Happy Birthday Natalie!

Well, I can hardly believe that Natalie is two years old today! She is such a sweet, smiley girl, she just melts anyone's heart. Since we had barely moved, we opted for a quiet (as quiet as it can be with our two kids) party at home with the family. Natalie wanted corn and hot dogs for dinner and asked for a pink cake with berries and butterflies on it. We kept trying to ask her what sort of gifts she wanted but it never worked out, the conversations went like this:

Mom or dad: Natalie, what do you want for your birthday?
Natalie: cake (big grin)
Mom or dad: yes, we'll have cake after dinner, but do you want some presents?
Natalie: No, I want a PINK cake with berries and butterflies!
Mom or Dad: I know, you can have a pink cake with berries and butterflies, but what do you want as PRESENTS? Are there any toys that you want?
Natalie: No, I want a PINK cake with berries and butterflies!


So we gave up and took her shopping with us for a few things. It was so cute to watch her relish all the attention. She was SO excited about every phone call that she got, she'd say, "they sing Happy Birthday to ME!" She really knew that it was about her today! When we had finished singing "Happy Birthday" to her, she asked us to sing it again, so we did! It was so cute. So Happy Birthday Natalie, Sweet Baby Girl, Princess, Sweetheart, Natters, we love you!

the ONLY late pregnancy picture I could find

Natalie at a few minutes old

Natalie at one year old being a "stinker"

Happy Natalie at one year old

Natalie at two years old

Natalie at her birthday dinner with her b-day crown

Natalie's dinner choice

The pink cake with berries and butterflies (I made them out

of melted Jolly Ranchers and Mike and Ike bodies)

Her first driving lesson in her new SUV (thanks Grandma and Pop Pop)

She also got some really cute clothes and a few toys(thanks everyone). Hunter picked out some sparkly pink sandals for her (she LOVES) shoes, it was so sweet, he kept saying, "I know she will like these."

Happy Birthday Kelli

So for the next two posts, I'm gong to back date them to the actual birthday date, I know it's cheating, but you have to have a blog post ON your birthday, even if it is written later. :-)

So, since we loaded up the two trucks and trailers, hauled them over then unloaded them in one day (the day before my birthday) we decided to celebrate it later. My parents still had the kids, so on my actual birthday Justin and I did go out to dinner, but we were pretty wiped out! Plus, we were trying to put most of the stuff away BEFORE we had small helping hands!
Justin had asked me what I wanted him to make for my birthday, and I said that I didn't care as long as I didn't have to make it. So this is what he came up with:
He made some parmesan crusted chicken topped with pepperjack cheese, sautéed mushrooms, a spinach salad and some fresh pineapple! He said that we were watching The Food Network one night a few months ago and someone made this , and I said, "Oh, that looks good, and easy too." I don't remember that, but he did and remembered well enough to replicate it. Then he had made a cake too, it was GREAT.

The cake ( I appreciated not having 27 candles!)

The birthday guests (sorry its fuzzy)

Pavillion

Justin accepted a job at Wind River High School teaching PE/ Health and head girl's basketball coach, so we are moving to Pavillion, Wyoming. We've done lots of praying, and know that this is where Heavenly Father wants us to be. We hadn't planned on moving again, but we have quickly learned that it is not our plan, but His.
We have finally finalized a place to live, just in time and we are moving next week. We will be leasing part of a 200 acre ranch, so we are really excited, except that it looks like we'll have to get satellite internet, so it might be a while before I can post again. Look forward to a new friend for Zeke, the pack trip and Camp Grandma 2009!

Yellowstone!

I know it may seem strange that I've been to France, Jamaica, Hawaii but I've never been to Yellowstone. We decided that while we were living so close, that we would make the trip. We met Grandma and Grandpa Walker outside of Jackson, and off we went. We drove through the park to West Yellowstone Montana and stayed in the Days Inn there. The kids had fun swimming at the pool with the BIG slide. Then we did one side of the park and came back, then finished up on our way back through the last day. We saw rivers, falls and lots of geysers and mud pots. We saw Buffalo, a bald eagle, elk and a wolf! It was a blast and the kids did great to be in a car for 3 days in a row.

up close and personal with a buffalo

The wolf, he was pretty far away and eating
what looked like an elk calf



T-I-R-E-D

At one of the Yellowstone River falls
or Tower Falls?

The Yellowstone River just below the Lower Falls

At one of the Geyser Basins, she kept saying,

"that's really Stinky."

Finally a HERD of buffalo

Everyone in front of the Tetons

Hunter and Grandpa at Cascade falls (I think)

Grandma and Natalie

Mom and Natalie looking over the bridge

What kind of animal is that?

See, they DO love each other