MiCKEY MAX

Max is CRAZY about Mickey Mouse! He loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Whenever he sees Mickey he squeals and reaches out for him...it's too cute! I was so excited to dress him up as Mickey for Halloween! When Max saw himself in the mirror dressed up as Mickey he got the biggest SMILE on his face :)

HaLLoWeeN

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009

Trunk Or Treat

~Friday Oct. 30th~

{Bundled up & ready to go!}{Bro. Empey & Bishop Ballard competing in the donut eating contest} {Mickey Max with his friend Katie the Lady Bug}

Our Family Pictures

GARDNER ViLLiAGE

Saturday October 24th we spent the afternoon at Gardner Villiage with my parents. Gardner Villiage is a really fun place to visit around Halloween time. It's decorated with 1,000's of pumpkins and witches everywhere! There are also a lot of cute and fun shops. We had a great time wandering the spooky streets of the villiage!

Beware: PICTURE OVERLOAD!{I couldn't believe how many ladies were dressed up like witches! I felt a little left out!}
{It was pretty CHILLY so we bundled Max up. I LOVE his hat..he lookes like a little Scandinavian boy!}{Max LOVES his Grandpa!}{What CUTE Grandparents!}{Max was mesmerized by the geese.}{Like I said there were WITCHES everywhere...here are a few of my favs:}{This one was really SCARY! It doesn't look like it from the picture, but it was! The legs moved so the witch was pedalling the bike which made it look unbelievably REAL! CREEEEPY!!!}

It was a GREAT way to get us all in the mood for HALLOWEEN!!!

UTAH vs. UNLV

VS.

October 17th we went to LAS VEGAS with several of my Uncles, Aunts & Cousins {23 of us!} to the UTAH vs. UNLV football game in Las Vegas. We had a BLAST! We left early Saturday morning and picked up Kenneth & Nikki in St. Geroge. We had lunch in Mesquite and then met up with my family at a park in Henderson, close to where my cousin Dan & his wife Jordan live. We had a few hours before the game started so we played games & relaxed. The weather was WONDERFUL, it felt like summer again! It was FUN to spend time with some of my family that I don't get to see very often.

The game was AWESOME! We had the best seats that were really close to the game.

Of course the Utes WON & we were all happy to have been there!

We got back to St. George at about 2:30am! Ken & Nikki are so NICE to always let us stay with them...we LOVE visiting them!!! We spent Sunday with Ken & Nikki and drove back home late Sunday night. Even though it was a super short trip, it was TONS of FUN! {Max looked so cute in his UTAH sweatshirt!}

{Dave & Ken playing FRISBEE @ the park}

{Max's 1st time SWINGING!}

PuMpKiN pAtCh

Each October we go to a local pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. We always have such a fun time walking through the patch searching for just the right ones! Here are the 3 pumpkins that we chose this year!

6 MONTHS

MAX is 6 months old today!!!

He's CRAWLING all over the place!

We LOVE this lil guy so much!

I can't believe we've had him for 6 months! He brings so much HAPPINESS and LOVE into our family.

apple dumplings

Every year when Fall rolls around there is something in the air that just makes me want to bake!

Dave served his mission in Pennsylvania and has been telling me all about these apple dumplings that they have there in the fall.

An apple dumpling is a warm and flaky pastry dessert, like your own personal apple pie. The apple dumpling recipe actually originated with the Pennsylvania Amish and its popularity has spread throughout America.

So Monday night for our Family Home Evening activity we made our first batch of apple dumplings.

They are AMAZING!

These are how the dumplings look before they are baked.
These are the dumplings right out of the oven.

Pour the warm syrup over the warm dumpling just before serving.

Serve with a scoop of Vanilla Bean ice cream and drizzle with warm caramel sauce!

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients :
1 pastry for 2-crust pie
Syrup Ingredients:
1 cup granulated white sugar, 2 cups water, 3 Tablespoons butter (softened) 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
Filling Ingredients:
6 apples (peeled and cored), 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg, 2 Tablespoons butter (softened).

Directions:
1. Roll pastry slightly less than 1/8" thick. Cut into 7" squares.
2. Bring syrup ingredients to boil. Boil 3 minutes.
3. Put apple on center of each pastry square. Fill with mixture of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. Dot each with teaspoon of butter.
4. Bring points of pastry up over apple and overlap.
5. Place a few inches apart in baking pan. Pour 1 cup hot syrup mixture around dumplings.
6. Bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes. Just before serving pour rest of warm syrup over dumplings and serve with vanilla bean cream.

sitting up

~Max is now sitting up all by himself~

One of Max's favorite activities is to go outside. He has loved being outside since he was just a few weeks old. There's just something about being outside that makes him happy. Here are a bunch of pictures I took of Max outside playing with (a.k.a. eating) the leaves....

In this picture he's upset becuase Mommy's not let him eat the leaves :(
He's been trying to sit up on his own for a few weeks now, but he's finally mastered it!

Well, sort of....

THE END

new toy!

We finally bought Max an "excersaucer".

He is in heaven and so are we!

It occupies him for hours!

He's such a cutie!

best buds!

Max loves playing with his toys...

...especially when Lilly plays with him!

They are best buds!

big boy

Max thinks he's such a big boy these days...

...look at him holding his own bottle :-)

sleepy boy

...doesn't look very comfortable!

stinky!

This is what Dave wears when it's his turn to change Max's stinky diapers: Hahahaha!!!!

girl's night p.j. party

Dave had to work late Saturday night so I thought it would be fun to have his cute little sisters (Kat, Jen & Andrea) over for a pajama party!

We ate pizza & breadsticks, did our nails, made a YUMMY fruit pizza and watched the classic girly movie...Twilight!

{Andrea & Kat cutting up fruit for the pizza}

{We had so much fun decorating our fruit pizza!}

{Voila!!!!}

{Pedicure time!}

{Our cute feet, lol!}

I'm so lucky to have such great

sister-in-laws!

Thanks girls for an awesome night!!!

FRUiT PiZZA RECiPE

2 (16-ounce) packages refrigerated cookie dough
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavoring (almond, orange, or lemon)
Fresh strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, peaches, banana slices, mandarin oranges (or any other fruit of your choice)
1/2 cup orange, peach, or apricot preserves
1 Tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an ungreased 14-inch pizza pan with cookie dough cut in 1/8-inch slices, overlapping slightly. Bake 12 minutes or until light brown; remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract or other flavoring; spread over cookie crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese layer in any design you want (use your imagination). In a small saucepan over very low heat, make a glaze by heating preserves and water. Brush glaze over fruit, making sure to cover the fruit that will turn dark. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: This does not keep well, so plan on using it up. You may also use your own sugar cookie recipe in place of the refrigerated dough. Makes 8 to 10 servings

baseball game

Thursday night we went to an Ogden Raptors baseball game.

It was Max's 1st baseball game and he LOVED it!

He had wide eyes & was trying to take it all in.

He stood up on my lap and bounced up and down while I held his hands almost the entire game!

He especially liked it when they played music and when the crowd cheered :)

He was totally decked out in his cute baseball outfit.

The announcer of the game even talked about Max over the speakers!

He said "Awww, look at that cute baby in the baseball outfit behind home base!"

He did look awfully cute :)

Other than the drunk guy sitting behind us who spilled his beer all over me, it was a perfect night!

labor day

Today was such a beautiful Labor Day!

We had a blast spending the day with my family in Millcreek Canyon.

My mom is the best cook ever and made her famous AMAZING dutch oven chicken with potatoes, carrots & onions...so delicious!!

Dave & I were in charge of the cobbler. We made an apple-cherry cobbler that turned out really good.

The weather could not have been more perfect and we had so much fun being together as a family!

My Grandma McGarvey came along which was so nice. She is so funny and brought some jokes to share with us..we laughed so hard it hurt!

The only thing missing was Parker :-(

4 generations

RiCE CEREAL

Max is almost 5 months old now and so I've been thinking that it's about time I start introducing him to cereal at night time. Everybody keeps telling me that it will really help him sleep through the night (yay!). So about a week ago I decided that it was time! I went shopping and bought a high chair, 3 different kinds of cereal, bowls, spoons, bibs..the works! I was so excited and was looking forward to it all day. Finally it was time to feed Max! I strapped him in his chair, put on his bib and made him a delicious bowl of warm rice cereal....He HATED it!He cried & gagged...He kept his little lips shut so tight! What we managed to get in he spat right back out :-(He was not a happy camper!The good news: He liked the taste of his high chair :-/After many many airplanes & pleading we gave in...and we had a much happier boy...oh well, there's always tomorrow.

cute lil bum

something smells fishy...

The other day I was at Petco and I stopped by the fish tanks to show Max. While we were looking at the fish I saw this little goldfish staring at me with sad little eyes. The next thing I knew I was at home filling up his bowl with water!I'm such a sucker for animals...especially puppies. Everytime I see someone selling them by the side of the road I beg for Dave to stop. If it weren't for Dave we'd probably have a house full of random animals! Remember the kitty cat I took in? haha

AGRGENTINA CORDOBA MISSION

This post is all about my younger brother Parker.

He received his mission call in June to serve in the Argentina Cordoba Mission!

He has been so excited and has been very busy getting ready to go.

His farewell was Sunday August 9th. He gave a really great talk and it was so much fun to have friends and family all together.

He just entered the MTC on Wednesday August 12th.

{Parker holding his mission call..just about to open it!}{Park's first reaction to finding out where he was going!}{Park finally telling us where he was going!}{Cordoba, Argentina on the map}{What an excited guy!}{Grandpa & Grandma Sellers at the farewell}{Mom made these gorgeous strawberry topiaries that looked too good to eat}{Grandma & Max}{Park & his friends}{Handsome men!!!}{Grandma Winnie, Uncle Pat, Lori & half of Chuck :-)}{Blake & Max}{What a stud!}{Parker & one of his closest friends Sally}{More friends...}{Max exploring the feel of leaves}{My handsome husband!}{More of Parker's girl friends}{Grandma Winnie & Parker}{Max LOVES uncle Parker!}

Parker has been such a fun uncle to Max. When I was at the hospital in labor, Parker was there the entire time. He was so excited for Max to come. He came up to see him everyday. Max will be 2 years and 4 months old when they see eachother again.

Missions seem like such a sacrifice, but are so wonderful that they really aren't much of a sacrifice at all! I think it's harder for the people left behind than for the missionary.

I'm so excited for Parker and all the amazing experiences that lay ahead for him.

I love my brother and will miss him so much!

We are all so proud of him and his decision to serve a mission.

He will be the greatest missionary Argentina has seen :-)

ALMOND POPPY SEED CAKE

This is one of my favorite cake recipes. I made this today for my brothers farewell tomorrow...

it's always a hit!
~ALMOND POPPY SEED CAKE~

-1 pkg yellow cake mix
-1 (3 ¾ oz) pkg instant French vanilla pudding
-1 cup thick sour cream
-4 eggs
-½ cup water
-1 tsp. almond extract
-½ cup butter
-¼ cup poppy seed

*Combine cake and pudding mixes, eggs, sour cream, water, almond flavoring, butter, and poppy seed. Beat on medium for 5 minutes. Pour into well buttered and sugared Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Turn out onto plate, pour glaze over top of warm cake and sift with powdered sugar.

GLAZE: Powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract. Mix all together...make it as thick or thin as you want.

BANANA BREAD

This Banana Bread recipe is my all-time favorite!
It's extra delicious with the streusel topping sprinkled over the batter before baking..YUM!

~BANANA BREAD~

-2 cups flour
-1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/8 tsp. nutmeg
-2 eggs, beaten
-1 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (5)
-1 cup sugar
-1/2 cup melted butter

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
*In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and butter. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter in pan.
*Bake for 55-60 minutes . Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap; store overnight before slicing.

~STREUSEL TOPPING~
In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Using a fork, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4 Months Old!!!

Max is now 4 months old!

I can't believe how fast time goes by.

I took him to get his pictures taken and here are the proofs they emailed me...the quality isn't the best.

Isn't he cute?!?

Zoo / St. George / Random

Rodeo

Monday night we went to the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo with Dave's family!
We havn't been to that many rodeo's before and it was really fun! I can't believe how those brave cowboys ride those wild bulls! It was really fun to watch.
The rodeo started at 6:30 and was over around 11pm! We had no idea that it would be so long...but it was entertaining the entire time! There were even fireworks at the end :){Grandpa & Max}{The rodeo clown & his silly horse}{Aunt Andrea & Max}{Cousin Brilee & Max}{Aunt Jen & Max}{Aunt Kat & Max}

{Max watching the fireworks!}

BEAR LAKE!

The weather was HOT Sat.

So we cooled off at Bear Lake with my family...

CAMPING!

Last weekend we went camping up at Monte Cristo. It was Max's first camping trip! The weather was great and it was really beautiful! My only complaint was all the MOSQUITOS!!! Other than the bugs we had a great time and Max was a great little camper :)

{Dave posing with his new hatchet he got for Father's Day}

{Dave out chopping wood}{Our roaring fire!}{Lilly resting on a chair after chasing chipmunks!}{Our YUMMY tinfoil dinners!}{Max is all ready for bed!}{Dave being silly roasting smores}
{I LOVE smores!}

i LOVE this boy!

Batting Cages

~Saturday at the batting cages~

{The camera battery died-so only a few pics}

Parental Supervision!

The other day I put Max in his swing while I loaded the clothes from the washer into the dryer. I was out of the room for no more than 1 min.

What I found when I came back.......BAD IDEA!!!!

{I guess there are safety belts on swings for a reason!}

3 mOnThS oLd!!!

mAx Is 3 MoNtHs OlD!

Get me outta here!

I bought this baby carrier for Max the other day.
I LOVE it...

I'm not so sure about about Max...

Twins?

Like FATHER like SON!!

Dave & Max look so much alike!!!

4th of July!

Another 4th of July has come and gone!

The summer is flying by!

July 2nd we planned a camping trip up at Monte Cristo with Dave's family but the weather did not cooperate! Inspite of the rain we still joined them for a delicious dutch oven dinner & cobbler. Even though it was cold & rainy we bundled up Max and still had a great time hanging out by the fire & roasting smores. We were wimps and were the only ones who didn't tough it out and stay the night!

July 3rd we went to our friends cabin up in Eden where we swam & played games. It was so beautiful there! I love how green everything has stayed because of the rainy June we've had. That night we went to my family's home in North Salt Lake for fireworks on the golf course. We had the best homemade ice cream, played more games & slept in sleeping bags outside on the deck. The weather was perfect :)

July 4th morning we had a yummy breakfast with my family & just relaxed. We planned on going to Cherry Days but it got too hot for us! Instead we stayed cool inside and watched a movie with the Thompson's. Later on we went to dinner in Brigham City at the Maddox drive-in :)

The 4th of July is also Leah's b-day! We had cake & ice cream at their home and then went to more fireworks at Weber High.

Max didn't seem to even notice the fireworks. We got him some baby ear plugs that must have worked great cause he slept right through them~and they were LOUD!

Scarlett & Max

Mike Shaw brought over his cute little daughter to meet Max tonight.

{I think Max has his 1st crush!}

Fishing

Today we went fishing at a pond in Kaysville. We didn't catch any fish :( But we still had fun. The weather was beautiful and we had a delicious picnic :)

Max's 1st trip to the ZOO

Last Friday Dave's work rented the entire Hogle Zoo for their summer party. Since the zoo is pretty big it felt like we pretty much had the place to ourselves! We had a ton of fun :)

{Max is so tired after a fun day at the Zoo!}

Blessing

Growing up....

4 baby cousins

Emmy: March 13th

Max: April 8th

Connor: April 10th

Paul: April 12th

St. George / Las Vegas / Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend we took a trip down to St. George to visit Ken & Nikki. Max was a great little traveler and we all had such a BLAST!!

{Max is all set to go on vacation!!!}

{On the way down to St. George we saw the brightest rainbow we have ever seen! It stretched across the whole sky. This picture does not give it justice..it was beautiful}{Dave & Max in front of Ken & Nikki's home} Saturday we drove down to Las Vegas with Ken, Nikki & Danny.
We had a fun time walking around, seeing the sights and eating great food! We even got to see a fashion show put on by The Gap.

{Max just waking up after the drive from St. George to Vegas}

{In front of the Mirage}

{Max trying to cover up from the HOT Vegas heat!}

{Max and mommy in the Venetian}

{Max and daddy standing in line for yummy gelato in the Venetian}

{After a long day in Las Vegas...Max is ready to call it a day!}

Sunday afternoon we went to Kanab. Grandpa & Grandma Jackson, Kat and Danny were all down visiting as well. Lance and Julie had us all over for dinner. We also visited the cemetery in Kanab where a lot of Dave's relatives are buried.

Monday we had a ton of fun just relaxing by the pool with Ken & Nikki in St. George.

{Max is ready for the pool!}

{Even though Max didn't swim and stayed in the shade 99% of the time, at least he looked so dang cute in his little swimming suit!}

{Max saying "Get me out of the sun!"}

{We put his little toes in the water..and as you can see he HATED it!}

{Uncle Ken and Max}

Look who's SMILING!

Max just started smiling a few days ago :)
He is growing so fast and everyday he is more aware of what's going on.

It's so cute to see him smile...he's especially smiley when he first wakes up :)

MAX

If you're trying to avoid the SWINE FLU...

DON'T DO THIS:

Sweet Baby

Fresh From Heaven.....

Maxwell Casey Jackson
was born April 8, 2009.

Weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 18.5" long.

We LOVE this little guy SO MUCH!!! I can't believe that he is now a little over a week old. Dave took a week off from work when I had him and he just went back to work yesterday :( I have loved having him home with me and Max. We are having so much fun being parents to this sweet little angel. Max is such a wonderful baby! He rarely cries and loves to be held and rocked. Dave and I are so blessed to have such a perfect healthy baby boy in our family!

{Max's first doctor's appointment}

Maxwell Casey Jackson

SPRING is officially here!

TODAY IS THE 1st DAY OF SpRiNg!!!!!!

Not too much longer....

I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and I have dilated 1 cm! The doctor doesn't think that I will make it to my due date (but you never know). Our baby weighs almost 6 lbs. and is in the "birthing position". Dave and I were so excited that when we got home lastnight we started packing our suitcases for the hospital! (I'm sure just because we did that he probably won't be early at all!) It's crazy to think that he could come at anytime now!!! I'm scared and nervous but I cannot wait! Next week is my last week of work. I'm sad to be quiting, I'll really miss my job and friends. It will be so weird to be at home all the time, even though I'm sure I'll be super busy!

OUR JEEP SOLD!!!

Jeep 4 Sale

We are selling our Grand Jeep Cherokee. If you or anyone you know is looking for a new vehicle let us know!!!

Here are the details:

Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2001

Only 58,000 miles, V-6, leather, 10-disc CD changer, excellent condition inside and out! $8,900/ offer.

I realize it's totally cheesy to post our Jeep on my blog...but you never know who may be interested!

Welcome Baby Emmy!!

My cute cousin Alison just had her 2nd baby girl Thurs. March 12th!

Emmy weighs 8 lbs. 14 oz. and is 21 inches long.

She is such an ADORABLE baby girl!

CONGRATS Rich & Ali!!!

Spring is in the air!

Today was such a gorgeous day! The temp. reached a perfect 67 degrees :) Spring is one of my favorite seasons. The dirty snow finally starts to melt and the weather warms up more and more each day. You can wear lighter clothing, open up the windows in your house, smell the fresh air and drive with the windows rolled down. I know that mother nature is just teasing us with this warm weather and that it will probably end up storming again soon, but we can enjoy it while it lasts!!!

34 weeks

If you know me well at all you know that I'm not a huge fan of having my picture taken. But I know that you are all dying to see how huge I am, so here you go...

My belly at 12 weeks...

My belly at 34 weeks...

Only 6 more weeks to go!!!

2 yr. Anniversary!!

Dave and I just celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary on Feb. 3rd. I am so lucky to be married to Dave. He is the man of my dreams and my BEST friend! I love him so much. The past 2 yrs. have been the happiest years of my life! I'm so looking forward to many many more wonderful years together :)
{Dave had these gorgeous flowers delivered to me at work!}

{We had dinner at Iggy's, Cold Stone for dessert and went to a movie} I LOVE Dave!!!!!!!!!!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
½ cup Sour cream
2 2/3 cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
***Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add baking powder, soda and salt, mix well. Alternate adding flour and sour cream until well blended. Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Sprinkle work surface with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shape using cookie cutters. Place cookies on baking sheet greased with butter or parchment paper. Bake 8- 10 minutes. Do not allow cookies to brown. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.
Glossy Frosting:
1/4 c. butter or margarine
4 c. pwd. sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 tsp milk
dash salt
***1 capful almond flavoring
Beat together. Color as desired.

Sunday Drive...

Dave & I took a drive up by Wolf Mountain & Pine View Res. It was really pretty. {but I can't wait for SpRiNg!!!}

{an ice fisherman hut on the frozen lake}

{frozen waterfall}

Birthday FUN!

Sat. night we CeLEbRaTeD 3 Birthday's!!!

{Dad~Dave~Chaz}

We ate dinner at the Mandarin...

Went bOwLiNg... {I got the highest score!!!}

and ate coconut cake & lemon meringue pie :)

{It was such a FuN night!}

LOu's CoCoNUt caKe

I have made this

cAkE twice in the

past 2 wEeKs!

{you have to try it!}

1 white cake mix
1 1/2 c. milk

8 oz. Cool Whip

1/2 c. sugar

2 c. coconut

Prepare the white cake mix as instructed on package for 9 x 13-inch pan. Combine 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup coconut, in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Cool cake 15 minutes, poke holes through cake with a long tined fork. Spoon coconut mixture over warm cake. Cool completely. Fold 1/2 cup coconut into thawed 8 ounces Cool Whip. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with 1 cup coconut. Chill overnight very important. Refrigerate any unused cake.

{it is sO gOoD!!!}

The Amazing Shrinking PIZZA!

So I thought I'd be really domestic lastnight and make "homemade" pizza...This is how it looked when I pulled it out of the oven...hahaha :) It tasted yummy though!

{P.S. I really can cook..I swear!}

Nursery

The nursery is coming along...
{The crib looks white in the pictures but it's cream and so darling!}
{This cute bedding was custom made by a woman in Idaho}

{Thanks to my sister-in -law for spotting this swing at a garage sale..only $10!}{We got this changing table for free and it was in pretty bad shape.
Amazing what a little paint can do!}

{His closet is starting to fill up!}

{Lilly thinks this is her new room}

Catch Up...

I cannot believe how much time has gone by since my last post! So much has been going on. Our holiday's were so much fun! We had a such a great time spending time together and having fun with our families. I'm always sad when the holiday's are over, but I am so excited for this new year and all the EXCITING things that await our family in 2009!!!

We had a great time celebrating Dave's 26th birthday on Jan. 7th! We went out to eat and to a movie. I am so bad at remembering to take a camera along with me, so sorry for the lack of pictures. There should be no excuse because my parents gave us an awesome video camera for Christmas which is super tiny - so as soon as Dave teaches me how to use it I will take it everywhere I go!

Dave is doing great at his new job at the University of Phoenix as a Corporate Education Liaison. He really enjoys it and his job has been such a blessing to us. He starts school on Jan. 19!! He's a little bit nervous, but I know that he will do great. I am still working full time at the Standard Examiner as a National Advertising Rep. My last day will be March 27th. I have been there almost 2 years. I love my job and the people I work with, so it will be sad to leave. However it will be such a blessing to be able to stay at home with our baby (we will need to get our satellite TV back for sure!!!).

I am now 27 weeks along! Time is seriously flying by. Our little guy will be here before we know it. I have been busy getting his nursery all ready for him and shopping up a storm! I swear I come home with something new for him almost everyday. (Dave is thrilled about that!) We are just so excited for him to come and we only have a few more months to wait!

winter coat

Lilly sporting her winter coat..so cute!

Halloween Party!

Thanks to the Powell's for throwing such a fun party!!

HaPpY hAlLoWeEn!!!

HUSBAND TAG!

-Tagged by Tiff
1. Where did you meet your husband? At his softball game in Harrisville-I came to watch with a friend. I thought he was the cutest guy on the team and we ended up meeting after the game :)
2. How long did you date before you got married? 6 months
3. How long have you been married? 1 year and 9 months
4. What does he do that surprises you? He surprises me almost everyday with sweet little things like making the bed, cooking dinner, etc. He is so thoughtful!
5. What is your favorite feature of his? His green eyes, smile and his big strong arms :)
6. What is your favorite quality? Seriously there are too many to list! But I love how NICE he is to EVERYONE.
7. Does he have a nick name for you? Mine baby - lol!
8. What is his favorite food? Tacos & Pizza
9. What is his favorite sport? That's a hard one...he loves all sports!!
10. When and where was your first kiss? 1 week after we started dating at my parents house :)
11. Favorite thing to do as a couple? I just LOVE to be with him...doesn't matter what we do-we always have a good time together.
12. Do you have children? A baby boy due in April!
13. Does he have any hidden talents? Yes-but that's why they're hidden...they're a secret!
14. How old is he? 25
15. Who said I love you first? He did
16. What is his favorite music? He likes all different types of music
17. What do you admire most about him? Everything! He is such a wonderful guy, I don't know how I got so lucky!?!
18. What is his favorite color? Red
19. Will he read this? Probably not
20. Who do you tag? Anyone who wants to :)

IT'S A BOY!!!!

Time to get a life....

So today we cancelled our satellite tv....I know!!! What are we thinking, right? Trust me, I'm asking myself that question right now! Dave and I were talking the other day about how we spend WAAAAAY too much time in front of the boob tube. So we thought it would be "fun" to see how long we can go without our beloved tv shows. (Ok, I really didn't think it would happen when I agreed to it...until Dave called me at work this morning and said he had done it!!!) WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?? Sniff...sniff...sniff. Okay, seriously, I am kind of interested to see how different things are going to be now. I mean, it's not like we spend all our time watching tv-but quite a bit. How much time do you guys spend zoning out to your fav shows? We all probably spend a little too much time. Now, I'm not suggesting that you should follow our example and cancel your sattelite tv too (you'd be super cool if you did though, j/k :) I'll keep you all updated on how this little experiment plays out...I"m looking forward to spending more "quality" time together with Dave...and who knows, maybe we'll pick up a new hobby or something :) How long do you think we'll last!?!?!
P.S. We'll be saving an extra $75/mo!

tagged!

My Top 8:

8 Favorite TV shows: In no particular order
1. Studio 5
2. The Hills
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Dr. Phil
5. Survivor
6. The Office
7. Anything on the Food Network
8. The Price is Right :)
(Thank goodness for DVR!)

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Red Iguana
2. Maddox
3. Olive Garden
4. California Pizza Kitchen
5. Spaghetti Factory
6. Tuscany
7. Wild Mushroom
8. The Roof

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. It snowed
2. Shopped at Target
3. Got a RedBox (Alvin & the Chipmunks-lol!)
4. Gave Lilly a bath
5. Took a nap
6. Made caramel apples
7. Did some laundry
8. Painted my nails

8 things to look forward to:
1. Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas
2. My next doctor's appt. (we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl!!!)
3. Dave starting his new job on Oct. 27th
4. Decorating a nursery!
5. Girls night w/ my friend Emily
6. Super Saturday
7. Carving our pumpkins
8. BYU/Utah game

8 things I love about Fall:
1. Cooler weather
2. Changing leaves
3. Fall clothes/boots
4. Halloween & Thanksgiving
5. Football games
6. Pumpkin bread (Old Grist Mill has the best!)
7. Homemade chili/soups
8. Caramel apples

8 things in my wish list:
1. New clothes/shoes
2. iphone
3. A day at the spa
4. Vacation somewhere tropical
5. Indoor grill
6. Baby furniture
7. Fall/Christmas decor
8. New Wallet

8 people I'm tagging:
1. Brooke
2. Alicia
3. Katie
4. Leah
5. Jyl
6. Aimee
7. Alison
8. Anyone else who wants to :)

family picture

sick

.....and that about says it all!

It's Official-I'm Pregnant!

For those of you left in the world who havn't heard: Dave and I are gonna have a BABY!! It has been sooo hard to keep this to ourselves {we tried for a day or two and gave up!}. So I might as well just put it all out there! We are so excited and couldn't be HAPPIER! I had my first doctor's appointment yesterday where I had my first ultrasound. Dave and I got to see our little baby for the first time and heard the heartbeat :) It was amazing! So you're probably wondering..."where is the baby in the picture???" It's super teeny weeny right now-6.3mm to be exact or the size of a grape. It was a much clearer picture on the ultrasound monitor. We were able to see the baby moving around and saw his/her little heart pumping away. My doctor said that I will be having an utlrasound at each one of my appointments! My next appt. is in a month~I'll be 12 weeks. Our baby is due April 15, 2009!

cry baby

Sad day in the Jackson home today. We had to say goodbye to our cute little kitty...and I can't stop bawling my eyes out. Twice at work I had to hurry to the restroom to cry. I'm such a baby. I wish we could have kept him, but it just wouldn't have worked out. I'm so sad :(

breaking dawn

I finally bought my copy lastnight...
so far so good!

CUTE Kitty

Well, Lilly is no longer an only child :) Let me tell you how big of a sucker I am! As most of you know, I work in the classifieds dept. at a newspaper. I've worked there for over a year and have probably placed like a hundred ads for free kittens. Not once have I ever had the desire to ever get one....until yesterday! Dave is not a fan of cats (AT ALL!!). I don't know what came over me yesterday, but this is what I came home with....YIKES! It is soo dang cute, but it's hard to get used to the idea of being a cat owner. Lilly has been in heaven! She LOVES the kitty. I think she thinks she's the mom. It's so funny and cute to watch them play. Dave is not happy with me at all...OOPS! I'm having a garage sale tomorrow and just to make Dave feel better I told him that we'll try to find the kitty a good home (hope I'm not too attatched by then). Dave will hardly touch the kitty and won't let me name it :( Soo mean! I guess we'll just have to see what happens.......stay tuned!

24th of July

Girl's Camp

This past week was my ward's girls camp. I was gone Tuesday-Friday. It was a lot of fun and I am so glad that I could go. The girls in my ward are really cute and I had a lot of fun with them. It is totally different going to girl's camp as a leader-so much more work than I thought! It was definitely worth it though :o)

Up until I left for camp Dave and I had never spent a night apart from one another-so it was kind of hard to be away for so long. {I missed him so much!} When I got home he had cleaned the entire house and had beautiful flowers for me!!! {I HAVE THE WORLD'S BEST HUSBAND!!!!}

HEAVEN - Don't Miss it for the World!

Friday was our ward's Youth Conference. Our theme was "Heaven-Don't Miss it for the World". It was an all day adventure that started at 6:30am and lasted until mindnight! Although it was a very long day-it was a lot of fun! {Especially because Dave got to come along too!!!} We met at the church {EARLY} for breakfast and then started our day off miniature golfing at Toads {I scored 2 holes in 1-woohoo!}, then we went on a tour at the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake. The tour was so awesome! If you havn't been there-you need to go! It is so amazing to me how wonderful our church is, how much members do, and how much we help the less fortunate all around the world! It was a real eye opener for me, and I left with a feeling that I can do SO much better! After that we picked up lunch at Subway and then headed to the Hogle Zoo :) It always seems like, in years past, whenever I go to the zoo that the animals are either sleeping, hiding, or just not there. But this time ALL the animals were out and pretty active. It was really fun to see. My favorites were the cute penguins, the monkeys and the "Ghost of the Bayou" {the albino gator}. We spent several hours there and even rode the train. After the zoo we toured the Conference Center dowtown. What an amazing structure! I have been in the building several times before, but had never been on a tour. Again, something that is a must if you havn't. After the tour we watched the Joseph Smith movie at the Joseph Smith Memorial building. I love that movie! It was neat to see how the youth reacted to seeing it {most for the first time}. You cannot watch that film without being totally overcome with the spirit! After the movie we had reserved a room in the Temple Square's visitor's center where we had a guest speaker who spoke to the youth about our theme and what they need to do to make it to the Celestial Kingdom. The youth also had a chance to share their testimonies. We finally finished up the day with dinner at the Macaroni Grill. I think it was a huge success and that everyone had a really a good time. I know that I did-and I am so glad that I got to spend the entire day with my best friend!

***At the zoo we were watching this gorilla walk around for awhile with this empty gatorade bottle in his mouth.

Dave: "Wouldn't it be crazy if he filled the bottle up with water and drank it?"

Me: "Honey, I don't think gorilla's are that smart!"

Well, no later than 30 seconds after Dave said that, look what the gorilla did:

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?

4th of July Fun :)

pedicures

I LOVE treating myself to professional pedicures at a spa! But $$$ is tight, so lastnight I gave myself a pedicure (which is not nearly as fun!). Lilly sat right by my side the entire time. She was so curious about what I was doing. (It was so cute!) When I finished up my pedicure, I thought it would be cute to give Lilly a little pedicure of her own....The look on Dave's face was PRICELESS when I showed him our matching hot pink nails! Haha-I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm crazy!! :o)

Father's Day

Dave and I are so blessed to have such AMAZING Father's!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mom's Birthday!

I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Jackson Family Reunion

This past weekend was the Jackson Family Reunion in Glendale, UT (Southern Utah). Dave & I arrived a day late to reunion due to my cousin's funeral Saturday morning. We were so glad that we were able to make it to the last little bit of it. We had a lot of fun spending time with family that we don't get to see very often. The place where we camped in Glendale was absoutely BEAUTIFUL! After the reunion Dave & I stayed a few days longer at Lance and Julie's fabulous home in Kanab. Monday we spent the entire day with Grandpa & Grandma Jackson. Grandpa took us on a tour of the Kiabab (where he spent most of his childhood herding sheep). Grandpa is a real cowboy! It was so pretty and was so nice to spend that time alone with them. That night Dave and I slept under the stars in our sleeping bags. It was such a pretty night and the sky was so clear! We counted shooting stars until we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer ;) The next morning Grandpa, Grandma, Dave & I ate a yummy breakfast at a local place in Kanab called Houston's. After breakfast Grandpa, Uncle Evan, Dave & I spent the rest of the afternoon 4-wheeling. It was a lot of fun (other than the fact that I almost DIED and that Dave and I both got severely sunburnt!!!). Wednesday Dave & I spent the day in St. Geroge shopping and looking for a place to buy (we wish). It was such a fun vacation, and as always, it was so hard to come home. Lilly was such a trooper, she is the only one glad to be home! Here are some of the pics:

We Will ALWAYS Remember You

Steven Paul McGarvey
Steven Paul McGarvey was born on March 26th, 1981 in Ogden, Utah. He passed away on Thursday the 29th of May, 2008, due to a tragic rollover car accident near Grand Junction, Colorado. Steven is survived by his children Kilian and Madison, and his former spouse Lisa McGarvey, his parents Betty and Patric McGarvey, three brothers William, Shane and James, four sisters Lori, Sheri, Suzi and Michelle, thirteen nieces and nephews, and many more family and friends who will dearly miss him. Steven was an excellent son, father, husband, brother, and friend. He loved his two children and would do anything for them. He cherished being a father. Steven grew up in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake City and attended East High School. Steven owned his own painting business. He was a hard worker who held himself to the highest standards. He worked hard, and he played harder. He loved to fish, mountain bike, camp and spend time in the great outdoors with his friends and family. Steven was an athlete. He was an exceptional baseball player who played left field like none that we know, and hit the ball with equal precision. Steven loved to take advantage of the greatest snow on earth by shredding it every chance he could. He also played basketball and loved to golf. Like most athletes, Steven loved to watch sports. He bled red and loved the University of Utah’s football and basketball teams. He loved to attend them with his father, mother, and brothers. His loud cheer and enthusiasm will never be forgotten! He was a kind hearted man whose legacy of selfless service will remain in the hearts of all who knew him. Steven was not someone that you would soon forget. He had a knack for getting to know people. He had a personality that was a style all his own. Steven, we love you and will never forget you! We WILL see you on the other side! A donation account has been set up at Zions Bank under his name. The proceeds of this account will benefit his two children. All services will be held at the Wilson Ward Building located at 1860 S 300 E, Salt Lake City, Utah. Viewing will be June 6, 2008 5pm - 8pm and June 7, 2008 10am - 10:45am. Funeral to follow at 11:00 am. Grave Dedication at Memorial Estates 6500 South Redwood Road at 1pm.

HaPpY bIrThDaY pArKeR!

May 30th was my little brother Parker's 18th Birthday!
We celebrated it Sat. by going to a movie at the Gateway and dinner at The Red Iguana-YUM!! I can't believe that he is 18 yrs old! Time flies! He has been such a awesome little brother and I love him TONS!

Memorial Day Camping

WE LOVE CAMPING!! Each year Dave and I can't wait for the weather to warm up so we can head out into the great outdoors for fun filled weekends of campin' and fishin'! Last year we were so excited to camp that we even went in March, brrr! This year we've waited a bit longer to go, and we thought that this past weekend would be a great time to getaway. So Sunday afternoon we headed out! We set up camp at a beautiful place just east of Huntsville called South Fork. We had sooo much fun!! It was so nice to escape into the mountains, even for just a day. We hiked, fished, ate and just relaxed. Lilly is quite the little camping dog, haha. Dave, being the Eagle Scout that he is, made us a roaring fire where we roasted chicken tin foil dinners. Yum! It was so nice to just sit by the fire and talk into the night...and of course we made the best s'mores :) That night the temperature dropped and it got pretty chilly. We woke in the middle of the night to fierce winds and rain! We stayed warm and dry in our tent throughout the night.....until morning! It rained all morning which ruined our plans to hang out at the lake :( We hurrily packed everything up and headed home. We definitely should have checked the weather report, but a little rain didn't stop us from having a blast!!! Here are some of the pics:

cute boys

We always love getting together with the Murdock's. They have the cutest kids, Judson and Caden. The best part is that not only are they darling, they are so well behaved! It's so much fun having them over :) (You guys are welcome anytime!) Here are some pics from a few weeks ago.

david cook wins!

It was a close one...but David Cook was crowned the new "American Idol". I really thought they were both awesome and would have been happy with either one. But Cook was one of my fav's from the beginning.

So with The Hills ending last week (until August) and now that American Idol is over I was feeling kinda sad. And just when I was starting to think that I might have to find something else to do with my time, I remembered that tomorrow night is the 2 hour premiere of "So You Think You Can Dance?" Yay! Gotta love reality TV! (actually it's pretty sad, haha)

wake-up smoothie

I'm typically not a breakfast eater, but I made this yummy smoothie this morning for Dave and I that was fabulous! Give it a try :)1 large ripe banana
1 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, or kiwi (about 2)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey

Place all the ingredients in the blender and process on high speed until smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds.

heritage

I was called to serve in the Young Women's Pres. in my ward last August. It's been a great calling and has been really good for me. It's a lot of fun teaching and interacting with the girls. One of the things I love about being in Young Women's are the fun activities we have each Tuesday night. Tonight was "Around The World" cultural night, where we celebrated everyone's different heritages by sampling different foods from around the world.

I thought that it would be fun to share a little bit about where Dave and I came from....Dave's mom, Janet, was born and raised in Biddulph England. Janet visited the United States in her early 20's where she met and fell in love with Dave's dad, Max. They married, and she has lived here in the U.S. ever since. She is such a wonderful woman and very proud of her English heritage. I remember the first time Dave's family had me over for Sunday dinner Janet had prepared Yorkshire Pudding. If you guys are like I was, you will have no clue what Yorkshire Pudding even is! Well, it's an English dish that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Armitt family. Dave's "Grand-dad" would always make it for them whenever he visited from England. I liked it alot when I first tried it, and I was surprised that I had never tasted anything quite like it before. It's pretty easy to make and tastes great with pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy!! Janet makes it way better than I do, but the picture above is my attempt at it. I think I did pretty well for my first try ;) It was fun to share this recipe with the young women who loved it, and ate every last bit!

My maiden name is McGarvey, and my heritage stems from Ireland. St. Patrick's Day has always been a BIG deal in my house. The leprechaun always came in the night and turned all our food green and left us little surprises and treats :) Attending the St. Patty's Day Parade is also a tradition in my family. My mom, Karie, makes the best corned beef and cabbage!
Some of the other heritages that were celebrated tonight was China (ham fried rice), Holland (fruit danishes), Puerto Rico (tostones?), Germany (sweet breads), and Mexico (guacamole, chips and salsa). It was a fun night, and also very interesting. I think that it's important for everyone to first of all know what their heritage is, and to second be proud of it! I am definitely grateful for my ancestors, who because of them I am living where I am today...and I am definitely proud to be an American!!

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large baking dish on top of the stove. Beat all the ingredients together very well. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil into the hot baking dish and immediately pour batter into dish. Let it sit for about 1 min. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20-25 min. (or until golden brown).

This past week was Dave's Alumni basketball tournament at Fremont High School. They played one game a night and sometimes even two back to back. They beat every team they played until the last round where they lost in double elimination. So they took 2nd place which is GREAT!!! It was so much fun watching Dave and his friends play! He is a really great basketball player! He is already looking forward to playing again next year! Here are some of the pics:

new book!

So when the "Twilight" series of books came out by author Stephanie Meyer I read each of them in like a day, and loved them!!! I can't wait until AUGUST 2, 2008 when her fourth and last book in the Twilight series, "Breaking Dawn" is published! But until then, there is a new release of a book by Stephanie called "The Host". It was just released on May 6th. I havn't started reading it yet, but if it's as great as the twilight books, I'll be posting about it soon. I'm so excited to start reading it tonight! Here is a little bit about "The Host":
Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.One of the most compelling writers of our time, Stephenie Meyer brings us a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the very essence of what it means to be human.

Sounds good, right? Happy reading!

ABC TAG!

A-Attatched or Single?- very attatched!
B-Best Friend?- dave wayne jackson :)
C-Cake or Pie?- i love coconut cream pie!
D-Day of Choice?- sundays are the best
E-Essential Item?- my cell phone (what did we ever do without them?)
F-Favorite Color?- hot pink (if you couldn't tell)
G-Gummy Bears or Worms?- neither
H-Hometown?- Centerville, Utah
I-Favorite Indulgence?- sleeping in late
J-January or July?- july
K-Kids?- no kids.....for now
L-Life Isn't Complete Without?- an "i love you" from dave everyday
M-Marriage Date?- february 3, 2007 (best day ever!)
N-Number of Brothers or Sisters?- 2 younger brothers
O-Oranges or Apples?- oranges
P-Phobia and Fears?- phobia: public restrooms (YUCK!!) biggest fear: losing loved ones
Q-Quote?- "Life is not measured by the moments-but by the moments that take your breath away!"
R-Reason to Smile?- because i am so blessed
S-Season of Choice?- spring & autumn
T-Favorite Treat?- sour patch kids...mmmmm!
U-Unknown Fact About Me?- i'm scared to fly! :( although i still prefer flying to driving long distances.
V-Vegetable? peas :)
W-Worse Habit?- leaving wet towels on the floor (i'm getting better though!)
Y-Your Favorite Food?- pizza and tacos
Z-Zodiac Sign?-Leo

I am Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Which Disney Princess Are You?