Stephen & Leslie

Still expanding...

2011-11-03T11:44:00.000-06:00

Here's some more recent pictures for the ever expanding belly!

I'm 30 weeks and 7 days here....

And my most recent belly shot was at 32 weeks and 7 days. The night of our first baby shower...how exciting. I hope to get a post up soon with pictures of that.

Intensive Childbirth Prep Class

2011-10-19T08:49:00.003-06:00

Two weekends ago, we took an "Intensive Childbirth Prep Class" through the hospital that I'll deliver at. It was a Friday night and Saturday (ALL DAY!). On Saturday, we were talking about the stages of labor...and every couple in the class was given some play-doh to make a cervix. We had to dilate and efface the cervix to 10 cm & 100%. This is what Steve did with his play-doh! Such a boy!!

So our class was very interesting. There was a total of 7 couples and ALL were having GIRLS! Pretty strange stuff happening these days! I probably know at least 20 people that are having girls between now and March 2012! There must be something special planned for all these little girls!

During our class, our instructor had a fake "pregnant body/belly" for the dads/partner to wear for an period of time...just so they know what us "mamas" are going through. Boy...were they good sports...but Steve got the best workout of all when it was his turn to wear it! He had to wear it during our hospital tour of the delivery/postpartum and nursery tour...which was about an hour...walking around. All the other dads just wore it in class...mostly sitting. I got some pretty good pictures of Steve sporting his pregnant belly!

The highlight of our class was ME....passing out! It sure scared Steve...but honestly it wasn't anything new that I haven't dealt with. Of course, it was during the grossest part...taking about c-sections...pictures, graphic details of how and where they cut, etc. AND...it was right after lunch! I looked at Steve and told him I wasn't feeling well, and that I thought I was going to pass out! He looked pretty alarmed but acted quickly to catch my head and alert our instructor. Luckily I was already sitting down, so they just laid my chair back on the floor. I was out for a few seconds before I came to. For me, it was quite comical and a little embarrassing! After laying on the floor with my eyes closed for about 10 minutes we sat on the floor while everyone finished the c-section part/video.

The irony of this story is...when my mother was pregnant with me, she passed out at a fabric store. Luckily she was with my dad...but she told him she was going to pass out, he laid her down on the floor and everyone there was pretty panicked. She laid there for a few minutes until she could get up...at which they just left...my dad guiding my mom out of the store while she kept her eyes closed because she was so embarrassed. So as they say, "Like Mother, Like Daughter"...I'm keeping the tradition alive! =) Hopefully our little girl doesn't have passing out issues like me, but at least if she does, I'll understand!

Is that a basketball in your shirt?

2011-10-06T11:44:00.012-06:00

So we haven't really been that great at staying on top of taking pictures as my belly grows with our little one inside. I finally decided that I'd need to start pictures on my own. I have had a few pictures taken on my phone..but the rest are on our camera. Anyway...

Here I am at 19 weeks and 1 day. We just found out 2 days before that we were having a little girl!

Here I am at 23 weeks and 6 days.

Here's a quick snapshot I took at 26 weeks 2 days. As you'll see in the picture below, you can't tell much between then and now.Here I am at 29 weeks (after a disappointing lose game with U of U vs. Washington 10/1/2011).

I'm hoping to be able to remember to take weekly pictures from now on as I know my stomach size will increase dramatically between now and 40 weeks. We've only got 10 weeks to go! Which also means, Christmas is in 11 weeks! YIKES!

It's a GIRL!!!

2011-07-26T12:19:00.003-06:00

On Friday, Steve and I finally got to find out if our sweet little baby will be a boy or a girl! We quickly found out at our appointment that we'll be welcoming a little girl to our family in December! We couldn't be more happy and excited about this new adventure and most of all, we can't wait to meet her! We know she's going to have to be pretty awesome with us as her parents! =)

Here's a few pictures our ultrasound tech was able to capture even though she was being a little wiggle worm the whole time!
Most of all, we were glad and relieved to find out that she's perfectly healthy and growing right on track! Phew!

Our big day ended with a big bang...spending the evening with family and watching the Bountiful 24th of July fireworks! Probably the BEST show I've ever seen before! AWESOME!!

Who said women are hard to shop for?!

2011-07-11T11:40:00.004-06:00

Yesterday (July 10th) was our first wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that we've been married a year! It seems like we just got married last month. Yesterday Steve was saying how if they say the first year of marriage is the hardest...then he's a lucky man!! I do have to agree that so far, our first year hasn't been too hard. The first 6 months were challenging for us, but we were trying to get me moved and get his house finished at the same time while planning our honeymoon.

As our anniversary was approaching, we were trying to decide what to do for our special anniversary...and since this will be our only anniversary childless! We tossed around the idea of a night stay in Park City or a romantic dinner somewhere...but ultimately, I got what I really wanted.... a new washer/dryer set! The washer/dryer that we've been using came with the house when Steve bought it 6+ years ago! Needless to say, they were old, gross and not very cost effective at all! So Saturday afternoon, our NEW and IMPROVED washer/dryer were delivered to our house and hooked up! The only thing was...we couldn't use them until we got new high efficiency soap! Grrr! I never thought I'd be so anxious and excited to do laundry...but alas...new appliances sure make it easier! So I'm looking forward to getting off work and doing more laundry and learning how to use our new ultra techy appliances.

We learned from our first anniversary, that getting me appliances for any special occasion makes me happy girl and sure makes my hubby happy too! =)

The things women do!

2011-07-05T17:01:00.004-06:00

It seems like when summer starts to creep up the end of May, everyone's lives become just a little more chaotic. On top of trying to juggle work and your normal life (cooking & cleaning), you try to squeeze in all those summer activities... ie. family parties, BBQ's with friends, or summer vacations. It becomes even more difficult for those women who have kids already or are busy "growing a life inside them." It's tough work! Now I know why God had women have babies...men are too big of babies themselves, let alone be the "host" body for 9 months! =)

With that being said, yes, our little Hayward family is officially growing (literally my tummy) and we will have a new member of the family this December! Just in time for....Christmas? No, the end of the tax year! =) We'll know in two weeks if we're having a little Stevie or little Leslie, so we're anxiously awaiting our big ultrasound appointment.

We're both VERY excited about our new little "LB" (aka. love baby) to get here. I would have to say that Steve probably seems more excited because he doesn't have to deal with morning sickness, nasty smells, growing pains, extreme fatigue, etc...we all know the list goes on, and on, and on!

I'll try to do my best to keep updates and pictures of our progress and asking for advice...but who knows what I'll actually get accomplished! ;)

U2 Rocks it in SLC!

2011-05-26T09:02:00.005-06:00

Tuesday night, we finally got to attend U2's 360 degree tour that was supposed to have taken place last year. It was well worth the wait...it was an amazing show!!
Here we are at the show waiting for U2 to get set up and go on stage. The Fray opened up for them and they did a great job too.
Of course, here's Steve being silly with Josh...a friend and co-worker. We had a double date planned with Josh & Mandy way back when U2 was supposed to play 6/3/2010...but we FINALLY got to hang out with them and enjoy great music.
I thought the mountains were pretty and green against the nice blue sky (that wasn't raining..Phew!)

Here's a few pictures of the stage as the night went on. They had some awesome lighting to go along with the concert. During the concert, I notice people driving by the stadium on 500 S. in SLC and people were parked on the street watching/listening to the concert. It was pretty funny to watch everyone.

This was a great show to start the summer. Hopefully we have a few more good shows to see this summer. Here's to great music and fun with my honey!

I know...I know! I've been a blog slacker!

2011-04-20T11:33:00.004-06:00

Since we got married (9 months ago), life has been hectic. Of course, one of my new duties is try to provide delicious meals for us to eat. I have to say, I've become quite the cook and baker.

So in my attempt to try to redeem myself, I'll try to get everyone caught up on all the things we've been up to over the last several months. So don't be surprised if we go backwards for a while.

Last night, I was in the mood to make spaghetti & meatballs. So here's the final product! Looks pretty good, right? Tastes even better than it looks.
If you'd like to try to make this recipe yourself...I got this recipe from Rachael Ray! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/spaghetti-and-meatballs-recipe/index.html

More wedding pictures...

2010-08-20T12:59:00.004-06:00

Here's a video our photographer put together from some of our wedding pictures. It's pretty cool.

http://erinsummerillphotography.com/blog/?p=897

Introducing... Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hayward

2010-07-14T10:39:00.007-06:00

As I'm sure everyone is anxious to see some footage from our wedding day...or more so proof it actually happened! =) ... Steve's cousin took some great pictures from the awesome event! Lucky for us and everyone else as we probably won't get any of our professional pictures for at least a month or so.

Please enjoy!

It's right around the corner....

2010-07-08T14:50:00.002-06:00

Our wedding day is almost here! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed! Before we know it...we'll be husband and wife which is pretty exciting!

The next time you hear from me, I'll be Mrs. Leslie Hayward! (weird!) =)

Our visit to the Hoogle Zoo with Reagan

2010-04-21T09:11:00.003-06:00

This last weekend, we got to take Reagan with us to the zoo because our friend's daughter was turning 1! Steve and I were a little nervous about getting Reagan and if she would cry when we left...but she was AWESOME! No tears, no temper tantrums and just total sweetness! She's so smart and funny and it was great to spend some time with her...and no mom or grandpa! =)

We went down this slide and she thought it was really fun. When we got to the top, she almost backed out...but I told her I'd go with her...and you can tell she had fun.
After walking around and looking at a few animals, we hit the Beastro and had lunch and then headed over to the birthday party. I think she was getting tired because most of the party she looked about half asleep....UNTIL we gave her some sugar....CAKE! That really seemed to wake her up. Here she is with her Uncle Stevie in her party hat.
Aimee, the mom of the birthday girl, she gave all the kiddos gift bags for coming. It had all sorts of fun things that Reagan thought was totally cool. She pulled out one of the twisty straws and her and Steve blew into each end. Gave me a great picture!
Reagan wanted to go see the giraffes. The last time she visited...the baby giraffe was still alive. So I was the one who had to tell her the baby died...no more baby giraffe. She has such a great memory...for only 2 1/2! She really wanted to go upstairs to get a closer look of the giraffes. So I went upstairs with her and she wanted to go see each giraffe. Lisa (Reagan's mom) said they've never been up there... so it was pretty exciting for Reagan.
Nice shot of one of the giraffe's that Steve got. They're such big animals.
Aimee gave us tickets to take Reagan on the Carousel. We picked the Zebra (or as Reagan called it the Zeba). I think she was starting to get tired...but so were we!
We finally left the zoo about 1 1/2 hours after her nap time. But surprising she didn't get fussy with us...but just enjoyed being outside and seeing all the animals. I kid you not, this was before we even left the parking lot! We must have wore her out...but she did the same to us!
We had so much fun with little Reagan Jayne and that we can't wait to have another day of fun with her! She's so sweet and such a smart little girl.

Easton's 1st Birthday!!

2010-04-20T21:24:00.009-06:00

April 10th was Easton's 1st birthday! I can't believe that little guy is already 1! Oh how time flies.

He got lots of toys and his cousins, Canon and Mylie wanted to help open his presents. I think he was unsure of a lot of things going on that day. But I think he really liked the toys he did get!

Here he is before getting his piece of cake. I'm sure he's wondering "Why do I have to sit here naked...and everyone's watching me????" Totally cute!

He wasn't sure what the cake was...but Karl gave him a big bite of cake...and then he started warming up to idea of eating it. Surprisingly, he didn't get very messy.

We love you Easton!!

Easter

2010-04-06T22:26:00.006-06:00

Ok...I know it's been practically forever since we've posted anything. Things have been really busy since we got engaged..trying to plan a wedding and get Steve's remodel on his house finished. Hopefully within the next little while I'll be able to post some pictures of what we've been up to since November.
Anyway, on Easter Sunday, we got together with Steve's family and did our traditional brunch at Gardner Village. This year, Steve's brother and family joined us. It was nice to have them there...and as always...good food. Here are some highlights from the brunch...and of course...the cutest!
Here's Lisa, RJ and Reagan. Reagan was being such a ham bone at brunch and we got some pretty funny pictures of her.

Ahh...the awesome chocolate fountain and strawberries!...and follow's it with a drink of milk!Here's Steve, James (Steve's nephew), David (Steve's brother) and Tyler (Steve's nephew).

Racer, Lisa, Reagan and RJ! Yah...an appearance has been made by chubby Racer!

Tickled Pink

2009-11-25T21:13:00.003-07:00

This is the most recent blanket I made. Our neighbors growing up had a daughter (Brooke) who is Jake's age and just had a baby girl 3 weeks ago and named her Hayden. Jake, Richelle and Lincoln are going up to Coeur d'Alene for Thanksgiving and delivering this for me. I hope she likes it!

4th Annual Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-23T23:59:00.011-06:00

Tonight the Lloyd family kids and their significant others (plus kids) got together once again for the now traditional pumpkin carving night. It's always fun to just hang out, eat dinner and this year included watching the most recent episode of The Office. It's fun to see what we'll create...and how it compares to last year.

-Jake, Steve and Karl-
-Christi, Richelle and Leslie-
...and of course, mine is the best! =)

I hope that we're able to keep the tradition going for many more years with the addition of our kids joining in the fun...and adding more pumpkins each year.

YAY!!! Finally!!

2009-09-08T18:38:00.006-06:00

Ok....so many things to update everyone on...but the most important is...................................... WE'RE ENGAGED!

Steve took me to a nice dinner the night before my birthday (8/31/09) because we had plans that night. We had a wonderful dinner together and he was so anxious to do it...he couldn't wait. So in the middle of dessert (which was fabulous...chocolate bundt cake), he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. In total shock and disbelief, I asked him "Is this for real? Are my eyes really seeing this?" Of course, I quickly realized that this was real and not to waste any more time. So I quickly said "YES!" and then instantly started crying! It was romantic and for the most part private (since the restaurant was pretty much empty). So our server took the picture of us shortly afterwards.

Steve took this picture of me a little while later. Can you tell how excited I am??? Haha!

I know a lot of people are really excited for us and want to know what this ring looks like. So here's a pretty good shot. Nothing fancy...simple round solitare engagement ring! Just what I wanted! =)

So far, it looks like the wedding date will be July 10, 2010 here in Utah.

Total Cuteness!

2009-06-23T21:05:00.009-06:00

Do I need to say more??!!!

This is Steve's little niece, Reagan, who is is about 1 1/2 years old! Too cute!

Lincoln Jacob Lloyd

2009-06-01T14:50:00.002-06:00

Jake & Richelle made it official on Friday, May 29th with giving their son his name. He shall be known as Lincoln Jacob Lloyd.Here's a picture of us together hanging out on the couch. Link is taking a snooze while mom, dad, and Aunt Leslie take a rest. He's pretty darn adorable! How could you not hold him?!

Nephew #2 is HERE!!!

2009-05-27T21:42:00.015-06:00

My 2nd little nephew FINALLY arrived today! No official name yet...but still super cute. I think he looks like Jake.

He was born on Wednesday, May 27th at 8:30pm. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 21 inches long !

More pictures to come shortly! =)

Quilt #3 and #4

2009-05-14T20:39:00.011-06:00

Quilt #3 was for my friend Jill who's baby is due in about 4 weeks and her baby shower was a few weeks ago. She's having a little boy and they're going to name him Elliott. I sure hope he loves his new blankie that was made with love!

Quilt #4...just completed yesterday (May 13th) is for my sister-in-law who is giving me a nephew in just a few days! Richelle LOVES stars and blue...so it was really easy to pick the fabric for this blanket. Hopefully this little guy will grow to love them too. We're all really excited for this little guy to get here! I thought it would be cute to wrap it in some ribbon since it was a gift. I really do enjoy seeing the joy I bring to people when I can give them a gift that I made...you know..things with sentimental meaning. Those gifts are the best! So I hope all 4 quilts get some good use out of them over the many years! The next quilt I make will be for me and much bigger...more to enjoy! =)

And his name shall be???

2009-04-11T22:58:00.003-06:00

Today Jake, Richelle and me went to visit our newest family member. They finally picked a name!

Easton Paul Lloyd!

I'm glad he's got a name now and we can start calling him Easton and not just baby or Lloyd Baby!

They are planning on going home tomorrow and hopefully have a nice first day home on Easter Sunday!

Baby Lloyd is HERE!!!

2009-04-11T10:01:00.011-06:00

Here he is... Born on April 10, 2009 just before 3pm weighing 7 lbs. 13 oz. & 19 3/4 inches long! This is right after he was born and wiped down!
Yesterday morning I got a call from Karl asking if I was ready to be an Aunt today?? Duh, of course I am!! So he told me that Christi's water broke about 6 am. They drove to the hospital and checked in and gave us all updates when he could. Christi did great and he was born just before 3pm...and Christi only had to push for about 20 minutes and the little guy was here!
Here's a picture of the newest family member just after he was born! Both parents look proud and excited.Baby Lloyd as of right now is nameless because my brother & sister-in-law haven't decided on a name. They started with 4 and have narrowed it down to 3...as of last night. So who knows what this little guy will be called by the time he leaves the hospital.
Here he is after his first bath. HE HATED IT! He was screaming and getting so upset his whole little body turned red. After that traumatic experience...he was OUT...the rest of the night. It didn't matter what we did to him..HE WOULD NOT WAKE UP! We pulled, tugged, lotioned, tried to tickle him and he would just not wake up. Finally, Christi asked the nurse and she said that was pretty normal from them to sleep and not feed for as long as it had been. Phew!
Here are the newest first time Aunts with little Baby Lloyd! So cute! It was fun being able to experience this with Richelle last night. We are going to be GREAT Aunts!
So we thought it would be cute to put new Baby Lloyd on Richelle's prego belly and he really didn't care. But as soon as we laid him on Richelle, Jake & Richelle's baby (Baby Lloyd's cousin) just started kicking his sleeping cousin. Richelle said that all day their little guy was super active and kicking all day! I sure they'll be the best of friends as they get older!

So they should leave the hospital either tonight or tomorrow..and hopefully by then I'll be able to update everyone with his new name!

Happy Anniversary

2009-04-09T11:44:00.004-06:00

Today is our 5 year Anniversary. Steve was sweet enough to send me this beautiful flower arrangement to my office. He really is thoughtful!

I Love You!!

Baby Quilt #2

2009-02-17T21:39:00.006-07:00

Ok, so since I received my sewing machine I've made 2 quilts. The first quilt was for my sister-in-law who is having the first grandson/nephew on our side of the family and I had to keep it a secret because I gave it to her for Christmas. Then we found out one of our really good friends is having a baby, a girl, and I HAD to make a quilt for them too (plus this is good practice for me for when my kids finally come around!). I do have to say that I am pretty impressed with myself...and the fabric is really cute!

Anyway, it's called a Rag Quilt where you sew the edges on the outside with a 1/2 inch seam..then you cut it and wash it..then it frays...thus the rag. So here's a picture of the front and back...more for my memory before I give it away... =(

I'm pretty sure the people that are getting this haven't even seen our blog, so it's probably still safe..but they'll be getting it Friday anyway!

Brunch

2009-02-17T21:27:00.002-07:00

A few weekends ago, I was finally able to get together with a good friend of mine who I used to work with...and this was the first time I've seen her since she told me she was pregnant. So we planned on going to brunch and we got the same thing...and when they brought it out...we were both surprised...IT LOOKED SO GOOD (and it was delicious)!!! Afterwards, we went shopping...and bought some baby stuff and of course I couldn't resist buying stuff for my soon to be born nephews.

Here we are in their new home they bought last month...and her cute pregnant belly. She hates getting her picture taken..but I told her she had to because she's just so cute. There's always that glow of expecting mothers that just make them so beautiful!

Utah Jazz vs. Charlotte Bobcats

2009-02-04T16:54:00.006-07:00

I won tickets through work to the Jazz game on Monday night. Steve & I went to the Jazz game and he kept saying that he'd never sat so close to the floor before for a game. It was fun! This picture to the left shows how close we were to the floor (and the visiting team).

Here's Paul Milsap shooting a free throw for the Jazz. He's does a pretty good job working together with the other teammates.

Here's Kyle Korver...who looks like Ashton Kutcher...but I think better looking! Steve was nice enough to take some pictures for me.

And the best for last...

Becoming Domestic....??

2009-01-21T10:11:00.007-07:00

It seems like the older I get, the more "domestic" things I want to do. I think it all started with getting a sewing machine for my birthday this last year. I've already made 1 baby quilt (for my first nephew coming in April) and working on 3 others.
Then I went on a baking stretch were I was baking something every night. Since I live alone, others definitely reaped the benefits...Karl & Christi, Steve & his co-workers.
Then I get the strange idea that I want to make my own freezer jam. So last night I tried it. It was super easy! They've been able to simplify how to make it over the years. I won't know until tonight how it turned out since you have to let it set for 24 hours. Luckily, the recipe only made 3 small containers...so if it's not great...I didn't waste. If it's good...I'll know to double the batch. =)

Continued Catch up...More FOOTBALL!!

2008-12-02T17:58:00.006-07:00

Ok, the long awaited rivalry game arrived against BYU! All the Ute fans were geared to beat some cougar hiney! Here's our group at the tailgate lot before the game! GO UTES!!

Here's Steve with his best friend's daughter, Alexa, who turns 18 in a few days!
Here are our friends that we sit next to (from left, Angie, Brandy and Addie). This was after we won the game...by killing BYU!

Here's a picture of the field after we won and everyone rushed the field.
Here's a picture of the final score against BYU. I know it's a little blurry, but you still get the gist that we blew them out!

Catch up....FOOTBALL!!!

2008-12-02T17:44:00.005-07:00

We are University of Utah fans and we attend the home games every year (since we've been together). This was the Utah vs. TCU game. It was AWESOME! I'm so glad we won this game.

Here's Steve & me after the game.

Here are the people we've been sitting next to for the past few seasons and became friends with them. There's (starting from the left) Angie, Addie, Craig & Dave. They're really nice people.
This game was a "Black out." Everyone was supposed to wear black during this game...and the team sported their new black uniforms. It was pretty cool to see...and everyone rushed the field after this big win!

Election Day!

2008-11-04T08:42:00.002-07:00

Make sure you VOTE Today!

Pumpkin Carving Traditions...

2008-10-28T09:20:00.004-06:00

For some reason, the past few years, us siblings have gotten together around Halloween to carve pumpkins. It's been fun to be with each other and have a good time. It's fun to see what patterns everyone chooses each year and see how well the turned out (or didn't turn out).

Here's Steve carving his pumpkin. He created his own pattern. He had a hard time sitting "Criss Cross Apple Sauce" style (so we found out from Richelle & Christi that's the P.C. way to say it now! Probably because they both work with children).

Jake & Richelle are waiting patiently for everyone else to finish carving pumpkins!

And here is the final products! Not too bad, but we had a hard time with the candles this year. Oh well...they still look good.

Steve's Birthday with the Family

2008-10-14T19:54:00.004-06:00

Steve's birthday was a few weeks ago but we weren't able to do the family celebration for a few weeks because everyone in his family got sick.

Steve was pretty excited about some of his presents...like this one. Lisa gave him a frame with 3 pictures of Reagan (his niece) in his baseball hat. They're pretty cute!

And here is Steve holding Reagan. She's getting so big and here hair is starting to grow in and more and she's getting more teeth every time we see her.

Too cute....!

Playing catch-up....

2008-10-14T19:13:00.004-06:00

Here's us and some friends tailgating at one of the most recent University of Utah football games.

Here's Brandon & Jenn

Matt & Aimee

Leo & Bridget

And here we are having fun after we won our game!

Sewing Machine Adventures

2008-09-17T09:03:00.004-06:00

For my birthday, I asked for a sewing machine from my family. So we finally got the one I wanted ordered and it was delivered last week. I grew up helping my mom sewing & did a few of my own projects but it's a little intimidating to have my own...with not really anyone that could help at a moments notice. I started reading through the manual to try to figure out what I'm supposed to do and where to put all the different parts. Last night was quite the adventure...to be exact...a 3 1/2 hour adventure for what I thought would be simple. I have a few pairs of slacks that the hem came undone that I wanted to fix. I got everything ready but I couldn't figure out what the picture was explaining. So I called my mom...who bless her heart...stayed on the phone with me for about 2 hours trying to help me figure out what to do...and I was determined to figure it out. She kept telling me that I should have tried to do something more simple...but that project is what I needed to do. FINALLY....it clicked in my brain and I did it! Phew! That was a big hurdle!! Now I need to experiment with the other stitches and familiarize myself with my new machine so I don't feel scared of it. I'm hoping to attack the chore of making a baby quilt with Richelle (my sister-in-law) and Steve has requested an adult sized super hero cape. All men out there will always have "Peter Pan Syndrome."

Laughing so hard you cry!

2008-09-15T09:47:00.006-06:00

Friday night, Steve got to experience something he would have rather passed on. Steve has a few down pillows and I pulled a feather out that was sticking through the pillow (which looked a lot like this feather). I tried to lay it on his face & tickle him with it. Well, I did, for about a second. He had a fan on and it blew the feather off his face (right infront of his mouth) and right as he was breathing in...HE INHALED IT! I burst out laughing so hard I started to cry and he kept trying to cough it up like he had a furball. Luckily he was able to get it out and wasn't made at me and we both able to laugh at it!

One Birthday and a Funeral

2008-09-01T18:56:00.006-06:00

Today, September 1 is my birthday. It's been a pretty good birthday for turning 26! I got chocolate cake in bed for breakfast this morning...so I can't complain too much. Tonight for my birthday dinner we're going to Tsunami, my favorite sushi restaurant. Ymmm!!

Also, last Saturday (August 23, 2008) my Grandpa Lloyd died. His viewing was on Wednesday night and his funeral was on Thursday in McCammon, ID. He was a great guy & fun grandpa. He'd always try to scare us kids whenever we visited and would greet us with big welcoming bear hugs. He will be missed...but he's in a much better place now.

We love you, Grandpa Lloyd!

Sleepy Squirrel

2008-08-18T09:14:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, Steve noticed something on the front tire of his truck. It turned out to be a squirrel. He was lounged out on the tire just hangin' out! Kind of strange. We watched him for a few minutes and he jumped up into the engine. We were worried that he could cause damage to the electical so we tried to get him out. After many attempts of thumping on the truck and honking the horn...no squirrel. We decided to pop the hood and saw what out new little friend had been doing. Well, Steve has a mature apricot tree in his backyard and the squirrel had found a pit that he wanted to chew on. He decided the safest place to have his little snack was on top of his engine cover...leaving little paw prints & the pit! Dang squirrels!

Warm Fuzzies

2008-07-31T16:18:00.004-06:00

I lost a dear friend years ago to breast cancer and have known many women who have overcome battle's with cancer but have lost their hair along the way. As most of you know, I cut 15 inches off just over a month ago and I wanted to do something good with all that hair. I sent in my long pony to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths campgain. They have been trying to get 1 million inches of hair so they can provide free wigs for women who are going through cancer treatments who have lost their hair. I finally got a response in the mail yesterday which was this letter. I was glad about cutting my hair but when I got this letter yesterday it made me that much happier knowing I will have contributed to someones happiness and hopefully make their battle a little bit easier to win.

Eeny Meeny Miney Moe...and I'm IT!

2008-07-31T14:28:00.002-06:00

I got tagged by my sister-in-law, Christi. So for those who check out our blog, you might learn something new about ME! =)

How to play this game of tag: Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 3 people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

3 Joys:
1. Sleeping in...knowing I don't have anything to do that day.
2. Getting pedicures.
3. Having our "Family Nights."

3 goals:
1. Travel to as many places as I can in my lifetime.
2. Work out more.
3. To get my sweet boyfriend to marry me! =)

3 current obsessions/collections:
1. Purses/handbags (always an obession)
2. Lipsticks, lip balm, chap stick...anything for lips!
3. Shoes...always adding.

3 random surprising facts:
1. I have a cousin that we were both born on the same day.
2. I was named after my mom's bestfriend in college.
3. No broken bones but I've had 6 stitches in my chin after falling while rollerskating when I was 15! You'd think by then I would have had that skill down...obviously not!

Hmm...Duck, duck, duck...whose's the goose?? Candace, Sarah Zastrow, Jake.

Free Lunch & Great Music

2008-07-20T14:22:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a hodgepodge of things. We went to visit Steve's Grandma at the Rehab. hospital because she fell and broke her leg (I thought it was her hip but I guess not) a few weeks ago. We met Lisa, RJ & Reagan at the hospital and we got to talk with Grandma while she was doing her physical therapy. She's doing well and will be released on Tuesday.

After our visit we decided to go to lunch and there's a new Red Robin not too far from the hospital.

We met Lisa & RJ at the restaurant and when we got sat, we found out it was a training day..and ALL OUR FOOD WAS FREE! Yummy! The store doesn't officially open until Monday so we lucked out. It was sooo good and even better knowing it was free. Thanks Red Robin for our free lunch!

Last night was another concert night. We were able to get a great deal on some POLICE tickets! Steve was excited to go and that Elvis Costello was opening up for The Police. Towards the end of their set, Sting came out and played with them. It was pretty cool. Then, The Police came out with the original band (Sting...Gordon Sumner). They were all really great and was cool that they are only a 3 piece band!

They played all the best songs...Message in a Bottle, Roxanne, Every Breathe You Take, De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da, etc. I was pleasantly surprised how many songs I already knew considering their band was formed a few years before I was born! It was a great concert and beautiful night. It was still 85 degrees when the concert ended at 11pm!

Dinner & a Movie

2008-07-20T13:50:00.003-06:00

The Dark Night...

Batman Family Night was on Friday night. We were able to get free tickets thru a promotion that General Mills was doing thru Albertson's. So all 6 of us (Karl, Christi, Jake, Richelle, Steve, me) planned our dinner and a movie night. We went to Tsunami, which is a Japanese/sushi restaurant that Steve & I love! It was fun to have the family come and try out some new things to eat. We ordered Mussel Shooters which has a raw Quail egg on it Richelle willingly tried it and liked it. She was the only "brave" one to try it out of Jake, Karl & Christi. Very impressive! Anyway, after dinner we walked over to our movie and watched the BEST MOVIE EVER!!

Heath Ledger was AMAZING in this movie! It's definitely a tragedy that we have lost such an amazing actor! Steve is very critical of movies, and this is probably his FAVORITE movie ever!

Journey, Heart & Cheap Trick Concert!

2008-07-14T08:26:00.014-06:00

On Friday night Steve & I went to Cheap Trick, Heart & Journey! It was their second concert of their tour together. It was such an awesome show & the weather was perfect for the outdoor venue.

On Saturday afternoon we went to eat at a German Deli which was right across the street from where the band was staying. We saw the lead guitarist for Cheap Trick (Rick Nielsen on the left of the picture) and he came into the restaurant to get some grub to go. Steve was so excited...he went over and talked to him and Rick gave him a guitar pic. Rick has been known for his cool guitar collection. He pulled out this 5 necked guitar at the concert and it was soooooo cool! Then...about 20 minutes later I saw a guy that kind of stood out and I asked Steve...is this someone else in the band? Yes...the Lead Vocalist for the band Cheap Trick... Robin Zander! He decided to eat at the restaurant and before we left, we stopped by and told him what a great show last night's concert was. Steve asked if he could get a picture with him and he said "Well, I'm eatting lunch, but sure!" So I snapped a picture of the two! He was really nice to let us interrupt his meal! Anyway, the band line up on Friday night was Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey. Ann & Nancy Wilson did a great job and sounded just like they did 20 years ago! Ann's voice is amazing and has great range and Nancy rocked it on the guitar all night! They were really fun to watch.
They closed the concert with Journey. We were a little hesitant on how Journey would be because Steve Perry (lead vocalist) hasn't been in the band for quite some time..and you always worry when a band member has been replaced that it won't sound the same. Well, the band found this guy on YouTube and he's AMAZING!! He's from the Phillippines and joined the band last December! He's an awesome performer and had the huge crowd on their feet the whole time!

Murray 4th of July Parade

2008-07-07T08:36:00.013-06:00

Ok, in this picture is Steve's little niece, Madison in the navy blue shirt & white shorts. This guy on stilts has a lasso and he lassoed a group of 4 kids and Madison was one of those 4 kids. It made the Saturday paper in the Deresert Newspaper. It was pretty cool!
Here is RJ's dad, Randy (Lisa's Father-in-Law). He's a Murray City businessman so him and the older grandkids were in the parade! Wave hi!!
These are some Jeep Crawlers that were in the parade. They were pretty cool! Madison was scared that they were getting in an accident! Funny...
Family friends... Dad, Patrick & daughter, Ava. I think it might have been her first taste of Salt Water Taffy. It was everywhere!
Towards the end of the parade, many were surprised to see and Obama float. It was kind of creepy looking!

After the parade, we all went to breakfast at the Belgian Waffle House, took naps and then everyone came over to Steve's house and we BBQ'd Brats & watched the 2 firework shows from his house! It was a great night and everyone had a blast!

Family BBQ with the Hayward's

2008-07-07T08:24:00.003-06:00

Two weekends ago we had a BBQ with the Hayward family. It was a nice, warm Sunday evening and we ate outside.

Little Reagan loves to be outside...and loves the grass! Look at cute her hands are! =) Here's Lisa & Reagan.

Lisa really wanted to make Trifle. It was really yummy and Patriotic!
Here's Lisa, Grandma DeVitt & kitty Sarah.

Out with the OLD and In with the NEW!

2008-06-26T08:41:00.005-06:00

Last night I was brave and cut my hair off. Below are some before & after shots.

Here's my hair before I cut it! It was LONG!!
Here's what was whacked off...15 inches total!
The New - Do...
And here's a shot of the back.

Family Lagoon Day

2008-06-22T14:58:00.005-06:00

When we got to Lagoon, we jumped right in to all the roller coasters. First was Jet Star 2 followed by The Bat, and then dinner which was provided by my work. After dinner, we all headed over to Wicked.

This is the four brave ones waiting in line for Wicked. Christi & I decided we weren't up for this ride.

Christi & Me waiting in the shade for Jake, Richelle, Karl & Steve to ride Wicked.

Here they are on the roller coaster "Wicked" as it's coming towards the end of the ride. They are on the front row (Karl, Steve, Richelle & Jake).

This is me after Colossus. I'm not a huge roller coaster fan and somehow my family managed to convince me to go on FOUR! I screamed the whole time on this ride!

Steve & Me after riding Colossus.

Here is Karl & Christi in front of the Carousel.

Karl had to leave because he had a scout camp out. We wanted to get a picture of all us before he left but no one would ask some to take our picture. So we've got multiple pictures...one without Steve...

And here we are...without Richelle.

After Karl left, we went on a haunted house ride, walked over to Pioneer Village and on our way we saw tigers and there was a train that went by and one of the tigers was roaring at the train. It was kind of cool, scary & sad. Once we got to Pioneer Village we had ice cream and rode the Log Flume (that we all got wet on). We left Pioneer Village and headed to the Tidal Wave. That was pretty fun and Jake got a video of us on it. Fun stuff! Our night was concluded with another meal at Denny's! Thanks for such a fun night at Lagoon...FAMILY!

Father's Day Weekend

2008-06-16T11:51:00.005-06:00

After this weekend, I see that my brothers have already updated their blogs with the events that took place on Saturday with all 6 of us (Karl, Christi, Jake, Richelle, Steve & me). On Saturday afternoon we went up to Ogden to visit our Grandpa Lee. He's been feeling under the weather and we thought we'd take the great opportunity to visit with him and wish him a Happy Father's Day! We even got him a card that said Happy Father's Day from his Fan Club...all of us! He still had his witty sense of humor, so we know he must be doing ok to crack jokes with us. We had our picture taken with him.

We had planned that after our visit with grandpa, we would go back to Karl & Christi's house and have a BBQ! It was soooo good...that as usual there was a lot of eatting and no talking. That's what us Lloyd's are used to though, so it wasn't anything out of the norm. It was a very pleasant Saturday evening that was spent with family! =)

MOAB!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-09T10:39:00.023-06:00

We left for Moab, Utah Friday afternoon. The reason for going to Moab this trip was due to Steve & his dad, Murray. They wanted to bike ride the famous Slickrock trail. So the past few weeks they have been riding their bikes and trying to get conditioned for this grueling ride. Luckily, there's a practice loop they did instead of the actual trail (because they might have died!!). They were both very proud of themselves and each other for their accomplishments.

We got down to Moab Friday night and we checked into our hotels. Steve & I are all for camping but because we going to be there for 2 nights we decided not to mess with all the camping gear and get a hotel room. We got the last room in our favorite hotel down there (Holiday Inn) so Steve's parents had to book a room at a different hotel. Let's just say that their room was GROSS! There was a weird smell, dirty towels & sheets, lumpy mattress, flat pillows, etc. The list just continues on how bad it was. Steve and I both felt pretty guilty since our room was a lot better than theirs. Anyway, after getting somewhat settled, we picked them up and went to our favorite Mexican joint in town, Fiesta Mexicana. They have really good food & drinks!! Yum..and so spicy! =) Our friends ended up being in Moab the same weekend so we met up with them for dinner which was fun.

Saturday morning...the parents had decided they weren't going to stay in their crappy hotel room another night if they didn't have to. They checked with the front desk at our hotel room and said they did have an open room for Saturday night. So they checked out of the other hotel and came over to our hotel! They were both very excited to be staying in such a nicer hotel!! So Steve & Murray loaded up their bikes and headed for Slickrock while us girls hung out in our room talking and watching TV. It was a very relaxing Saturday morning. Once the boys got back from their bike ride, we drove down towards the city center (which isn't very far) and had lunch. After our lunch and being stuffed, we thought it would be best to walk off our fullness and do a little window shopping. After shopping/walking for a few hours we made our way over to the visitor center where they show a 10 minute movie about Moab. After the movie we found animal puppets in the center that you can buy. So we all played with the puppets for a few minutes. Childish? No...it was fun!!

Steve & Murray on their bikes at the beginning of their bike ride on the Slickrock practice loop.

Steve & Murray after their ride on the practice loop. They both look pretty tired!

Steve looking like a dork...the sweater thing he was wearing went all the way to the ground. I think he's holding some kind of little girl toy. ..???

Sunday we woke up, had breakfast and packed up our stuff to get going on the day. We were going to head to Arches National Park but it was a unanimous vote that we'd rather come back down when we had more time. So we headed back to Slickrock because the boys felt they didn't have enough pictures. Elona (Steve's Mom) and I were the photographers while the boys posed on their bikes.

This is a picture of us after we got the truck packed up and ready to head back to Slickrock.

Here we are with the beautiful scenery behind us!

Here we are in Slickrock. What a cute picture of us!

Kind of a funny story, but this picture was taken of us at the visitor center in the middle of town. I thought the flowers were cute and there were these rocks to sit on..perfect for picture time!

We got home Sunday evening and Lisa, RJ & Reagan met us at Steve's parents house so we could hang out for a bit. We got to hang out with Reagan and she's SOOO cute! We even got to see her sport her cute sunglasses!

Thanks for such a fun weekend...Murray, Elona & Steve!

In Chicago on Memorial Day Weekend...

2008-06-02T20:17:00.011-06:00

As I promised last week, I will finish what happened in Chicago.

Thursday, May 22...

We got to Chicago around 9pm on Thursday night. We took a cab to the location the surprise party was being thrown. It was at a local bar a few blocks from our friends house, called Belly's.
I think we successfully surprised the birthday boy. His wife had been planning this whole thing with all of us for the past couple months. It was awesome that no one ruined the surprise for him.
Justin is on the right (B-day boy)
Rachanee is in the middle (Justin's wife)

Friday, May 23

On friday we all got up and ready to go downtown to the Navy Pier where they have all sorts of fun things. We were going there to take an architechture tour of the city by boat. It was awesome to see the tall building and learn the history about Chicago and about the architechs that designed the beautiful buildings. It was a beautiful day as we took the train and walked the rest of the way to the pier, until the wind changed and the city showed it's true colors...the WIND! BRRRRRRRRR!
This is us on the boat waiting to depart on our little cruise. You can see the cool tall building in the background.
I believe this is the top of the Chicago Tribune building.
That really tall building back there is the Sear's Tower. It is the tallest building in Chicago.

After we got out of the cold wind, we went to a delicious restaurant called Rock Bottom. It was gooood! Then we all went back to our friends house and we all took a nice long nap! =) After our naps, the girls split from the boys and we did our own thing. The girls went downtown to the John Hancock building and watched the sunset & the lights come on throughout the city. It was azaming and looked somewhat 3-D.
The tall building in the middle is the John Hancock building. We went to the 96th floor called the "Signature Room" and just enjoyed the view!

Saturday, May 24

Saturday, Rachanee had planned a birthday party for Justin and invited friends from work to come down to the beach (at Lake Michigan) to play volleyball. It was very windy and cold so Trish & I did not play. After hours of volleyball we walked over to Lincoln Park and had a BBQ. I laid out on a blanket and slept under a beach towel while the boys played football.
Here's pictures of us trying to stay warm and eatting!! This outting event was also followed by a nice long nap enjoyed by everyone in our group. Naps are nice... =)

Sunday, May 25

Today was the day that we were going downtown to the Cadallic Palace Theatre to watch "Avenue Q" which is a Broadway Musical with adult humor & puppets. It was very, very, very funny!!

This is a picture of the river that runs through the city that we took from the train.

Here's Steve & I inside the theatre waiting to be seated for the show!

After the show, we walked down to Millennium Park and saw the famous Bean. It is a large sculpture that is seamless. It was pretty neat looking.

After we checked out the cool bean, we headed down Michigan Ave. which is the place to shop. I guess all the stores closed @ 6pm so it turned into a sightseeing walk.
Here we are walking down Michigan Ave. & stopped to take a picture!
Here's our friend Trish that came with us. We went back to the John Hancock building and had a snack. She ordered the s'mores which were delicious!

Memorial Day (Monday), May 26

Today was the day...our first Chicago Cubs MLB game! It was hot & fun! The Cubs played the LA Dodgers & the Cubs WON (3-1)!
Wringley Field
Ahh gee...can you tell I was eatting blue cotton candy??
Here we are...proof we were at the game!
The Gang...Memorial Day, Chicago, 2008!

SURPRISE!! In Chicago

2008-05-28T14:01:00.002-06:00

This last weekend, Steve, myself and 3 others friends went with us to Chicago to surprise our friend who's birthday was on May 20! Justin & Rachanee Berg have been living in Chicago for the past year and half. We thought it would be a fun vacation to tour the city & to visit our friends...so Thursday (May 22) we flew to Chicago for the weekend! We had been planning the trip for the last few months with Rachanee who worked with all of us to coordinate everything from the flights, the actual surprise and our events...Cubs games, Birthday Party, Avenue Q Broadway Show, etc. We were all very sneaky and in the long run...we REALLY surprised him. It was sooooooo much fun! More story telling and pictures to come.... =)

Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T09:05:00.005-06:00

Yesterday for Mother's Day we met the Hayward family at Gardner Village to have their famous brunch. Stephen & I picked up Grandma DeVitt in SLC and headed down to met the fam. It was good to see Lisa, RJ, Reagan and Mom & Dad Hayward. We all had a great meal! At the end, Elona (Steve's Mom) said the sauce on her crepe was so good that she wanted to drink it. So RJ handed her straw and this is what happened...

Here's Grandpa Hayward & Reagan AND Lisa & Grandma DeVitt

Reagan & Mom, Lisa

After brunch we went back to the Hayward's house and chilled until the Jazz vs. Lakers game started. That was a good game. During the game we all took turns taking care of Reagan. How cute is this...she's sitting in her little chair all by herself. Pretty dang cute!

The Birthday Boy

2008-05-12T08:39:00.010-06:00

Our friend Jason Namba (which pretty much everyone calls him Namba) had his 29th birthday this weekend (May 10th). His mom wanted to throw a party for him and was able to reach some of his good friends before Saturday night. The word spread fast and we were all there to celebrate his birthday with him.

Here he is at the beginning of the night...

Here he is towards the middle of his party...

And the end of the night...

Needless to say, he had a good time. Maybe a little too much fun. But in the end, you still love your friends even how silly they get. And why is it when guys get together they like to do stupid things...like a shock game?! That doesn't make sense. Why would you willing want to get shocked? Who knows?? We'll never understand the male mind!

Here's Steve with some of his buddies...And here we are.

Good Times! = )

Leslie, Steve and Bourke at Tsunami (our favorite sushi joint in SLC!)

2008-05-08T16:13:00.003-06:00

We love each other... we love sushi... and we love Bourke!

A Cute Baby & Homework??

2008-05-07T12:14:00.015-06:00

This last weekend we helped Lisa (Steve's sister) grade the homework assignments from her 7th grade English classes and take turns watching her little baby, Reagan. Of course, I get the worst assignment to correct which took me forever to get thru. Thanks to RJ (Lisa's husband) we cranked the rest of them out. Lisa has needed a little extra help with going back to work after the baby, so we all chip in when we can. Although helping grade papers isn't the most exciting thing to do it's good to help her out and see her little precious (& chubby) baby. This picture was taken about a month ago at a Village Inn. She looks kind of like a deer caught in headlights! It's hilarious, but how can you not just love lots chubby checks!

Here are a few pictures taken with Grandma (Steve & Lisa's Mom). She looks a little out of it here too. I think she might have just woke up from her nap. Steve was trying to get some pictures of her smiling..but he had no luck. Oh well, maybe next time. She's going to be 6 months on May 16th! Wow, time flys!

Expensive Toy

2008-04-17T15:28:00.008-06:00

I've wanted a laptop for quite some time now. The convenience of laptops are endless and can be used pretty much anywhere...school, work, vacation, airplanes, etc. With the help of my computer technician, a.k.a. Jake, we built a sweet system thru Dell (http://www.dell.com/). I just needed to wait for a good deal. Well today was the day!! Almost $500 savings! Now I just have to wait for the computer to be built and shipped which will probably be around 2 weeks before I get it..."Patience is a Virtue." Yeah...I'm so excited!! = )

Anniversary!

2008-04-09T16:43:00.000-06:00

Today is our 4 year Anniversary (from our first date)! We really don't have a specific date of when we were officially dating, but we've been together ever since! Today when I got back from lunch (with Steve, of course) there were flowers waiting for me at the receptionists desk. Unfortunately, he had to leave for business travel today so we won't be able to celebrate until this weekend.

Our first date I asked Steve out. It turned out he needed a ride to pick up his Jeep from getting worked on which was down the street from our office. I offered to take him and then suggested we go see a movie. So our first date consisted of going to The Gateway and watching "The Whole Ten Yards" and going to The European Connection (which is no longer there). Kind of cheesy, but I guess it worked! = )

Love you Babe...and thanks again for my flowers! They're beautiful!!

Our Caribbean Cruise

2008-04-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

Last April, Steve and I went on a Caribbean cruise because our friends were getting married at the famous Megan's Bay in St. Thomas. Steve's already added a few pictures from our adventures so I thought I could do the explaining. It was quite the experience. Our first time taking a long vacation together and our first cruise. We walked away from our first cruise experience with many fond memories of our friends, the special times we had together, the excellent food we ate (and ate, and ate, and ate), and the sunburn I got on our second day! I look forward to all the new adventures I get to take with Steve and explore the world! Over the past 4 years, Steve has taught me so much about life, taking risks and not being scared, being confident in myself and that I'm capable to do anything I put my mind to. We were in the Everglades after our cruise and took an excursion through the wetland's on an airboat, looked for gators, sampled gator meat (tastes like chicken) and HELD A BABY GATOR!! Here's a picture to prove it!

Gosh, I'm so brave...

So is Stevie... = )

2008-04-01T17:32:00.000-06:00

This is us on our cruise last year on our formal night. We clean up pretty well, huh?

2008-04-01T13:26:00.001-06:00

mmMMMmmm.... Leche de St Marteen!

2008-04-01T01:41:00.000-06:00