Oh Christmas Tree!

Proud papa with his tree!

This year our search for a Christmas tree seemed a little treachorous.    A couple days before we went up, it snowed about 2 feet and we were expecting another 6-12 inches over the next couple of days, so if we were going to get a tree, this would be our one and only chance to get one.  We normally get one from the Ashley National Forest, but  the road was too steep for the amount of snow we had.  So, we went up to the Hoopes Lake area in the Uintas to find the perfect tree for our little trailer.  Since, Zach's dad was working that weekend, his mom and Brands came with us. 

Brands doing all the work while Zach "supervises".

Sticking the tongue out helps with strength

With all the snow, the drive was sketchy at best, so I insisted that Baby Teddy and I sit in the back so we wouldn't have to see how bad it was.  Half-way up there, Nancy was wishing she sat in the back because we nearly died a dozen times busting through snow covered roads.  She was ready to just cut a bush off the side of the road and go home, but Zach and Brands would not have it. 

Feeling Tuff

When we finally made it up to the forest boundry, the long awaited searching commenced.   This year, Zach was bound and determined to get a Blue Spruce for our tree.  After what seemed like hours, Zach finally found the "perfect" tree, so Baby Teddy and I went out to see what he picked out for us.  It wasn't too shabby, but he had to get the one at the bottom of the hill we were on.  I wondered if they'd even get it out of there.  But, after a few minutes and lots of excitement from all parties, they drug it up the hill and onto the road.

Happy Tree Hunters

Frozen and ready to get back to the truck.

It was pretty cold, so Ted, Nancy, and I all went back to the truck to warm up while Brands and Zach picked out another tree for Nancy.  I've been told that Nancy is a tree Nazi and only the best, most perfect tree will do.  But, I came to find out that Brands is much more of a Nazi because it took them FOREVER to find the right tree.  When they finally cut it down and drug it to the truck, they realized they cut it too short and Brands was angrified!  He told Zach they should add another foot to the height of it, but Zach thought it would be plenty tall.  He was wrong!  But, by the time they put it up, it didn't look bad.  In fact, it was one of the better trees they've had over the years.

Hauling the Beast to the truck!

Baby Teddy's First Christmas Tree

The Youngs' Tree (Nancy, Allen, & Brands)

In all, it was an adventure and a fun story to tell about Baby Teddy's first tree.  By the time we got home that night, it was dark so we set the tree outside over night and then brought it in and decorated it the next day.  Word to the wise, if you ever get a blue spruce for a Christmas tree, be prepared to be poked, stabbed, and brutalized by its needles!  They are unforgiving, and Zach refused to help decorate it because I'm too much of a perfectionist.  What a Scrooge!  I would have taken any kind of help with this tree.  But, after it was all decorated, it looked splendid, and I enjoyed the smell it brought into our home all month!

The finished product!

Winter Wonderland!!

Hello Wyoming Winter!

The first few days in December we got about as much snow as I've ever seen!  If I remember right, it was the first substantial snow we got this winter.  Mother nature sure didn't disappoint!  By the time it was all said and done, we had a little over 2 feet of snow in one day!  CRAZY!!  The pictures I took were in the mid-morning and it snowed all day, so you can imagine how much more we ended up with. 

A look out the front door...

Sliding kitchen door view...

3 Months...Hurray!

Sadly, we did not get any fun pictures during Thanksgiving, but here's to Teddy turning 3 months! 

This year we spent Thanksgiving with both sides of the family.  Zach had to work Thursday night on graves, so we had a quick meal at his mom's house around 2, and then he left for work.  After lunch, Stetzen and I played games with his family until late that night.  We contemplated going Black Friday shopping with Grandma Young, but decided against it.  Why you might ask?  For one reason alone, SLEEP!!  I thought it was a good compromise. 

When Zach got off graves, we went down with his family to Idaho to see my family and Zach's Grandmother Joy.  Stetzen and I went shopping with Grandma and Katelyn, while Zach went and tore down a silo he bought on KSL.  We got a lot of our Christmas shopping done, and spent a great post-Turkey Day with the fam.

On Sunday, we went down to Murray to bless, Caige, Zach's sister Rachel's baby.  She had a lunch afterwards at her house and then we headed home.  Needless to say, it was a busy weekend, but fun all the same.

Blessing

Somehow in my frantic pursuit of catching up my blog, I forgot to post about blessing Stetzen! How awful of me!

So, here goes a short recap of the day.  We blessed Stetzen on November 6, here in McKinnon.  My family was able to come up as well as Jennifer’s, Rachel’s, and of course Zach’s parents and Brands.  My dad, Jacob, Zach’s dad, James, and Bishop Rowdy all stood in the circle to bless him.  Skylar and Grandma Joy were supposed to come, but were not able to make it up that weekend.  Skylar was very disappointed because he wanted to participate. 

Lacy and Ben Thomas also blessed their baby Kelston that Sunday, so Zach and his parents went into Green River after blessing Stetzen.  I wanted to take pictures of everyone after sacrament, but they were gone, and then Jennifer’s family had to leave too, so it never happened.  So, when Zach got back, we took some pictures of him and my family and went to Nancy’s house for the after party.  I planned on getting pictures of his side, but I never got a chance. 

 Chillin with his cousins at Grandma Young's.

It was a wonderful day, and we’re so blessed to have Stetzen here and healthy!

Halloween!!

Once again, I've been slacking in keeping up my blog.  The amount of posts I need to put up seems so daunting, I put it off even more.  But, here's to being proactive and putting off the procrastinator in me.

This Halloween Baby Teddy got to go to two parties, one in Idaho and one here in McKinnon.  The first one we went to was my mom's ward party the Saturday before Halloween.  It was fun to see some of my Idaho pals and catch up with the family.

Katelyn & Baby Teddy at Grandma's Halloween Party

I had a hard time finding a costume for Ted that was his size, so I ended up making his M&M costume.  It's not the best looking outfit, but was perfect for what we made it for.  I loved it, but Ted wasn't the biggest fan.  I think it was because he got too warm in it.

Grandma, Grandpa, & Baby Teddy

Then, on Halloween night, we went to our ward Trunk-or-Treat party.  We decorated the trunk like a cemetary and had a chili dinner inside. 

By the end of the night, Zach wanted some candy so he went trunk-or-treating to a few cars for Baby Teddy.  I'm sure they all knew who it was really for, lol.

Zach was a bum and didn't want to dress up...

I dressed up as a nurse, gloves and all. :)

Overall, it was a fun couple of nights, and we can't wait until next year!

2 Months

Stetzen had his two month check-up and shots on Halloween.  He weighed 10 lbs 12 oz and was 22 inches long.  He endured his first shots pretty well.  He only cried for a couple of minutes and was over the whole ordeal.  For his two month picture, I decided to take one of him in his Halloween Costume!

Picture Shy

I thought this was a cute pic.  After all the pictures that I take of poor Teddy, he'd finally had it.  He hid from us for all but two of his ultrasound pictures and now this one, lol.

First Horse Ride

This past weekend, we took Stetzen and his uncle Brands up hunting.  It was his first hunting trip and he quite enjoyed it.  On the last day up there, Zach insisited that we get a picture of the two of them on Fred.  I was not a fan of the idea, but relented and let him have his picture.  Sadly, this is the only one I got of the whole trip, but it's a good one.

Dad, Stetzen, and Fred at Horsecreek

I don't know if you can see him, but we saw a cute little badger while we were driving around the fields on Monday.  He's right in the middle.

Boppie

To the makers of Boppie...

All I have to say is THANK YOU!!  I would give millions to the creator(s) of Boppie!!  It's a life saver, and Stetzen's favorite place to chill and relax while I try to get something done around the house.  Last night we were chilling in the living room before bed, and he fell asleep in it and slept from 9:00pm -3:00am.  If you don't want to do the math, that's 6 hours of sleep, the most he's ever slept at night.  Sadly, the moment I woke up and took him to his bed, he woke up and only slept for a few hours at a time, like he ususally does, but the 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep was appreciated and much needed!  So again, thank you Boppie for making life a little easier!

 chillin with the Boppie

1 Month Old

I've been a slacker on keeping my blog up-to-date!!  Life has gotten busier and the blog has suffered.

On September 30, Stetzen turned 1 month old.  He's growing so fast, I can't seem to keep up with all the changes.  It's sad to see him get so big so fast, but at the same time it's a lot of fun.  This month he started smiling at us!!  It makes me melt every time. 

We weighed and measured him at the end of the month, and we was 8 lbs, and 21 inches long.  I also took a cute picture of him to commemorate the big event!

Killing Time with Teddy

In the few moments of boredomness I have with Baby Teddy, I subjected him to hours, more like minutes, of time in the spotlight.  I was already told by my sweet husband that I harass my child too much with my camera the two weeks he's been home, but he'll thank me later, (as will Teddy) when I have all these wonderful pictures for us to remember back when with.

 

 

 

Best Friends

Zach's best friend, Benjamin was expecting a baby boy the same time we were.  We've kidded around that our boy would date their child if they had a girl, and if anything they will be best friends just like Zach and Ben are.  On the 10th of September, Ben and Lacy had their baby in Evantson.  When we heard the news we went down to see them and their new baby.  It was the first official time the two boys met and hopefully they'll be friends!  So here's to future best friends!

Stetzen and Kelston meeting for the first time :)

Close-Ups

I bought the cutest crocheted beanie for Stetzen from Etsy, and I thought I'd get a few photos of him showing off his cuteness!

First Bath

I thought I'd share a few pics of Stetzen's first bath.  Yay!  He's definately not a fan of the whole adventure, except for washing his hair under the faucet. 

Getting a little chilly...

Mr. Fussy while we try to dress him.

 I thought this was cute.  He likes to suck on anyone's hands, including his own.

Finally, all dressed and ready to go for the day :)