bocce Ball champs.
On our way home we decided to go through Utah instead of Wyoming. It is so nice to have something to look at besides open plains. We visited with a good friend of mine from high school. It was so good to see her and meet her cute kids.
We can't wait to do it again!

Gone Fishin'

2011-09-20T16:23:00.003-06:00

Have you heard the song "Gone Fishin'" by Louie Armstrong and Bing Crosby....well, I love that song. When we went fishing as a family I thought about that song. Tyler had been asking to go fishing for a long time, okay all summer long so we finally did it. We bought a pole, a license, some worms and bait and headed to the lake. We had a great time! Tyler is AWESOME at casting. He did better than I did.
Katie, well she didn't like it so much. She hung out in the van watching a movie and munching on some chips. Maybe she isn't old enough to enjoy it just yet. I think this might become a family tradition for us.

School Days

2011-08-15T12:32:00.003-06:00

Today was Tyler's first day of school. We opted to repeat Kindergarten because he was so young last year. Now, he is the oldest in the class and will hopefully exceed at his studies. He is really excited to be back at school and make new friends. I am excited to see how he learns and grows this year.

Sunflower Trip

2011-08-06T22:23:00.003-06:00

Today we decided to take a road trip to find the sunflowers. We ended up in Kansas. There isn't much to see between here and there except rolling hills. It was nice to be able to spend time together as a family. I was getting a little worried because we didn't see anything for a long time. We were almost to Kansas before we saw our first field. I LOVED IT!!!
As we were driving and we didn't see any fields we almost turned around and went to Mt Rushmore. I know totally random but it would have been so fun to just drive there on a whim. Maybe someday we will get to do something like that.

Family Photos

2011-08-03T14:32:00.003-06:00

While we were in Arizona, I asked my cute niece Jessica if she would take a couple of family pictures of us.

After seeing these pictures I decided I need to be in more pictures with my kids as I am always behind the camera.

~Birthday Boy~

2011-07-27T13:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet Tyler. He is 6 years old and getting bigger everyday. He had a great party with friends and family. (pictures to come). We love this big guy so much. His smile is so contagious you can't help but smile with him.

~Summer Fun~

2011-07-15T18:42:00.003-06:00

We spent two weeks in Arizona basking in the fantastically hot but delightful sun. My kids were so excited to see their grandparents and cousins. They enjoyed every minute of it. We spent a lot of time at the pool. Tyler and Katie both jumped off the diving board this year. They have become little fish. Now if they could learn how to swim. Katie took her floaties off, jumped in and sank to the bottom. Hopefully this next summer we will be able to do swim lessons.

On the 4th of July we went to a flag raising ceremony at the church and had a delicious pancake, sausage, egg, bacon breakfast. I love how there is a unity in traditions. It was great to see my nephew Shawn help with the flag ceremony.

These are the cute hats we made for the 4th of July. We needed some kind of activity for the kids when they couldn't go outside. They really loved making them and they looked really cute too.
This is the men slaving over the stove to feed all us hungry people. Okay so I can't really speak for others but I was hungry.
After breakfast, we went to the 4th of July parade in Safford. It was my kind of parade. Short and to the point. We had great seats right at the beginning of the parade in the shade. As soon as the parade was over we went to get sno cones. I think we had one almost every day we were there. I think I could eat them everyday. Colorado really needs sno cones.
We ended our day with a pot luck, swimming and fireworks. It is hard to take great pictures of fireworks without your tripod.

It was a fantastic two weeks. We had a great time with family and friends, enjoyed the weather and pool but mostly we are so thankful for the freedoms we enjoy every day. We are so very blessed to live in this free country. Thank you to all the many service men and women who fight to protect our freedoms every day.
It reminds me of Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty:
"In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children"

Operation: Sticker Therapy

2011-07-13T14:44:00.008-06:00

Hi! This is Abigail the day before her 2nd birthday. You can see her central line and her surgery scar.
When she was 19 months old she was critically ill, and diagnosed with cancer - stage 4, high risk Neuroblastoma.
She has been through a lot - with a lot still yet to go through. Abigail loves stickers and they offer distraction and entertainment during multiple hospital stays.

Our goal with Operation: Sticker Therapy is to receive enough stickers to be able to put some packets together to share with other children we meet who are fighting for their lives. We encourage you to donate some stickers, and then know that you are blessing the loves of some precious children.

________________________________________________

Thank you for your kindness and generosity, and may it be returned unto you!

If you would like to make a financial donation to Abigail, that would be greatly appreciated. You can do so by visiting this site:

Fans Across America

or by including a check payable to "Abigail Goss Medical Trust Fund" with your stickers.

Thank you dearly!

Please contact me if you have any questions or if you would like more information on Operation: Sticker Therapy at

tricia.bastian@gmail.com

Katie's 3rd birthday

2011-07-13T14:28:00.002-06:00

This is how far behind I am. Katie's birthday was April 28th. I just took her 3 year pictures and I am just posting her birthday.
For Katie's birthday we had a small family party for her. Katie decided she didn't want a cake for her birthday, she wanted a donut. She loved it and thought it was the greatest ever. We had yo yogurt, went to the duck pond and then bowling. One of the presents she got was "Llama Llama, mad at mama". She absolutely loves that series of books. They are her favorite! which I love because she loves to read. It is GREAT!
Happy birthday Katie Beth!

Atlanta Georgia Get-Away

2011-06-03T15:09:00.005-06:00

Brad and I had the opportunity to go to Atlanta Georgia. We were very excited...namely because we were going to an Atlanta Braves baseball game. This has been my dream since I first saw the Braves play back in 1998. They became my favorite baseball team when I was at BYU healing on the couch from a knee injury. They were faithfully on TBS nearly everyday. It became a ritual for me to watch every game I possibly could. Over the years I have continued to watch whenever I can. My family has become Braves fans as well. Every time a baseball game is on, my kiddos ask "Is that Chipper Jones?" He is my favorite baseball player as well.
While in the south, we went to South Carolina to the beach. It was amazingly warm. We are so used to the Pacific Ocean which is always cold. The Atlantic Ocean is warm. We wished we had our swimsuits so we could have gone swimming. We saw an alligator. That was a first for us.
We also went to Savannah Georgia. By the time we got there is was almost dark so we weren't able to see much. I have always wanted to see a plantation but there just wasn't enough time. Maybe next time....if there is a next time.
We had a great time. The greenery was amazing! Moss grows on the trees like I have never seen before.
This also helps me complete one of my goals for my 101 project. Goal #2 is to go to an Atlanta Braves game at Turner Field. We did that. We went to 2 games. Fantastic seats, great company (thanks Brad), great games, great scenery....It was a great time!

Life

2011-05-17T09:19:00.002-06:00

Life is very fragile.
You never know when it will be taken from you.
You never know when it is your turn to go.

Last night we thought we had lost Katie.
Brad and her were playing outside and he accidentally dropped her and she landed on her head. It knocked her unconscious and she quit breathing. When he brought her in the house she was pale white and starting to turn blue. She wasn't breathing. There was no sign of life in her. Her eyes were rolled back. I said to call 911 and immediately started CPR on her. Nothing was working. She wasn't breathing and she was completely lymph. I continued CPR and all of a sudden I could feel the air going into her lungs. Her airway was closed but I was afraid to move her head and neck for fear of injury. She finally took a breath and started to throw up. But even though she was starting to breathe, she was still unresponsive. She couldn't keep her eyes open. She needed to be coaxed and told to stay with mama. Keep looking at me. It was the most calm and scariest moment of my life to see my little girl helpless. I just prayed in my heart that she wouldn't leave us and she would be okay.

The paramedics arrived, luckily for us they are stationed 1/2 mile away. They were there within a minute maybe 2 from the time the 911 call was made. They hooked her up to oxygen and tried to get Katie to talk but she was dazed. Usually she is a very talkative 3 year old and asking "what is your name?" but that night she just layed there unresponsive....but her eyes were open. There was no movement from her, no talking going on and she kept wanting to close her eyes.

About 3 feet away, Tyler was acting as if he were a firefighter. He was calling 911 and giving all the details of what was going on. He had his firetruck and was saying "we have a 1013. Katie fell on her head she is not breathing." It was fun to watch him in such a serious circumstance.

The EMT's arrived to take Katie to the hospital. As we were going, an IV was put in and she just cried. I wasn't able to sit by her to hold her hand so I tried to reassure her it was going to be alright when I myself didn't know. By the time we got to the ER, she was a little bit more like herself. She wanted to get down and go home. She started to talk to the nurses and doctors around her. I felt calm and at peace that she was going to be alright. She was alert and attentive.

A CAT scan and x-rays were done on her. There was no swelling, no bleeding, no broken bones. I was so very thankful! My prayers had been answered. The doctor released Katie saying she had a concussion and to watch her. We were watched over. We still have our sweet Katie.

How very thankful I am to a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers prayers. I know if it would have been her time to go He would have taken her but I feel she has a special mission ahead of her. She is one of my miracle babies. I love her so much.

After that experience last night, I hope I can be more kind and loving to my children, to Brad and to all those around me. Life is PRECIOUS!

Silly kids

2011-04-30T22:10:00.003-06:00

I was going through some of my photos, trying to clean things out and I found these two of Tyler and Katie.
I love the picture of Tyler and his squirrel. We kept 1 trach as a reminder of what Tyler once had. He decided his squirrel needed some help breathing. Oh the imagination of that little boy. I sure do love him!

Then we have miss rock star herself sporting her fantastic pink sunglasses. She is such a ham.
I love her too!

Cowboy Tyler

2011-04-15T10:52:00.003-06:00

The other night we were watching PBR on TV. For those of you who don't know what PBR is, Professional Bull Riding. Tyler and Katie love to watch. This particular night, Tyler really got in to you. I think the picture says it all.

Duck Pond

2011-04-11T17:06:00.002-06:00

We are lucky enough to live by a duck pond. There are a lot of geese and few ducks. Every winter when the pond freezes over the kids wonder where the ducks are and if they are going to come back. Thank goodness they always do. We occasionally go down there to feed the ducks and geese. The geese are very aggressive and the ducks get chased away. The geese are becoming more and more aggressive. They will walk up to the kids and take the bread right from their hand. One goose bit Katie. It is very hard to hold the bread, take pictures and try to keep the geese away from the kids.

FUND RAISER IN MESA

2011-03-08T22:00:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone. remember a few posts ago I told you about my friends little girl Abigail who has neuroblastoma. There is a fund raiser going on for the family and it would be great if you could participate. I would totally buy a pass if I lived in AZ in the valley. So if you think you can help out and this pass will help you out, then please be generous and buy a couple of passes. It is a great way to get in shape just in time for summer, of course you are already experiencing fantastic weather. Here are all the details.

Your $20.00 Fundraiser Pass Includes

3-month Fitness Works Athletic Club Membership good at any of the 4 valley locations.
10 Free Fitness Works Tanning visits.
4 Free Fitness Works Group PT classes.
...5 Free Fitness Works Kidzone visits.
38 Local area Business Coupons.

To get your 3-month Fitness Works

Fundraiser Pass and Coupons

Place your order with Heidi Trejo.
Make checks payable to Heidi Trejo.
Orders will be filled as they come in.
Fundraiser ends March 31, 2011.
Contact Heidi Trejo at 602-750-9338 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 602-750-9338 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email heiditrejo@gmail.com for ordering information or questions.

Dilemma

2011-03-08T09:38:00.003-07:00

I have a slight dilemma. I am on a mission. What mission is that you ask? Fat loss. Yes I did say FAT LOSS! I have created a new blog but I don't think I have the courage to put it out there yet. Why? For many reasons but mostly I am embarrassed because I have let my body go. I realize it didn't happen overnight and it isn't because I sit around and eat all day, I know that I have 2 children who helped my body become the way it is, but I can't blame this on them, I am responsible. I can't believe I have let myself get so fat and if I publicly announce this then everyone knows. So what to do what to do?
Let me know what you think. Should I post this new blog or leave it for my own knowledge and accountability?

LLAMA LLAMA RED PAJAMA

2011-03-08T09:27:00.002-07:00

Have you read the Llama Llama series by Anna Dewdney? They are Katie's favorite. She pretty much has them memorized and we read them every day. I love the rhyming in the books.

The other night Katie and I were reading this particular book, "Llama Llama Red Pajama". I leave parts of the story out so the kids can fill in the blank. We started "Llama Llama....I waited for Katie to fill in the blank and she looked at me and said "Don't you know?" I laughed and laughed. My daughter has got a fantastic personality.

101 in 1001

2011-03-06T18:31:00.006-07:00

I have a lot to update on my 101 project. Since my last 101 update I have completed 6 more goals, 2 very soon and working on several others.

#38: Have family scripture study daily for 1 month then continue. I am happy to say we have been doing this for about 3 months now. I don't think we have missed a night. :)
#42: No Fast Food for 1 month. January was the month for me. It was really nice to cook dinner at home and to try and eat healthy. We also saved a lot of money not eating out. I never realized how much money we spent on fast food until we didn't eat any. My kiddos have asked for it less to which means they are hopefully eating better as well.
#61: Volunteer at Tyler's school once a week for 2 months. This was a lot of fun! I was glad to be able to spend some time with Tyler and see what his class is like and to see him interact with his friends. I am planning on doing this again as soon as I figure out my schedule.
#66: Plan a 6 month dinner calendar. I completed this back in January. It has been nice to know what we are having for dinner. If it isn't something we want to eat that night we just rotate nights. It is also really nice to go grocery shopping once a week for 2 week. I have to brag, this past week I only spent $40 for 2 weeks worth of groceries. We aren't eating bean and noodles either. A lot of food we have in food storage which really helps but even so, it was $39.64.
#80: Try Zumba. I did this just after Christmas. Brad bought me the Wii game. It is really hard. I would really like to go to a class at the gym and try but I haven't found the time yet. I am going to try and do this next week.
#95: Write 101 love notes for Brad. I completed this one on Feb 14th just in time for Valentine's Day. I saw something really cute in blog world and decided I could do it myself. I got a jar made some cute decor for the outside, put a ribbon on it and wrote out 101 things I love about Brad. I gave it to him at lunch and he was so sweet to say it was the best present he has ever gotten. I loved the look on his face when he read some of the love notes. It was a lot of fun and I realized how much more I love him today than the day we got married. He is a pretty amazing guy.

So that is a small catch up on my 101 list.
Has anyone else decided to do one. I would love to read what you are up to.

St Patrick's Day

2011-03-06T13:56:00.003-07:00

This is the time I have decorated for St Patrick's Day and it was kind of fun. I am really starting to get into this crafting stuff. Brad asked me why I didn't do this years ago and I said because the blogging world didn't exist. I admit I am a blog stalker of all crafts. Some I can do and others I only wish I knew how. It is all really trial and error for me. I have already started on my Easter decor and getting ready for spring.

So here is our mantle for St Patrick's Day. Enjoy!

Winter

2011-02-25T08:19:00.003-07:00

This is what we woke up to this morning. Very pretty, a little cold for me and thankfully no snow. We keep hearing we are going to pay for having such great weather, but I keep hoping we continue to have this mild winter with no huge snow storms. The beginning of the month was freezing temperatures, in the negatives and I did not like that at all. So here is hoping we continue to have 40 and 50 degree weather this winter.

Asleep

2011-02-20T18:23:00.002-07:00

This is how I found Katie the other day. She went to her room upset and put herself in time out. Apparently it was to much for her and she feel asleep. I think this little girl is to smart for her own good.

Feelin' Crafty

2011-02-13T17:59:00.003-07:00

I was feeling a bit crafty on Friday and decided to make a little art. I had bought these cabinet doors a while back but had never used them. I saw something similar to this in blog land but didn't like it as much so I came up with my own idea and decided to do I am a child of God around the edges. I think they turned out pretty cute. If I were to do it again, I would have painted the door white and then put the color on top of it and stressed it a little. Live and learn right.

Oh the things they do.....

2011-02-13T17:54:00.003-07:00

When I walked out of the office I found this......

and this........

which led to this......

and this.

I remember doing this as a child in the hall way leading to my bedroom. The pencil marks were the same height as me so I couldn't blame it on anyone else although I am sure I tried.
We got it all cleaned up thanks to magic eraser.

Retired Husband

2011-02-09T18:26:00.002-07:00

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Walmart.

Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse.

Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Walmart:

Dear Mrs Harris,

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr Harris, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras:

June 15: He took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.
July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5 minute intervals.
July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, "Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away." This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.
August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.
August 14: Moved a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.
August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invited them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.
August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called
September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the anti-depressants were.
October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.
October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna Look' by using different sizes of funnels.
October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last but not least:

October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in her.' One of the clerks passed out.

I hope you got a good laugh out of this one as I did.

Abigail

2011-02-06T22:40:00.002-07:00

Just got an update from the Goss Family. Abigail could possibly be going home on Tuesday or Wednesday. She is out of the PICU and on the oncology floor. She is off all antibiotics and and doing better. She still has a lot of sores in her mouth but nonetheless, she may be able to join her family at home soon. Please continue to pray for her and her family.
http://www.carepages.com/carepages/FamiliesForever

Cowgirl Katie

2011-02-03T13:46:00.001-07:00

I think I have the cutest cowgirl around.
COWGIRL KATIE!
I was getting ready for a photo shoot this morning and Katie was my subject so I could get my lighting right. She showed up with Tyler's cowboy hat.
Isn't she so CUTE!!!

KIDS

2011-01-29T10:33:00.002-07:00

Besides His Son, I think Heavenly Father gave us the greatest gift, the gift of children. We are told in the scriptures to become as a little child. Children are innocent, sweet, kind, forgiving, loving, generous and so dang honest. If we could be like that all the time, our lives would be so greatly blessed. Kids are also very funny! They say the they funniest things and do the funniest things. I wonder where they learn all these things from.
Take for instance Katie. She has a very strong personality. She is very independent, loving and kind. She also has a mean streak in her. She can make Tyler yell at the drop of a hat.
The other day I was playing the Wii and Katie was cheering me on. She had asked for some runts so I gave them to her. When I turned around this is what I found.

Seriously, where does the girl come up with these things. I NEVER put anything in my nose like that. No french fries nothing. I don't think Brad has either but I could be wrong. Funny little girl. If you look at her hair closely, you can see where she cut her own hair. Luckily I hadn't combed it yet otherwise she would be bald. I walked into the kitchen from the living room, about 10 steps and there was hair everywhere. Right down the center she just cut cut cut. I wished I would have gotten a picture of it but I didn't.

So back to what I was talking about...children are innocent, precious and an heritage to the Lord. I love this picture of Tyler and Katie. Tyler was cold so Brad turned on the fire place. I love when Tyler and Katie are getting along and not fighting. Look at that boys smile. You can't help but smile when you see his face.

I know this post is all jumbly but it was just a few thoughts I had.

We ask for prayers

2011-01-22T14:03:00.007-07:00

This sweet family, The Aaron Goss Family, are in need of a lot of prayers.

Their sweet baby Abagail who is 19 months old was just diagnosed with stage 4, high-risk cancer called Neuroblastoma. You can read about her story and progress here:
http://www.carepages.com/carepages/FamiliesForever

You need to type in familiesforever to create your own login page to read the story.

These are dear friends of ours from our old stomping grounds in Arizona.
We love them and wish them well, especially sweet Abagail. They are the most amazing family I have ever met in my life. Please pray for them.

More Christmas break

2011-01-09T16:51:00.004-07:00

I love being in Arizona in the winter time. I love that the weather is warm, there is NO snow and you don't need to wear a jacket. I think my kids really loved it too.
My cousins own this fantastic looking truck. They were kind enough to let us play around on it a bit. I absolutely LOVE the colors of this mack truck. I think my kiddos were made for the country life, especially Tyler. He loves to be outside every chance he gets. And to be where he can throw rocks, play in the dirt, climb around trucks and tractors....he LOVED it!

My dad was a cotton farmer up until he retired a few years ago. That module of cotton is worth a couple of thousand dollars. Tyler and Katie loved being able to experience the farming life.

Back over at the barn, we took advantage of the cloudy sky and wandered around and took a few pictures. My dad gave Tyler a couple of cotton-picker spindles and Tyler thought he was in HEAVEN!

This is my favorite picture. Tyler and Katie with their grandparents. I hope to be able to get a picture with Tyler and Katie and Brad's parents. I really want my kids to know who their grandparents are and learn from some of their experiences. I loved hanging out with my grandparents. They really played an important role in my life. I really miss them.

These next few pictures were taken Sunday morning before church. Katie is a little ham.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. I know we did.

Christmas Morning!

2011-01-03T21:32:00.003-07:00

Christmas morning came late this year! My bedroom at my parents house is in the basement. There are no windows so if the door is closed you don't know if it is night or day. Tyler and Katie didn't get up until 9 o'clock. It was nice to be able to sleep in. We didn't buy them a lot of toys this year because they have everything already and really don't need more. I think they really liked what they got considering they are still playing with them.

Making their way up stairs.

Katie and her baby doll and stroller.
She loves that stroller. She wants to sit in it herself and be pushed around.

The cowboy and the princess

Yeah! Panties for potty training.....wish us luck.

We had a great Christmas! It was nice to be able to spend it with family and in nice warm weather.

Cowboys

2011-01-03T21:18:00.003-07:00

For Christmas Tyler became a cowboy! He wanted to be just like his Grandpa Clonts. Santa was really nice to Tyler this year. He got a cowboy hat, shirt, wranglers and of course cowboy boots. He looks so dang cute in them. He wants to wear them all the time, unfortunately in the snow, that isn't going to happen.

My two favorite cowboys.

Cowboy Tyler

The infamous barn and tractor where everyone takes pictures in Safford. Luckily for us, we own it and don't have to TRESPASS!

Winter Time

2010-12-30T16:38:00.004-07:00

Oh what do you do in the winter time
When all the world is white
Do you build a snowman
or throw some snowballs
or FREEZE your hiney off......
is that what you do
so do I.

It started snowing today. This is the 3rd storm we have had this season and probably the most snow we have received as well. The kids really wanted to go outside. I knew it wouldn't last long but they had fun for the 5 minutes they were out there.

Trip to Ohio

2010-12-06T23:38:00.004-07:00

I know I am way behind on blogging so tonight I thought I would attempt to catch up. I know it isn't going to happen, but I thought I would try.

In October Brad had a business trip in Cleveland so I tagged along. Perfect vacation. All I had to pay for was the plane ticket, some food, and the car rental. My parents were gracious enough to watch Tyler and Katie for us so no worries there.

While Brad worked all day, I toured Ohio. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see much of it but what I did was beautiful, not to mention it was fall and in the East, it is amazing. I have never seen such colors before. I absolutely loved it.

I was able to visit Kirtland Ohio, where the pioneers settled for awhile before moving on to Nauvoo. I went to Nelson Township where my great great grandfather lived for a short time. I went to Columbus and did a session in the Columbus Temple and I visited Amish Country. Most of the time I just drove to look at whatever I could see. When Brad got off work, we toured downtown Cleveland. We visited a couple of museums which happened to be free, I was able to take him to Kirtland as well. It was a great trip. It was nice to relax and see a different part of the country.

Brace yourself for mass pictures.

Aren't the fall colors beautiful. The wonderful gifts we have been given from Heavenly Father.

Cleveland Skyline

Flower at the Kirtland Temple

A path outside Nelson Township

Nelson Township Road

Sun flare in Kirtland

creek by Amish country

Lighthouse

Town Square in Nelson Township

School of Prophets in Kirtland Ohio. This is where Joseph Smith Jr taught the brethren.

This is in Martin Harris' home where Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon received Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Newel K Whitney Store in Kirtland. This was the center of Kirtland when the pioneers lived there.

The Ashery in Kirtland. An amazing place. Would love to share everything I learned but there it too much information.

Squire Castle

Amish Country

Amish Buggy. I was so fascinated by their buggies. I felt like I was stalking them. Nicest people you will ever meet. I can't imagine living without electricity, vehicles, telephones, washers, dryers....all the things we take for granted everyday.

I have pictures of the Kirtland Temple and Columbus Temple. I will post those tomorrow on the photography blog. Check them out.

Families are Forever

2010-12-06T21:51:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine from high school recently lost her little boy to an accident. He was a happy little boy. Although I didn't know him, I could see how he enjoyed life to the fullest by the smile on his face, especially in his eyes. Dylan was 6 years old, just a year older than Tyler. Tonight as I was lying with Tyler it occurred to me Dylan's mom will not have the opportunity to tuck in her little boy again in this life. That idea pulls at my heart. I ache for her and her family. I mourn with them. But, at the same time, I am SOOO thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ which helps us to know we can be Families FOREVER! Through the sealing power we can be an eternal family, not just here in this life, but in the next life. The bond we share continues even beyond the grave. I can't imagine losing a child, it would be a one of if not the toughest trial to go through.
I am so thankful for my little family. I am thankful Brad and I have been sealed for eternity. I love him with all my heart. I am thankful for Tyler and Katie and for the sweet spirit they bring to our home.

I know, without a doubt the Gospel of Jesus Christ is TRUE! I know God lives. I know we have a Savior Jesus Christ who loves each of us and gave his life so that we will have the opportunity to be resurrected and live again. Our Savior loves us and he has a plan for us.

To Darylin, David and the rest of the Farar family. We love you! We pray you will have the strength and comfort needed to lift you every day.

Family Home Evening

2010-11-22T19:40:00.004-07:00

With this week being Thanksgiving, I wanted to make sure we talked about it so our lesson for Family Home Evening was on Thanksgiving. We talked about what it meant to be thankful. Not quite sure Tyler and Katie understand yet, but I know they will soon. I had them tell me something they were thankful for. I then read a story from the Friend called "A Second Thanksgiving". It really brought home the point of how we should be thankful. At the end of the story it said Elder Bednar encouraged us to have a "thankful prayer", where we only thank Heavenly Father for what we have been given and ask for nothing in return. I think this is something I am going to try and do. I think it will help me to remember to be more grateful.

I read this quote from another blog (beinglds) quoting President Hinckley,

“When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives."

I hope I can remember to be more thankful.
For our activity, we made a turkey hat and on each feather we wrote something we were thankful for. Tyler wrote: zoo animals, grand parents, home etc
Katie wrote: grandparents, toys & books, home, Jesus etc

I am thankful for so many things but just to name a few:
My Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
Brad, Tyler and Katie
Brad's job
Our home
Family

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

#70

2010-11-08T13:51:00.002-07:00

Floss every day for one month.

I am so excited to say I have completed this goal.
My teeth and gums definitely feel better and I love having clean teeth all the time. I have continued to floss even after the 30 days so I think this was a great goal for me.

Goals # 11, 41, 45

2010-10-25T08:27:00.002-06:00

So I am happy to say, I have completed 3 goals from my 101 list.

#11: Go to a temple I have never been to before.
This past week I went to Ohio with Brad as he had a business trip. I was able to go to the Columbus Ohio Temple. It is a small temple but the spirit it just the same. There will be pictures to come of this beautiful building.

#41: Visit 3 states I have never been to before.
We have become bi-weekly travelers. In so doing I have been able to visit: Wyoming, Montana and Ohio. I may have been to Wyoming and Montana before but I do not remember them so I am able to cross this goal off as well. Ohio is beautiful in the fall. I thought Colorado had some pretty colors, nothing compared to Ohio. (pictures coming)

#45: Encourage someone else to start a 101 list.
I don't know if I did much encouraging but my cousin Courtney read my list and felt inspired to write her own. We have some of the same goals so we will be working and encouraging each other. It is nice to have someone to help you along the way. I can't wait to see how she does in her challenge.

So there you have it. I have completed 5 goals in the 1st month. I think that is pretty good. I still have a long way to go but look forward to the challenge.

Rexburg and Idaho Falls Temples

2010-10-16T15:48:00.003-06:00

Here are just 2 of the pictures I took at the temples while in Idaho. Please visit my photography blog to view more of them.
BastianPhotos.blogspot.com

Rexburg Idaho Temple

Idaho Falls Temple

I absolutely love taking pictures of temples. It just makes me happy!

Mini Vacation

2010-10-15T17:38:00.007-06:00

We went on a mini vacation to Yellowstone National Park. Let me tell you, the drive through Wyoming is the longest drive of my life.....EVER!

However, it got us to our destination and these are some of the things we got to see.

This was out in the middle of NO-WHERE!

We were suppose to drive to Jackson, WY the 1st night but we got as far as Landers, WY. There was an accident on the freeway and it was stopped. So we found this nice little hotel and camped out for the night. We Brad went to check us in, the guy asked Brad what his occupation was, Brad told him IT and Brad had the great opportunity to give service, he helped the guy fix something on his I-Pod. The people were really friendly and kind. We were thankful to just rest from the car.
The next morning we headed to the Tetons and Yellowstone.

This was our view of the Grand Tetons. All day long it was cloudy, rainy, and sleet. Maybe if we get to go again we will actually get to see them.

Next we headed to Yellowstone National Park. I loved it! We saw wildlife, Old faithful, sulfur pots, the Snake River etc... We had a great time!

We had a picnic at Sergeants Park. It was nice to be able to stretch our legs. We were hungry and tired.

Some of the wildlife we saw.

Toward the end of the day we finally made it to Lower Falls. It was amazing!

That night after leaving Yellowstone, we meet up with our dear friends the Fosters. They used to live in Colorado Springs with us but moved back to Idaho. I don't know why, but we didn't get a picture of all of us. Anyhow, we played games that night and laughed, and ate, and laughed and played games. It was so much fun to hang out again.

The next morning we headed to Mesa Falls in Idaho and Warm River to feed the fish.

Mesa Falls, ID

I was able to capture some of the fish. You couldn't even see them in the water until you threw food at them. The kids loved it. It was a lot of fun.

Alicia just got a new camera and was trying it out.

After Mesa Falls and Warm River we headed to Rexburg Idaho. We saw the Rexburg Temple and also BYU-I campus. We went to the Botanical Gardens to take pictures. It is really pretty there. (Temple pictures to come.)

We had a great time. After Rexburg we went to Idaho Falls were we took more pictures of the Idaho Falls Temple. Those pictures will come shortly also.
The kids loved to see Payton and Brynley and we got to see Dave and Alicia. It was awesome, oh and we can't forget Ellie, she is so dang cute.

So I hope you enjoy this long post. I know to many pictures. Believe me I have more but I didn't want a complete overload of pictures.

We really miss the Fosters and can't wait to see them again!

#4...Design a new business card

2010-10-15T16:27:00.001-06:00

I have competed #4...Design a new business card. We are getting ready to launch a new look on our photography website and with that new look we also needed a new business card. I really want to show you, but I think I am going to wait until we are ready to show it all so you will have to wait, but I get to cross off #4. I am really excited!

101 things to do in 1001 days

2010-10-01T17:25:00.021-06:00

I have read a lot of blogs where people have started a goal list. I thought it would be fun to give it a try. It took me about a month to decide what I should do, what I wanted to accomplish. I know some of the things seem silly, but I think a lot of them will be fun. When I first started my list it was about photography but as I started to think about it, I wanted to focus more on my family, especially mine and Brad's relationship.

101 things to do in 1001 days

October 1, 2010 to June 29, 2013

These are in no particular order:

1. Go to Disneyland

2. See the Braves play in Atlanta (5-12-2011)

3. Take pictures of all the temple in Utah (that are currently built 13)

4. Design a new business card (10-12-2010)

5. 1 photo shoot weekly for 6 consecutive weeks

6. Fit into wedding dress

7. Attend General Conference

8. Sell temple prints

9. 52 consecutive weeks w/ different theme, post picture weekly on blog

10. Attend the temple everyday for one week (tue-sat)

11. Visit a temple I have never been to...Columbus Ohio Temple 10/2010

12. Earn enough money from photo shoots to buy a full frame camera

13. Take a photography class (5-11)

14. Learn or improve 5 new photography skills

15. Read standard works: Old, New, BOM, D&C, PGP (1/2 way through BOM, Finished Gen)

16. Stop biting finger nails

17. Buy a home

18. Cook dinner every night for 30 days

19. Run half marathon

20. Go back to school

21. Create a March of Dimes team

22. Go to education week or women's conference

23. Weekly outing with Tyler and Katie for 2 months, then continue

24. Memorize The Family Proclamation

25. Memorize The Living Christ

26. Hold Family Home Evening for 2 consecutive months

27. Kiss Brad every day for 15 seconds for 2 consecutive months whenever he comes home and leaves

28. Read 5 church books within 10 months

29. Quiet time with Brad for 30 minutes; no kids, no TV, no phone. 3 months daily

30. Bridal shoot or wedding (wedding in April or May)

31. Read entire conference issue for November and May

32. One night a week no TV from 6pm to bed 2 months

33. Morning scripture study before getting on the computer for 2 months

34. Write in my journal weekly for 3 months

35. Make 100 baby blankets for the NICU

36. Design another website for photography

37. Save 10% from every photo shoot

41. Visit 3 states I have never been to before (Montana, Wyoming, Ohio) 10/2010

42. No fast food for a month 1/2011

43. Watch a sunrise and sunset in the same day with Brad, NO KIDS

44. Visit 5 different museums (visited 2)

45. Encourage someone else to start a 101 list 11/2010

46. Complete a 1000+ piece puzzle by myself

47. Visit 3 national parks (Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, ...)

48. Attend an outdoor concert

49. Donate blood at least 3 times

50. Friday night date night for 2 months

51. Kiss in the rain

53. Go golfing with Brad

54. Finish Tyler and Katie's 1st year scrapbook

55. Donate $5 for PEF for every goal I do not complete

56. Invite a new family once a week to dinner for 2 months

57. Climb the incline with Brad

58. Make a new quilt for my bed

59. Finish Tyler's bed spread

60. Make a bed spread for Katie's bed

61. Volunteer at Tyler's school once a week for 2 months 12/2010

62. One week, do not go grocery shopping for food and live off food storage

63. Start riding my bike again

64. Learn to bottle applesauce

65. Identify 100 things that make me happy

66. Plan a 6 month dinner calendar 1/2011

67. Make a "bucket list" of 20 things or places I would like to do or visit, be specific

68. Learn to make homemade bread

69. Get a couples massage

70. Floss every day for one month (Nov 2, 2010)

71. Go on a picnic with my family

72. Do 50 consecutive push-ups (hundredpushups.com) (I can't even do one now)

73. Go on a girls weekend trip

74. Blog at least once a week on family blog for 3 months

75. Start a new family tradition

76. Take a photo of 26 things, one for each letter of the alphabet and post on my photography blog

77. Go horseback riding as a family

78. Learn to identify 10 constellations

79. Memorize 25 scriptures

80. Try zumba 12/2010

81. Put together a family tree with as many pictures as possible 4 generations

82. Take a picture of my kids with their grandparents and great grandparent

83. Do the 200 sit-up challenge (twohundredsitups.com)

84. Become an organ donor

85. Post on DPS for 3 months, every challenge

86. Go to bed every weeknight at 10 for a month

87. Potty train Katie

88. Make a portfolio

89. Take a random road trip with Brad, we could try spontaneously, but we have kids

90. Watch a movie with Brad in the country

91. Have a big 4th of July celebration party (Brad's favorite holiday)

92. Milk a cow

93. Take a trip to Texas with my mom to find more genealogy

94. Go whale watching

95. Write 101 love notes for Brad 2/14/2011

96. Pay for someone's meal who is behind me in the drive thru

97. Serve 10 people in a month, random acts of kindness

98. Read 15 minutes with Tyler and Katie daily, 1 month then continue

100. Write another 101 in 1001 if I enjoy this challenge

101. Move back to Arizona!

I hope to be able to make these goals a habit, to improve myself. I am really excited about this challenge. I hope this inspires you and you try to improve your own life, or do things you normally wouldn't do.

Cute Kiddos

2010-09-23T20:11:00.002-06:00

So needless to say, I have the cutest kids in the world, and if you don't believe me just ask me. I posted these on my photography blog but I needed to post them here as well. I took these pictures of Tyler and Katie for their 2 year and 5 year pictures. My kids are getting so big I can't believe how much they have grown.
They are happy, healthy and so rambunctious. I love being their mom. They keep me on my toes and never cease to amaze me.
They continue to smile and shine everyday!
I love you Tyler and Katie!!

How can you not smile when you look at them.

BYU vs Airforce

2010-09-23T19:50:00.003-06:00

So once again, I am behind.
As a family, we went to the BYU vs Air Force game at the Air Force Academy. It was Brad, Tyler and Katie's 1st time at a college football game. We got there late for 2 reasons. 1st, I thought the game started later and 2nd, Tyler had a soccer game....but anyway, we got decked out in our BYU shirts and off to the game we went. We sat in the middle of Air Force fans but they were really nice.
We had a great time cheering for the cougars and Tyler absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! I think he is a true blue thru and thru BYU fan.
Unfortunately for BYU fans, we didn't fare so well. BYU lost 14-35.

The game was played on September 11th. During half time the cadets and marching band brought out this huge USA flag. Tyler and Katie both kept saying, that is the American flag. I am glad our kids recognize our national symbol.
We sang "God Bless America" during half time. It was very touching to remember those men and women who are serving in our armed forces to protect our lives and our freedom. Also, to remember the tragedy that happened 9 years ago. I remember where I was when my sister Kelly called to tell me what was going on. I was in complete shock as she was telling me.
Thank you to all those who serve!

Don't ask me what that look it on my face, I have NO IDEA!!!! Katie was pretty tired by this point. We didn't last much longer but we had a great time. Can't wait to do it again. Hopefully next time we will be at Lavelle Edwards stadium in Provo Utah cheering on our BYU Cougars.
GO COUGARS!

Bicycle

2010-09-15T20:31:00.003-06:00

What kid doesn't like to ride their bike? From the moment Tyler saw his bicycle at Christmas last year, he has been riding it all the time. Since we live in the snow, during the winter months he rode his bike in the house from the hallway, to the living room into the kitchen. As it finally warmed up he was able to go outside. We have never let him ride in the street because, well, it is dangerous and sometime he has a hard time starting. This particular day, Brad and Tyler had a race and guess who won? YEP it was TYLER! We need more days like this where we just get to play and have a good time.

That is one happy little boy!

Like father like son.
I think my kiddos have the best dad in the world. He reads to them, plays with them, and lets them drive his car occasionally. They love when he is home. When they hear the garage door open, they are running to the back door to see their dad. I think I am pretty lucky too, to have such a great husband who completely spoils me.

In the Army Now!

2010-09-08T12:07:00.002-06:00

This past week we have all been sick. Katie had pneumonia, I have a horrible cough, Tyler had ear infections and Brad had a cold. We were suppose to go to AZ on Friday the 27th, but with all of us sick, we had to post-pone our trip until we felt better and were no longer contagious. On Saturday as all of us were in bed except for Tyler, this is what happened.

He is such a cute boy and now he has no hair. He was very excited about his new hair cut. He said he always wants his hair that short.

Not for the weak stomach!

2010-08-24T17:58:00.002-06:00

If you have a weak stomach then PLEASE DON'T read this post.
Katie was taking a nap yesterday when I heard her say
"out mama"
When I entered the bedroom, I found Katie naked in the pac-n-play poop on the blankets, on her body but even more gross, I found this on her foot.
I took her out, stood her on the carpet and told her not to move while I ran to get my camera.
Luckily for me, she was still in the same place when I came back.
Needless to say, I was grossed out!
So we got her somewhat cleaned up and sent her straight to the bath tub.
This is becoming a regular occurrence for Katie. I think she is close to being potty trained.
She knows when she pees or poops because the diaper comes off almost immediately.
I can't wait until she is potty trained so we no longer have to buy diapers and we then be a diaper free home!!!

Brace yourself for the following pictures!

Puddin' anyone?

2010-08-24T17:56:00.001-06:00

My sweet baby girl loves her chocolate! This time instead of donuts, we had some pudding.

Sprinkler Time

2010-08-24T17:53:00.001-06:00

So our sprinklers came on to water our grass and when I went outside this is what I found. I hope they had a great time. They really like to play in water so what a better time, when the sprinklers are already on.

Just call her Grace.

That is one happy boy!

Drink anyone??

My Man

2010-08-23T19:16:00.003-06:00

A while back we went to Colorado College to take some pictures with the Fosters but by the time we got there it was to dark. All my pictures turned out blurry with the exception of this one.
I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF BRAD!
He is so handsome. I think I am a pretty lucky girl to have met such an amazing man. He loves me and takes care of me and the kids. We are always 1st in his life and I really appreciate that.
I LOVE YOU SWEETIE!

Katie's treat

2010-08-23T19:14:00.001-06:00

I am the bestest mom in the world. I let me kiddos have chocolate donuts for breakfast and Katie sure does love them.

Summer Time Fun

2010-08-23T19:10:00.002-06:00

This is Tyler's good friend Payton. He recently moved to Idaho and Tyler really misses him a lot. They have been able to hang out a little over the summer and one of the things they did was have some water fun. It doesn't get very warm here in Colorado so the water from the sprinklers is kind of cold but they braved the cold water and had a good time anyway.
I love these pictures of Tyler because he doesn't like water in his face, ok doesn't like is an understatement. Tyler feels like he is drowning if there is a drop of water in his face so for him to be playing that close to the sprinkler is a miracle in itself.

Fun Together

2010-08-23T15:37:00.003-06:00

Isn't a child's smile so contagious. I think it is. When I look at this picture and I see how happy Tyler and Katie are it makes me smile.
This was a regular activity for Tyler and Katie this summer. The weather has been great and they have played outside a lot. Tyler loves to push Katie around although it concerns me because he would push her into the rocks or the back gate. I am thankful nothing has been broken so far just a bunch of bruises and scabs. All in all I think they have had a lot of fun. I am glad they are learning to play well together because sometimes they fight and tease each other way to much and then the yelling or tears that come from them is UNBEARABLE.

Where does she come up with that look on her face?

Park Time

2010-08-23T15:34:00.002-06:00

My kids love the park. Luckily for us there is one just down the street. I love how they explore and the looks on their faces as they are having fun! I wasn't so sure about this day though because look at their faces.....

Tyler has a concerned look of "how am I going to get off of here?"

Katie thinks she should go up the slide instead of down

and once again, the same look.....not sure what she is thinking.
The park is a fun place to play.

Woodland Park Dinosaur Museum

2010-08-23T15:28:00.002-06:00

Tyler is a huge fan of dinosaurs. T-Rex is his favorite. You can ask him the name of a dinosaur and he can tell you what it is. I think that is a skill in and of itself.
I decided to take the kids to the Dinosaur Museum in Woodland Park. We had never been before so we started out on our adventure.
Needless to say, we were very disappointed. Luckily I didn't have to pay for Tyler and Katie, just myself but we literally spent less than 30 minutes there and we saw the entire museum. Tyler was not impressed at all.
But the good part was we went to the Donut Mill and bought some donuts which is Tyler's favorite.

Katie was so interested in the dinosaurs as you can see from the above pictures. She really enjoyed herself in the water. I guess it wasn't a wasted trip after all and we got to spend the day together and that is what is most important.

Sidewalk Chalk

2010-08-23T15:22:00.002-06:00

Katie's speech therapist always tries to keep Katie entertained. One day they were playing with sidewalk chalk. For Katie, this is a great adventure. Everything she touches, if she is able to write with it, it literally becomes part of her body. Katie is a master artist...

Look at that great smile. Tyler continues to smile on a daily basis. He lights up the room with his smile.

Are you talking to me mom?

Katie's 2 yr pictures

2010-08-23T15:17:00.003-06:00

I was going through my pictures on my computer when I realized I haven't blogged very much about my family and some of the things we have done this summer so I will start to play catch up, mostly for me so when I scrapbook I will know what was going on.

I finally got Katie's 2 year pictures taken. I took these back in June. She is a dang cute little girl. I realized I am probably a little biased, but those eyes and that smile, it is hard to resist.

Family Fun

2010-08-20T13:40:00.006-06:00

We had a fun family day with the Foster's, unfortunately for what ever reason, I didn't get any pictures of them.
We wend to Hammond's Candy Factory in Denver. They give free tours so we thought it would be fun to learn about how they make candy. It was a really neat tour and I wish I could remember what was said, however, I have a 2 year old that had other ideas.

When you first get there they give you a sample of some of the candy they have made.
Tyler's mouth was full.

This is some of the candy they make. I remember my grandma always had these little candies, or something similar to it.

They make tons of candy canes. Here is part of their workshop with the Candy Canes boxed and ready to go.

At the end of the tour you get to choose your own candy. I think Tyler and Katie were in heaven.

Hammond's has been open since 1920. Since it is their 90th anniversary, they are selling candy canes for 90 cents. YUMMY!

After the candy factory we went to the Denver Temple. It was right in the middle of the day so there were definitely shadows. I tried to take pictures in the shade. Some turned out. Tyler and Katie love to visit the temple grounds. Tyler especially loves to play in the fountain in front of the temple. It was a good day!

I have wanted to take a picture of the Denver Temple since we moved here but it never seemed to be the right time. I think it finally worked.

To learn more about Temples and their purpose go to:
Purpose of Temples

Tyler's 1st day of Kindergarten

2010-08-18T09:15:00.003-06:00

Here is Tyler on his 1st day of Kindergarten. He was so excited to go to school. The week before we went to an ice cream social to meet his teacher. He thought he was in heaven and such a big boy. I took him to school on Monday to make sure he knew where to go. He did GREAT! I really hope he enjoys school.

1st day of school

On Tuesday he wanted to ride the bus. He was really EXCITED about that. He wasn't really sure what to do or where to sit. I think he was a little nervous but he loved it. When I picked him up from school he said the bus made a lot of pick ups and drop offs. But he couldn't wait to ride again.

HE LOVES SCHOOL!

Katie

2010-08-12T18:00:00.001-06:00

So this is what Katie has been up to lately. It didn't happen just once, it happened twice. I thought by closing the door maybe she would leave my makeup alone.....I was completely wrong. Now I have to start locking the bathroom door so she can't get into anything. Not only is she in the make-up, but she is also into floss. No not using it but pulling an entire package of floss out on the floor. Good times at the Bastian home.

AZ TRIP

2010-07-26T19:19:00.010-06:00

On a whim, we made a fast trip to AZ over the weekend. On Thursday we decided to go and celebrate Tyler's birthday in Safford. We figured he needed fireworks for his birthday and since Safford was having the Pioneer 24th of July Celebration we were on our way.

We left around 5:15pm, drove all night, got in around 3:30 AZ time. Slept for a few hours and then we started our quick adventure. On Friday we hung out with family. We spent the afternoon in the pool and went to dinner that evening.
On Saturday it was Tyler's 5th birthday. We invited his good friend Austin and Danika from Mesa. They were so excited to see each other. We spent that afternoon in the pool as well and had a hamburger fry along with cake and ice-cream. Tyler got some great gifts. A soccer ball, a toy story ball, monster truck, puzzle, camera and a robot. He loved them all. I think he was so excited about opening gifts, he didn't even eat any of his cake.

That evening we were getting ready to go to the 24th of July celebration when Katie fell and cut the bottom of her chin open. We rushed her to the emergency room where she got three stitches. Being in such a rush, I didn't take my camera to the celebration so there are no more pictures.

The rain started and it poured. We thought the parade was going to be canceled but the clouds parted and the parade was on. It was great to see so many people. The theme this year was we are thankful for....
After the parade was over, we headed to the ball fields for dinner and fireworks. The softball fields were flooded. Kids were covered from head to toe in mud, but not mine....heck no! I know I am a mean mama, but I didn't want that in my car.
It was finally time for the fireworks and they were great! Katie was afraid of the noise but she started to love it.
Sunday morning, we headed back to Colorado.
We had a great time! It was so fun to see family and friends even if it was for a short time.

Katie's 2nd Birthday

2010-06-11T15:17:00.013-06:00

I am playing catch-up

Our little Princess is 2! I cannot believe it.
She is such a joy to be around and has the spunkiest attitude ever.
(Spunky really means she has an attitude!)

I am so thankful for Katie. She has a fighting spirit about her which has helped to get her where she is. Without that fighting spirit she wouldn't be with us today. She is our miracle baby.
Katie has accomplished a lot over the past year. She has learned to walk, putting more words together to create sentences, she can definitely undress herself. She loves giving kisses and hugs and smiles all the time.
We love you Katie!

YES! I am 2!

We made a quick trip to Arizona in April for the Gila Valley Temple open house. It was a crazy trip but so worth the long drive. We celebrated Katie's 2nd birthday with her cousin Jason whose birthday was May 1st. She really didn't know what to think about what was going on. We made 2 cakes, simple round ones. Chocolate and white! For her birthday she got a pots and pan set, clothes, and my little ponies.

Also while in Arizona, Brad played in a racquetball tournament. He did fairly well considering he hasn't picked up a racket in over a year. He played with Reed his brother and Cord my brother. Brad made it to the semi-finals before losing. Next year I think he will win the entire tournament.

Brad took these next 2 pictures at my parents house. He set the camera on the tripod with a long exposure. These pictures were taken about 10 o'clock at night. I haven't edited them. I think it is pretty cool.

The bright lights are from Safford. Safford is about 15 miles from my parents house. It seems as though they just over the hill.

This is the reason for our trip.
The Gila Valley Temple.
Because it was the open house, they had a canopy set up in front of the door otherwise this would have been a fantastic picture. Next time we are in AZ we will get a better picture.
Tyler loved going to the open house and being able to walk through the temple and see what it was like before it was dedicated. I can't wait to go back.
The Temple was dedicated on May 23rd by President Thomas S Monson.
It is the

California

2010-06-11T13:01:00.002-06:00

We spent Memorial weekend in California with Brad's family. It was a great trip! We had a lot of fun, saw things, and spent time with family.

Tyler and Katie especially loved to see Grandma and Grandpa Bastian. and G-Grandma Tarter.

So here is how our trip started. We drove to DIA. We got checked in and that is where it all started. Katie freaked out because they took her car seat. 3 bags, 2 car seats, 2 carry-ons, 2 kids. It took us about 30 minutes to get through the check point. Katie was so restless by that time. When we got up close to our gate I looked at the departure board and it said our flight wasn't leaving until 9:00, we were scheduled for a 7:05 departure. Brad went to find out what was wrong and come to find out, there had been tornadoes by the airport and at least one had touched down. Everyone had been evacuated from the airport to the restrooms and bunkers in the airport. When I say everyone was evacuated, I mean the entire airport including people already boarded on the planes and all workers..... are you getting the picture....DISASTER ZONE! So all flights were delayed. So we hung out at the airport waiting for our flight. We let Tyler and Katie run mostly free within the area we were in.
Around 9:00 we headed to our gate only to find out our flight was delayed again. This happened several times. We finally boarded around 12:45 am....yes I did say AM as in the next morning.
As we boarded Katie started to cry for several reasons, she was dead tired, no sleep yet, the plane was loud. She wouldn't sit in her chair so I got to hold her for the 2 hour 45 minute flight while she attempted to sleep. Brad and Tyler were out as soon as we took off. So being as late as we were, we were not able to rent our car so we got a hotel which was HEAVEN!!!!!
The next morning Brad picked up the rental car and we headed to the Oakland Temple.

This is the scene around 8:30pm while we were sitting in the airport. Looks a little scary to me.

It was raining in Oakland which made for difficult driving conditions. Our wipers were on high but we couldn't see anything. Luckily the Visitors Center had umbrellas and I was able to take a picture of the Oakland Temple.

Us at the Visitors Center in Oakland.
After we left Oakland, we went to see Brad's family and then head to Anne's house where we were staying for a good nap. We were exhausted.

On Friday we went to the beach with Roger. We had a great time, I think the kids liked it. Tyler and Katie were both afraid of the water which was nice because we didn't need to watch them continuously but they never left our side so it worked out great. It was a little cold when we first got there but then the sun came out and the wind stopped blowing and it turned out really nice.

Portugese Beach

Brad and Roger

Three Generations of Bastian's

Katie and her grandpa B

Tyler was afraid the water was going to get him. I had a hard time getting him to stand by his name.

Katie wouldn't go near the water at all. Even with Brad holding her she still was fighting and kicking to get away from the water.

After the beach we headed to the county fair. Tyler went down the big inflatable slide with Brad and loved it. We had cotton candy, sno cones, chips, teriyaki, pizza.....way to much food but a good time.

On Saturday we went to Armstrong Grove State Park. There are hiking trails, pic-nic tables, a stream and the huge sequoia trees.

Tyler found this caterpillar and played with it forever until we made him let it go.

Katie and G-Grandma Tarter out for a walk

Tyler, Katie and cousin Madison

Sunday we went to church, had a BBQ with all of the family, which I am sorry to say I did not take any pictures of everyone there.....I don't know why???

Monday morning we headed for home.
Katie did much better on the flight, she even took a nap which was heaven for me.

We had a great time and can't wait to do it again! We are hoping to make it a tradition to visit every Memorial Weekend.
sorry about the picture OVERLOAD!

Tyler's Graduation

2010-06-11T12:55:00.003-06:00

Tyler graduated from preschool and is ready for kindergarten. He had a great year!
He is writing his name better, asks more questions, enjoys reading, loves to play outside and be with his friends.
His teachers are great! They really love these kiddos and work hard with them. Tyler loved his teachers and they spoke very highly of him.

Ms Denise

Ms Rachel

Ms Shelly

Disclaimer, the pictures are awful because I used Brad's point and shoot because my camera was packed for a trip.

Family

2010-05-07T15:42:00.002-06:00

I'm not really sure what I want to write. A friends little boy passed away yesterday. He was 1 years old and the cutest little boy you have ever seen. My heart aches for their loss but also rejoices because they are an eternal family. They will have the opportunity to raise their little boy in the next life.

I have done a lot of reflecting upon my life today and wondered what I would do, or how would I feel if something happened to Tyler, Katie or Brad. How would I handle the situation? I think back to when Tyler was born and how critical the situation was. I was very sick and when Tyler was born he needed chest compressions and to be bagged. He needed to be revived. There were a few times while he was in the NICU that he coded. I remember praying during those first few weeks if Tyler wasn't going to survive, please take him now before I get attached to him. Thankfully we have a healthy little boy whom I LOVE SO MUCH!

When Katie was born it was still a scary time. She wasn't in as bad of shape as Tyler was but still a critical time. I offered the same prayer, if she wasn't going to survive, please take her now before I get attached to her. We have a healthy little girl whom I LOVE SO MUCH!

I have a wonderful husband and I can't image my life without him. I LOVE HIM TOO! Luckily for us we too have an eternal family. We have made covenants with Heavenly Father in the House of the Lord. If we honor our covenants, we are promised we will be together forever.

Life is PRECIOUS!!!
We can't take our loved ones for granted!
This life truly is the time to prepare to meet God.

Remember those who matter most in your life and let them know how you feel. Don't be afraid to let them know you love them, you appreciate them. You might not get a second chance.

Soccer

2010-04-23T16:27:00.002-06:00

We signed Tyler up for soccer this year. I love watching those little ones play their hearts out. Tyler scored a goal on his very 1st game.
Unfortunately, it was for the other team. Better luck next time I say.
He seems to really enjoy playing and his skills are coming along. Hopefully he will grasp the concept of running, kicking and chasing the ball to be able to pass to his team mates and score in the correct goal.
He has a fantastic coach that really tries hard to work with the boys.

Warm up before the game

trying that fancy foot work, still needs a little practice

Set for kick-off

running down the field

Look at my shin guards

Coach Ron, Tyler and Cale

setting up for kick-off again

half time pep talk

waiting for kick-off

HOORAY for the team. Great game boys!

Spring SNOW!

2010-04-23T15:09:00.001-06:00

Gotta love spring time in Colorado!

Catch-up

2010-04-23T14:52:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures from the past week.

Chocolate Face......she loves her chocolate donut, especially for breakfast.
Aren't I the best mom to let them have whatever they want.

This is Katie saying "CHEESE"

These are my 2 very handsome boys heading to church.
Oh how I love these men!
So HANDSOME!!!

Great FHE!

2010-03-29T21:27:00.003-06:00

Tonight we had a great Family Home Evening lesson.

It served MANY purposes so I thought I would share.
We are trying to teach Tyler about chores and responsibility so I made up a chart to go along with our lesson. Tyler is responsible for a few things around the house.

Making his bed every day
Making sure all the clothes are picked up off the floor in his room
Brushing his teeth
Picking up the toys and books at the end of the day
Setting the table for dinner
Taking a bath (because he doesn't like to any more)
Brushing his teeth (again)

Now I know you are thinking, isn't this what every kid is suppose to do....well, yes they are, however we seem to struggle with these on a daily basis.

So here is how it works. We have 3 charts.
A morning chart, evening chart, and cross off chart.
Tyler is responsible for doing these chores on his own. At the end of the day, we sit down together and look at his "TO DO" charts and see what has been done. If he completed the task, he gets an "X" if he didn't it is left blank. At the end of the week we count up how many times he completed his Chores. Then on the cross off chart we right in that number. Here is where the fun begins. At the end of the week, Tyler gets a penny for every chore he completed. I know you are thinking we are bribing him, and to an extent we are, however, we also get the opportunity to teach him about:
TITHING
SAVING MONEY FOR HIS MISSION
SPENDING MONEY ON THINGS HE WANTS NOW OR FOR A LATER DAY!

I know you are thinking we are geniuses, but really it came to us as we were explaining his charts to him. He seemed really EXCITED and wanted the money I was using as an example. He also wanted to give some of his money to help build temples. Luckily for me, I had a tithing slip on hand and was able to show him what he could use his money for.

It turned out to be a great lesson. I will let you know how things go. Hopefully I will be able to report it is working and we are all happy.

This is the morning chart.
After the chore is completed, he moves the picture to the completed side so he can see what he has done and what needs to be finished.

the evening chart

cross off chart. This chart was set up for 2 weeks at a time but we have decided to do it on a weekly basis. I will be making another chart.

Tyler has the potential to make 46 cents a week.
$1.84 a month.
And we decided if he completes each task weekly he can get an extra 5 cents...
If my calculations are correct, he can make a whopping total of
$2.19 a month.
He is going to be one rich boy.

Hopefully this is helping to teach him responsibility, how to work, discipline and how to budget money.

So my question to everyone out there is:

What do you do to help teach your children about these things?

AZ Trip

2010-03-16T19:17:00.003-06:00

We were able to go back to Arizona to visit for a couple of days. I was a little concerned we wouldn't have any sun because of all the rain they had been getting, but to our luck, it was sunny the entire time. We had beautiful weather. It was between 65-75 degrees. Every day Tyler would tell me, "mom I want one of those shirts that come up to here" (meaning a short sleeve shirt).
We were able to visit friends and family. We relaxed and had a great time. Brad went golfing with his dad and brother for 2 days and loved it. A nice vacation for him. I spent time with friends and family. We ate at our favorite places including Steve's Crazy Sub....the best sub sandwich ever.
After a couple of days in Mesa, we went to Safford to see more family and friends. The weather continued to cooperate with us and it was wonderful. I think there was more snow in Arizona in the mountains than there is here in Colorado Springs. While we were in Safford, my mom and I canned for 2 days. We did 40 lbs of chicken, 20 lbs of pork, 12 lbs of beef and a bunch of pinto beans. We ended up with 96 jars, quarts and pints. Nice food storage!
Here are a few pictures of our trip, mostly family.

Tyler and grandpa's tractor. This is his favorite place to play.

Katie and Tyler love to wear other people's shoes. Don't you love Katie's smile :)

We ventured out to Discovery Park. This is what we met at the end of the sidewalk before you enter the building. Luckily for us, he was rattling his little tail otherwise we would have been struck because we were to busy looking at our surroundings instead of the sidewalk. He was literally in the middle of the side walk ready to strike. The guy who works at Discovery Park let the rattlesnake go instead of killing it. What was he thinking?

This little snake was about 3 1/2 feet long.

We were able to meet up with cousins at the park. We stopped to let Tyler and Katie play and Emily and kids showed up. It was a pleasant surprise and nice for the cousins to be able to play together. I love how Cord and Emily's kids take care of Tyler and Katie. They really look out for them and make sure they are having a good time.

Katie and Cade

Cute sisters, Bethany and Savanna

Savanna, isn't she so cute

Cade, Aleesha, Savanna Tyler, Bethany, Shawn, Katie

Katie & Shawn

Tyler and King watching over King's Kingdom

A look at Mt Graham

Katie and her beautiful smile (sarcasm)

This is one of the things I miss about Arizona....
The SUNSETS!!!!

I am so glad we had the opportunity to go. I can't wait to go again. Our next big adventure to Arizona will be the open house of the Gila Valley Temple. I am so excited! Hope to see more family and friends.

Shoes

2010-02-09T14:48:00.001-07:00

A girl can never have to many shoes, can she?
Katie is going through a phase right now. Whenever she sees unused shoes, they become hers and as a result she has worn most of our shoes.

This is her trying on Brad's slippers.

She is so pleased with herself when she succeeds in getting them on.
When she fails, wow do we hear a scream.

OUCH!

2010-02-05T22:01:00.003-07:00

While Tyler was playing with his friend Matthew today, he slipped on his stuffed animal, his penguin and somehow managed to hit his head on the corner wall and cut it open. This is what it looked like after I cut the hair away and cleaned up most of the blood.

This is what is looked like after Urgent Care.

He was such a brave little guy while we were at U.C. The nurse practitioner came in and told Tyler what she was going to do. She got the lidocaine, numbed him up and then stapled his poor little head up. He didn't cry at all.
He was so good, Brad bought him a chocolate donut.

I feel really bad for Tyler because I think he just might be an accident waiting to happen just like his mom. When I was three, I jumped off the bench at church and cut my upper lip open. I too needed stitches.
Good luck to our children.

NEWS!!!!

2010-01-15T09:59:00.003-07:00

No, I am not pregnant!!!!

We are announcing our new web-site and new photo blog.
We have decided to start a small photography business.

We are now
BASTIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Brad has designed a website for us and I really like it. I think he did a fantastic job.

Our new website is:
www.bastianphotos.com

Our new blog address is
bastianphotos.blogspot.com

Check them out and give us a call or email to schedule a time for us to capture your special moments.
Currently we are only taking photos in Colorado Springs, but when we venture to Arizona or other places we will let you know.
We also have on our website, photos of some of the temples we have visited. If you are interested in ordering them, send us an email and we will help you out.
bastianphotography@gmail.com

We are REALLY EXCITED about this new chapter in our lives.

Driving Around

2010-01-13T17:07:00.003-07:00

The kids and I went for a drive after Tyler got out of school and we found these deer just hanging around. They weren't afraid of us at all. We stopped right in front of them to take their picture and they posed rather nicely I think.
This is definitely something you don't see in downtown Mesa.
Katie kept saying BAA to the deer as if they were sheep. At least she is attempting to mimic sounds. Some day she might learn what a deer sounds like.

Hair Day!

2010-01-01T11:39:00.003-07:00

Katie wakes up with the most AMAZING hair styles. Depending on what the previous day's style was depends a lot upon how she wakes up looking.

Isn't she lovely!

Tyler & Matthew

2010-01-01T11:16:00.004-07:00

Tyler and Matthew have such a great time playing. One day when Matthew came over to play they got Tyler's scooter out to ride in the back yard. Matthew is a very athletic little boy. Tyler still needs to work on a few skills but none the less they had a great time together.

Christmas Letter 2009

2009-12-23T08:24:00.003-07:00

We hope this finds you well and enjoying your holidays.

This has been an exciting year for us. We have had many great adventures and experiences.

Here is a short story of our life for the past year.
In January brad moved to Colorado Springs, CO to start a new job at Progressive Insurance in their IT department. We were fortunate enough when he graduated he was offered a job right away. He loves his job and is learning so much. Everyone he works with has really helped him out.
The kids and I moved to CO in February. I needed to finish up my work and get things ready to move. It was a long journey with a U-haul, my dads truck and trailer. The kids did really well on our trip. It has definitely been a big change for us as the temperatures never hit 90 degrees and the lows were in the negatives. We have survived the snow storms and all the rain in the summer time.
We have been able to visit a few sites including: Royal Gorge, Winter Park, Estes Park, we frequently visit the museum in Denver, and also the Cheyenne Zoo here in Colorado Springs. We have had a great time being here. It is a very beautiful state.

Tyler is getting bigger every day. He is in pre-school and he loves it. His teacher said he is a great student and always asks questions. In August he had another surgery on his trachea. It was mostly to remove scar tissue and to make his scar look better. Dr Schraff did a fantastic job. We discovered his vocal chords don't work as they should so we are contemplating a trip to Cincinnati Children's Hospital to have him evaluated to see if there is anything we can do to help him be able to talk louder. Only time will tell.
We had a little scare with Tyler. We went to Helen Hunt Falls with the Foster family. We hiked up to the top and all of us were visiting, the kids were doing their own thing when all of a sudden there was a THUMP and Tyler was gone. He had fallen over the edge of one of the falls. Luckily it was only about 10 feet but it was enough to scare him and all of us. We are so thankful he didn't slide down the fall and stayed where he was. He hit his head on the way down but there were no scrapes or bruises. We were very fortunate.

Katie has hit so many milestones this year we are so please with how she is growing. She has learned how to crawl, cruise and walk all this year. Her first word was mama. I was so very excited to hear it. She continues to try and say new words every day. She loves to torment Tyler but also loves to give hugs. She is such a fun little girl. Over the summer she got really sick and had to be admitted in the hospital for observation. In my opinion it was useless but better safe than sorry. She is now able to go to nursery at church and that is so nice to not have to wrestle with her and I can go to class. A BLESSING!!!

Brad is working with the 11 year olds at church and loves it. I think they really keep him on his toes. At work, he is going to be starting a project that should last about 9 months so we are very thankful he has a job.

Tricia is loving being a stay at home mom. I admit at times it is really stressful but very rewarding. I love being able to be with Tyler and Katie at home to see them learn and grow. I have been able to focus some of my time on photography and I really enjoy it. Brad has been a big help in this adventure. We are starting a photography business in January. Brad has designed a web site and we will be launching it January 1st. We are really excited!

Overall I think we are content with our lives. I know as sure as I say that we will experience many trials but we are happy and love being together.

We have had the opportunity to have a lot of family visit us and we love it. If anyone wants to visit you have a place to stay. Come and visit us!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. We have and hope to keep this spirit with us through-out the year. We hope this finds everyone well and happy.

Love
The Bastian Family
Brad, Tricia, Tyler and Katie

Santa Claus

2009-12-15T10:38:00.004-07:00

We had our ward Christmas party last week and Santa came to visit.

Tyler got to pull on Santa's beard and it was real. It was the real SANTA!
He told Santa he wanted a Spider-man bike and that he was a good boy this year.
When it was Katie's turn, she wasn't quite sure what to think. She just looked at him
and wondered who this man in the red suit is.

I have been recently called as the ward photographer. I have taken many many pictures this past week. I had the Christmas party and then all the primary children also. It has been a good experience for me. I realized I really don't enjoy taking pictures inside but it is good practice.

We will be launching our new website pretty soon for photography. Keep checking back for details. We are really excited!

6 Great Years!

2009-11-20T09:56:00.006-07:00

Today, Brad and I are celebrating our 6th anniversary. It seems like we have known each other forever, and we still have eternity to go. We have had many ups and downs, lots of laughter and tears but one thing is certain, I am still in love and even more in love with Brad than I could ever imagine.

Brad gave me a great anniversary present this morning. I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring since right before Katie was born. He had it stretched for me yesterday without my knowledge.(I know it mean I am still carrying to much "baby fat".) This morning he asked me if I would be his wife. Isn't he the best! I love this man so much. Words can't express how I truly feel about him.

6 reasons I am still in love:

1. I love to be around Brad
2. He is a fantastic dad
3. He gives great massages
4. He loves me
5. He likes to make me happy
6. We love to laugh

I LOVE YOU BRAD!
I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you and see what each new day brings for us.

Fireman Tyler

2009-11-13T10:25:00.003-07:00

This is Fireman Tyler......ready to put out the flame!

Gotta love the midnight snack all over his face
CHOCOLATE DONUTS!

Pumpkin Carvin' Time

2009-10-28T08:36:00.005-06:00

For Family Home Evening, we invited the Fosters over to carve pumpkins with us. We had a fun time and I think the kids really liked it, however, it seemed the parents did all the carving and the kids watched. They kind of helped gut the pumpkins but that was all.
Let me just say, I am not a big Halloween fan. And really not a fan of carving pumpkins either. It is really "disgusting" as Tyler says, to put your hand in there and pull out all that stuff. I am right there with you Tyler.

Dad starting to cut Tyler's pumpkin

I have major knife action going on.

Dave working on Payton's pumpkin

Tyler gutting his pumpkin

Look at that great pumpkin

It is scary!

All four after we were finished.
I did the diamond pumpkin, Payton had the Autobot sign, Brinley had a pretty princess face, and Tyler's was the scary face.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T17:10:00.006-06:00

We went to Wishing Star Farm to get our pumpkins this year. I think Tyler had a great time but not so much Katie. She unfortunately sat in her stroller most of the time because of the wind. It was really cold.
They had a petting zoo, barrel train ride, hay ride, animal farm, gorge slide, tractor tires, corn crib, bales of hay.....Tyler loved every bit of it but I think what he liked the most was picking his own pumpkin.

A tight squeeze for the llama

Barrel train ride

on top the hay bales

I'm free from my stroller

dad and the kids

dad and tyler

corn crib

brad amazed at how soft the camel is

tyler on the ponies

enjoying his ride

look at that look on Katie's face.....
"DON'T TOUCH MY PUMPKIN"

two cute kids

We had a great day together as a family! On Monday night we will carve our pumpkins for FHE. Can't wait to see how they turn out.

Garden of the Gods

2009-10-16T13:55:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday we decided to go fro a ride to Garden of the Gods. It was suppose to start snowing the night before but not much came of it and I had cabin fever. So we bundled up and headed out. There was sleet and lots of fog but that seemed to be it. When we hit Garden of the Gods road, we hit black ice. A little scary to say the least. There were cars in front of us, we were going down hill and couldn't hit the brakes. Luckily for us, we were safe, no accidents. We turned into Garden of the Gods and this is what we saw.....

2 deer hanging out eating the berries on the trees.

As we went around the corner, there was a truck off the side of the road in the gully. They had driven up to these rocks when they lost traction and slid back down. Luckily for us, we didn't have a problem.

Brad tried to push the truck out and as he was doing this, several cars drove by and didn't even offer to help. He was finally successful and the truck turned around on the one way street and went back down which was only about a mile.

As the truck was heading down and Brad was trying to cross the road, he couldn't because of the ice on the road. Every time he took a step, he would slide back. We finally found a place where he could get some traction and was able to cross. As this happened, this car drove around the corner, lost traction and ended up in the gully.

Brad pushed them out too. Some other guys tried to help and only made the situation worse. They decided they couldn't help so they left.....

Brad was definitely the hero that day. He was able to help push 2 cars out of the gully and help them get turned around.

On our way home, as the temperature dropped there was more ice. It took us about 30 minutes to make it back to the freeway. Once we got to the over pass, we saw an accident, 50 car pile-up.
We were very blessed and lucky to make it home safely.
I can say I don't think I have ever offered a more fervent prayer for us to be safe.
Prayers are answered!

OUCH

2009-10-08T15:55:00.002-06:00

On Friday, Katie was playing around the fireplace when she slipped and hit her mouth on the fireplace. I wasn't home at the time it happened. I was told she kept bleeding and it wouldn't stop. Luckily it did with no stitches. Unfortunately, she is left with a fat lip, a nice scab, and on the inside she cut her upper gum and managed to chip her front teeth. The swelling was so bad on the inside, her two top front teeth are spread apart. Poor baby girl.
She has 12 teeth now and they are sharp. I know you are asking, how do you know how sharp they are.....well, unfortunately I have to put my fingers in her mouth to dig out the things she shouldn't be eating.

What do you call it?

2009-10-08T15:45:00.004-06:00

Will we ever get rid of that thing.....yes I am referring to the
BINKY, PLUG, PACI, PACIFIER, SOOTHER.....
What do you call it?
We let Tyler keep his til he was almost 3. The only reason we did was because of all the surgeries he was having on his trach. I think within a week of him having the trach removed, it was gone and it wasn't hard for him either. He really just chewed on it.
Katie on the other hand, if she sees it she wants it. I think I have gotten her to only use it during naps and night-time. Hopefully soon it will be gone but I just don't have the will power or courage to take it away right now.

1st day of preschool

2009-09-22T19:04:00.002-06:00

This is Tyler's 1st day of Preschool. He was so excited to go. Every morning when he wakes up he says he doesn't want to go but by the time he is dressed he is asking if it is time to go.
He has great teachers, Mrs Denise and Mrs Rachel.
His mascot is a BUMBLEBEE. He loves school!
I am really glad Tyler is going to preschool because it gives me and Katie some one on one time if she isn't taking a nap which I also love.