Zach's New Baby

After the Young Reunion at Bear Lake, Zach aquired a new must have...a jet ski!  He had so much fun, of which I didn't really get to participate because I was fat and preggers.  Anyway, everyday he tried to convince me why we should get one.  Here was his resoning...1) You always complain that we don't do anything fun, so this would be something fun we could do during the summer on my days off.   2)  It's cheaper than a boat and you can wakeboard and tube behind it just as easy.  3)  It is easier to maintain and move than a boat.  And lastly, 4)  If we buy it now, the kids will be able to enjoy it all next summer and your family will have something fun to do when they visit in the summer.  Not only did he try to convince me, but he tried to convince his dad to buy one too because two is always better than one.  Brands was in on the coersion, but his dad didn't want to fork over the money for one.  So, the future of jet ski heaven depended upon my approval.

 

 

I will admit, I was mostly opposed to the idea.  Even though it sounded fun.  Zach really pawned the idea off that he was getting it for me, but I know full well that he wanted it because he thought it was a good time.  He would look on KSL everynight and try to find the best deal on a slightly used machine and ask me what I thought about each one.  I can't say that I really wanted one, but I let him entertain the idea.  As with most slurges he has, I don't really ever nix the idea.  After he found one that had only been used once, I think he made up his mind that he was going to get one and this was it.  We talked about it, and being the best wife ever I let him get his baby.

 

 

When we brought it home, Zach just had to tell Brands that he bought a jet ski.  Brands had no idea we went down to Utah and thought that he was BSing as usual.  Not until he came over to the place to do some chores that he saw it and had to check it out.  Zach was itching to take the jet ski out the second we brought it home, but he had to work for three days.  The second he got off, it was off to the Gorge to try it out.  Of course we had to take Brands.  He was on his final countdown until he left on his mission, and he really wanted to go out on a jet ski before he left.  Once again, I make dreams come true, lol. 

 

 

 

Everyone had a great time on the lake.  Zach and Brands to it out for its maiden voyage while Stetz and I played with his loader on the lakeside.  It's always a good time for Stetz.  After that we all went out and took Rache's tube out for a ride.  Sadly, Brands was the only one to fall off.  I really hoped I could dump Zach off, but I wasn't a crazy enough driver while preggo to do it.  I did make Brands fall off, and I'm not even sure how.  I thought I was fairly nice when I drove for him.  Oh well, it was funny anyways.  I have to admit that we all did have a good time, even though we couldn't get too excited while I was on it.  The lifejacket situation made me feel awfully nausious.  If only Tinzley had come early like I hoped.

 

 

       

Baby Paige

 

Baby Paige May Young is here!  She is such a cutie!  We are so excited for Josh and Kayla!  When we heard she was here, we hitched a ride with Zach's parents to go see little Paige.  I can't tell you how excited I was to see her.  She was so tiny!  She barely weighed 6 pounds and was only 18.5 inches long!  It's been so long since I've seen a newborn.  It made me all the more excited to have Tinzley come!

 

 

Going to see Baby Paige had a lot riding on it for Zach and me.  We thought this would be a good indicator of how Stetzen was going to handle having a new baby sister.  He really loves playing with his cousin Hunter who was born in February, so we thought he would like Baby Paige.  My how we were wrong.  I hate to say it, but he absolutely despised her!  It was slightly devastating.  He would not go see her and refused to go around anyone who was holding her. 

 

I couldn't believe his reaction.  He really did not like any part of the trip.  It makes me nervous how he is going to handle having Tinzley around.  Will he not like her, not even a little bit?  Yikes!  Let's just hope that he will have a change of heart about baby girls by the Tinzley comes.  If not, we might be in for a rough time.

 

 

All in all, it was wonderful to meet Paige and we wish her and her parents all the best as they start their new family life!  Here's to sleepless nights and busy days!  Congrats Josh & Kayla!

Firework Frenzie

 

This year was a fun year for us to celebrate the 4th.  We invited my family down to celebrate with us.  They met us in Evanston the night of the 4th for the fireworks.  To anyone who's never been, it's quite the experience.  It's like the war all over again but with fireworks blasting everywhere.  I think it is harder to explain than if you experienced it for yourself.  Izaak, Elias, and Stetzen all had a blast firing off sparklers and other little fireworks too.  It was a little hectic trying to keep track of them.  Needless to say, by the time all the fireworks were done, the familia was speechless.  Way to go Wyo! 

 

 

The next day we decided to go out to the Gorge to fish and play in the water.  We borrowed Jim's boat for our fun-filled day.  Zach and my dad left in the morning to fish and then the girls and kids all came later that afternoon to tube and mess around at the lake.  Just as the we were leaving to meet up with Zach and my dad, I get a call from my dad saying Zach lost his phone, then they couldn't get the boat to work, and not to come for another couple of hours because they hadn't fished at all in the 4 hours they'd been gone.  So, we waited for another hour or two and headed in. 

 

When we got there, Zach made a comment that we should have waited longer because they just started to catch fish and didn't really want to stop.  But we headed out anyways to go tubing.  When we got to a good spot, we filled up the tube with air and tried to get someone to go out there.  Katelyn wouldn't go, I couldn't go, and none of the kids wanted to go.  So, Zach went out there with Stetz.  Two seconds into the ride and the tube was taking on water.  We reeled them in and the tubing fun was done.  I thought we should just go to the shore to eat subs that we made and the kids could play off the shoreline.  When we opened the sandwiches, the bread was all soggy because I had a prego brain failure and put ice the cooler when we only wrapped the sandwiches with tin foil.  The day turned out to be pretty much a bust!  Zach decided to go get the truck and bring it over to the dock so we could head home.  I don't know why, but he thought it would be easier to walk to the car the girls rode in and the drive over to get the truck instead of just bringing the boat to the car.  I think it took him two hours to come back.  On the way, Kate got stuck in some mud and broke her sandals.  She had no shoes to wear for half the walk.  When he finally got back, we loaded up the boat and headed for the dock.  Once we were there, it took another hour to load the thing onto the trailer.  It was a nightmarish kind of day, lol.  

 

The next day, I had planned to go float the canal on the mountain, but everyone was so exhausted from the day before that we just bummed around.  That evening, though, I wanted to take them all fishing at Long's Park.  It's pretty much my favorite spot to go because someone always catches something.  When we got up there, it started to rain and never let up.  No one caught anything!  Later we had cooked tin foil dinners in the fire and rushed home to get warm and clean up.  It seems like any time my family comes down the weather is bad and it's muddy.  No wonder they don't come down very often!

 

To top the weekend off, as I was getting ready for church the next morning, the power cut out just as I was going to do my hair.  I was a very nice host and let everyone else shower and get ready before me.  I showered the night before so all I needed to do was get my hair done.  Well, let's just say it was a pioneer hair day because I couldn't use anything to get ready.  We called the power company and no one else's power was out, just mine.  Weird tidbit, though, the power wasn't totally out, but just pitiful enough only to run my lights.  When I got home from church, the power company had come out and fixed the problem, but I couldn't have planned so many FAILS to happen in one weekend.  Hopefully they all had fun.  Despite all the hoopla I managed to have some fun.  Here's to another memorable 4th of July!

Bear Lake Extravaganza

To kick off the summer heat wave, we went to Bear Lake with Zach’s family.  Zach had to work during the weekend, so Stetzen and I hitched a ride with his parents and Brandon.  As soon as we arrived, Stetzen went straight to the water.  He is definitely a fish!  He takes right after his daddy.  Zach loves to swim and competed in school.  Stetzen is well on his way to outdoing his dad in that aspect of life.  Once he’s in the water there’s no hope of getting him out unless you drag him out or it magically disappears.  So, going to the beach meant an entire day of entertainment for Stetz.

 

 

When he went out into the water, all he wanted to do was sit in the middle of the water and play with his tractors.  He thought it was really fun when the waves would pick up from the boats driving by.  If you let him, he would have floated off to the middle of the lake.  He loved being able to play with his cousins Jacob and Caige. 

 

Jake and Caige loved to spin out in the water on an inner tube.  Grandpa was helping them spin, and he tried to get Stetzen to try it, but he was not digging the whole tube idea.  He did like to go out on the raft and canoe for rides, which I don’t really know what the difference was.

 

When he wasn’t basking in the water, he was digging and playing in the sand.  He had a lot of fun playing in a little puddle of water, digging the sand out with a shovel and driving his tractors around.  It was nearly impossible to get him to come back to the tent to eat or to lather on the sunscreen.

 

As a mom, I must admit that it was a little overwhelming keeping track of a overexcited toddler.  He was running from one place to another—water to sand, sand to water.  I was worn out just playing with him and keeping him alive.  I did enjoy it and the cool water, though.  I would definitely make sure Zach could come next time.  It would be a little easier on a mom.

 

I think we both had a lot of fun, and we both ended up burning despite my efforts to keep the sunscreen pasted on.  His poor little cheeks burned just below his eyes and my entire back decided to fry.  I’m definitely not a fan of sunburns, but who is?  Next time, we’ll have to spray it on every hour.  Bear Lake, we enjoyed the fun, the water, and the family!  We’ll see you again in August, with lots of sunscreen!

Daddy's Day

Happy Father's Day Dad!

 

This year we wanted to give Zach a special gift for Father's Day.  Both Stetz and I decided to give him this picture which we framed for him.  I didn't get a picture, but Stetz and I also made a dozer card for him using Stetzen's footprint as the main body of the dozer.  It was cute.

 

On this Father's day we want you to know that you are a great husband and father, and I know you will continue to be when baby Tinzley comes!  We want you to know that we love you and appreciate all that you do to help us and support us!  We hope your day is amazing!

 

Easter Bunnies and Eggs!

Our Sunday morning surprise from the Easter Bunny!

 

This year for Easter, we went down to Aunt Jen's for egg-dying and an Easter Egg Hunt.  Emily was also baptized today, so we were able to watch her make a wonderful decision to join the church!  After the meeting, all the grandkids, along with all the BIG kids (aka Rachel & Fred, Josh & Kayla, Sky, Brands, and of course, me) gathered up all the eggs and began the dying festivities.  It was a great day to watch them get so excited about the colors and designs, even Joshy got wound up in it.  

 

After the dozens of eggs were all dyed, we went to the park and went hunting for eggs.  All the kids were extremely excited to find their specific colored eggs, but all Stetz could think about was playing on the toys.  I think he found three or four eggs and his mind was set upon climbing up the toys and slides.  I'm glad he enjoyed the day, though.  He loves to be with his cousins and kids of his age.  It's a blessing that he has two of them that are only months older than he is.

 

On Sunday, we celebrated Easter by attending church.  Rusty Burnside spoke, and he brought up an intriguing question, how did Easter become about bunnies and eggs?  Bunnies do not lay eggs, yet they disperse them to all the little children.  I'd never really thought about that.  Afterwards, we went over to grandma's house and had a delicious Easter ham dinner.  It was a beautiful day, and perfect for the analogy of new spring life.

 

 

On a more serious note, though the talks and lessons on the Savior are always my favorite.  He truly was the perfect example for us and all that he suffered was in our behalf.  I know that we can get caught up in eggs, bunnies, candy, and egg hunts, but the true reason for this important day is to remember our Savior and that he suffered and died so that we might live!  I truly do love my Savior and know that HE LIVES!! 

 

It's a...?!?!

 

The Young Family proudly presents baby Tinzley!  It's a girl!

Snow Storm of the Year

 

You think that in March, the snow would start to subside and Spring would start to kick in.  Well, here in McKinnon, it's just the beginning of winter.  Today we were pleasantly surprised to get over two feet of snow.  I took a couple of photos in the afternoon when it had only accumulated about 18".  Stetzen thought it was pretty neat and wanted to play in it barefoot. 

 

Branding

 

This week was branding week on the Young Ranch!  It's quite the event, and we all get to dig in and get dirty.  This year Brands pushed calves and dehorned them, Nancy and I did the shots and gates, and Allen and Zach branded and cut the bull calves.  Of course, we had to get our little cowboy Stetz in the action, so he helped brand, open the gates, and chase calves. 

 

 

He did not like it when the calves would biller out to their mommas, though.  I don't know if it scared him or if he felt bad for them, but he cried right along with them. 

 

 

Once we got out his "tractors" it didn't seem to bother him much.  He is quite the tractor nut.  Any day is a good day when he's got them around.  When he wasn't pushing these around he helped chase the calves back into the field.  I think he had quite the day.

After all the excitement, we went to Grandma's house and ate sub sandwiches and salads, their annual after branding lunch!  You'd be surprised how delicious this sounds after spending the day with the cows, dirt, and nasties!

The Loves of Stetzen's Life

 

Stetzen really only has two loves in his life besides his parents:  shoes & ice cream!  Anytime he finds a pair of shoes he has to try them on.  It's a major fetish that I'm sure will last for quite a while.  His other love is ice cream (ice cream cones to be more precise).  He will snark them down and not share.  It is HIS treat and by golly he is not going to share that wonderful goodness with just anyone.

My Adventures in Movie Making

Before Jake left on his mission, I decided that I better give him the ultimate farewell gift.  The night before he spoke, I gathered everyone together to show them a movie I had made especially for Jake.  It took a while to get everyone convinced that they should come watch, but when they did, it was a HUGE success.

 

Watch Movie NOW!!

 

It was a great surprise for everyone!  After watching it, Katelyn had no idea what was going on.  It was kind of funny, but we had to explain that we are PREGNANT!  As soon as my mom saw the ultrasound, she got teary-eyed.  I didn't think she'd be that emotional, but she is a Jones, and that's what Jones' do.

 

I have to explain that the Star Wars theme is a tribute to my dad.  As children, he got us all interested in the Star Wars Trilogy and subsequently the hex-ology (if you would call it that).  So, I thought it only fitting that we present the news in true Star Wars fashion.  You may all think I'm a geek or weird after this, but the truth's out and I'm proud of it!

 

More importantly, we are very excited to see what this little bundle of joy will be and can't wait to meet her on (or near) September 8.  

Basket of Terror

 

 Hopefully this post doesn't make me the worst mom ever, but I thought it was really funny.  Stetzen was playing in the front room for a while, then headed down the hall.  After a couple minutes, I hear this heart wrenching shriek coming from down the hall.  I start running towards Stetzen and he comes out of the hall with the hamper stuck over his head.  He had somehow managed to get it on him, but he couldn't get it off.  It terrified him to no end.  Being the good mom I am, I had to get a picture before I removed his basket of terror.  His poor little face shows how scary this hamper really can be.

Birthday Boy

 

Happy Birthday Hubby & Dad!  Yesterday was Zach's 26th birthday.  Sad to say, I was a little busy and wasn't able to make his cake this year, so we bought his favorite, coconut cream pie.  It was a hectic day, but we managed to celebrate after he got home from work.  As you can see, he is quite the party animal!

As for his gifts, you can never fail with tools.  For Christmas he got a cordless hand saw.  He had mentioned before that, that he wanted the circular saw and multi-tool.  He was so disappointed when he didn't get them for Christmas, but I had them stashed away for his birthday.  Like a little kid, he had to open them up, try them out, and just stare at them.  I'm glad he liked them!  I hope he had a wonderful day and knows that Stetz and I both love and appreciate him!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

I love Christmas!  It's a wonderful time to celebrate family and the birth of our Savior.  This year Zach was able to take Christmas off from work so we got to enjoy it early in the morning with all of us there!  I was excited to see how Stetzen would like Christmas this year because last year he was too little to get any of it.  I think he liked it, but he still didn't really get what was going on. 

 

I think his CAT Loader and Dump Truck were his favorite toys this year!  He loved getting rides from his dad while sitting in his dump truck.  He also thought it was a great little chair for him!  Santa came through this year for sure!

I also had to post this picture of Stetz.  After his dad had pushed him around the house a dozen times, he still wanted rides.  This is his desperate cry for yet another ride on his dump truck.

In addition to his CAT trucks, Stetz got a nativity set, clothes, a fire truck, and some John Deere tractors.

 

This year I hope Zach liked his presents.  He received a saw-zaw, wolf call, pajamas, and a gun safe.  I think I really surprised him with the wolf call.  He had been looking for one for several months but couldn't find the kind that really brought them in.  I did some research and decided on one and hoped it was what he was looking for, or something as good or better.  It turns out I found the exact one he wanted.  Now he's planning his wolf hunting trip to use his new call.  

 

This year Zach did pretty good!  He bought me speakers for my iPod, a new laptop for church, a comfy robe, and some pajamas.  I thought they were all perfect! 

 

 I love that my two favorite boys are here to share this Christmas with me!  It wouldn't be the same without them here, and I love them both!  I hope they had as wonderful a Christmas as I did!

 

 

After the work opening presents, Stetz needed a bath and a good bottle to relax and enjoy the rest of the day.