Andrea and Tyler

The 3 Littles Turn the BIG 1!!!!

2012-02-05T20:00:00.005-07:00

I was warned. People said it would happen, but I just didn't believe them. I mean could a WHOLE year really go by quickly?? I didn't think so, but boy was I WRONG! The first year of parenthood was an absolute blur. Each of the babies have come so far...Tyler and I have come so far. I can honestly say this has been THE most challenging year of my life, but it has also been the most rewarding.

To think back on this year is kind of bitter sweet. They have gone from being in the NICU, looking like tiny little peanuts and barely able to finish a 1 ounce bottle, to strong, healthy, little goof ball 1 year olds!

There were times when I wanted to give up. There were times I lost my patience. There were times I needed to cry. There were times I felt discouraged. I was only able to make it through because the Lord gave me the capacity to endure each day, whatever came, and because I have the most wonderful partner in all of this...Tyler. He was born to be a daddy, and I could not be more thankful to have him as the father of my children. His patience is endless, his love is unconditional, and his service is given freely.

So in honor of our 3 little loves, here's some stats on each of them to bring you all up to date. :)

Emery-
Nickname: Sweet baby girl
Weight: 18 pounds
Favorite Toy/Activity: For their birthday, the kids got a stuffed rocking horse. Emery does NOT like animal toys that move or make sounds...she crawls in the opposite direction crying. Well, this rockin' rider does both- moves and sings a song. It took Tyler an HOUR to even get her to go near the thing, and another 20 minutes to get her to sit on it. FINALLY she started to ride the horse, and now loves it! She even does a little shoulder shimmy dance every time the song comes on. :)

Aiden-
Nickname: Bubbs
Weight: 18 pounds
Favorite toy/Activity: Aiden LOVES this little blanket that has a stuffed monkey attached to it! He carries it everywhere and even eats with it...SO cute!!

Landon-
Nickname: handsome BubbaLou
Weight: 21 pounds
Favorite toy/activity: Landon loves Legos...he loves chewing on them, slobbering all over them...everything! Tyler will build him some sort of structure and then for like 20 minutes Landon will pull off each Lego until it's completely destroyed. I gotta say, I'm a fan too...it keeps him occupied and out of trouble! :)

Here are some pictures from their "Survivor" themed 1st birthday party:

I made onesies for each of the kids that said Survivor #1, Survivor #2, Survivor #3

I made Tyler and I both shirts that said, "I survived..." on the front, and "our triplets' first year", on the back. Each kid had their own little cake, plus I made a big one that said "We Survived". For a decoration, we taped up a bunch of pictures chronicling their first year.

Each of the the birthday kids with their crown...

Cake is YUMMY!!

Enjoying their birthday presents from Grandma!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

We spent Christmas in Oregon this year with Andrea's family. We had a blast and it was great to see everyone. Here are some of the highlights.

Before we went to Oregon, Santa made a special early trip to our house. The kids were more interested in eating the wrapping paper than opening up.

The kids got to spend lots of quality time with the aunties and uncles.

Uncle Kevin and Aunt Tara have a chocolate shop in Oregon. The kids got their first taste of chocolate. They loved it; looks like we will have make Coastal Mist a frequent stop when we head to Oregon.

The kids' cousin got a new baby stroller and Landon was pretty interested in. Well we stood him behind it and he walks! Not very happily, but he walks!

Some more pics with family.

We had a great time! We love you grandma and grandpa!

The week from you-know-where...

2011-11-13T19:34:00.002-07:00

Sigh...what a WEEK!!! Actually, it's been more like 3 weeks, but this one in particular was a doozy. For three weeks now the babies have been fighting off a seriously nasty cold, and this past week they ALL entered the phase of throwing up and major diaper blow outs. Now let me put this disclaimer out there: I'm not posting this looking for sympathy or to throw a pity party; I know we are not the only people to have a bundle of kiddos crawling around. But can someone please explain to me how SO MUCH goo and grossness can come out of such little noses, mouths, and bums?!?!? I mean it was like a never ending supply of gnarly!!

It all started off deceivingly slow, with the attack only centered on one baby, to which I thought "I can handle this." However by Wednesday I changed ELEVEN diaper blowouts between the hours of 9am and 1pm, and had given around 15 baths in 2 days. And don't even get me started on the number of loads of laundry...I shudder to think what our water bill will be this month... Thank goodness Tyler has a job that allows him to work from home, because I definitely needed help that day!

Friday we experienced a group throw up session. We THOUGHT the babies were on the mend so we cut up some bananas and gave them each a chunk. Within seconds, LITERALLY, of swallowing their chunk of banana they ALL threw up...twice...It was like a scene from a movie where one person throws up, causing a chain reaction of everyone else throwing up. It was so sad!

But even though we had constant chaos this week, I learned a lot. First, I discovered that humor is the best way to get through a challenge. Did I want to huddle in a corner and cry sometimes? Absolutely. But instead I decided to laugh my way through. Second, I re-discovered how wonderful my husband is. Truly he is the most patient person I know. He never once got upset at the kids or me and was there for me 100% when I needed him. And third, with the Lord's help you can get through anything. I have learned more this year than any other time that the Lord truly gives you the strength, courage, motivation, and endurance to handle your current situations, however big, or in my case, however gross, they may be. :)

So here's to a new and hopefully healthier week!! :)

Just call me the nap time crafter...

2011-10-23T20:03:00.002-06:00

Nap time and bed time...I don't think anyone fully explained the AWESOMENESS of these two times of day!! The house is quiet...I can do whatever I want, or do nothing at all...I can actually think straight!!! Now to be honest, nap time usually consists of me running around trying to cram as many chores as I can in to a 1 or 2 hour time frame, and once 8 o'clock hits I'm in my pj's faster than you can say pajamas...but every once in awhile I get to sneak a crafting project in. Crafting, for me, is an outlet, a relaxation, a refuge in the midst of my chaotic life. I love it. So I just thought I'd post a few things that I have done in the last month or so.

*Disclaimer: I am by NO means a photographer...so to all of my super talented photography friends, please don't shudder at my improper use of lighting, color, composition or whatever else I did wrong in the pictures! :)

This frame was a labor of love...ripped book pages, twisted on the end of a pen and then hot glued in place. A bit time consuming, but fun!

These BOO blocks ended up being a bit more "Batmanish" than I had intended, but oh well!

I loved making these mummies! SO EASY! Wood blocks painted white, wrapped in strips of cheese cloth and then hot glued some googly eyes on! And the banner literally took me 15 minutes to throw together. Amazing what you can do with scrapbook paper scraps and some wire!

Put 'em all together, and this is what I ended up with! Actually the flowers got replaced with a Halloween candy bouquet...I just forgot to take a picture of it...

Happy nap time everyone! :)

Too many pictures for one post

2011-09-18T21:22:00.000-06:00

Just some fun pictures from the last month or so. Put on your patience pants now.

Aiden is crawling everywhere now. He also loves to climb on everything.

Landon, too, gets around plenty.

The weather turned cooler for about a week. Dad, here, went for warmth, not particularly fashion.

A sleepy Bubs.

Grandma bought Emmy a new pink tutu. Never was there a happier girl.

A rare shot of "The Beast" with his prey in his mouth.

That's right... Stairs! We're pretty sure Aiden is teaching Landon how to "do it".

After stairs became off-limits, all three tried their best to get through. Yes, Emery is eating the gate...

Handsome helping Mommy with her phone.

Mister demonstrating his new climbing abilities in the crib.

Little Miss could be a baby product model for Exer-saucers.

Aiden leading Landon into trouble once more. There are three "no-nos" in this picture; did you spot them? No playing with outlets! No standing in your seat! Only one baby per seat!

Landon likes to climb on the chairs. He climbed on the swing chair, then proceeded to rock himself to sleep.

Three super-good walking companions.

Beautiful Little Miss.

Curious Aiden. Once again the fashion choice (stripes on stripes) must have been Dad.

Mister's new tooth.

Em's new do.

Aiden so happy to have Mom take his picture.

Curiosity

2011-09-04T20:50:00.001-06:00

Our Garden

2011-08-26T06:33:00.000-06:00

This was our first year really trying to grow a garden. So far it has gone pretty well. We planted tomatoes (cherry, cluster, and "normal" ones), onions (green and yellow), peppers (bell and jalapeno), watermelon, red potatoes, pumpkins, squash, cucumber, and carrots; all from seed.

I can quickly declare that the peppers, cucumbers, and squash were a bust. The jury is still out on the onions. They just aren't growing as big as they should. I've also learned that tomato plants need to be spaced more than I spaced them.

Watermelons are also coming in nicely. We have successfully grown two! The one below is the second, we are just waiting for it to reach peak ripeness! Delicious.

Our red potatoes were also fantastic! I will be growing a lot more of those next year.

Our pumpkins are just starting to grow; I have a feeling it is too late to get any substantial size out of them, but I think I have some better tips on getting them going better next year.

The tomatoes were the biggest success. We have more tomatoes than we can handle.

Miscellaneous

2011-08-24T06:22:00.001-06:00

Our back fence faces a street in our neighborhood (no neighbors directly behind us). Last weekend, hoodlums (or one hoodlum) decided to tag ours and our seven neighbors' fences to make a statement in graffiti. The only thing we can't figure out, is why.

Also last week I went to check our bank account and noticed 4 pending charges for about $80 from some location in China. I quickly called the bank to cancel our card. Only one of the charges actually went through (working on fighting that). A few days later we got a package in the mail from China. You'll never believe what it was...

What the heck! Who used our card to buy a $20 dollar Pokemon card (declared value of the card on the shipping package) and then ship it from China in about 4 days (for a $60 shipping cost). This perhaps is a bigger mystery than the time I randomly started getting a Backpacker magazine subscription for free.

Also, Grandma and Grandpa are here this week to visit some babies!

Six Months Old

2011-08-02T20:18:00.003-06:00

Let's just pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that we all made it six months with triplets.

For me the pregnancy was a big time of worry about what could go wrong. Our second doctors appointment (after we had found out they were triplets) was at the Perinatal Center. A "substitute" doctor was there (our doctor was out of the office that day). He just went down the list of all the risks of a high order multiples birth. His suggestion at the end was to think about terminating one to help the others have a better chance of survival. Of course, we would never do such a thing and I thought of a scripture that Andrea referred to in a talk a few weeks earlier; "I know that he [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." With all the risks of the pregancy, we were willing to trust in the Lord, even if we had a disabled/developmentally challenged child; even if they were born prematurely and had problems because of that; even if we lost one or all of the babies. We were blessed to be pregnant with triplets, we didn't (and don't) know why; but we know we have God's love and support. Whatever happened would be in God's hands and we would be blessed no matter what.

Making it to six months has not been an easy go. But in the last few weeks it has gotten easier... no more middle of the night feedings, no more hour long feedings sessions every 3 hours, no more slow flow bottle nipples (hello fast flow!).

It is also getting more difficult... no more putting three babies in one place and finding them in the exact same spot they were placed in, babies are now eating rice cereal (or refusing to eat rice cereal), the babies will find and chew on anything left on the ground. The babies are getting bigger, it is amazing to see how much they have grown since their 4 - 5 pound birth weight. They are, however, still small for their age. For the most part they still fit into their 3 month clothes, but they can also where 6 month clothes.

Overall the process of raising triplets has been extremely rewarding. Let's face it, our kids are beautiful. We are at the point where we are surrounded with triple the baby tickles and giggles. It is also great to see them progressing. All three are on the point of crawling. Emery has the army crawl down and can chase down any toy she wants (including toys her brothers are playing with). She knows to get her legs under her, but hasn't worked out the arm part yet. Landon will typically roll to anywhere he needs to get. He can also work out the army crawl if need be. Aiden is dangerous. He will be crawling any day now. He will get his legs and arms under him and then rock back and forth as if to taunt Mom and Dad. So let the great baby proofing begin!

I compiled some clips to show what our kids have been up to. Enjoy! Also I updated the kid's pages above.

Silly Monkey

2011-06-29T20:57:00.001-06:00

I'm impressed with Emery's coping skills. We did not give her a pacifier. Most kids suck their thumb not our girl, this is how she coped.

Harold

2011-06-26T21:04:00.000-06:00

My brother-in-law pointed this out to us a month ago. Sure looks like it to me!
Harold and the Purple Crayon

Sleeping like a Baby

2011-06-11T18:54:00.000-06:00

So this is what it means...

Poor Blind Baby

2011-05-25T06:37:00.000-06:00

Many months ago when the babies were first born Andrea told me that she was concerned that Landon was blind. At the time the concern appeared a little justified, he didn't focus on anything and didn't seem to see as the other two (this is likely the downside of having triplets, we probably compare their progress too much). Fast forward a few months, as far as we can tell Landon can see just fine. We do like to make it a little joke between us and we often refer to our poor blind baby.

Last night Andrea expressed her concern over Emery's being deaf. We argued back and forth a little about her being deaf. I then called Emery's name. Emery, who was turned away from me at the moment, turned her head and looked right at me. It was hilarious! Thanks baby girl! Not only can she hear, I think she recognizes her name.

And now for a silly picture. B-b-b-b-b-benny and the Jets! (Sorry for the fuzzy pic, it came from a video)

A Cold, Wet Wipe to the Bum

2011-05-18T21:27:00.000-06:00

Our kids are not good eaters. Which if there were one baby wouldn't be a big problem. We have three. We were extremely blessed to have three healthy babies born. They had no health issues. However, they spent almost two weeks in the NICU because they did not have the stamina to take a full feeding. Once they got that down we got to take them home.

This past week feels like we have revert back to them taking forever to eat. Should it take an hour to eat 5.5 ounces of milk/formula? I laugh sometimes and think that feeding triplets should be kind of challenge on a reality TV show. (Here are triplets, three 5.5 ounce bottles, you have an hour, good luck.)

Aiden - Our wild child. When hungry enough he can down a bottle in no time. I laugh when we get the bottle nipple close to his mouth because he will shake his head around trying to get the bottle into his mouth. He will also tire very easily and fall asleep. His latest thing is screaming after he gets burped, which according to the pediatrician is some reflux. The screaming was very frustrating, because it took a while to calm down before he would eat. We did get some medicine that has helped significantly.

Emery - Slowest eater on the planet. She appears to be more of a social eater. She likes to know what is going on around her and her head will move all over the place to see what else is going on. So feeding her at church is always an adventure. She takes a few sucks, pauses, looks around, takes a few more sucks, pauses, looks around... So extremely frustrating. Worst of all she just won't eat sometimes, unless she is held in the most ridiculous position. Oddly, the position is also a favorite for Aiden to due to his reflux issues.

Hand under one thigh; other leg hanging free; belly to belly; head thrown as far back as possible; I don't know why, but it works.

Landon - Best eater of the bunch. In the NICU, Landon was easily the worst eater. We used to call him Lazy Landon. Now he can down the whole bottle in 10 minutes if left on his own. He can also throw everything up in 1 second. Landon has to be burped often to prevent him losing his lunch. Depending on the day will burp easily or take forever to burp. Lately it is the later. If he does not burp, he does not continue to eat, unless you want to wear it.

The biggest problem is the kids falling asleep while eating. It would be funny for someone to watch a feeding and all we have to do to keep them awake. These kids are far beyond being helped by tickles or back scratches. Blowing raspberries with our lips seems to wake them up for seconds get a few sucks in and then it is back to sleep. The best tactic is a wet wipe on a bare bum. Changing diapers works wonders to get them back on track to finishing their bottle.

I posted a video below on how a single person feeds triplets at the same time. Yes we prop the bottles. Don't judge unless you too have triplets. The second part of the video shows some amazing bottle straws that Andrea's mom found. They work pretty well, but right now the kids are pretty good at pushing out the nipples with their tongues so not terribly effective for the time being.

Before I was a mom...

2011-05-07T15:17:00.002-06:00

Before I was a mom:

I had never been pooped on, spit up on, peed on or drooled on.

Before I was a mom:

I didn't know what sleep deprivation was.

Before I was a mom:

I had more places to get dressed up for than just going to the pediatrician's office.

Before I was a mom:

I wore makeup almost everyday, and only wore pajamas to bed...

Before I was a mom:

I could just pick up and go, and not pack a million things for a diaper bag.

Before I was a mom:

I had a clean house...

Before I was a mom:

I never knew how precious a sleeping baby was.

Before I was a mom:

I never knew how calming a crying child could make you feel like a rock star.

Before I was a mom:

I never knew you could squeal with joy at the sight of your babies smiling

Before I was a mom:

I didn't know you could cry just holding your baby(ies)

Before I was a mom:

I didn't really get the eternal perspective

Before I was a mom:

I never knew you could love 3 babies more than you could love anything else in the world.

To all of the amazing women in my life Happy Mother's day!!

Life With Triplets

2011-04-19T18:57:00.000-06:00

3 Babies

21 bottles a day

94.5 oz of milk

42 oz breast milk

52.5 oz formula

30 min avg feeding and diaper change time per baby (they are improving)

7 feedings a day

8 binkis (4 green, 2 blue, 2 pink)

Binkis on hand - always one short

5 current rooms in house with a binki

27 diapers (minimum)

21 wet

6 poopy

2 strollers (triple wide, the hummer; triple long, the limo)

4 car seats

2 diaper bags

1 new van

8 stairs up from living room to nursery

13 stairs up from the family room to the nursery

trips up and down for binki replacement... no more binkis...

3 cribs

3 pack and plays

3 bouncy seats

1 swing

3 high chairs

2 exer-saucers

1 amazing wife

Oh the places you'll go...

2011-04-18T16:39:00.005-06:00

So this month has been a month of experimenting with the babies...mostly to see if we CAN actually take them places and maintain our sanity. So far, so good! We have "successfully" made runs to the mall, Costco, Garden of the Gods, out for walks, and most recently, Cafe Rio. Now, I put successfully in quotations because yes, we made it to our destinations and back home unscathed...however, did we get anything accomplished on our trips? Not so much... To illustrate what I mean, here's a recap of each of our ventures:

The mall: this was my very first outing with the babies. To get the kids loaded into their car seats, put into the cars, rigging up the stroller, taking babies out of car seats and into the stroller took about 30 minutes...no joke...Upon entering the mall a very pregnant lady approached me and exclaimed "OH MY GOSH!! I'm freaking out with one, and you have THREE!!!" Then later as I passed her with the babies she very loudly said to the person she was talking to "Look there she is...look at all of them!!!" Umm...I'm not a circus freak lady, sheesh!!

Costco: This time I was with Tyler. We loaded two babies in one cart and one baby in a second cart and away we went. Some of the comments? "Geez, how many kids do you HAVE??" "We just thought you were going cart crazy until I saw all of the babies!!" "You guys have babies in bulk and you buy in bulk" (good one...) In the check out line the lady helping the cashier started peeking into their car seats and touching the babies without asking!!! Umm...excuse me...I don't know who you are lady!!!

Garden of the Gods: Outside with triplets...in the wind...trying to feed three babies...with cold milk...and LOTS of people staring...Enough said.

Cafe Rio: The second we walked in the door we heard a wave of whispers spread across the restaurant and then it seemed as though they all gasped in unison as we tried to make our way to a table. OF COURSE the only open table big enough for us was in the FAR back. So Tyler and I made our way through the crowds, three car seats in tow with lots of staring along the way.

Out for walks: We now have 2 triplet strollers which we affectionately refer to as the hummer stroller and the limo stroller. The hummer seats the babies across, so it resembles something like roller coaster seating. The limo puts them in single file. On our first venture out with the limo, a lady nearly crashed her car she was staring so hard- not even exaggerating!!

Church: Happens to be the easiest place to take them :) This week was the first that we attempted to stay all three hours. We did so successfully (by skipping Sunday School for a mid-church feeding). The Relief Society sisters were extremely helpful with the triplets, and we were able to track all of them down after church :) On a side note don't they look amazing for church! Landon and Aiden are sporting the latest in fashion with their iron on ties. And Emery is too beautiful to miss.

So what is the moral of the story here?? We are a walking circus everywhere we go, but the babies are good troopers for putting up with it!

One month older...but wiser too?

2011-02-27T17:03:00.012-07:00

Yesterday the babies rang in their one month birthday- Wahoo! We haven't broken them yet! :) In their one month they have grown so much and come so far...but I'm not sure Tyler and I are any wiser. We still stumble around trying to figure out what our groove will be, but we have fun while doing it!

So in honor of their one month mark, here's some stats on each member of our family:

Tyler- In my last post I reported that Tyler had been searching for missing babies in his sleep. Well...the search continues...every night!! I am now accustomed to waking up finding Tyler hovering over the bed looking for a baby, diapering a baby, or laying a baby down in their crib. At first I would try to wake him up, but I quickly learned it was a lost cause. He has also been known to wander the house in the middle of the night taking a baby inventory- we have lots of babies to keep track of!

Me- I am continuing my C-section recovery, although having 3 babies at home forces you to recover sooner than normal! My days are filled with feeding the babies, changing the babies, soothing the babies, and repeating the cycle over and over. Occasionally I get out, and when I do it feels weird to not have them with me. Life is crazy and busy, but lots of fun too!

Grandparents- What can I say except they are the BEST. We have been so grateful to have them stay with us, helping us more than I can even say. They take the graveyard shift for feedings so Tyler and I can get sleep...needless to say they are walking zombies and have a few more gray hairs because of it! :)

Landon (a.k.a Chunka Munk)- He is now over 7 pounds and just as cute as can be! He has squishy cheeks perfect for smooches! Landon has a warning cry that he gives before the real screaming begins- so at least we can be prepared for the storm! He eats pretty good, though sometimes he likes to spit the milk out with a raspberry or two...good times...

Coming home from the hospital

Newborn shorts that fit like pants- they're huge!

Aiden (a.k.a Crankasaurus rex)- Our mighty little man is now over 5 pounds! He's a champ, but boy this kid DOES NOT like to be naked!!! EVERY time his diaper is changed he SCREAMS bloody murder...until the whole process is over. Not so much fun when it's 3 in the morning. He has a designated cranky time, usually around 6 and it lasts for about an hour. BUT he is the snuggler of the bunch and I cherish the time I get to hold him.

First one home from the hospital!

I'm small, I know...

Brothers...

Emery (a.k.a Sweet baby girl)- She is such a good natured baby, only crying when something is really bugging her. She is our champion eater, often eating her two brothers under the table! My favorite thing she does is this sort of half giggle when she moves around or is getting burped. She's a daddy's girl for sure, and she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Not tights on her head- it's her cute hat!

Snuggles with mommy- Emery and Landon

We are incredibly thankful for our little miracles. We love them so, and look forward to many more birthdays and milestones! :)

Just because this one makes me laugh- behold our future picture taking endeavors! :)

I'm already "People of Wal-Mart" worthy...ugh...

2011-02-11T08:17:00.002-07:00

So, this past week we have officially welcomed all three of the babies home! Yay! It's pretty much a non-stop feeding and diaper changing party around here! (No joke!) When we stumble into the nursery at the midnight and 3 a.m. feedings, it's a bit of comedy of errors. So far I have witnessed Tyler (in his sleep) desperately trying to find a baby he lost in a sea of blankets. I quickly had to remind him he was sleeping, and NOT holding a baby- pretty funny if you ask me! We have swaddled one of our boys (repeatedly, but on accident) in a pink frilly blanket, and then proceeded to give him a pink pacifier (that one can be blamed on daddy- he swore he thought it was blue!) :) Needless to say the Young household is a *bit* sleep deprived! If our babies survive their first year, it'll be a miracle! :) If you're ever bored in the middle of the night stop on by and witness the comedic action! :)

Moving on... on a more sad note, I have only been a mom for a little over two weeks, and I already look like I belong on the website "people of Wal-Mart." So sad but true...the other day I was able to sneak into the grocery store for some errands and I quickly realized how horrid I looked!! Poor people who had to witness that... My hair was sticking out in a million different directions, I was wearing my glasses from like 10 years ago, I didn't have a stitch of makeup on, and to top it off i was sportin' my pj's. YIKES!!! The fun has truly begun...now I just hope that SOME day I'll be able to wear a normal outfit or put some makeup on and join the land of the living! :) Cheers to being a mom, the hardest, but best job I could ever have!! :)

The best things in life come in threes!

2011-01-31T20:31:00.004-07:00

Well it's official, the Young babies have made their way into the world! Every woman has a unique and beautiful birthing story, and I would like to share mine with the world.

Our crazy week began with a Dr. appointment on Monday. Previous to this, my body had taken a turn for the worse. I was swollen beyond belief, with my legs resembling something like tree trunks...no joke! I was nauseous most of the time, and I definitely felt the pull of the 16 pound baby weight. Needless to say I was miserable. So on Monday I went for my regular check up, and I jokingly bribed my doctor to take the babies out- including being willing to name a baby after him. But to no avail, he just wouldn't listen!! However, the staff was concerned about my physical deterioration, so they ran some tests to check my overall health. Turns out I had developed PIH- pregnancy induced hypertension, which can be scary for mom and baby (or in my case, babies). SO within 5 minutes of getting the tests back my doctor asked very slyly "you wanna have some babies on Wednesday?" My reaction: *cough, cough* "what???" I didn't really expect my wish to come true, and reality sunk in. But for the safety of my babies and for myself I gladly accepted the offer to deliver on Wednesday.

**Skip to Wednesday morning**
The day started off BRIGHT and EARLY...5 a.m early!!! In order to do the pre-op stuff I had to be there hours early...just enough to drive me nuts with some serious nervousness!! During the 3+ hours of surgery prep, I was stripped and robed, poked and prodded with various needles, and had LOTS of information thrown at me ( yeah, like I'm gonna remember all that info!!) Finally at about 8:45 they walked me into the operating room, and it was go time!!! The operating room was freezing...I felt like I was walking into an icy death!! And then the epidural came... They promised me I wouldn't feel anything...they lied... I have 6 bruises on my back from 6 different attempts at the epidural!!! I'm just gonna chalk that one up to a birthing battle wound, and not think bad thoughts of the anesthesiologist!!

Moving on...after I felt my legs go absolutely numb, I was positioned on the table and the fun began! Within three minutes of the C-section beginning, the doctor leaned over the curtain and said "there's no turning back, I'm starting to pull babies!!" Within 2 minutes all three of the babies were out- Emery being the first. I heard their precious cries for the first time, and I instantly felt my own tears. Unfortunately I couldn't see the babies right away because the curtain covering my belly was in the way. But my husband rushed over and took the first pictures of our little miracles. One by one the nurses introduced me to my babies (still weird to consider myself a mom!) It was instant love. I have never seen something so beautiful as my babies looking at me for the first time (and probably wondering what the heck jut happened). Such a sacred experience...enough said.

After some stitching up I was sent up to recovery, and that's where I stand now. Even though I'm not pregnant anymore I still feel like a 95 year old woman walking around...recovery is rough! Tyler and I spend as much time at the NICU as we can...what can we say, we're in love with our sweet babies! Each day is a miracle and we could not be more grateful for the safe and healthy arrival of Emery, Aiden, and Landon.

To all of our amazing friends and family who have been our cheerleaders from the beginning, we are truly indebted to you, and we love you. We are excited to start this new journey, but we are also aware of how crazy it will be. SOMEhow we will get through it all, and will try to keep smiling no matter what.

So without further ado, let us introduce you to our new arrivals:

Nursery!

2011-01-16T07:13:00.013-07:00

The great makeover of the nursery is complete! This room was not the ugliest when we moved in (the master bedroom was so gross looking, we had to repaint it before we could sleep in it), but it came in a close second. Gross wood paneling on the wall, very dirty looking ceiling, ugly yellow paint. A few months and a lot of paint later, we have a beautiful (crowded nursery). Check out the before and after below.

Before:

The day nesting began... 2 days after we found out we were pregnant.

After:

Special thanks to all those who helped make out nursery beautiful. We feel very loved by family and friends!

In other news
The cankles have come!

Mt. Everest has nothin' on me!!!

2010-12-21T17:02:00.004-07:00

Alright so I have SLOWLY been coming to terms with the fact that my pregnant belly is no ordinary belly. Sometimes it even seems beyond human...and I still have time left in my pregnancy!! I started out not showing much, then eventually I carried a bump, which gradually turned into a hill, that now has become a mountain!!!! So I will from now on refer to my belly as Mt. Triplets, and update you with some stats.

As of yesterday three babies still occupy the space, and they have grown and grown!! Their combined total weight is 10 pounds, 2 ounces...yep you heard right, over TEN pounds!!! My doctor wants me to shoot for mid January or later for a due date, and I nearly laughed in his face! By then the babies should weigh 4-6 pounds EACH, which means I'd be carrying around 12-18 pounds of baby!!! Don't get me wrong, all I want is for my babies to be healthy and strong, it's just a lot to swallow when I think about being pregnant for another 4-6 weeks. I told my husband I'll do what I can but don't expect me to have a cheery disposition come mid January!! :) All I can say is that the Lord has truly been by my side through all of this, and I just pray to be able to finish it through.

So without further ado, here's the latest mountain shot...do not be alarmed or adjust your computer, you are seeing the actual thing!! :)

Christmas favorites!

2010-12-04T08:49:00.002-07:00

Yay for the Christmas season now officially on! Ok, in our house we've been silently celebrating since before Thanksgiving, but now I can rejoice openly. :) I LOVE the Christmas season (well most of it anyway). I don't particularly love the rush of the shopping crowds or the greediness of some, but I love the warm fuzzies I get when I think about being with family and friends, baking up a storm, doing service, and of course the birth of the Savior. This December is quite different from other years for me, given the fact that I don't move around much anymore. It's actually been a great blessing to HAVE to slow down and really think about stuff. So while there can be some negatives to the holiday season, I just wanted to share a few of my favorites around this time of year.

1. Family traditions- LOVE them! My family is big on Christmas traditions and 2 of my favorites are the Christmas Eve feast and slumber party. Our main meal doesn't come on Christmas day...we do a HUGE buffet on Christmas Eve night featuring a favorite food from each of the family members. It is a pretty random menu consisting of pizza, homemade chicken nuggets, lettuce wraps, chips and dip, and sparkling cider- just to name a few. We stuff ourselves silly and enjoy every minute of it!
When we were younger every year on Christmas Eve after the meal was through, all of my siblings and I would have a big slumber party, sleeping in the same room together laughing our faces off reminiscing about the stupid stuff we had done over the years. Such a blast, and a tradition I definitely want to keep in our family.

2. Christmas music- Do I love the Chipmunk carols, or the unfortunate cover songs from boy bands? Not so much...I did however grow up on Manheim Steamroller, which we would decorate the Christmas tree to each year. While some may mock the synthesizer cheesiness ( I know, it is pretty cheesy) it still puts me in the Christmas mood and reminds me of my mom.

3.The lights- I love the soft glow of Christmas lights at night, and one of my favorite holiday activities is to drive around town looking at different lit up houses. It just makes me happy.

4. The baking- I know that with every goodie plate we receive, most of us think about how much those calories will add to our hips or thighs, but I love baking for Christmas and sending plates of deliciousness off to people. In my opinion, every goodie plate is a plate of love given to someone to let them know they have been thought of.

5. The service- Christmas brings out the charity and service in people; I love that. We go through lots of bad junk in life, but around this time, even in the worst circumstances, people are willing to serve and to be served.

6. The birth of the Savior- while I have listed a bunch of silly stuff, I never forget what the true meaning of Christmas is. I have SO much to be thankful for this year, including my belief in Jesus Christ.

Do you have Christmas favorites or traditions?!

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

These are a few of my gratitude things

2010-11-14T19:12:00.002-07:00

Well in the spirit of the month of Thanksgiving, I thought I would get on the band wagon and share just a few of the things I'm thankful for. They aren't in any particular order, really, just what came to my mind.

1. FAMILY! I have, in my opinion, the funniest, craziest, most lovable family in the world! Some of my favorite times in life is when we are all gathered together reminiscing about the stupid stuff we did as kids, and the pure torture we put our parents through. There is just something so comforting about being surrounded by the ones you love.

2. FRIENDS! I have been so incredibly blessed with amazing friendships with people I absolutely adore. Some are from high school, some from work, and so so many from our church. To all of you I am blessed to know and call my friend, thank you for putting up with my craziness and for the never ending support you have given me.

3. HUSBAND! I never in a million years thought I would get married- truly I didn't. I was the shy girl who lacked the confidence to put myself out there. But I have found my best friend, and my strength. Tyler is the biggest nerd I know, but he balances out my crazy, worry driven, over analytical self, and for that I am truly grateful.

4. CARBOHYDRATES! Random, I know, but there is something about the fall and winter weather that makes me appreciate the deliciousness of all things carbohydrate. Some of my favorites include banana bread, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, cookies, funfetti cake with sprinkles, rice krispy treats, and home made bread fresh out of the oven. YUMMO!!

5. MUSIC! One of my favorite things to do is dance. My groove has been thrown off since becoming pregnant (mostly I just look like an Umpa Loompa if I try to bust a move) so I miss dancing in the kitchen or in front of the mirror when getting ready. But I can tell you that's the first thing to come back once these babies are out! :)

6. BABIES! Our world was significantly rocked a few months ago with the news of triplets, but I cannot tell you how incredibly grateful I am to welcome these little guys in to our family. I am positive Tyler and I will be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, but I gotta admit I'm anxious to see how everything turns out. What will they look like? What will their little personalities be? Pondering things like that makes me smile and somehow makes the stress of it all disappear for a minute.

Alright, I've rambled enough. This is definitely not a complete list, but just what has been on my mind lately. Happy thanksgiving month everyone! :)

Baby Face

2010-10-25T19:58:00.004-06:00

Pregnancy update. The babies are growing like champs! We had another visit to the doctor today. We are at week 22 and 2 days into the pregnancy. The doctor says the babies are measuring at about 22 weeks and 5 days! So everything continues to go well. Andrea can tell you it is a lot of work and not getting easier. She is doing an amazing job.

We got some great pictures of the babies at this visit. So without further ado...

Introducing Landon!
Here he is being very sweet and possibly eating his hand. I don't know who taught him the bird...

Baby boy Aiden!
Aiden didn't position himself very well for a 3D look at him but we got a good picture of him blowing a kiss. He may look cute, but Andrea says he likes to do the "soft shoe" on her bladder.

Last but not least... Emery!
How sweet is she! She is just peacefully sleeping.

This is what 22 weeks looks like...a BIT more than a bump, no?

We're Having...

2010-09-28T21:01:00.007-06:00

2 Boys and a Girl!!

We are so excited. On Monday we went for a very long ultrasound. Everything turned out well, Mom and babies are doing well, so thanks for your prayers!

They recorded the full ultrasound on a DVD for us. The full thing is almost an hour long, but the first few minutes we're just a quick check of the babies and listening to the heart beats. I pulled that out and posted below, take a peak if you like. Baby A is our girl. Babies B and C are the boys. In the upper left hand the sonographer types some messages, but always indicates what baby you are looking at. Probably not the best quality, but see what you can.

Gotta love pure honesty...

2010-09-23T12:09:00.003-06:00

I just got back from visiting my family in Oregon ( I figured I had better do it before I get GI-NORMOUS). It was a great trip, and I loved spending time with my crazy family. Well, yesterday was my first day back to work and one of the little 2nd graders came up to me and asked "Ms. Andrea...umm...why are you bigger?" To which I replied, "well, I'm bigger because I'm pregnant...with 3 babies." And the little girl, rather surprised exclaimed, "Ewww.... why 3 babies???" I had to laugh, it was just too funny!! I told her that that was how things happened, and she again said "ewww...3 babies, that's too many!!" Gotta love the honesty of a 2nd grader... :0)

And yes, the evolution of the belly bump has begun! I went to Oregon showing a little bit, and came back really pregnant!! Oh and by the way, no one ever told me that along with your belly, your butt, hips and ankles become pregnant too!!! Yet another fun pregnancy surprise! :) I'll take it though, these little miracles are worth it!

And now the rest of the story...

2010-08-13T18:45:00.003-06:00

So a little while ago we posted of our wonderful news of becoming pregnant...well...our world has been rocked again at the news we are having not one, not two, but THREE babies!!! Yep, you read that right- Triplets!! Holy Cow?!?!

Our journey to becoming pregnant has been a long time coming, so let me explain. Tyler and I made the decision shortly after we were married to start our family. We eagerly anticipated good news for months, but unfortunately it never came. A few months turned into a year, and a year turned into two with still no luck. After many tearful nights of discouragement, disappointment, and confusion, we decided it was time to seek medical help. We found a fertility clinic that fit our needs and after several appointments of pokes, prods, and tests we did a simple, painless procedure...and it worked three times over!!!

We consider these babies to be the greatest miracle, and are so grateful that the Lord has entrusted us (the two biggest nerds around!) with this awesome responsibility. Don't get me wrong, we (mostly me) have had our freak out moments, but we have full faith that the Lord will get us through the tough times. We have been so incredibly blessed in the last couple months, and would like to thank all of our friends and family who have supported us, prayed for us, and loved us. We could not get through this without you!

We know that triplets come with their own trials and struggles. Everything from preterm delivery, to losing one. We are moving forward with lots of faith in the Lord and following what the doctors ask us to do. We are excited for the future. We will pray that everything continues to go well. We hope that you can keep our babies in your prayers.

Tyler managed to get a picture out of me, so this is what a pregnant chick with triplets looks like at two months! We will continue to show the evolution of the belly as it gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger...yikes!

Here they are in all their glory! They are pretty cute, blob A, blob B, blob C!

Ch-ch-changes!

2010-08-01T17:22:00.002-06:00

Well, our world has been rocked significantly! We recently found out that we are PREGNANT!!! This has been a long time coming...almost two years in the making actually, and we have been blessed with this miracle baby. Tyler and I are absolutely thrilled, but we are also a little nervous, and a little scared. But we have AMAZING friends and family who have been our biggest support system, and to all of them we wish to say thank you and we love you. I am about 10 weeks along, and would like to share with you what I have learned so far. Here goes:

1. Whoever said it was just morning sickness lied!! My experience has been nausea ALL day, EVERY day. Unfortunately my body won't allow me to throw up, so I just have to deal with the upset stomach all the time. Loads of fun, let me tell ya!

2. The only thing to "cure" my nausea is to constantly stuff my face. So far I have eaten my weight in saltine crackers and cereal. I feel like an eating machine, but am willing to do whatever it takes to prevent being sick.

3. I am sleepy...not the "oh, I'll just take a rest for a few minutes" sleepy, but the "I can sleep for 8 hours straight, then take a nap an hour later" sleepy.This part wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to go to work. I'm pretty sure my boss frowns on naps during working hours.

4. Mac and cheese isn't yellow death after all! That is actually one of the foods I am able to stomach right now, along with stroganoff (random, I know)! Tyler secretly wishes I would have cravings for Carl's Junior, but I refuse to give in! :)

5. I have the best husband! Ok, I already knew that one, but it has been re-iterated time and time again. He has been so patient with me, and so helpful. Whenever there is a chore to do, he is willing. Whenever dinner needs to be made and I don't have the stomach for it, he will make it. And I jokingly call him the nutrition nazi because not a meal goes by that he doesn't ask how many fruits and veggies I've eaten during the day. If my quota isn't sufficient, he makes sure I get my dose!

6. The Lord has been preparing us to have our family. We have a beautiful home that will allow us to grow, Tyler has a great job that enables us to prepare financially for our future, and we have the gospel that reminds us everyday of our eternal potential. Families truly are forever, and we are so excited to bring a sweet little spirit into our home.

Sorry for the lack of pictures...putting makeup on and doing my hair has not been a top priority! :) Maybe Tyler will catch me on a good day and we'll snap a few of the ever growing baby bump!

A little game of "Where's Tyler"?

2010-05-31T17:10:00.003-06:00

Ok so as we posted earlier, we bought a house and we are now officially settled! We had lots of help from our old and new ward members...MUCH thanks to everyone for helping out! It has been lots of fun organizing things and figuring out what our "style" is going to be.

Our backyard is pretty big, so in order to display it all we've decided to play a little game of "where's Tyler" (think Waldo, minus the red and white striped shirt). So here we go, can you spot him?! :) p.s. Tyler was good sport...he wasn't feelin' the whole picture taking thing!

Obla dee, obla da, life goes o-on, la la how life goes on...

2010-05-16T15:55:00.002-06:00

Well, it's official...Tyler and I are moving again...but this time into our own HOUSE!! That's right, we purchased a HOUSE!! Scary, but so exciting! We will unfortunately be moving out of the ward we have grown to love so much, but we look forward to what the Lord has in store for us in our new place. Today we gave our "farewell" talks in sacrament meeting. It was hard to say goodbye to the people who have become like family, but we are determined to take what we've learned and use it in our new ward. We are incredibly blessed. Throughout all of the decision making, the Lord has been our constant companion. So to all of our friends and family, Tyler and I have an open door policy and would gladly take any and all visitors (hint, hint!) :) We'll post pics as soon as we move in.

We did it!

2010-05-16T15:51:00.002-06:00

We did it, we actually did it! Tyler and I ran our 10k at the end of April, but are just now getting around to blogging about it...oops! It was a cold and rainy day when we did it, but we both finished!! Woo-hoo! At times I felt like my legs were going to fall off, but neither of us stopped. We rock! Haha, just kidding...there are plenty of people out there who have run multiple marathons. We'll stick with the 10k's for now! Thanks for the support everyone

Runnin' just as fast as we can...holdin' on to one another's hands

2010-04-04T20:35:00.002-06:00

SOOO, Tyler and I had this crazy idea that it would be fun to run a 10k to celebrate our second anniversary...yeah, I know, CRAZY!! For the last 2ish months we have been training for this run. Keep in mind however, that neither one of us are big runners...We started out really easy and have built up to now running over 4 miles non-stop. Our race is April 24, the day before our anniversary. At this point our goal is to finish without passing out, but we'll see how it goes! :)
I have discovered some funky things about running that I didn't know before:

You can bruise your toes from running too long/too hard. Experienced that one first hand a couple weeks ago...very painful!
Your toenails can fall off! Neither of us have had that happen yet, we've only heard rumors. But I HATE feet, so I am hoping to avoid that one.
You are constantly hungry!! Tyler pretty much eats everything that isn't nailed down...but he STILL stays pencil thin...I look at something greasy and I gain 10 pounds, sheesh!! :)
Running on treadmills is bearable as long as you have the proper music to keep you pumped. I'm partial to U2, they always keep me going.

Just some random/fun facts for ya! Wish us luck in the race! :)

Winter Olympics

2010-02-14T17:21:00.005-07:00

Andrea and I went all out this year for the winter Olympics. We have been training for several months. Unfortunately we didn't make the team. I don't know how we didn't get in I thought we did an amazing job. Check it out:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

It's been awhile...

2010-01-31T20:57:00.008-07:00

We looked at our blog tonight, and thought "how sad, we still have a Halloween background, and haven't posted since July." So here's an update on the Young's:
1. Moved into a new spacious, 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment, perfect for housing visitors (hint, hint!)

2. Went to Utah for Tyler's sister's wedding in August. While in Utah stopped by BYU for Andrea's graduation (finally!).

3. Caught up on some much needed Cafe Rio fixes! Yum, yum!

4. Andrea got a new job working for a before and after school program.

5. Andrea's parents were the first visitors in our new apartment, and stayed a whole week the accommodations were so nice! :)

6. Tyler survived layoff #3 at work.

7. Tyler survived a 16 hour, 14,000 ft. climb up Long's Peak Mountain.

8. Tyler survived layoff #4 at work...and thinks climbing the mountain was easier

9. Spent Thanksgiving with Tyler's family...Andrea got sick for three days...good times...

10. Andrea embarrassed herself dancing with a bunch of ladies from the ward to an ABBA medley...Tyler laughed...

11. Kicked off the Holiday season by attending a rockin' Manheim Steamroller concert. Nothin' better than synthesizer Christmas music!

12. Trekked out into the woods and cut down our very own Christmas tree! Booya!

13. Flew to Oregon to spend Christmas and New Year's with Andrea's family. What happens on New Year's Eve in Bandon, you ask??? NOTHING!!! We were in bed by 11...

14. While in Oregon we tapped into our creative side and made a serving tray for Tyler's brother Zach, who does a lot of entertaining. Also had dinner with him.

15. Received a new calling to be stake youth dance coordinators.

And now for the visual update:

Tyler in all of his tree cutting glory...

It's not Christmas until the Manheim Steamroller CD is busted out! Great concert!

"You are a dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen..." Did I look like a fool? Absolutely! Did I have a blast with my friends? You betcha! We made our husbands proud!

Just doing our part to help clean up after Ashley and Tim's wedding reception

I did it! I actually freakin' did it!!!!!

Our super cute nephew Miles during our Christmas visit. The question of the week was "what's that?" He asked that about EVERYTHING, and NOTHING at all!! But we love him so! :)

The Christmas nerds all nestled comfortably on the couch

Our awesome Christmas tree that never died, even after we neglected to water it for an entire month

Puffy cheeked Tyler atop Long's Peak Mountain

Happy Honeymoon, Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, Happy Graduation!

2009-07-09T15:05:00.007-06:00

In order to celebrate all of the above, which needed some serious celebrating, we decided to take a vacation to sunny California. We had a great week there at the beginning of July. We first went off to San Francisco to see the sites.

Our first stop was the Santa Cruz, close to San Francisco. Andrea's grandparents lived in this area so it was good for her to go back to that area where she spent lots of childhood time. We went to the Santa Cruz Pier and happened to be there on the weekend of "Woodies on the Pier." Here is Andrea next to one of the nicest ones we saw.

We also stopped by the amusement park that is on the pier and Andrea found a shooting gallery, a Sturtevant Family favorite
We also made the necessary "San Franciscan Homage" to the Golden Gate Bridge. It is amazing to see in real life. It was my first time, and I never realized how high it is. My dad told me to spit into the ocean for good luck, so here it is off the Golden Gate Bridge.

We walked the whole distance of the bridge and back, here is the middle of the bridge. (Notice how I am holding on the rail for safety.)

We also checked out a lot of the downtown and Fisherman's Wharf area. I had a great sourdough bread bowl full of some of the best clam chowder I've ever had.

After San Francisco, we were off to San Diego. We stopped by the zoo the first day. It is an amazing zoo.
Among the favorites at the zoo were the elephants and polar bears.

We also got front row seating at the at the sea lion show. Here he is blowing kisses.

We also went to the beach. It was amazing because of its black/gold color.
But what we were most excited for was our trip to Disneyland. I was extremely excited for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Of course Slash Mountain was a classic ride

We had a great vacation. It was nice to get away and just enjoy some time together.

Ashley and Tim Visit

2009-06-21T07:52:00.006-06:00

Way back in May ny sister Ashley and her "fiancee" Tim came out to visit us after their semesters at school in Utah finished. We had a great time because we were able to do some of the tourist stuff that we hadn't done yet.

Here is Ashley & Tim out on the 16th Street Mall with a pretty sweet street performer.

We went to a great Rockies game. We got to sit in the Rock Pile (Super cheep seats). We only saw one beer brawl while we were there.

We thought it would be fitting to get our picture with the other "Y"'s.

Ashley is a huge fan of chairs, so she really like to the huge chair outside of the Denver Library.

A Year!

2009-05-02T20:41:00.009-06:00

Last Saturday we celebrated a year of marriage. It is surprising that time has passed so fast. This past year a lot of changes have happened. We got married, graduated, got a new job, moved to Colorado, started teaching seminary, a new nephew, and a whole lot fun.

To celebrate Andrea and I headed down to Canon City, CO. Canon City is home to the world's highest suspension bridge. We checked it out and it was amazing! The picture below does not do it justice. It was a bit foggy/overcast while we are there so you can barely see the bridge through the cloud. And down below is the river that goes under it. The overlook that we looked at the bridge from was very pretty and the fence on the cliff is right at the edge. Below is looking down into the canyon. They even have a gondola that will take you across the canyon, Andrea said she would "poop her pants" going across it.
But the real reason for going to Canon City was the train that goes through the canyon. Below is a picture of the train.

It was superbly fancy. We had no idea that we would be riding in such high class. We got to ride in the "Domed Car" with curved windows. The train was very nice and they even served a nice lunch on it. We shared a table with a very nice couple from Florida. My favorite the open cars that let you see it all. We had a great trip.

Only in Colorado

2009-02-21T07:54:00.002-07:00

would you find an Elders Quorum that wakes up at 5:45 to go jogging up mountain trails while it is 13 degrees outside and snowed the night before.

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-18T14:56:00.007-07:00

So it has been far too long since we've updated this thing! This is our attempt to catch everyone up on the happenings in our Colorado winter wonderland...Here goes:

So December turned out to be a very COLD month! We got the true Colorado experience, as you can see from the above picture. Yes this is the INSIDE of our apartment...the door frame and glass built up lots of ice. Needless to say, our heating bill skyrocketed!
This is Tyler and I are on our way to the company Christmas party. We had no idea what to expect, but it turned out ok. Unfortunately we were in a room full of people we didn't know (especially me) but we did take advantage of the yummy food! That's why you go to those things, right?! :)
And introducing the amazing talent of Ms. Ashley Young (Tyler's younger sister). Ashley is currently in the interior design program, and last semester she had to design and build her own house (a little one that is). These are the floor plans...
And here's the finished product! Ashley, you're hired for future projects! We're so proud of her...enough to make our blog! :) Apparently there's a video on youtube of her smashing her first model. At the time of the blog publish we could not find the video...so sorry.
Ah, the Christmas camera...someone who shall remain nameless (Tyler) thought it would be a great idea to get his mom a camera for Christmas. all the siblings pitched in, and here she is in all her camera glory. Little did we know she would turn out to be like "the stinking poparazzi!" That is a direct quote from Ashley. For most of Christmas day we ended up running from the camera...we all have Tyler to thank for that...
CHRISTMAS MORNING! This is Spencer and Valerie Young (tyler's brother and wife) along with me and Ashley at the grandparents house. We found out that many a wedding will be had this year. We can't remember how many of the cousins are getting married, we think it is 2 or 3...Very exciting!

While we were in Utah it snowed a ton! This is the driveway after it had snowed about 8 inches. Colorado needless to say has been gorgeous in January. This weekend we are enjoying 60 degree temperatures.

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown

2009-01-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

Whoops forgot to publish this one like a month ago!

We are very excited for our first Christmas together and so we spent the day yesterday shopping for Christmas decorations. We had a good time decking the halls and getting ready for the great Christmas season. Here are some of the pictures of us decorating including our great Charlie Brown Christmas tree. We hope everyone hopes that great Christmas time and a very happy New Year!

He's Back

2008-12-07T16:06:00.003-07:00

So we left for Thanksgiving and when we got back we came home to this:

We had a pumpkin on our porch from Halloween that we didn't carve. The squirrel took advantage of our absence to burrow into our pumpkin and eat it. What kind of squirrel eats pumpkin?!

Thanksgiving with the Sturtevants

2008-11-30T15:44:00.006-07:00

Andrea told me I needed to prepare myself mentally, physically, and emotionally for a holiday with her family. That's what I get for joining the Sturtevant Zoo.

We traveled to Bandon, OR for Thanksgiving with Andrea's family and we had a great time. We got to meet our new nephew, Miles (Featured below with Aunt SweetBear in his reindeer outfit.)

Andrea's sister also surprised the family by showing up on Thanksgiving morning (They originally told everyone that they wouldn't be able to make it.) So we got to see our cute niece too. (Below Andrea with Hannah, Miles, and Brooke (Miles' mom))

The Thanksgiving giving feast was fantastic thanks to contributions by everyone. We really had a great meal. To work off the calories the Wii was broken out and after 36 years of marriage the gloves came off in Wii boxing between Andrea's parents.

Winner: Andrea's mom. Funny thing is all the men lost to women they boxed against, including me. Andrea knocked me out for the second time in Wii boxing. We had a great time in Oregon with Andrea's family. It was a great holiday. Below is Grandma and Hannah hulawiiing.

My favorite part of it all was the Chocolate. Andrea's sister Tara and her husband Kevin started a chocolate business and they make the best chocolates I have ever had. Check out their website for some Holiday gifts: www.coastalmist.com. I seriously suggest the root beer float chocolate. It is incredible!

Air Force Vs. BYU

2008-11-20T15:05:00.002-07:00

In support of the BYU Cougars Andrea and I went to the Air Force game down in Colorado Springs this last weekend. The game was great, but perhaps more amazing was the fly over by the F15s prior to the start of the game. Someone on YouTube got the flyover on video. We were seated in the same area of the stadium.

We had a great time and enjoyed a great Cougar victory.

Happy Halloween/Birthday

2008-11-04T13:25:00.003-07:00

For Andrea's haunted birthday we decided we would go out and have some fun on a Halloween night while we don't have kids to go trick or treating. So we headed out to Elitches Garden, the local amusement park. They do a Frightmares park in October for Halloween. We had a blast riding the rollercoasters and going through their haunted houses. The park was amazing with the Halloween decor that they had going on. I also had a blast riding my first real roller coaster, the Mind Bender. That thing was crazy fun.

Andrea with a swamp thing at Elitches Garden
Andrea made fancy smancy cupcakes for the ward's Trunk or Treat. They turned out really well.
Opening Birthday gifts from her sister.

Have you seen this squirrel?

2008-10-26T15:19:00.002-06:00

We woke up this morning to our jack-o-lantern being eaten by a squirrel. The delinquent squirrel had to climb up to the third floor to get at our pumpkin. Dang Squirrel!

Our Trip to Avon, CO

2008-10-26T14:59:00.003-06:00

For work I had to go to Avon, Co to work at a client's location earlier this month. Avon is a ski resort town about 8 miles west of Vail, Co. Although there wasn't snow on the ground, the colors up in mountains were changing and it was beautiful up there. Because the client was so far from Denver, my company set us up in a hotel for the time we were there. We stayed at a brand new hotel called the The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa. The hotel was completed only 3 weeks before we got there and it is beautiful, and on the great and spacious building side. It was nice to get away and have something different for a change.

The Shipping Bar!

2008-10-12T15:37:00.003-06:00

So I was going through our photos and saw this one of Andrea and it reminded me of this funny story. So my dad got us a washer and dryer for our wedding gift, which we are incredibly grateful for... no more bag of quarters going to the laundry mat. We picked out our washer and dryer once we got to Colorado. We found a good sale at Sears and ordered them. Prior to ordering them I checked out some comments people had on the various washers and dryers we were looking at because we wanted to get some quality appliances.

Here were some comments on the washer we picked out:

"I have been very pleased with my Profile GE washer which I bought because my sister loved hers. The capacity is surprisingly large and regardless of load size the laundry comes out thoroughly clean and I have had no problem with large loads causing the laundry to tangle up or the machine to get unbalanced. There are many options and all are practical - they are useful to the average user and not just available for the sake of having options. I cannot think of a feature I would want that the Profile doesn't offer. Most important to me, the machine is so quiet my husband thought it wasn't working the first time we did a load of laundry! In comparison with other products this washer offers great value for the price and I recommend it to any buyer."

But it was these comments that really got my attention:

"I've had the GE Profile washer for a week, and selected it based on reviews. I find it INCREDIBLY loud, despite the laundry room being fairly far away from our main living area. Sounds like a 747 taking off!"

"I bought the GE profile washer and dryer because I knew GE to be an excellent brand, I have had family that worked for GE to retirement. I could not have been more dissappointed with the purchase. The day they delivered the dryer the motor was blown. The washer was so loud it could be heard from outside when it was running. The replacement dryer is yet to be delivered, but I am returning the purchase today. I would not recommend this product to anyone."

I thought, these can't be that bad, the washer comes with a new technology called "Deluxe QuietPower™ 2." So regardless of the warnings we got this washer and dryer set. They came the next week and needless to say the laundry had stacked up. We started up a load and everything was fine, water filled up the washer and then it started to spin. It sounded like some one was banging on it from the inside as the washer was moving across the floor (you notice in the picture above the washer is on the left side of that closet, it started out on the right side.) We didn't put up with that sound for more than 30 seconds. The 747 comment was no exaggeration! And as far as hearing the washer from outside, I'm pretty sure our neighbors on the first floor could hear it (we live on the third floor).

Anyway while it was running it had a bar that was fairly forcefully was moving in and out on the right side of the washer near the bottom. We thought this was odd because we had never seen that before on a washer. We really had no idea what this was, but it seemed to be the source of the banging. So I looked at the tag on the bar and it says "Remove shipping bar by pulling handle, operating washer with bar in place will damage the machine." We pulled it out, the washer quit banging and moving. We have been happy with the washer and dryer ever since.

Welcome the Fall!

2008-09-28T20:31:00.005-06:00

Fall has come to Colorado, and you know what the means. Changing leaves, corn mazes, haunted houses, and Halloween, oh and somebody's birthday is coming up too, I think...

The weather here has been beautiful! Cool evenings and although the days haven't cooled off all the way, the weather is great. So this past weekend we went with another young couple in our ward to a corn maze out at the Denver Botanical Gardens in Chatfield. The corn had grown about 12 feet high, so it was challenging to figure out which way to go, but somehow we made it out of the maze in 50 minutes rather than the suggested hour to an hour and a half. We still can't figure out how we got through so fast, but it was still fun.

Garden of the Gods

2008-09-07T21:24:00.004-06:00

This past weekend we went down to Colorado Springs to visit Andrea's former roommate Rachelle and her husband Dan. The drive is beautiful. Colorado is amazing. When we got there Rachelle and Dan showed us around a little. They took us to the Garden of the Gods. The park has gorgeous red rocks. There were a lot of rock climbers scaling the area and lots of families looking at the sights.

While we were on that side of Colorado Springs, we checked out the little town of Manitou Springs at the base of Pikes Peak. The town has over two dozen mineral springs. Each spring is rumored to cure a different illness or increase health in one way or another. We got brave and tried the gastro-intestinal water...yikes! It was real fizzy and tasted like severely watered down soda...with dirt. Needless to say we didn't go for seconds!

Rachelle and Dan also gave us some parenting experience. Their daughter Emily was born about a month ago, so we got first hand training on how to change diapers, keep a kid from screaming, and what to do when those fists start making their way to the mouth- a sure sign of hunger!

We enjoyed ourselves in Colorado Springs and look forward to more adventures there.

Our New Apartment

2008-08-31T20:00:00.000-06:00

One thing we liked about our move to Colorado is that we got a great new apartment. Our new place is definitely a step up for our first apartment in Provo. First, the bathroom is larger than 10 square feet, and we have a porch! The area is beautiful. There are hiking and biking trails right out our door.

We love our new ward. Everyone has welcomed us and we have had a great time. I was called as an Elder's Quorum teacher and Andrea was called to be substitute teach for early morning seminary.

The Big Move, Up and Over

2008-08-19T14:13:00.000-06:00

So part of starting my new job, meant moving to Colorful Colorado. Andrea, her mom, and aunt did a lot of the work packing up our stuff to move because I was in California for training for the week. Then Andrea's dad helped us with the big move to Colorado on August 16th. So we packed up all of our belongings in a Budget Truck and headed off to Colorado.

Here Andrea is pretty excited to get moving.

She also enjoyed taking in all the sights of I-70.
The trip to Colorado via I-70 is gorgeous, if you get a chance take the drive and stop by to see us. The trip was fairly uneventful except for the snow at the top of I-70 by the Eisenhower Tunnel.

New Job!

2008-08-15T13:44:00.000-06:00

I know it has been a long time since we posted anything, so we want to catch everyone up on our happenings. Shortly after the 24th of July I started my new job at Ernst & Young. For those of you who don't know, Ernst & Young is an accounting firm that performs financial audits of publicly traded companies, among other things. Since I graduated in Information Systems, I came on in the Technology, Security and Risk Services department. Mostly I support the accountants who do the financial audits by looking at the technical side of companies to make sure proper controls are in place so the financial data of companies is not altered in an unpleasing way. Still with me? I know sounds boring.

I started on the 30th of July and I have really enjoyed the experience. The first month on the job was a pain because it took me away from home, right as we were getting ready to move. I got to come home on the weekends, which was great. The job has been good so far, I'm learning tons. Below is a picture of everyone that started with me and our trainers.

Osmonds in Concert!

2008-08-06T13:05:00.005-06:00

Well we have been fairly busy for the last month, so it has taken a while to get the time to be able to post some stuff. Hopefully we can catch you up on our doing within the next week. So let's start with the 24th of July Celebration.

Of course here in Utah the Days of '47 as it is known is a huge deal. Parades, fireworks, family parties, and no work; it is like the 4th of July (reprise). We skipped the parade this year, but did attend an awesome family party at my grandparents cabin in Kamas, same cabin that we went to before. We had a great barbeque, and enjoyed some crochet and shooting BB guns, thanks to my little cousins. We even got to meet my cousin's new fiance. He seems like a great guy. Unfortunately I didn't bring the camera, so no pictures.

Instead I have to highlight the concert of the year

On Saturday the 26th my mom got tickets for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Concert with special guest, The Osmonds. Naturally we were thrilled and jumped at the opportunity. Overall the concert was pretty good, as usual the choir performed very well, but the highlight was them singing their classic "One Bad Apple."

Think the video is great, well, they still have all the same moves. We had a great time celebrating the 24th in style with Motab.

America Rocks!

2008-07-09T21:28:00.013-06:00

Happy Fourth of July!

[For your enjoyment, this blog is filled with fun games and trivia]

We hope everyone had a very happy and safe fourth of July. Andrea and I had a great time on the fourth. Provo, Utah puts on a great 4th of July celebration called the Freedom Festival ending in the spectacular Stadium of Fire in the evening. We thought the parade would be a good way to spend the fourth. So we went out the day before to get an idea of where to set up to watch the parade. (day before you ask?... keep reading)

While staking out some good spots for the parade the next morning we ran into the lessor known but highly entertaining part of the Freedom Festival, Colonial Days. Colonial Days is exactly what you would imagine it to be. People showing off the history of which we came from. There were story tellers, olde tyme tools, olde tymeish dressed people using olde tyme tools, historical documents, replica Mayflower, and of course kids performing. No holiday festival is complete without a few kids singing and dancing their way into our hearts and and filling them with holiday cheer. New to me this year was a number by Utah's Senator Orrin Hatch, called America Rocks! If you have the time look up the words or listen to the performance of this great patriotic number that will soon be a classic. It is totally cool!

The next morning was the Grand Parade. The Grand Parade is not just a get there a few minutes before and enjoy sort of parade. Up until this year, it has been a "better get your spot by 1:00 pm the day before" kind of parade, no joke. So we went to the street were they didn't allow over night sleeping and decided to get there about 6:30ish in the morning to get a decent spot in the shade for a parade that started 2 miles away at 9:00 am. Well were we wrong. Below is the way it looked at 6:30 am. We were able to find a decent spot among the tarps, chairs and blankets reserving spots. By 9:00 the place was packed: (Find Andrea in the picture below, click on picture to make bigger, caution to those with slow connections) Some of the next pictures are the highlights of the parade.

Nothing is more patriotic than Star Wars costumes. You have to admit they look pretty cool.
We had no idea who or what this was put it sure stared at us for a couple of minutes. Whoever can guess who this character is shall receive a reward.** (Hint he has his own PBS Kids show) Those eyes sure are creepy.

Curious George!

The parade staple: Llamas! (Billie, Andrea says you should sing the llama song now.)

Underdog!

Of course the parade had plenty of floats, politicians, and royalty, but we have all seen that before.

That night we watched the fireworks from Stadium of Fire from a park close to our apartment. My camera isn't too great so I didn't attempt pictures of it, but Stadium of Fire... with a name like that you can only imagine how good it was.

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!
**Figuring out who he is, is a reward in itself.

The Cabin

2008-06-24T14:18:00.002-06:00

Andrea finished up Spring Semester of school and so we went out to celebrate. Tyler's grandparents let us go up to their cabin for the weekend.

It was very nice to get away and just relax for the weekend. We had a great time reading and watching some movies. We also had a great time cruising around on the four wheeler going important places, like filling up water.

On Saturday, on the way home, we stopped by Park City for a little tour of the downtown area. Everything was well out of our price range, but we had fun going through the stores they have on main street. Andrea even found the style of boot she likes.

The Camping Trip

2008-05-27T13:05:00.002-06:00

Wanship, UT

A young couple was found frozen to death in their tent near Rockport State Park Saturday morning. The couple, from Provo, UT, went to spend the Memorial Day weekend camping, . Temperatures that night had dropped well below average Friday night, and even though the couple was prepared with five blankets and a sleeping bag, the couple still succumbed to the temperatures.

So we went camping this past weekend, and it was freezing. We still had a blast. We enjoyed some delicious tin foil dinners for dinner on the pitiful campfire we were able to make in the heavy winds.

The campground was really nice and the lake was gorgeous. We were very nervous about being rained on, but instead we just about froze.

The First Apartment

2008-05-05T12:23:00.003-06:00

Since we are only going to be in Provo for a few short months, we are subleasing in Wymount (BYU's family student housing). It is exactly what we needed.

We really like our new ward. Everyone has been really friendly so far. There seems to be quite a few couples that have moved in just for the summer like us. We have gotten to know a couple of people.

The Wedding

2008-05-01T07:45:00.001-06:00

So after 14 months of dating we were finally married for time and all eternity in the Mount Timpanogos Temple on April 25, 2008. It was a beautiful day, with still a little chill in the air. We were so grateful to have all of our friends and family come out and share that day with us.

The Engagement

2008-04-01T08:37:00.002-06:00

We just wanted to announce that we are getting married on April 25, 2008. Take a moment to check out our video (It may take more than just a moment.)

We would love to see you at our reception:

April 25, 2008
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
464 W. Germania
Murray, UT 84123

or

May 2, 2008
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
950 Delaware Ave. SW
Bandon, OR 97411