The Jackson's

3 weeks

2011-01-19T16:05:00.001-08:00

Avery is 3 weeks old today!

Introducing...

2011-01-09T11:58:00.001-08:00

One day new...

2011-01-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

Merry ChRiStMaS!

2010-12-23T09:41:00.001-08:00

Nursery

2010-12-16T09:52:00.001-08:00

The nursery is finished...now we just have to wait!

{13 more days!!!}

"Oody" the Reindeer

2010-12-11T12:45:00.001-08:00

Here's Max at the Build-A-Bear at the Gateway.

Here he is picking out his reindeer...
The girl who helped us was so nice and let Max help every step of the way....Max got to pick out a heart to put in the reindeer. Before putting it in he kissed it...sooo cute!!!After the reindeer was all stuffed we gave him a bath...
Max brushing him after his bath...
We thought we'd name the reindeer "Rudy"...

Max calls him "Oody" :)
When you press his ear or foot his nose lights up and he sings and talks...Max carries him around everywhere he goes!

Disney on Ice

2010-12-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

Max still LOVES Mickey Mouse! We took him to see Mickey & Minnie's Magical Adventures on Nov. 12th. He absolutely LOVED it! He clapped his hands and had the the biggest grin on his face throughout the entire show.

Baby Shower!

2010-12-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

My wonderful cousin, Lori, threw the sweetest baby shower for me on Nov. 13th.

It was so nice and I had the best time!

I wasn't able to get very many pictures

{mostly just food} ;).

It was great to be around my family and to celebrate the soon arrival of our new baby girl.

We are so excited!!!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-11T11:50:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year with Dave's family.

The food was delicious and we all ate WAY too much!

This is such a great time of the year.

We certainly are very blessed and have so much to be thankful for!

Fall/Halloween 2010

2010-12-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

Maui 2010

2010-11-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Summer 2010

2010-11-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

North Salt Lake Stake Carnival:

Dad was the cotton candy maker :)
HOGLE ZOO:

The giraffe's are Max's favorite!
Max with his Uncle Chaz

LION KING!

BEAR LAKE: Labor Day in Millcreek Canyon:
Mmmmm! The BEST dutch oven chicken & potatoes!
My cute parents :)

WILLOW ZOO in Logan:
Swimming on the 24th of July:
Max has to feed himself!

On my b-day we had a picnic at a fun park in Riverdale: Max was not happy about getting wet!
This is the cute outfit Max's great-grandma Armitt gave him for his b-day :)

4th of July 2010 in Alpine, WY:
Jackson Hole, WY We stayed at our friends cabin in Alpine, WY over the 4th of July.

We had a blast!

Max loved playing with Savannah :)

Family Picnic at the Harrisville Park:Weeeeeee!
Cute little cousins!Baby #2 is on the way!:
Max makes the big announcement to my family that he was going to be a big brother!

Law Day 5k:
(Also the day we found out I was pregnant!)

Max with his Great-Grandma Armitt from England.

I $ WinCo

2010-05-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Today was the Grand Opening for the new WinCo Foods store in Ogden. I don't typically go to grand openings, but I've been looking forward to WinCo opening so I thought I might as well be brave and go.

Besides having to park 2 blocks away, Max & I almost freezing to death while standing in the rediculously insane line to enter the store (1 hour), the crowd of about a gazillion people, the super long checkout line (40 min.) & having to bag my own groceries (while holding a screaming child), it was tons of fun ;)

On the brighter side: I scored some smokin' deals...

The loot:

(2 12-packs of Shasta Diet RootBeer & Creme Soda, 2 boxes of Capri Sun, 1 box of Gushers, 2 Betty Crocker cake mixes & 1 brownie mix, 1 bottle Kraft Italian dressing, 1 bag of Fritos, 1 bag of Cheetos, 1 box of Chicken Dino Bites, 1 lg. box Foster Farms Corn Dogs, 2 boxes Post Honey Bunches of Oats w/ Almonds, 1 General Mills box of Trix, 1 loaf Grandma Sycamore bread, 1 jar Ragu sauce, 1 12-pack double roll Cottonelle, 1 10lb. bag of potatoes, 1 med. block of Tillamook cheese, 4 cans of Green Giant corn, 6-pack of muffins, 2 packs Bar S bacon, 1/2 lb. container of strawberries, 4 avacados, 4 limes, 1 lemon, 4 vine tomatoes, green onions & a bottled water)

GRAND TOTAL: $31.55

Family Date Night!

2010-04-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Every Friday Dave and I "try" to have a date night. This Friday we thought we'd mix it up a little and go to a drive-in movie together as a family (yes, even Lilly!). It was fitting that the movie we saw was "Date Night" :) We had the best time & Max was such a good boy too! I think he thought it was pretty cool :)

Hogle Zoo

2010-04-17T14:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we spent the day at the Hogle Zoo.

Max liked looking at the animals.

He especially liked riding on the merry-go-round, feeding the ducks and the riding the train!

My favorite was the cute baby elephant :)

Dinosaur Park

2010-04-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoon we met up with Ali, Belle, Emmy & their friends at the

Ogden Dinosaur Park!I think Max & Emmy had the most fun playing in the sand than anything else!

Treehouse Museum

2010-04-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

We just got Max a membership to the Ogden Treehouse Children's Museum. Dave & I took him for the first time on Wednesday.

He LOVED it!

I LOVE it too because it gives us something fun to do during the day...plus it is so much fun to watch him play & explore!

{This bridge was one of the first things Max went to..he was too afraid to walk accross it so he would crawl. He spent a good 15-20 minutes just crawling back and forth accross the bridge!}
{This sheep moves it's head and makes noises which made Max a little nervous!}

Max's 1st Birthday Party!

2010-04-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Birthday Boy!

2010-04-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

1 year ago... One year ago I held my little boy in my arms for the first time. It's really hard to believe it's been 1 yr. since my angel came into this world. Max truly has been such a joy to me and I could not have asked for a sweeter baby. He has grown and developed so much over the past year! It's been incredible to watch his sweet little personality emerge and develop! Max has brought so much love and happiness into my life. We have such a special bond and I love him with all of my heart. I feel so blessed to be his mother.

I thought I would start a fun tradition in our family to have a "No Utensils Allowed Spaghetti Dinner" on each of our children's 1st Birthday!
So I covered our table with a plastic table cloth, dumped a pile of spaghetti & meatballs in the middle and we had at it!
It was so much fun & Max LOVED it :)

{Max was so happy when we sang Happy Birthday to him! Look at that cute smile!}{Yummy icecream cake!}{Haha-I love this face!}

2nd Cousins

2010-04-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

We were so happy when Ali, Belle & Emmy came to visit Max on his Birthday!

Emmy & Max are about 1 mo. apart :)

thoughts from max...

2010-04-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

Easter

2010-04-05T01:04:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter!
We had an amazing Easter Brunch with my family & Max got to hunt for eggs all around the house! He was really into it & it was so cute to watch him.

He just LOVES going to Grandpa & Grandma's house! He gets to play with new toys & best of all he gets to play "doodly-do" with Grandma :)

Brunch was so amazing, I had to post the pics & recipes:

HASH BROWN QUICHE

3 cups shredded hash browns
1/4 cup butter, melted
seasoning salt to taste
1 cup diced cooked ham (or sausage)
1/4 cup chopped saute'd onions

2 cup shredded cheddar
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Press hash browns onto the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie dish. Drizzle with melted butter, and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until beginning to brown. 3. In a small bowl, combine ham, onion and shredded cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and a little seasoning salt. When crust is ready, spread ham mixture on the bottom, then cover with egg mixture.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden brown.

BAKED FRENCH TOAST

1 1/2 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 dozen eggs
1 1/2 cup of half and half
1 loaf of cinnamon bread
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons of vanilla

1. In a sauce pan melt butter, honey, brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Pour into a 9 x 13 greased pan. Cube cinnamon bread and place on to top of mixture. Do not pat down bread cubes keep loose.
Mix together eggs, vanilla, half and half, pour over bread cubes. Cover pan put in refrigerator overnight. 2. In morning preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pan in oven and bake for 0ne hour. When finish baking cut into 12 servings. When you serve turn upside down so the melted mixture will run over the baked cinnamon cubes.

DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise, ¼ cup Light Mayo, 1/2 tsp. dry ground mustard
½ tsp. white vinegar, 1/8 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. ground black pepper and Paprika for garnish. Pop out the egg yolks into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs!

Max hunting for eggs:

We also got to visit with Dave's family. We had a delicious dinner & celebrated Kat's b-day.

Max got to do some more hunting :)

Easter Morning

2010-04-04T23:53:00.001-07:00

Well the Easter Bunny found his way to our house...Max was sooo excited when he woke up and saw his Easter basket!Max's first pair of cowboy boots :){What a stud!}

Easter Bunny & Coloring Eggs

2010-04-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon Dave and I thought it would be fun to take Max to see the Easter Bunny.

However, it didn't turn out to be as fun for Max as we had hoped. He was pretty afraid!

How could we blame him? When you think about it, it must be totally creepy from a little kid's point-of-view...an enormous furry bunny with a huge frozen grin...poor Max! The only good thing about the trip to see the Bunny was getting a balloon :)And as soon as the Bunny was out of view everything was all better :)EASTER EGG COLORING TIME!Max was a great little helper :)

Bejeweled Blog

2010-04-02T15:40:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to announce my new

"Bejeweled Bands & Baby Accessories"

blog!

http://bejeweledbands.blogspot.com/

This new blog features my handmade watch bands & faces, baby tutus, hair clips, bracelets & much more!

Everything listed is for sale, so if you see something you like email me at

BejeweledBands@yahoo.com

{Please keep checking back..there's lots more to come!!}

1st Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today Dave's work held an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. Max had a blast! He found 2 little Easter Bunny rubber duckies, a bunny whistle & bubbles!

Max's 1st Birthday Pictures

2010-03-27T11:17:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that my baby boy is just a few days away from his

FIRST BIRTHDAY!

He will turn 1 on April 8th.

{My how time flies!}

Christmas Elf

2009-12-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T11:18:00.001-08:00

ChRiStMaS crafts...

2009-12-21T10:48:00.001-08:00

McGarvey Family Christmas Party

2009-12-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday Dec. 19th was the annual

McGarvey Family Christmas Party.

We had so much fun!

We had a really yummy dinner followed by an "Amazing Race" Christmas game, the Nativity, a musical present game and last a white elephant exchange game.

I love getting together with my family!

(I wasn't able to get too many pictures, but I did get a picture of the Nativity and of Max eating a cup...)

Eggnog Spice Bundt Cake

2009-12-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Sugar & Spice

(and a carton of eggnog)

is So Nice!

1 box spice cake mix

1 box instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix

1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup light eggnog

1 egg

3 egg whites

Powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, oil, eggnog, egg and egg whites in a large bowl. Mix until creamy.

3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. When cool dust with powdered sugar. Serves 16.

CHRISTMAS is getting CLOSER!

2009-12-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

I have this Christmas snowglobe that Max LOVES!Of course he tries to EAT it!!!

SCARY CLAUS

2009-12-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

Max didn't know quite what to think of Jolly Old St. Nick....I don't think he liked it very much!
He liked RUDOLPH!
He couldn't stop staring at him!

Happy 2nd Birthday Brilee!

2009-12-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

Brilee's 2nd Birthday Party!

Brilee & Max

2009-12-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

Max's cousin Brilee is in town for Christmas!

They love eachother and they are so cute together :)

We went to the Build A Bear in the Layton Hills Mall for Brilee's 2nd birthday.

The kids had fun on the toys outside the store.

Max is 8 mo. old!

2009-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Our Max is the SWEETEST little boy in the world! He has such a fun and cute personality. It is such a blessing to be his mother! He is so smart and he amazes me everyday. I am so grateful that I can now stay at home with him. It's so fun to watch him grow.

Max is such a happy baby! He's even happy when he wakes up from his naps :)

Sometimes I'll hear him playing his little piano or with other toys so I'll peek in to see him smiling and jabbering away with his toys! When he see's me peeking through the door he'll stand up and hang on to his crib and patiently wait for me to pick him up...

It doesn't take much to entertain Max. He is obsessed with the vents in our house. He'll just sit in front of them and run his fingers over them over and over. When he's tired of one vent, he'll move on to the next!
My hair brush is one of Max's favorite toys...lol!SNUGGLY BEAR :) Max LOVES bathtime! When he hears the tub filling up with water he knows that it's bathtime! He'll splash around in the tub all day if I let him. He really hates getting out so I've learned that if I let him sit in the bath while the water drains out of the tub he'll watch the water drain and then when the tub is empty he'll look up at me like "Okay Mom, now I can get out".UTAH vs. BYU party at my parents.

Dave & Max after church in their matching blue dress shirts :)
Max is a great eater!
His favorites: sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, bananas, applesauce & pears.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-15T00:54:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving 2009!

My parents hosted my Mom's family this year.

Grandma McGarvey was there along with Grandpa & Grandma Sellers, Uncle Matt & Aunt Becky and their 4 daughters and Uncle Bart & Aunt Lori and their 4 boys and of course Mom, Dad, Chaz, Dave, Max and I. We sure did feel Parker's void and missed him terribly!

The feast was great & the company was even better! It's so fun to get together with family that you don't get to see very often.

I love this time of year when I get to reflect on all of the blessings I have in my life.

I certainly have so much to be thankful for!!!

{Max playing with his Grandma's tupperware :)}{We slept over the night before to help my mom bake...here is Dave sneaking some treats!}
{HAPPY THANKSGIVING!}{Great Grandma Sellers & Max}

MAUI 2009

2009-12-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

As an early Christmas gift my parents flew Dave & I to Maui for a week!

We had the time of our lives!!!

It was so nice to getaway~just the two of us!

Maui was absolute PARADISE and we had the most perfect vacation ever :)

We relaxed and soaked up the sun on the most beautiful beaches in the world!

We had so much fun snorkeling and we were even lucky enough to see sea turtles, reef sharks and 1,000's of exotic fish! One afternoon we took a boat ride out to a volcano crater called Molokini to snorkel. It felt crazy to be out in the middle of the ocean swimming!

We drove all over the island and did a lot of sight seeing which was really fun.

The restaurants were fabulous and the seafood was amazing! One of our favorite nights was when we ate dinner at a place called Mama's Fish House in Paia. We ate right on the beach and the scenery was breathtaking!

We are already saving our pennies so that we can go again ASAP!!!

Thanks so much Mom & Dad for the tickets :)

Scrub a dub dub...Max in the tub!

2009-11-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

MiCKEY MAX

2009-11-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009

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Trunk Or Treat

2009-11-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

~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

2009-10-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

GARDNER ViLLiAGE

2009-10-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-30T04:49:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-30T04:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

~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!

2009-09-22T10:19:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-09-22T10:11:00.001-07:00

Max loves playing with his toys...

...especially when Lilly plays with him!

They are best buds!

big boy

2009-09-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

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

sleepy boy

2009-09-22T10:03:00.001-07:00

...doesn't look very comfortable!

stinky!

2009-09-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

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

girl's night p.j. party

2009-09-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-05T15:05:00.001-07:00

RiCE CEREAL

2009-09-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

something smells fishy...

2009-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-08-05T17:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Rodeo

2009-07-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

The weather was HOT Sat.

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

CAMPING!

2009-07-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Batting Cages

2009-07-13T13:44:00.001-07:00

~Saturday at the batting cages~

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

Parental Supervision!

2009-07-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-07-10T10:58:00.001-07:00

mAx Is 3 MoNtHs OlD!

Get me outta here!

2009-07-10T10:17:00.001-07:00

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

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

Twins?

2009-07-10T10:05:00.001-07:00

Like FATHER like SON!!

Dave & Max look so much alike!!!

4th of July!

2009-07-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

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

{I think Max has his 1st crush!}

Fishing

2009-06-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

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 :)

2009-06-19T11:12:00.001-07:00

Max's 1st trip to the ZOO

2009-06-19T10:16:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Growing up....

2009-06-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

4 baby cousins

2009-05-28T14:24:00.001-07:00

Emmy: March 13th

Max: April 8th

Connor: April 10th

Paul: April 12th

St. George / Las Vegas / Memorial Day

2009-05-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

DON'T DO THIS:

Sweet Baby

2009-04-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

Fresh From Heaven.....

2009-04-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

SPRING is officially here!

2009-03-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

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

Not too much longer....

2009-03-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

OUR JEEP SOLD!!!

Jeep 4 Sale

2009-03-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

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!!

2009-03-13T14:53:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-03-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-02-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

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!!!!!!!!!!