Children's Nature Park

Today we visited the Children's Nature Park. We are frequent visitors to the park, we love to walk along the paths that circle the park pond. Our favorite... the waterfowl. This afternoon, we sat by the pond feeding ducks and savoring every moment of sunshine and warm autumn weather. Hope this beautiful weather stays for a few days.

H A L L O W E E N

Costumes:

Vampire(trying to be as spooky as possible),

a sweet little bunny and a dancer.

H a p p y H a l l o w e e n !

Mesa Falls

We absolutely love spending time in the mountains. Yesterday, we visited Mesa Falls. The upper and lower falls are breathtaking. We hiked, played in the leaves and fed the fish at Warm River.

Feeding the fish at Warm River

Upper Mesa Falls

Love this time of year!

Our little sweeties

Lower Mesa Falls

Night at the Derby

Diamond Princess

Brad is a fan of the pinewood derby :) He is lucky to have three little girls who share in his enthusiasm. I go along with it, slightly embarrassed to enter the derby without a scout in the house, but eager to support their ambitions. This year the girls and their cute dad entered the "Diamond Princess" car. She was double the weight and three times the height of the other cars. Diamond Princess flew down the track (we about lost Snow White when they crashed into the finish line). At the end of the night we had 3 very proud little girls. They won a prize for best design and that is all that mattered to them :)

Glitter Pumpkins

Glitter pumpkins have become an annual autumn project at our house! We make them in October and they last through Thanksgiving. We love them. Click here for directions.

The kids each did their own pumpkin this year.

They were very proud of themselves and very messy :)

The Bench & The Bar

Yesterday, we had another opportunity to sit in on a session of the Supreme Court... this time Idaho. Brad was admitted to the Idaho Bar along with two good friends, Blake Murray and Adam Andersen. The ceremony was awesome. Idaho only had 99 admittees, so the Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court called each new attorney to the stage, one by one, and congratulated them personally. It was a great honor. Another fantastic day!

Mount Timpanogos

Uncle Steve, Sadie, Brad and I at the summit.

SUMMIT

Distance: 15 miles

Elevation: 11,749 feet

Time: 8.5 hours

View: SPECTACULAR

Mountain goats along the trail.

Bear Lake

This week we spent a few days with my sister and her family at my parent's condo in Bear Lake. We enjoyed our time playing in the water on Bear Lake's north beach. It was the perfect week to visit the lake. The weather was so nice and we were surrounded by autumn leaves beginning to show their color. BEAUTIFUL.

The kids played in the lake for hours.

Have you heard the legend of the famous Bear Lake Sea Monster?

Click here to check it out.
I think we got a picture :)

Good News

After a long wait, results are in...

Brad PASSED the Idaho bar exam :)

We are celebrating.

Congrats Brad! I love you.

Survivor

Here are the clothes of an ice cave survivor. Brad started his journey early yesterday morning with his brother and a few other guys. They started in the ice caves and climbed through to the wind caves. They were in the caves for over 6 hours. The day was full of adventure, a little more than he had planned on...hiking, sliding, rappelling, crawling through mud, wading through ice cold water and climbing. Sound like fun? I am glad he made it home safe, sound and with another mission accomplished :)

Labor Day Weekend

We had such a great Labor Day weekend! The weekend started with camping on Friday night. We cooked brats and s'mores on the fire, played games, sang songs and then disco danced in our tent (flashlight-strobe light effect) late into the night. Brad was champion of the dance off. When it comes to disco, he can't be beat-seriously :)

After our camp out, we spent a fantastic evening in Island Park at my Uncle Chris's cabin. The food was fabulous (fresh fish caught in Alaska) and it was so great to spend time with Chris and Tina and their family. Our girls had so much fun playing with all of their cute cousins. We will have to get together again soon!

After Island Park, we went with my parents to their condo in West Yellowstone. It was a nice get away. We especially enjoyed the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. We observed and learned a lot about the mighty grizzly. Very big, strong and impressive. I have been telling Brad all summer that I want to see a bear in the wild. After this experience, I have decide that I am fine observing bears behind a fence, and that we are going to start hiking with bear spray :)

First week of school

The start of a new school year is always so much fun. Addison loves the 1st grade. She is so excited about her teacher and all of the fun things they are going to learn this year. The highlight of her week was definitely going to cheer clinic each day after school. Last night she cheered at the university stadium for a local high school's half time. It was fun to watch her, she loved every minute of it.

Two adorable little spectators.

A girl with a lot of spirit :)

So excited to be a flyer on the front row.

Mesa Falls Marathon

Yesterday morning was the Mesa Falls Marathon. A few months ago, several people in my family decided to make this day a family event. My uncle (Steve) was planning on doing the full marathon. My cousin (Tarra) and I were going to do the half marathon. My sister (Kambria) and my aunt (Karla) were going to do the 5k. In the weeks before the race, I injured my IT band. Ouch! So, training had to stop. Big disappointment, but the day still turned out to be so much fun! Tarra decided last minute to run the full marathon and she did AWESOME. I met them somewhere in the middle and ran with them and then ran Tarra in her last couple of miles. Karla, Kam, Brad and I did the 5k and then Brad ran Steve in his last couple of miles. What a huge accomplishment for our two marathoners!!!!!! They made it look so easy!

Here is a funny picture that Brad snapped. After I ran my short stretch in the middle of the marathon I was tired and ready to hop back in the car. Well, this is me trying to catch up with the car. Brad was going just fast enough that I could not catch up and just slow enough that I could reach out and touch the bumper. He was laughing and snapping pictures of my desperate state. He was nice enough to let me in before a huge hill, thanks Brad :)

Mountain Man

Brad hiked to the Tetons in the Grand Teton National Park. He took off early in the morning (alone) to begin his very adventurous 15 mile hike. I was a little nervous that he was alone, and after taking a very dangerous journey (off trail) he will be hiking with a buddy next time :) He made it home with cuts, bruises and burn from stinging nettle, but overall had an amazing experience. He took some beautiful pictures.

Happy Birthday Addison!

Addison turned 7 years old this weekend! She is growing up so fast! We had a water party with family and friends on Friday and then a day trip to Yellowstone on Saturday. Lots of fun. Addie's birthday request...a cell phone and a bright green beach cruiser. The cell phone request really made us laugh. Instead of a cell phone, she received walkie talkies that look and act like cell phones. She was busy calling Olivia all day. CUTE, she is so much fun!

Strolling around Yellowstone with her new cell phone :)

Huckleberries

For Family Home Evening on Monday night, we decided to venture to the mountains and do a little huckleberry picking.  We left after dinner and had very high hopes for huckleberry jam and syrup in our future.  We picked until sunset and were only able to pick about 2 cups of berries!  Our huge bucket shows our ambition.  We just laughed.   Next year we'll have to plan a day trip :)  

Sweet Ella picking berries...

put it in, take it out and eat it. So cute!

2 cups of berries were perfect for 

5 fantastic milkshakes-DELISH!

Trip to Boise

Brad and I took a little 4 day vacation to Boise.  Well, it was a vacation for me, not so much for Brad.  He was there for the Idaho bar exam. My sister had our kids, so I spent my days soaking in the sun by the pool- reading, relaxing and eating blueberries.  It was the best!    

After the test, Brad and I had a couple days to explore Boise.  We loved the downtown area, a lot of fun shops and restaurants.  Whenever we travel, we like to try new food and best loved restaurants and bakeries.  I found two of my favorites in Boise.  Boise has really great sushi! We went to Boise's top rated sushi bar-WOW.  We loved it and can not wait to go back!  After that we found some serious chocolatiers at a bakery-bistro in BoDo.  YUM.  

It was so fun to get away for a few days.  Thanks so much to my awesome sister who took care of our kids!  We had a great time.

Bills Island-Island Park, Idaho

THANK YOU Grandma and Grandpa Daybell for a great getaway!

Café Dejeuner

This week,  Brad and I enjoyed a night of fine dining at Café Dejeuner on the BYU-I campus. Café Dejeuner is a fancy little restaurant conducted by the students in the Culinary Arts program.  Once a year, they compose a seven course meal of beautifully presented, gourmet dishes (final exam for the semester).  It was very impressive and absolutely scrumptious.  Each course is created by one of the culinary students and is served with a unique beverage designed to go with the dish and to clean your palate for the upcoming course. We relished every bite!  LOVED it- romantic and delicious!

Days of Summer

We have had a fantastic week!  The days have been sunny and beautiful. We have been enjoying every moment of sunlight!   

Ahhh,the sweet days of summer!!  

Addie,taking a snooze on a sunny afternoon.

Splash Park 

Carousel of fun with cousins.

FAMILY REUNION  

We have the best family!  

I love this pic with my girls & their great-grandparents. 

Some of my fabulous cousins!  

It was so much fun to get together.

We have always been very good friends.

G O O D  T I M E S !

Cave Falls

This weekend we hiked to Cave Falls in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. The falls are very impressive, especially with the Falls River running so high right now.  From here, there are several hiking trails that lead to other waterfalls, however, we were told that there was a bear on the trail up ahead. We decided not to risk it and to end our journey here. We would have loved to see a bear, but not up too close!

Cave Falls is not reachable on the main loop. Instead,  you travel down a long washboard dirt road.  It was not so good on our already worn tires.  We had two flats this weekend! One on the way home and one the next day!  Poor Brad! He's my hero.

Utah

We just got back from a weekend trip to Utah.  It's always fun to visit friends and family!  The weather was perfect, so we spent our days playing outside in the water.  We also had an awesome evening in the mountains riding 4 wheelers through beautiful Hobble Creek Canyon. Lots of fun.

Ella-enjoying the sun with a yummy red popsicle.

Cuties in the canyon.

Happy Father's Day Brad!

Three little girls and one AMAZING dad!

They absolutely adore him and so do I :)

Memorial Day Weekend- Estes Park

We had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend!  We spent a few days in Estes Park with my parents.  The days were filled with hikes, golf, swimming, shopping, relaxing in the hot tub and yummy food.  Estes Park is gorgeous!  It was so much fun exploring the area.   

Hiking around Bear Lake 

in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

9th Anniversary

It was our 9th anniversary yesterday!  We celebrated with a romantic evening under the stars at Lake Arbor.  It was perfect.  The years have gone by so quickly... 3 kids, 5 moves in 3 states, undergrad, law school and a million other adventures.  I am so lucky to be married to the sweetest man in the world.  I love you Brad.  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

9 years ago, love the poofy dress and the sideburns!

Anniversary gift: A beautiful picture of the

Mount Timpanogos Temple. 

A perfect gift on a perfect day.  Thanks Brad!

I LOVE IT. 

Tiny Town

This weekend we visited an ADORABLE little town in a beautiful mountain canyon southwest of Denver.  This cute little town is called "Tiny Town".  The town is made up of tiny little buildings with interiors decorated with miniature everything!  We went from building to building and house to house looking through windows.  A few of the houses were big enough for the kids to play in.  The girls LOVED it.  We also took a delightful train ride through the town and surrounding area.  It was a perfect afternoon for a family full of little girls. :)

Pearl Street

The girls and I went to Boulder on Monday to check out the tulips on Pearl Street.  Pearl Street is a popular Boulder hang out.  It is home to hundreds of beautiful tulips and part of the Boulder Tulip Festival in a few weeks.  So, I thought it would be the perfect spot for Ella's 2 year old pictures and a fun afternoon for the kids and I. When we arrived, Pearl Street was very crowded.  Surprising for a Monday afternoon.  I could barely get my stroller through the people.  After a while, I realized that we were standing in the middle of the National Marijuana Forum!  What a day to visit Boulder!  We were not able to take pictures of Ella and the tulips (used a red door at the mall on the way home), instead we found a "bubble fairy". She kept the kids entertained with bubbles while I enjoyed "people watching".  Very entertaining. :)

Happy Birthday Ella!

I can't believe it, our little Ella is 2 years old!  She is such a sweetheart.  We love her so much!

Ella LOVES being a little mom to her babies.  This is a gift from my mom and dad.  Ella is very protective of her new doll pram, the older girls can not even get close to it without her yelling "NO, MINE!"  Yesterday, Addison and Olivia set up a trap with a jump rope to pull it away without Ella knowing, she was frantic and very upset. They thought that it was hilarious. Poor Ella, what a little cutie. 

Our family gift to Ella was a Kelty backpack for hiking.  We love to go to the mountains on Saturdays and we have really needed this to carry Ella.  We went to Boulder this afternoon to try it out.  She loved riding on her dad's back and we loved having her safe and secure.  

We invited the Westhoff fam to party with us in Boulder.  The trail we wanted to hike was closed, so the kids had fun climbing rocks, eating cupcakes and playing in the canyon.  

Coloring Easter Eggs Naturally

Today, we went to the Whole Foods Market to learn how to dye eggs naturally. The girls each dyed an egg in the color of their choice and made a cute (recyclable) basket for their egg to rest. Our kids were fascinated by the process. They could not believe that fruits and vegetables were making their eggs colorful.   The colors were vibrant and beautiful.  At the end of the class, the girls were able to fill their baskets with a variety of flavorful organic jelly beans. Yum! 

 Sweet Ella- loves her new basket  

Ella's yellow egg- dyed in turmeric.

Natural Egg Dyes:

Simmer 2 Tbsp white vinegar with ingredient below for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before immersing eggs.  Let egg soak in dye bath for 5-10 minutes.

Pink-  12 oz. cranberries

Red-   4 cups chopped beets 

Blue-  chopped red cabbage

Yellow- 3 Tbsp turmeric

Lavender- 4 cups blueberries

From Sun to Snow

Just 5 days ago we were in Phoenix, relaxing by the pool in 90 degrees of sunshine.

Today, in Denver, we are in the middle of a BLIZZARD!  The weather man is reporting 15-19 inches of snow in the metro area!  I can not believe it.  The snow has been thick since 9:00 a.m. and the blowing and drifting is out of control...a total whiteout at times.  It is so bad, we can't go anywhere (it's Spring Break).  Where is Spring?   I put our snow clothes in storage a few weeks ago.

Ahhh, those were the days!

Addison...dreaming of Arizona.

Visiting Beautiful Arizona

We are currently in Arizona.  Brad is watching the Dodgers (his favorite team) at this years Spring Training. While he is with his buddies at the baseball field, the girls and I will be at the pool enjoying the warm weather.

Our trip began early yesterday morning.  On our way, we stopped at one of my favorite places in the world...the Navajo Reservation in sunny Arizona.  I lived on the reservation several years ago as I served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I can not tell you how much I love to visit this beautiful area and the amazing people that live there.  Brad and the girls had a good time exploring the reservation and learning a little bit more about Native American culture.  

Olivia and Addison in a Hogan-

Primary traditional 

home for the Navajo people.

Before we arrived on the reservation, I promised the girls that we would stop at my favorite trading post to buy them each a Native American doll.  They were eagerly anticipating our arrival.  On the way,  I taught them how to say hello(ya'at'eeh) and thank you(ahe'hee') in Navajo.  They practiced and practiced and practiced (so adorable).  When the time finally arrived to use their new words they were too nervous to say them. :)

Olivia- proud of her 

precious new doll.

Hammond's Candy Factory

We took a trip to a local candy factory.  On our way, as I listened the kid's excitement, it was clear to me that they were anticipating a "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" experience.  In fact, Olivia said, "Mom, if they ask me to eat grape gum, I will say no because I don't want to blow up into a big grape."  Cute.  

It was so much fun to see all of the candy, how it is made and try a few flavors.  It really was fascinating.  When we arrived at home, Addison asked if she could make some candy (pink suckers).  So, we gave it a try.  It was our first attempt at making candy and probably our last. :) It was a messy, sticky process. But, in the end she was very proud of herself.   

Kenna, Addison, Addyson & Olivia

waiting for the tour to begin.

Exploring candy heaven.

Addie's pink suckers

Bloomba! Fort Collins, Colorado

The girls and I visited Fort Collins on Friday.  Our friends, Heather and Joe Widdison, own Bloomba- a cute, trendy play center and yummy cafe.  It was a blast.  If you are ever in the Fort Collins area, you must stop by and check it out. Click here for more info.  My girls loved it and were entertained all afternoon.  I was able to sit back, relax and enjoy the delicious food (I recommend the Turkey Applewood Panini YUM!).  Heather, thank you SO much.  I was very impressed by your creation. :)

Good times in the Mile High City

Today we decided to spend the day in downtown Denver.  Our first stop was the Capitol Building.  The girls and I toured the building earlier in the week and they loved it so much, they were anxious to show their dad.  On the 18th step, of the west entrance, we found the official spot that marks Denver exactly  "one mile above sea level".  

We spent the afternoon strolling down Denver's 16th Street Mall.   It is located right in the heart of downtown.  It is 16 blocks of popular shops, street vendors, restaurants, and entertainment.  It is a lot of fun and the best part is the free "MallRide" (bus).  Because it is a mile of shopping, you can travel on a bus from one end to the other, with many stops in between.  This was the highlight of the day.  Our girls could have skipped the whole shopping experience just to stay on the bus.  Kids are so easy to please. :)

To My Valentine

This is our 10th Valentine's Day together and once again I woke up to an overabundance of flowers and valentine surprises.  Thank you for making this day perfect year after year! 

I LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU!!!!! You are the most thoughtful, kind man I know. Not just today, but everyday. You never cease to amaze me.  Happy Valentine's Day! 

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Our little Olivia turned 4 this weekend!  We had a ladybug birthday party with some of her cute little friends. Olivia is such a bright light in our family, she has the cutest personality and is SO sweet. We love her so much! I wish she would slow down, she is growing up too fast!  

Riverfront Park

Friday was a beautiful day.  The weather was awesome!  My friend Megan and her kids joined us in Riverfront Park for a walk along the Platte River in Denver's lower downtown area.  The kids enjoyed hanging out on the bank of the river gathering shells.  We had a fun afternoon playing and exploring the area.  After a cold couple of weeks, it was nice to be outside enjoying the sunshine again.

Boulder, Colorado

Childhood Treasures

I love the weekend.  Since our move to Colorado, we have spent the weekends exploring Denver Metro...museums, parks, trails and attractions.  We love it.  There is so much to do and so much to see.  Today we decided to venture to Boulder, Colorado.  A new favorite, just 18 short miles from our home.  Boulder downtown is awesome.  So many fun shops and restaurants.  We stopped in Settlers' Park, it contains a network of trails that take you through beautiful red rock.  It was really fun.  At the trail head, we read information about the area.  We learned that this was an area rich in gold for early settlers.  After hearing that, our girls were determined to find gold!  Along the trail, they stopped every five feet to dig for their treasure.  They found several rocks that contained "sparkles of gold and diamonds" (little girls are so cute).  We look forward to visiting Boulder again soon.  Next time I won't be wearing 3 inch heels- not so fun to hike in. :) 

Birthday Boy

We had so much fun celebrating Brad's birthday this weekend.  For his birthday gift, the girls decided that he needed more "prince clothes" for work.  They are so cute and they LOVE their dad so much!   The highlight of his birthday was a trip to a Vietnamese Restaurant that Brad has been wanting to visit for a while.  Brad loves Vietnamese food, he served the Vietnamese on his mission in Australia.  Our little girls thought that it was neat to try some new dishes and hear their dad speak Vietnamese.  Addison said, "Mom, this food is way more exciting-er than our food at home!" :)  I think she is probably right.

This blog has been seriously neglected! The holidays were so busy and so much fun, no time to blog. I can not believe that it is already 2009. I love the start of a new year. Brad's back to a normal work week, Addison starts school tomorrow, and the 2 little girls and I are beginning our busy weekly routine. It was so great to relax and hang out as a family during the holidays. We really loved it. Wish it could have lasted a bit longer. :)

Chasing Ella

This sweet little girl loves to run away and she thinks that it is hilarious!  I love to take the girls out and about each day to visit new places and Ella really makes it an adventure.  We chase her the whole time.  She loves to tease and saying, "No, Ella" makes her laugh.  She's a little cutie and brings a lot of fun to our family.

Mr. Brad Daybell Esquire

Today was the day we have been dreaming of for 3 years! Brad was sworn into the Colorado Bar. It was a great experience. Our parents and my sister traveled to Denver to spend this fun day with us. It was neat to sit in on a session of the Colorado Supreme Court and to observe the Chief Justice swear the new attorneys into the Colorado Bar. I thought that the ceremony was very impressive. What a fantastic day! He's official...a licensed attorney in the state of Colorado! :)

Happy Cakes Bakeshop

My girls and I loved the cupcake shop in Topeka.  So, we decided to find a fun shop in Denver.  Megan and her kids joined us.  We visited Denver's original cupcake shop.  Martha Stewart's favorite cupcake (cosmo cake) is made in this shop.  We tried an oreo, lemon drop and banana split cupcake.  Yummy.  The kids loved it.  

Sweet Ella

Celebration

The Colorado Bar is over, results are in and HE PASSED.   Our celebration really began at 9:20 a.m., but we had to wait for Brad to get home from work to officially start the party.   The kids started planning...pink balloons, party hats and a wedding cake (little girls are so cute). They were busy decorating hats, the cake and arranging balloons throughout the day.  It was cute to see them hard at work.  Brad loved it when he arrived.   Later in the evening, Dan, Megan, Brad and I sat down to a yummy steak dinner, sparkling cider and dessert.  It was the perfect ending to long awaited bar results.