The Life and Times of the Spauldings

Crap! I need to catch up!!

2010-05-12T12:06:00.001-06:00

Yes it's been way too long! Maybe I will catch up on this thing someday!
Hello all friends and family!!
Happy day everyone!

What the CRAP?!?!

2009-01-16T10:18:00.002-07:00

So I've been in the mood to do some good, hard cleaning around the house since the last few months of my life have been so hectic! On Wednesday, I was cleaning the stove and lo and behold, I broke it! Yeah, I did. Somehow either a little bit of the water from my cloth I was using or the liquid cleaner got behind the the display panel. I was just cleaning a way and I heard clicking noises. Then, all of a sudden, a flame - a small one, but never-the-less a flame - shot up from behind the display and a LOUD bang!! Scared me to death!!!! I thought for sure my house was gonna burn down! So my neighbors came to the rescue. They helped figure it all out and by yesterday I had the new part ordered and it's on it's way (due to arrive by the 26th. I can do anything for a week and a half, right? HELP!!!). A hundred and fifty bucks, almost 2 weeks, and a shining stove later, I will have a LIKE - NEW stove! What the crap I say?!?! How does that happen to someone? I don't know, but either way I need to stop cleaning or higher a maid service! I'm sure I'll save money in the long run!

David's Tooth

2009-01-16T10:09:00.002-07:00

David was so excited when he came home from school yesterday! He stood at the door and just smiled. He lost his tooth at school!!!! Wow, now that's the coolest thing EVER! You see, he has already lost some teeth, so it's not the excitement of the first one, rather it's the excitement of being so brave in front of your entire class. It was hanging by a thread and his teacher offered to help him pull it out and Davey took up on the offer! Next cool thing...he got a special tooth necklace to bring it home in! Best of all...the Tooth Fairy remembered to come!!!! Phew!

8 is Great!!!

2009-01-12T14:47:00.002-07:00

In my last post I wrote that we celebrated Jake's eighth birthday on Christmas eve! Well, I can finally get to the computer and write a little more about it, as well as his baptism!

We are so proud of Jacob and his decision to be baptized! He was so extremely excited about his special day that after his birthday and Christmas, that was all he could talk about, well that and his airsoft gun!

He would ask so many questions and talk about how he wants to read his new scriptures everyday (which he has been so good at, I must report - it's brag time!). I knew there was a spiritual side in him along with all his rowdiness and torture he puts out to his siblings!

Jake is a rough and tumble boy with a huge heart! He tries to do his best (afterall he is a Cub Scout now!) and puts so much effort into his goals. He loves playing any sport, at the moment it's basketball. He loves going to scouts and doing his scout stuff with Josh. And now, he's so excited to start piano lessons....Okay, Jake, is that because you soooo love the piano or is it the beautiful 16 year old girl that's going to be teaching you for the first little while???? Yeah, that's what we thought!!!!!

Jake is a big BYU fan, sorry UTE fans but it's in him already! He is our little artist as well. He was in heaven when he got his very own 64 ct. box of crayons!! Oh I would've been in heaven at that age too! Is my dream coming true through my child?!?!!

Jake and Josh on baptism day, January 3, 2009. Gotta love the jumpsuits!
Uncle Ben with Jacob and David

The proud parents with the king of the day!

Amber with cousin TJ. Amber played a special musical number at the baptism "When I Am Baptized" on the piano. We are so proud of her too! It was beautiful!!

Jake with Grandma Nedra and Grandpa Brad (Josh's parents)

We were horrible with the camera on this one! So sorry Jake! There were many other friends and family present and we failed to get pictures of them. So just chalk that one up to our laziness! Sorry everyone!

Happy Birthday Jake and WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Our December adventures

2008-12-31T13:48:00.006-07:00

It is the last day of December and we are ready to start a new year!!! Already!! I can NOT even believe I am saying that! We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We really did have a lot of fun visiting both Josh and my families. It was really great to get so many Christmas cards and read about what everyone is up to! We love that. So here's just a glimpse of what we did in the past few weeks. We arrived on the 23rd at my parents. Jake's 8th birthday was the next day.... (beware, this could get long....)
The biggest BYU fan in our family on his 8th birthday! Jake was thrilled at his new getup! (more to come about his birthday and baptism on another day!

Grandpa Ray, Josh, and Uncle Drew took the boys shooting guns up in the hills on Christmas Eve. The boys love shootin' guns with Grandpa! It was soooooo cold up there!

The kiddos in their matching Christmas jammies on the eve of the great holiday!

Of course, we made some for cousin Brooklyn too!
Christmas morning....And they found thier stockings full!

Luke with his new favorite toy....A John Deer tractor!

David with a his very own Ripstik! No longer does he have to wait to use Jake's!!

This picture is the best one we have so sorry it's hard to see. It's Jake holding his new Airsoft BB/Pellet gun. "Don't shoot your eye out!" Luckily, so far, so good, no injuries!

Amber, in love with her new American Girl Doll clothes. She was so happy Santa didn't forget!

We went skiing at a small resort by Cedar City, UT called Brianhead. It's perfect for the beginners! I am helping Luke on his first big run of the season!Jake stoked and ready to keep hitting those slopes!

David on a snowboard for the first time! He did pretty good until he had a big spill and wanted to go in!Amber...she has to say she likes snowboarding a lot better than skiing! We'll see...she's got a lifetime to figure that out!

Stephanie (my sister) and Kevin and thier kiddos came for an awesome visit! They came Monday evening and just left a few hours ago! We haven't seen each other for over two years! It was great to be with them. We headed into Salt Lake yesterday and visited different places. Here we are at the History Muesem of our church. The kids loved playing make believe and crafting!Steph and her youngest, Cole.

David, Jake, and cousins Brayden and Saydria.

Luke with cousins Cole and Kai! We had so much fun together! Good times, good times!

Phew! That was long! Hope you trudged through okay! Happy New Year!

'Tis the Season!

2008-12-08T19:52:00.003-07:00

It was one of those days where your heart is warm and memories are made. Simple and sweet. After school, the kids played for a bit and then we decided to start making our gifts for our family members for Christmas. We had the Christmas music playing, the evergreen tree scented candle burning, and the weather wasn't frightful, but perfect for indoor activities! Well into our projects is when the snow really started to fall! It's the first good snowfall of the season. We had one in October but it didn't stick for longer than a 1/2 hour or so. So we had to run out and see the snow and how huge the flakes were!Luke, who is the perfect age for true happiness and excitement of this winter/Christmas season, was loving the snow! He stopped his paintings and wanted to play in the snow instead! He had to eat some first before we got on the snow hat, gloves, and coats! Then back out he went for more! He stayed until his little fingers could take no more and it was too dark for his eyes to see! What a good day!

A well needed update!

2008-12-01T18:50:00.003-07:00

So I've been told I need to update the blog! Here we go...First off, I do have to say, I have been lazy about this!!! I've been so busy with the kids, church, and work, I haven't had much time to sit at the computer! Then, of course, when I want to, my computer acts up and shuts down on me several times in one sitting! So that's my lame excuse!
We went to my parents' home in Hurricane (by St. George) for the first few days of our Thanksgiving break and then up to Milford to Josh's parents' home for the last few days of the break. We had a good time and loved being able spend time with family and just relax! We could stay up late if we wanted, sleep in (if the kids were willing!), exercise at 8 am instead of 5:30 am! We visited, played games, watched movies, played basketball, and of course, ate lots of delicious food! I told my mom when we walked into her house on Wednesday evening that we just walked into food heaven! She had this beautiful spread just waiting for all of us to dive in and that was only the beginning! Well, with so much to be thankful for in our lives, we are thankful we are happy and healthy. We are thankful for this beautiful earth and our God who created it and everything for all of us. And of course, we are indeed thankful for our wonderful families and amazing friends!
We didn't take many pictures over the break (nothing new - we always bring the camera, but using it is a different story!) but here are a few of the kids at the park in Milford. Jake and David were playing football with cousin Austin, Josh, and Uncle Jeep. Amber was playing with the girls, mostly on the swings and playground. And Luke, well he was everywhere and I happen to catch a photo of him on the swings!
I'll TRY to be better at this!

David lost another tooth on Friday! Now he's singing..."All I Want For Christmas..."

Happy Birthday David!

2008-10-27T10:50:00.004-06:00

I was so lucky to steal a moment to get a shot with the birthday boy himself!

He wanted to play football all night long with his new football getup!

David finally turned 6 yesterday! We weren't sure if the day was ever going to come! We have decided to give our kids the choice to have a friend party or a family party for their birthdays. So Davey being the brilliant little man that he is, he chose to have a family party! He knows how to play it right. You have a family party and you have more fun! Bless his little soul! He knows also how to save his mama a lot stress! So Dave Dog chose to go rock climbing, go to see High School Musical 3 and go to Chuck- a -rama for dinner on Saturday night! Rock climbing was fun for Davey and Jake, Amber was a little unsure of it. And Luke, well, he played basketball the entire time we were there. Dick's Sporting Goods in SLC has a huge 75 ft. climbing wall inside and the kids have been begging to go! So off we went. David got to about 25 ft. and got a little nervous, Jake got to 60 ft. and just wasn't quite sure what to do next, and then Amber got to 40ft and said that was enough! Jake and David are ready to go next time they said! This first time was a good test run.

After some climbing, we went to see HSM 3. For HSM fans, I think this third one blew the other two out of the water!! David and the kids had to agree. Of course it was cheesy and silly, but that's what the kids loved! Best of all, it was rated G and I believe it stuck to it. After the movie, we were so hungry so Chuck-a-rama was the place to go! Good choice Davey! He loves it because he can serve his own plates, getting what he wants, of course, and then at the end, he does the ice cream machine- by himself!!! What a cutie!
Then, Sunday being his official birthday, which he helped everyone know about, was filled with our normal family traditions...a big breakfast of choice, lots of decorations, lots of anticipation for gifts, lots of excitement, dinner of choice, followed with cake of choice and the awful long wait for gifts!
As seen above, he got a Broncos football uniform, including helmet, outfit, football and tennis shoes that are Broncos colors! All because he is a loyal fan and that's what he wants to be for Halloween! Love birthdays by Halloween!!!
Star Wars Legos for the Game Cube!! Wooo!! Hoooo!!! So excited!
Yummy cheesecake to top it all off!!

Proofreading!

2008-10-20T16:51:00.002-06:00

Okay, I just looked at my blog after I made my last post. Did someone say proofread or edit or SOMETHING??? Please excuse the errors!

Football!!!

2008-10-20T16:34:00.002-06:00

Jake is really loving his first year of flag football! He can't wait till next year because then he's eligible to play tackle! You have to be 8, and he can't wait!! For now he is having a blast and gets so excited about each practice and game. These pictures are of his last regular season game which was just on Sat, the 18th. This week is playoffs. His team is doing good and so they are expected to do okay in the playoffs. So fun!

Here he is, so proud of the flag he pulled for the first down of the game!

This was an awesome play! The other team threw a beautiful pass to their player and Jake was right there for the interception! It was perfect! He then ran in it for a touchdown! The ended up winning the game 46 -18! Go Colts!

I've been tagged!

2008-10-20T16:16:00.002-06:00

Here's my photo from being tagged! Becky Thompson tagged me and I'm tagging whomever wants to do this is, and of course, anyone is more than welcome!! Hmmm, I'm thinking Steph, Nisha, Marlo, Drew, anyone else? Just post your fourth picture from your fourth picture folder. Bec, did I do that right? Anyway....here's mine! This is Luke, 5 months old!! What a cutie! So chunky! Gotta love him!

Surgery for Luke!

2008-10-18T22:24:00.002-06:00

After having surgery yesterday morning, Luke is doing so much better today! I don't have any pictures to show of but just some news to pass along! It was nothing major, he had a tonsilectomy and adenoidectomy. Poor little fella has had strep throat 8 or 9 times ( I lost track!) since last year ! Thankfully the doctor suggested the procedure to be done or I was going to ask for it!! We don't want lil Luke to have to go through that anymore!
So after dealing with insurance companies (how we don't like 'em, but we really have to love 'em!), everything was a go and Luke was in and out on Friday morning! Before the surgery, on Thursday, I was explaining everything to Luke and he said, " I hate surgery! I don't have to go the doctor, I'm all better!" Poor guy, he was so mad!! Not for long though... the next morning when they got him all ready on the bed, they gave him a bag just stocked full with toys and little things he loves! It made it all better! Now, he gets all the popsicles, gum, and gatorade he wants! The doc said the gum helps he muscles get stronger quicker. Lucky dude! He would live on gum if I let him and now to be asked if he wants a piece of gum... Wow, I'm the coolest mom on earth!!!! Thank heavens for Loritab and Tylenol! It seems to help and he's well on his way to a good recovery!

Happy Birthday Amber!

2008-10-07T09:01:00.002-06:00

Amber turns 10! It was exciting for her to enter the age of double digits! It's so hard to believe a decade of Amber's life has passed! Time flies and she's growing up fast!
She was so lucky to have a fun filled party packed with lots of friends, laughing, squealing and screaming, balloons, squealing and screaming, gifts, games, and squealing and screaming!!!!
Did I mention, there was squealing and screaming???? They had a blast!

Amber received many books, which is a love of hers.
This series she is holding is by Shannon Hale. A beloved LDS author. We were so lucky to have these books signed by Shannon Hale. The books include: Enna Burning, Goose Girl, and River Secrets. She also got another book called Princess Academy by S. Hale.

A new room is in store for our 10 year old! We got her a new bed spread and some paint to go with it (soft blue and green!), a nightstand, a bed lamp, and furniture in the future!
We went to the Gateway in SLC to have dinner and do some shopping. The kids are standing in front of a great water fountain that "dances" to the music! It was fun!

Grandpa's little Cowboy

2008-09-16T15:14:00.003-06:00

"I'm so excited Mom! - I love my new outfit!"

Luke is the lucky recipient of my dad's little cowboy dress-ups! There is a special little connection between Luke and Grandpa Ray. I don't know if it's that they share the same birthday or that they look like twins! Maybe it's personalities or something yet to be seen. Either way, these two are adorable! When my dad was three he wore this cowboy outfit just as Luke is now! It's so special! We just got it in the mail last week and Luke has a new love - his cowboy gear! The outfit includes boots, a vest, chaps, a gun holster and a gun!We just need to get him a hat and he's set!

The little cowboy is all tuckered out after a great day of exciting play and make believe! Luke couldn't quite make it up to his bed and in seconds was asleep on the first step!

Something New

2008-09-11T19:58:00.002-06:00

I have learned something new. I have always wanted to do this and I was never quite sure how to. I have taken up CANNING! There are so many people around here that know how so I've picked their brains (AND SO MUCH TIME!) so that I could learn how myself. Of course, it will take time to continue to do and I would like to learn more techniques and other fruits and veggies for the future.

So here is the run down on what I've done... 2 weeks ago I put up (with the help of my friend, Heidi Nordgren) 12 pints of apricot jam. Heidi has an apricot tree and she allowed me to help her pick the fruit and process it. I had done freezer jam but not cooked jam. I loved it. And of course, how yummy! Then, on Tuesday I made salsa. The tomatoes were from my garden and Heidi's garden. The bell peppers were from my garden and the other hot peppers were from Heidi's garden. The rest, dang it, were from the store. So we made it and processed that too. It made 17 pints. Then yesterday, my nieghbor, Kristen helped me put up my peaches. I bought a bushel and was able to get 22 quarts out of it! I just love this! Thanks to these ladies for their time and knowledge! ( Oh, if you counted the bottles in the picture, yep, they don't match the numbers I wrote...I gave some away!)

Soccer!

2008-09-08T15:28:00.003-06:00

David gives a big grin for all of us at his second soccer game! He has totally loved playing this season! He's so anxious for every practice and game! He's one of the tallest, if not THE tallest player on his team. He goes after that ball like there is no tomorrow! Check out that defense!! David is not going to let his opponent get that ball!
Amber's first official game was on Saturday, the 6th. They are a competative traveling team. This first game was in Park City and we won 5-0! It was so fun to watch. The team's name is Stansbury Elite: Extreme! but of course, we just say Extreme. Their coach is just outstanding. He really coaches -teaches and is patient! Amber just loves it all! This particular picture shows Am taking the ball away from her opponent, something she's really good at!
CHEESE! I had to get a quick facial shot in between plays!
So on with the soccer season we go! It's so much fun to watch the kids play! We are just waiting for Jake's flag football season to start. I guess I should say, the games to start. They've been practicing for several weeks now but have had some issues with uniforms for the whole organization so we've already had to postpone one game and hopefully we can start this coming Saturday! Here we go.....

A little Piece of Heaven!

2008-09-07T10:21:00.004-06:00

So we have another adventure to tell about. We were absolutely thrilled when our friends, the Nordgren family, invited us to go to Lake Powell with them on a houseboat for 4 nights!! We have been truly blessed with amazing friends that have taken us on fun trips. We probably wouldn't have seen or done some of these things if it weren't for our great friends. You know who you are and were we've been. All the countless times to Lake Tahoe, all the boating trips, camping trips, and places yet to come! If you haven't been to Lake Powell, like we hadn't before this, we thought we had a little piece of heaven right there. The sights were truly amazing and the water was deliciously warm! We went down on Thurs. Aug. 28 and came home super late on Labor Day. The kids loved it all, with Luke being the biggest fish! He had no fear of swimming in those deep waters. Amber had to gain a love of it. It was scary to her at first and then she realized she'd be safe with all of us there and her life jacket on. The boat was anchored on the shore (the only flat piece in the area of Navajo Canyon that we were in) and at the end of the boat (54 ft. long) the water was about 25 feet deep. About 10 -15 yds.from that, it was around 150 feet deep!!!! Wow! The canyon walls show how the water meets right up to and it's just sheer drops into the water several feet deep! The first night we slept on top of the houseboat under the stars! I've never seen so many stars and they were twinkling and shooting all over! The next 3 nights were spent in the houseboat due to rain and extremely high winds! It was fine, however, stars as a canopy are much better! The first picture is of Wahweap Marina where the houseboat sits in it's slip until it's in use. What a breathtaking sight to come up to! The next one is of our own part of lake that we were in as we are standing looking off the back end of the boat. The 3rd picture is just some scenery of the massive canyon that we were amongst. Continue further for more pics and more captions....(I know there's a lot but there's so much to share..just hang on!)

Here we are on top of a cliff looking down at the houseboat and our own personal playground! We were way up there! Amber and KaSandra (her friend) on the water trampoline!

Davey just enjoying a nice swim in the warmth of the waters

Amber ready to go!Jake going down the houseboat slide - it has about a 5 foot drop into the water! So Fun!!!Luke doing his Superman dive into the water! He kept doing this over and over!

Yes, I know, I should be considered a pro or something!! Josh showing off on the wakeboard! Yep, we know....we're studs!!!!

The houseboat - above. Some of these silly Spauldings and Nordgrens.It rained, rather poured! on Sunday. Now I see why flash floods are scary and dangerous! As it was pouring waterfalls were coming down these mountains all over the place. Some were huge and others small. They almost looked like natural waterslides - this water just gliding down these smooth rocks. What a sight!

SCHOOL TIME!

2008-08-26T15:06:00.003-06:00

So the new school year has started! The kids are anxious in many ways and then again, they realize all the fun of summer they will be missing. Of course, the night before Jake was saying he didn't want to go, but as soon as 7:oo am rolled around Thursday morning, he was up and at 'em! He got dressed and made his bed before I even knew it!! He was really excited to get the day going! I wasn't planning to wake him until atleast 7:30 or so, but apparently he had a different plan and didn't want me to know! Amber wasn't very excited about her new teacher. His name is Mr. Smith (hmm, a familiar name, isn't it!?- where are we, Utah or something??). Anyway, she was told by older kids that he is strict and not so much fun. Well, turns out, he's a great teacher and she has really started to like him! Jake loves his teacher, Mr. Carter (wow, another last name we know....) - he thinks he's great and has lots of fun, so far. Oh, and by the way, our other camera gave up on us and we lost Jake and Amber's official first day of school pictures, so this is the only one I have (2 days later!)!

Now it's David's turn! Monday was his first day of school! The kindergarteners started 2 days after the rest of the school. David is going to have a unique experience for his kindergarten year! Last year, when we were living in CA, he started kindergarten. We then moved to UT in January. Due to the state laws which says that a child has to be 5 years old on or before Sept. 2, to enter kindergarten (he turned 5 in October), they would not allow Davey to continue going to school here! It was awful at the time, but now it's all worked out. So now he's doing this all over again, except different! He is in an all day class where only about 5 or 6 students in all of kindergarten are in with him. They all have different reasons or stories but are similiar, 1/2 day kindergarten would not give them the challenge they need. So they have their education tailored to their needs and the level they are on, that's for 1/2 the day. Then, the other half of the day, they are helping thier teacher doing other things, including helping other students that might be having a hard time learning one subject or another. So they are little tutors! It's just perfect for Davey! It's not that this handful of students are brainiacs or something, it's just for different and unique situations like David's, that there is this program here to help them grow and be challenged too! So cool! He absolutely is thrilled about it!!!So now it's little Luke and me at home. It's different for sure! So good to have one on one with my little man! He's sporting his whistle and hat for everyone! Two things he can't live without!

Let the Harvest Begin

2008-08-13T22:07:00.008-06:00

"Cheese!" Hurry Mom! I want to pick the eggplants not take another picture!

Look! Look! The BIG pumpkin is turning orange!

This week has proven a success for us! When we planted our garden in the spring we weren't sure if we'd get much out of it! We weren't used to gardening in the different climate. It seemed that when we'd plant anything, living in California, it'd grow and produce. So yes, we practiced some faith and look at the growth. The kids love to go out in the garden and pick whatever there is, whether it is ready or not! We have a few green tomatoes on our table as well as a watermelon with a white middle! David said, "This is the best garden we've ever had!" True in some ways, not so much in others. Normally when we have beans coming out our ears and cucumbers to share with the whole neighborhood, we don't. However, our pumpkins are taking over and I don't think I'll have to buy one pumpkin for Halloween this year! The tomatoes are abundant and delicious! We've never grown eggplant before, but our neighbor had a couple extra plants that she gave us. We've given it a try and we have almost too much! The cantalope and watermelon are finally growing well after thinking we'd get nothing. One of my favorites is the acorn squash! Yummo (in the words of my good friend, Lisa!)!!! They are so good!

Luke, Jake, and David showing the "baby cantalope"!

Jake working hard finding beans, not so much luck. They look pretty though!

Youth Conference

2008-08-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

I just have to share my thoughts on this past Youth Conference I attended for church. Thanks for so much help from my sister-in-law and some friends that watched our kids while Josh was at work, I was able to attend the 3 day conference. We went camping in the mountains about 20 minutes from our home. We were so far in the canyon, the Stake committee had to bring in port-a-potties and water. I wasn't so excited to go at first but of course, when I got there I was loving it and having so much fun with the Youth in our ward. We played a lot of games, went hiking, helped at the local church farms, played on this giant (about 20 yds. long, 7-8 yds. wide) slip-n-slide amongst other water activities, hung around our campsite and laughed until our sides hurt (seariously, my muscles hurt!), and to top it off on the last night we had Kenneth Cope come to our Stake Center. It was awesome! If you don't know him, Kenneth Cope is a famous LDS singer/songwriter. AMAZING. So inspirational! We loved it! Josh got to go to that part with me - what a good little date! Amongst all the fun, we had the opprotunity to hear the youth testify of Jesus Christ and His gospel. The youth today continue to amaze me. We hear of so many teenagers doing so many crazy things, yet there are so many doing good things. It was a great weekend. To top it all off (a brag moment coming....), Josh had the house clean and all in one piece, the kids were happy, and he even went grocery shopping! Wow!
Moving on....I can finally go get my copy of "Breaking Dawn" tomorrow! Yeah!

Beautiful Bryce Canyon

2008-07-28T22:45:00.001-06:00

I didn't know where to start with this blog thing, because really I've been saying "I'm starting my blog this week!" for the last several months. So, I figure to just start with our most recent event. Our little family is in front of one of many breathtaking views in Bryce Canyon, Utah. We had a wonderful weekend there. It was all based around the 5k race Josh ran and the half marathon race that I ran. We, of course, had to sport our race shirts later that day while traveling through and visiting the beautiful sites of this amazing land.

Another shot of the kids and landscape, maybe you can see them better in this picture. Yes, Luke is thrilled, just as much as Amber!!!

"Natural Bridge" - another portrait of the amazing beauty found on this earth!