Evans Heaven!

My boys!

2010-01-28T09:16:00.003-07:00

OK- Dawson is so mobile these days. He is crawling, rolling and doing anything he can to move. So, lets face the facts... I'm not used to it. I now know I cant leave him for one second. The poor child may not make it another day if I don't get it through my head. Ahh. Last night he was in his bumbo that was on the chair. I got up for one second and the next thing I know he is on the floor. He leaned over and the whole thing fell off the chair. He had a huge goose egg on his head. Then, since I didn't learn my lesson, I let Ella have him on the couch and all of a sudden he wasn't there anymore. Yup, he was on the floor. This was the result of that incident. Poor child that has to have me for a mother! I feel horrible. My only excuse is that I am not used to having a baby around, although I think its a good one!! Dylan and Ella aren't little any more so I am going to have to learn fast.

Dylan and Beau at there basketball game. Isn't he the cutest??

The sweetest boy ever and always has the girls chasing him. How could they not?

Dawsons first attempts at crawling!

Happy Baby!

I love everything about this child. He is so yummy!

New Year, New Goal!!

2010-01-15T08:14:00.038-07:00

I got on my blog for the first time in a long time today. Actually, I was shocked when I looked at the date from the last time I added a new post. It was August. I cant believe its been that long. This is my only form of journaling, so I'm a little disappointed in myself for not keeping up on things. I feel like I could have written so much about life and events and Dawson. He is growing so fast and I haven't written down all the cute and adorable things is doing. I do believe though, that you shouldn't dwell on the past and that regret is pointless. So, with that said I have made it my new goal to keep up on my only form of journaling and add pictures and captions of my life's events. My life is good. I really couldn't ask for more. I love my family and we are all happy and healthy. We have so much and we are so blessed. I'm going to post a ton of pictures from the last couple of months. I will categorize them by month so ENJOY!!

December

This was another busy month for us. The first of December is the annual DICKENS FESTIVAL. Michelle and I sing at it every year. This year Ella and Emmy sang with us. It was a lot of fun watching them perform. We also sang in Cedar City at the Children's Christmas Festival. Christmas music is the best and I also love singing with my sister.

For the third year I hosted Christmas Eve Dinner. My family comes down and we eat lots of yummy food, sing a couple of songs, watch Mr. Kruegers Christmas, read out of the Bible and of course open pajamas!!

We spent New Years Eve with Derek's family. We went ice skating, ate tons of food and had a great time!

NOVEMBER

It seems that I didn't take many pictures in November, probably because October was an overload!! Here are the few that I have. It was Emmy's birthday and the boys went shooting Thanksgiving morning! Oh lets not forget that I think I can cut hair! I cut Michelle's bangs and they are super cute!

OCTOBER

This was a very busy, but fun month! Derek had Dental Convention this month and it was in HAWAII!! We took the whole family and stayed for 10 days. We had the time of our lives! It was great except for the part that I had to be in a bathing suit the entire time. Oh well. I wasn't sure how it would be with the baby, but it he was perfect.

Ella had her 6th birthday, I had a girls night out called "witches night out", of course we had my birthday, trick or treating, Dylan earned his Bear, we went to the pumpkin patch and finally went to the long awaited "THRILLER" out at Tuacahn. It was a super fun month!

Hawaii

SEPTEMBER

Nothing to exciting happened this month. We spent time with friends and family, did a little hike up on the Dixie, and it was the start of soccer season. Ella is defenitly a natural. One game she scored 9 goals and her coach had to tell her not to score any more so her teamates could have a chance. It was funny!

Dawson's Blessing

2009-08-11T20:57:00.006-06:00

Dawson received a name and a blessing on Sunday. We had a big celebration with all of our family and friends.

No strings attatched!

2009-08-06T17:51:00.003-06:00

I just have to say that I feel so free... I want to jump up and down and shout for joy... WOW, that sounds a little dramatic, but I am a happy mother today and so comforted that Dawson is no longer attached to anything. Tuesday, they did a blood culture to make sure that nothing was still growing and the results came back negative. YAY!

Today he had his picc line removed and it is so wonderful to hold my baby without any cords hanging off him. I want to thank everyone that kept us in their thoughts and prayers over the last 2 1/2 weeks. I think they were the longest weeks of my life. I believe in the power of prayer and know that prayers are answered. I hope that Dawson can continue to be healthy and happy. We love him so much and admire the little guy for enduring all of this. Although I still have 15 lbs. to loose, I definitely feel 15 lbs lighter knowing that we are done with this chapter in our lives and that there are no strings attached!

New Pics of Dawson

2009-07-29T20:41:00.005-06:00

Here are some pictures of my sweet boy. In spite of all the poking, prodding, injecting, etc. he still finds time to smile:)

Here is Dawson right before he had his dressing changed. So happy that he had forgotten what was coming...

I think he started having flash backs of the previous days...

Yup, he completely remembered...

Great grandma Hansen brought us dinner and enjoyed holding Dawson. Dawson kept looking at grandma and loving her!

My days are so busy that I seriously don't get ready. Its been days since I've put on make-up. Who am I kidding- its been days since I've even gotten dressed. Its pj's all day long!

Dawson and the weekend

2009-07-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

I look this good for a reason!!!

We are finally home and doing good. Dawson seems very alert and back to himself again. That makes me so happy and is such a relief. The home health care nurse comes every day to change his dressings, check vitals and to help administer his meds. Dawson is on a very strict schedule and his meds have to be infused every 6 hours and the line has to be flushed in between everything. I was so overwhelmed the first night the nurse explained everything we had to do. Derek was so stressed out and was ready to admit Dawson in the hospital again. He had to leave for the weekend for work, so I was on my own. He didn't want me to have to have all the responsibility. I have no medical background, so I was a little unsure of myself, especially cause the antibiotics weren't pre-mixed. I was going to have to deal with needles, little viles of meds, mixing, flushing, making sure there weren't any air bubbles in anything, gloves, sterilization, the iv, cords, the little machine, his picc line and who knows what else. A little over whelming. Luckily, I have the best mom in the entire world and she came down to stay and help while Derek was gone. She cooked, cleaned, did laundry, dishes and even got up with me in the middle of the night to help with the meds. She was a life savor and Derek was a lot more comfortable with her being here with me. I made it through the weekend and now I'm a pro.!!! Anyway, I'm so grateful for all the support I have in my life. My family is the best ever. Between my mom, dad, Michelle and Jake, I didn't have to worry about Dylan and Ella once. They were up in cedar til today. I missed them like crazy, but was glad I had time to learn and focus on Dawson. More updates and pictures to come...

Going Home

2009-07-23T20:29:00.001-06:00

Today is Thursday and it has been a crazy day. We were supposed to leave the hospital this morning...its 8:32 pm and we are still here. Dawson had his picc line placed this morning and what was supposed to be a quick procedure, ended up being two hours. They tried to place it not 1, not 2, but 3 times. They just couldn't get the line threaded all the way to his heart. They took xrays and discovered it was placed to far, so they had to pull it out a little. We finally got everything in place, but his arm wouldn't stop bleeding. They had to re-dress it 4 different times during the day. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but they use so much tape that his poor arm has been red and irritated all day. During one of the dressing changes the nurse noticed that the line had gone in further than it was supposed to, due to all the bleeding, thus making the line easy to slide into the arm. That meant more xrays. YAY!! We are going to have to keep a good eye on it. The last thing we want is for the line to be inside his heart. There are little dots on the line to indicate where it is supposed to be, so it shouldn't be to difficult to monitor. Dawson will be hooked up to an iv bag and pump for 14 days and I will have to administer the antibiotics every six hours through the iv. My little Dawson has been such a trooper. He is such a sweet boy and has been so good through this whole experience. I'm so glad today is almost over...snooze snooze...ya right!!

sick sick dawson

2009-07-21T19:28:00.000-06:00

Well, last night, Monday July 20th, Dawson was admitted to the hospital. He seemed fine all day. In fact, Michelle and I had ventured on an outing with all 5 kids. I will never do that again! Anyway, we ran a couple of errands and our last stop was Old Navy. What a nightmare... need I say more. So, by the time I got home it was around 6:30. From the time I got Dawson out of his car seat he acted like a different child. He was so fussy and wouldn't stop whimpering. I thought that maybe he was tired so between Derek and I, we were rocking him for hours. The later it got, the worse he became. Every time we touched or moved him, you could tell he was in agonizing pain. It was so horrible. I knew something was wrong. We finally took his temp which was 100'. I called the night clinic and they told us that if it was that high with an ear thermometer, it would definitely be higher with a rectal thermometer. We took him in and his temp was 103'. We had to immediately admit him. When newborns have a temp that high, Doctors are very concerned. When we arrived to the hospital, they immediately took him, started an iv with anti biotics, took his blood and did a spinal tap. They really had no idea what was wrong so there has been a lot of testing while we wait and wonder whats wrong with our little Dawson. By morning, all tests had come back negative. So, it was more waiting and wondering.
Today is Wednesday morning. The Doctor just left and informed me that Dawson has GROUP B STREP. Now, I tested positive for group B strep while I was pregnant, I was treated properly with antibiotics before delivery and thought that was the last we'd here of it. I was wrong. Group B lives on the skin and can be transferred to the baby while delivering. A person can get group B at anytime. I didn't have it with Dylan or Ella, so it seemed weird that I got it. Group B on an adult is no big deal at all, but can be life threatening in a newborn if not treated. Obviously, we are treating it, but there are some side affects of one of the three anti biotics. Those include hearing loss and/or kidney problems. Dawson has to have a pic line put into him, which will feed the antibiotics closer to the heart. He will have the pic line and be on the anti biotics for 14 days. We wont have to be in the Hospital, but we will have to have home health care come several times a day. The Doctors don't think that Dawson got the group b from me. They think the late on set was transferred to Dawson by someone else that is a carrier. We will probably never know exactly how he got it. Please keep us in your prayers. I know we have lots of wonderful support.

Dawson's First Swim!!

2009-07-14T16:30:00.002-06:00

I went outside to swim with Dylan and Ella today and 10 min later out came Derek and Dawson in their bathing suits. Dawson loved the water much to my surprise and he chilled with us for hours. Derek was so excited that Dawson finally got to swim for the first time!

photos with the cousins

2009-07-14T16:30:00.001-06:00

We spent last weekend at my parents and took some cute pictures of the kids. My sister-in-law was there with her two kids Madeline and Grey.

Ella and Maddy

Ella and Dawson

Funny Faces

Grey and Dylan

Dylan, me, Sony and Grey

Dawson and Mommy

California in July

2009-07-14T16:30:00.000-06:00

Every 4th of July we pack the car and head to Cali. I was debating on whether to go this year because Dawson was only 3 weeks old, but I went anyway because I'm crazy! We had a full schedule and we packed as much into 10 days as possible. I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted, I was pre-occupied with the baby, but I did get some. During our stay we hit San Jose, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Monterey, and last but not least, Pine Mountain Lake (Derek's favorite place on earth)!

Six Flags/Marine World

Six Flags

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

San Jose

PML/Rainbow Falls

San Jose

The end of our journey!

Professional pics

2009-07-13T10:01:00.001-06:00

Here are some fabulous pictures of my sweet Dawson, thanks to my good friend Dion. Check out her blog at dionsenecaphotography.blogspot.com. She had to come twice to get some good photos, but for me it was well worth it!! So now I have some really great photos.

More Dawson!

2009-07-12T20:08:00.001-06:00

Dawson was jaundice and had to go to the tanning beds! After about a week of getting his feet pricked, eating only formula, and a couple of days under the lights, his jaundice was under control. That was a really hard week for both of us, but we survived!!

Just hangin' out!

Dawson's first bath- he loved it!

Our little hairy monkey!!

Peacefully Sleeping

A better look at all his hair. It is definitely his trade mark

New Addition- DAWSON

2009-07-12T19:05:00.001-06:00

Here is the newest member of our family...Dawson Lloyd Evans. He was born June 5, weighed 7.7 and was 20 inches. We call him our miracle baby. As you can see, he was born with a knot in his umbilical cord. He was also born with a full head of hair. He is the sweetest cutest thing ever.

EASTER!

2009-06-01T09:25:00.001-06:00

How could I forget to blog about Easter??? The kids were so excited to wake up to their pre-made baskets!! Somebody makes shopping so easy these days.We had a fun Easter egg hunt at grandmas house. Some eggs were filled with money and Ella hit the jack pot-she found $16!!

School's Out!!

2009-05-31T23:14:00.000-06:00

Dylan scored really high on his end of level testing in 3 or more categories and received an award in front of the whole school! He is so smart!

Ella graduated from pre-school and is ready for kindergarten!!

Recitals

2009-05-31T22:56:00.000-06:00

Ella had her voice recital and her dance recital this month. She did such a great job, we were so proud of her. I have to admit that I was a little nervous for her. During last years dance recital she ran off stage crying and I was on the edge of my seat praying she wouldn't do the same thing this year. It was quite comical, but didn't want history repeated! She was so cute and she couldn't have done better. GO ELLA!!

Triathlon

2009-05-31T22:24:00.000-06:00

Derek is crazy and decided it would be fun to enter two different triathlons. He did the SHAC and the St. George Tri. Although he didn't come in 1st, 2nd or 3rd, He finished both races and did an amazing job. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do one of those and I think it is awesome that he had the will power to do so.

Derek crossing the finish line with a great big smile!

SHAC

St. George Tri

St. George Tri

St. George Tri

Disneyland 09

2009-05-16T20:56:00.000-06:00

Well, it has only taken me about 2 months to finally finish my Disneyland photo album. I make my albums on Shutterfly and noticed that I could post it on my blog, so instead of doing a normal blog post, I decided to do it the easy way!!! So, below you can view the album. We had a fantastic time and it was once again a great family vacation!

Shared photo book from lindsey

2009-05-16T20:52:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Another Ella Moment

2009-04-08T17:37:00.000-06:00

Apparently, these are called PINCHILADAS!!!!

Huntington Beach

2009-04-08T16:46:00.000-06:00

So, we are crazy and decided to go to So. Cal. over spring break. When we go to California, Huntington Beach is one of our favorite places to go. Michelle and her family were with us on this super fun vacation.

Huntington Beach Pier

Our cute family

Michelle, Jake and Emmy... don't forget Ella in the background taking care of business, if ya know what I mean!!

My pretty Ella Bella
Emmy, loving the beach

The Dyl man got buried alive!

Derek and Dylan just chillin'

These two were brave enough to get all the way into the ocean...brrr

Sisters

2009-04-08T15:37:00.000-06:00

I must say that it has been a lot of fun being pregnant with one of my best friends!! Its also nice not having to go through this whole process alone. While men don't fully understand the whole pregnancy thing, not only do I have Michelle to turn too, but I have someone that truly does understand!! I am 26 weeks here and Michelle is 23 weeks.

Dylan turns 9!

2009-04-08T15:12:00.000-06:00

When we asked Dylan what kind of party he wanted for his 9th Birthday he wasn't quite sure. It took about a week for him to decide. If any of you know Dylan, you know he LOVES cereal. So, it's really no surprise that he had a cereal themed party! I wasn't sure what to think at first, but it was a lot of fun and very original. Below you can see the spread of cereal we had. There was also a fruit platter and a breakfast casserole.

Good Old Dixie!

2009-02-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, another hike. The kids loved their hike to Snow Canyon so much that we decided to take them to explore on top of "Dixie". Jake, Michelle and Emmy were with us and once again, the kids couldn't get enough.

Snow Canyon Hike

2009-02-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

I drove through Snow Canyon with my mom and Michelle last week and it brought back a lot of memories from my childhood. I remember my parents took us on lots of fun outings and camp outs. Then, I thought about my own family and kids and it seems like all we do is sit in front of modern day technology, whether it be tv, video games, or the computer. So, one of my goals is to get out and enjoy what we are so fortunate to have in practically our back yard!! Friday, when everyone was home from school and work, I told them to get their tennis shoes, their walking sticks and get into the car. No one new where we were going but me!! It was so much fun to explore and hike. The kids didn't want to leave, they wanted more! Below are some pictures we took while at the Petrified Dunes in Snow Canyon!!

BLUE AND GOLD

2009-02-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

Dylan earned his WOLF last week and we were all there to support his hard work!! He also got many other awards like belt loops, pins and silver and gold arrows!! I'm still learning what they all mean and stand for, but he did a great job in scouts this past year!

Grammy helping Dylan getting his uniform just right!

Daddy and DylanDylan, so excited while getting his awardsMommy and Dylan Papa, Grammy and DylanMom, Dad and Dylan

SERVICE

2009-02-15T15:29:00.002-07:00

So, we all know that the English language is complicated and one word can have several meanings. Anyway, while Ella and I were in the car the other day she reminded me that we did not say our morning prayers. I told her to say it and I would help. During the prayer I said "help us serve others..." and she quickly replied

"MOM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO COOK!!"

This daughter of mine, who is often a challenge, is the sweetest thing. I can't believe how much joy this child brings into my life. I LOVE ELLA SHERRIE EVANS!

Kids

2009-02-15T15:29:00.001-07:00

My Mom gave the kids these super cute new outfits for Valentines Day!! Aren't they adorable? Dylan is getting so big and turning into such a little stud. Ella is super girly and getting more beautiful everyday!! I love them so much.

Breakfast Love!

2009-02-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to make my kids their favorite breakfast for Valentines Day, but add a little twist to it. They had no idea how I made them pink!! I love that kids think your magic somehow. Anyway, Ella had two friends over and they thought they were in Heaven when they saw that they weren't just ordinary pancakes!Maddy and Olivia Armstrong and Ella

Memories!

2009-02-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

I was able to reunite with some friends from my performing Days. It was a ton of fun to catch up with them and their families!! I love that we can get together after 11 years and still have things to talk about. Such fun lasting memories!!!

Blowing Kisses!!

2009-02-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for writing all the funny things Ella keeps saying and doing, but since this is the only scrapbook and journaling I do, I have to put it in. Anyway, last night we were driving to Derek's basketball game and Ella rolled down her window and blew 3 kisses. She said "Mommy, I just blew kisses to Heavenly Father, Jesus and Santa"!! She is the sweetest ever.

Sisters Singing

2009-02-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Michelle and I sang in Cedar City earlier this week at a Rotary luncheon. We sang a couple of love songs for Valentines Day. It was so funny because Ella had to stand up and hold my hand the entire time. We swayed back and forth and even through in a twirl!! Apparently, she can stand in front of a room of people, but as soon as someone asks her a question, she says she is to shy! I love that girl.

Basketball

2009-02-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Dylan is playing basketball through the city right now and loving it. I must say that sports and children are so comical. We get such kicks watching these young boys running up and down the court, trying to make shots from half court and having no idea whats going on most of the time. It really is a joy to watch.

Here is Dylan with his buddies. Parker on the left and Brooks on the right

Derek giving Dylan some very important pointers
The next 3 are action shots!! Go Dylan (look at the kid behind him, so funny)

PUPPY LOVE UPDATE!

2009-02-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ella received a Valentine from the one and only Jaemon at her school Valentines Party!! It was a little Peek-A-Boo doll that was inside a big heart necklace!! She loves it! The second picture is just because she loves to pose and because she wants to be a ballerina!!

PUPPY LOVE

2009-02-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

AND THEY CALL IT PUPPY LOVE... I think Ella might have her first crush. His name is Jamon. They are already giving gifts to each other and it isn't even Valentines Day yet! Ella made him a heart and a snowflake! On the inside of the heart she taped a candy necklace and the snowflake. She couldn't wait to get to school so she could give it to him. Oh, and I forgot to mention that he has already given her a pendant to put on a chain!!

Life Skills Award!

2009-02-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

I received a call from Dylan's teacher last week and was informed that he was the Life Skill Winner for January. There is one student chosen from each grade and he was the 3rd grade winner for priorities! His teacher wrote a nice note on the certificate that reads... "Dylan is a great kid and student. He shows some of his priorities by working hard when it is time to work, doing the right things and being a caring friend and brother. He is a great example to all of us and I'm glad he's part of our class". Derek and I are very proud of Dylan and the person he is. WE LOVE YOU BUD!!

SURPRISE!!

2009-02-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Michelle and I threw my mom a surprise party for her 60th!! She didn't have a clue, which made the whole thing even better. Here is a pic of 2 of my favorite people! You can also observe the baby bump growing on two of us!! (Which two could they be!)Grammy didn't have enough air to blow it out herself!! She had some great helpers though!

21 weeks!!

2009-02-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

So, if any of you don't know, I am pregnant and having a BOY! 21 weeks YAY! We were very excited to get the news. Anyway, I get weekly emails from babycenter.com that updates me on whats going on and what the baby looks like. I was showing Ella what the baby looked like this week and she said "I didn't know your baby had glasses"!!! (refer to picture below) Kids really do say the darndest things...

Infomercial addict!!

2009-01-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately infomercial addiction runs in the family! Yup, it started with my grandma Hansen, carried on down to my dad which rubbed off on my mom, then has been passed on to Ella. Confused? Let me explain. They all love and frequently buy from the tv. So easily persuaded. Anyway, I walked into the room the other day and Ella said excitedly and matter of factly, "Mom, if you buy Wipe Away, you never have to shave again! You just have to rub it on your skin and the hair goes away! They even have a finger one" (which is for your stache!). It was so funny and I actually laughed out loud! I'm worried its only the beginning of some horrible addiction!!!

Roasting Marshmallow's

2009-01-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Dylan and Ella love roasting mallow's at Grammy and Papa's house!

This pic has nothing to do with roasting mallow's but it was to cute not to post!

Winter Wonderland!

2009-01-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

My kids thought they'd died and gone to heaven with all the snow over Christmas. We were in Cedar and not only were there mounds of snow everywhere, there was enough clean white snow to eat for days!

Ella couldn't get enough of the winter wonderland

Dylan and I had a huge snowball fight. By the looks of the big snowball coming right at me, I don't think I won this one!

Ella got the best of Dyls in this pic

Santa

2009-01-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

Santa came to our house Christmas Eve and brought gifts galore! Thanks Dad!! Ella had no idea it was Papa dressed up and after Santa left she was talking to my dad and said " Papa, did you see Santa's shoes? They looked... hey they looked just like yours!! We all got a good laugh.

Shark Teeth?... No, Dylan's Teeth!

2009-01-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

There are benefits when your dad is a Dentist-like getting an authentic tooth necklace after you get two teeth pulled! Gross.

GINGERBREAD JUBILEE!!!!

2008-11-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Dylan and the other scouts decorated a gingerbread house to be auctioned off at the Jubilee of Tree's this year. It had their picture next to it and was auctioned for $35. He was very excited to see it at the Jubilee! Way to go SCOUTS!!!

Cruisin in November!!

2008-11-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

In the middle of November, Derek and I took his office staff on a 3 day CRUISE!!! They had certain requirements to meet and they did it! Good Job! We sailed out of Long Beach, Ca. and cruised on Carnival- the fun ship!! And fun it was. We were up til all hours of the night karaoke-ing and dance clubing. Food was available anytime and so was the entertainment. We had a great time and the weather was perfect. This was our first cruise experience and I would definitely do it again!!

OUR SHIP

NED AND DIXIE GREGERSON, DEREK AND I

(Derek baught the practice from Ned)

US AT DINNER!

FORMAL NIGHT

Halloween Party!

2008-11-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

I had a Halloween costume party this year and had so much fun. I invited some of my closest friends that I love so much. We ate dinner and had a white elephant gift exchange. It was short and sweet and very funny!My sexy sister and her hubby as cops!We had some really crazy drink concoctions!
Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony

Ella turns 5!

2008-11-18T20:36:00.001-07:00

Ella turned 5 on October 21st. She got to choose where we went for dinner, which was pizza factory, then we went back to the house for a swimming party! some of Ella's Favorite cousins at dinner

Ella and Drake

She is so spoiled! This was Ella's favorite birthday present. The wig, the dress and the mic. She is a natural!!Everyone came in costume for her 2nd party!

she is the cutest Arial ever!

San Antonio!!

2008-11-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Here we are in San Antonio hanging out on the River Walk!While we were eating at a super Texan BBQ, these lovely fellows sang their little hearts out!Here we are at the Alamo. It was fun to read and brush up on my history!
Derek met up with Oprah for an afternoon of
chit chat! I think he has a little crush! Ok, we really went
to the wax museum.

Our little adventure in Texas was one we will

always remember. We had a fabulous time!

Do you know how to brush???

2008-11-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Derek teaching Ella and her class about oral health

OCTOBER MADNESS!!

2008-11-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Wow- it's been quite a while since my last post. It seems like October was such a crazy month for me. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way. There were many events that took place in October for us and since I can't get my pictures to upload I will briefly tell about them and worry about the pictures later, although the pictures are the best part about blogging!! Oh well.
At the first of the month Ella had parent occupation week and since I have the same job as every other woman, I thought it would be much more exciting for Derek to attend her class and talk about oral health and Dentistry. Although, that probably doesn't sound very exciting either!! Anyway, the kids had a great time and so did Derek. Ella was also very excited to have her dad there!!
In the middle of October we went to San Antonio, Texas for the National Dental Convention. It was great. Neither of us had ever been to Texas, so it was great to explore and walk up and down the River Walk. It was actually very beautiful and we had a ton of great food. While we were there we also visited the ALAMO. We got to walk the grounds and through the buildings that remain. It was fun to brush up and to see a piece of history.
After we returned from the ADA we had Ella's birthday, I had a Halloween party, I had my birthday, we saw Thriller, we had our trunk or treat, and then went trick or treating after that. That's just to name of few of the things we did. It was a fun, but crazy month!!

Reunion!

2008-09-30T11:26:00.000-06:00

Myself, Michelle, Loni and Randy were Reunited after who knows how long. We got to spend a lovely afternoon together catching up on old times. We all performed together in college and we spent a long time reminiscing of the good old days!!

I made a Goal! YES!!

2008-09-30T11:19:00.000-06:00

Ella made her first goal. I didn't capture it on video or camera, but it was the cutest thing ever. After she made the goal she threw her right arm in the air and said "YES". It was the best. Needless to say, she has come a long way in the soccer world. Her cousins, aunts, and grandma and grandpa were there to support her. I think they were good luck!

Elder & Sister Evans

2008-09-30T09:04:00.002-06:00

There was a primary activity where the children got to serve missions. This was there homecoming! I think Dylan and Ella will make great missionaries one day.

The family and the posters!

family picture
Elder and Sister Evans
A family tradition. When the boys get off there mission they get dog piled when they come out of the flight terminal. No joke!

Buccaneer Bazaar

2008-09-30T09:04:00.001-06:00

Dylan and his best friend Parker decided to get their business licence and have a cotton candy stand at their school's Buccaneer Bazaar!! At Bloomington Elementary students can earn Buccaneer Bucks by doing their homework, doing kind things, etc. They have several bazaar's throughout the year, but the first one is for friends and family. It is a lot of fun and also a lot of work. This is the first time we have done a business, but the reward was worth it. The business was called Dylan and Parker's Cotton Candy Blast-off, but it should have been called Lindsey and Brooke's Cotton Candy blast-off. Brooke and I had a funny vision that we would just get to sit back and relax while the boys did their thing, but much to our surprise we ended up having to make all the Cotton Candy. I think we were the most popular booth. There was a line the entire time we were there. It was so crazy. We were sweaty and sticky and sometimes felt like our arms were going to fall off! It was a huge success and the boys earned $1100 bucks!! Go boys!!(one day they will really appreciate all the hard work that went into this business) yeah right!!

Dylan and Parker

Notice in the bottom right hand corner. It says 1 for 5 bucks or 2 for 10!! Our boys really know their math!!!
Brooke and I
We would make the candy and the boys would collect the money

TIME OUT

2008-09-30T09:04:00.000-06:00

A TIME OUT is exactly what we ladies did! We went to Las Vegas for the weekend and took a break from our hectic lives as mothers and wives. Our husbands were great to watch and take care of the kids while we were spirituallly uplifted, and well lets be honest, While we played!! There were many great speakers at the Time Out For Women Conference and great music sung by Hillary Weeks. She had the crowd laughing and crying within minutes. She is a great artist and I was fortunate enough to see her in person. Hopefuuly these pictures capture some of the fun moments we had just being girls!

These are all the girls that were at the conference together.

This is us eating dinner at Claim Jumper and boy was is tastey!

Here we are at Sephora, the greatest make-up store ever!!

Dion and I at the conference. We have been friends since elementary!

Here we are again. Do you think our hair looks like bird nests?!

I'm A Momma Now!!!

2008-09-23T10:42:00.001-06:00

"I'm a momma now" are the words Ella used after she put on my over the shoulder boulder holder this morning!! It was so funny. I guess your a momma when you can where a bra! In the first picture she is trying to hold the girls up as we women often do, but notice the second picture. It is more of a reality. Just lettin' them hang!! Do your girls hang low do they wobble to and fro,

can you tie em in knot, can you tie em in a bow...

Dylan's Favorite Past Time

2008-09-16T09:09:00.000-06:00

Dylan's favorite past time is swimming, but second to that comes the Wii. So, he combines the two and it becomes swimming, Wii, swimming, Wii, etc. You get the picture. It's in and out all day long. He and his friends have so much fun. Now, you do the math... swimming+Wii= water all over my floors. Oh it's great, but I guess that's expected with a pool!!

I just want to say a couple of things about Dylan that are so amazing. Now if any of you really know Dylan, this wont be anything new. He is truly one of a kind. I don't know how I could be so blessed to have such an amazing son. His face in that picture says it all. He couldn't be sweeter or more precious. Dylan is very tender hearted and always tries to do whats right. Last night, while reading before bed, I told him he could read one chapter in his book and then he had to go to bed. So, I tucked him, turned out the lights ( he has a head light for reading), and shut the door. Well, several minutes later he came running out to ask if he could read one more chapter. I seriously was taken back, especially because I probably would have just read one more chapter without asking, but not Dylan, he is just that way. I love that kid!!!

Soccer Princess

2008-09-14T17:36:00.000-06:00

Seriously- could she look any cuter???

Its a good thing she so cute cuz yesterday... well, lets just say I thought I might have one less child. Sometimes Ella gets in these moods where I just want to pull my hair out. We had pictures and she would not cooperate. She was crying, wouldn't let go of me and wouldn't take any pictures. It was blazing hot, I had sweaty pits and I wanted to scream! As the tears kept rolling down her cheeks, she kept saying "It's just to hard to smile. I can't do it". I was so frustrated and can't wait for the pics! The poor picture lady just snapped a bunch, so who knows what they'll look like. I'm glad I paid $2o for a picture of the top of her head!!! (notice the glazed over eyes)

2008-09-14T16:47:00.000-06:00

Birthday Party @ 8 1/2!!!!!

OK- Dylan turned 8 in March and I just got around to doing his birthday party. So, it was actually his 8 1/2 birthday party!! Sounds crazy I know, but he wanted a swimming party in the new pool and we thought the pool would be finished before school got out, but things like that never go as planned. Needless to say it wasn't finished for a month after school ended, summer was crazy and here we are. It seems kind of silly to have a party so far after his birthday, but nobody should get robbed of a birthday party, especially their 8th birthday, right???

2008-09-09T11:08:00.000-06:00

The next few pictues are really random- just some different activities that we've done lately!!

Here is Dylan. He just finished his first time knee boarding!!!

Ella had a great time at her friend Scarlet's Birthday party!

Here is Dylan, Ella and Emmy. This was Dylan's first day of School. I can't believe he is in 3rd Grade!!!Ella and Emmy playing dress up!!
Ella and her best friend, Whitley, going to Soccer practice!

Evans Heaven!!

2008-08-15T17:31:00.001-06:00

This is a little piece of heaven in our backyard. Some of you might remember what the backyard used to look like, it looks so much different now. Although this isn't our dream pool, it is pretty darn close! Derek has been dreaming of a pool forever and we finally decided to bite the bullet and splurge. If Derek weren't a Dentist, I think he would have been a landscape architect. He probably has 37 (random number) sketches of different backyard and pool possibilities. It's one of the things that got him through school. We have enjoyed every second of it and it couldn't have turned out better!

Dylan's Baptism

2008-08-15T16:54:00.001-06:00

June 21, 2008 was a very special day for our family. Dylan chose to get baptised!! He actually turned 8 in March, but decided to wait until June so he could get baptised with his cousins his age. Their birthday's are all within a couple months of each other. It was so much fun and something I think he will always remember and cherish!! It was great to have the support of my family!! (Of course I know they would never miss it).

Gavin, Andrew, Dylan, Drew

Dylan in plie and Ella in Aerobesk!!

10 years!!

2008-07-20T20:51:00.001-06:00

YES!! We made it-10 years of marriage. We went to Cancun for our anniversary and had the time of our lives. We never actually made it out of our room but... did I just say that out loud! ha ha. Cancun was so awesome. If you haven't been, I recommend it for sure. There is so much to do and it is so beautiful. The water is unbelievable. It is so warm and the sand feels like flour. This is us at our resort!

We went surfing and the Dolphins were jumping like crazy!!
We took a Ferry to Cozumel and rented a scooter to explore the Island. On our adventure we discovered a Bob Marley Bar ( He loves BOB!)

These pictures are of Tulum, some ancient ruins of the Mayan people or something like that!!

Annual 4th of July @ PML

2008-07-20T20:17:00.000-06:00

Pine Mountain Lake is Derek's favorite place on earth. We go there faithfully every Fourth of July ( I'm such a good wife!). Rainbow Falls is one of the places we go near PML. They have a couple of rocks to jump off and we all love to do it. It's about 25 -30 feet high. Rainbow falls used to be some what secluded, but it's really crowded these days. Derek jumped with Ella and everyone watching started yelling "No! don't do it. No NO NO. . . and Derek and Ella jumped off. It was awesome. The crowd all gasped at the same time. When they came out of the water I stood up and yelled " that's my daughter that's my daughter!" How embarrassing. What a nerd I am.

Dyls and Ella are the cutest ever!!

This is Ella's bestest cousin Elle!!!

Disneyland in May!!!

2008-07-20T19:47:00.000-06:00

We decided to take a family vacation to Disneyland because Derek had some dental things going on in Anaheim. I love it when trips are "write off's"!!!

These are some of Dylan and Ella's favorite cousins. It was seriously one of the best vacations ever!

First Post

2008-06-15T19:27:00.000-06:00

Ok, my sister Michelle is making me do this!!! In fact, this is Michelle writing this right now! She's telling me what to say but she's refusing to do it herself! She's anti-blog and anti-scrapbook. But I finally got her to do it! So stay-tuned for more posts, hopefully by Lindsey, not Michelle . . . ha ha ha, LOL and All That Jazz (Lindsey told me to write that . . . )