Our Family

Catching up!!

2012-01-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

We started our month out with a trip to Las Vegas for a work convention. We had one day of meetings and then the rest was fun, shows, and shopping! It was so fun to get away together and we thank our family who we somehow finagled into helping out with our kids while we went!

It was Bob's birthday while we were there and we went to eat at this delicious restaurant called the Wicked Spoon. If you get a chance to go to Vegas I think you will really love this place! It was rated one of the top restaurants!

Some of the pictures are a bit out of order but this Christmas we went to Heber City with the Nelson family. It was an absolute riot! We went tubing down soldier hollow and Bob took the boys skiing. We had lots of swimming and went ice skating outside. It was so nice to be together with the whole family. We got Nicole and Chris and Michele and her "friend" Eric to come too which made it all complete.

Christmas was a huge hit this year! We just had a fun time being together and spending the holiday with our loved ones! I feel so blessed to have great friends and family in my life.

OK... so the kids did get some pretty cool loot this year! Santa brought us a Wii which will help us get through the long winter! I am loving the Just Dance 3!

Christmas Eve we ate dinner at Aunt Diane's house. It was nice to visit with cousins. Our kids sang Away in a Manger in the Nativity. I think Emerson was the only one who didn't run off during our song!

Emerson turned 6 this year! He felt pretty proud that we threw him a party with all of his friends from the neighborhood and school class! He has the cutest friends and they are all such good kids! It was a great time!

A new year!

2011-09-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

The kids are off and already enjoying the new school year! Emerson loves kindergarten. His favorite part about school is recess and computer time. There is a boy in his class with down syndrom and Emerson really likes him and says they are good friends. I just think it's sweet. J.R. is in the best pre-school and is learning all of his sounds and starting to read words. He loves his friends but really enjoys his cousin Eliza who is in his class too! Carly is having a ball in her pre-school! They baked cookies and dressed as clowns this week. SOOO cute! Carly started a little dance class and you would think she was in heaven in her little tutus and leotards. She is a very fun girl and has more friends than any 3 year old I know!! (She even considers most adults her "best friends") Bob loves his job and is keeping VERY busy!! We feel so blessed to be keeping busy and enjoying our little ones grow everyday!

It is hunting season again! Bob shot a nice buck in Wyoming this year!

Who said men can't decorate??? This is what a found Bob doing the other day when I came home.

I turned 30 this month!! Yikes! I'm getting used to the idea! My Mom made this poster and I found it on my doorstep. What a thoughtful Mom I have!

Enjoying the Lake

2011-07-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

The summer wouldn't be complete without a trip to Bear Lake. It was so relaxing we could hardly muster up the strength to come home! I tried to get some candid shots of the kids! I wish I knew a little more about photography!

J.R. and Emerson started tubing by themselves this year. They love it!

A little sidewalk chalk goes a long way!

This should teach Carly not to mess with one of Emerson's toys! She was running and before I knew it they were on the ground wrestling. Carly does not give up easily!

J.R. and Grandma Ann

Carly likes to find a "new mommy!" wherever she goes. This weekend it was her favorite Aunt Niki who was the victim!

July!

2011-07-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

We had such a great week! We were so lucky to have friends and family come and stay with us over the 4th of July! The Anderson and Coats families from Logan and my cousin Wendy and her family all stayed with us which totalled 18 people in all! We stayed up late one night talking and laughing and making Wendy's favorite chocolate chip cookies! We enjoyed a night at a baseball game, and swimming at Heise hot springs and golfing for the guys! It was so enjoyable.

Uncle Kevin had his anual celebration at his car barn and this year he rented miniature horses to pull people around on rides. It was so funny and the kids had a riot!

We had fun at the parade this year! Is it just me or am I the only person who can't stop the flow of tears everytime the servicemen and women pass by holding the American flag? It is almost embarrassing how emotional I get but I am so grateful to live in this beautiful country and for the many people who serve to protect it!

We didn't go too far to get some great fireworks. Our back porch was perfect because we have a field behind our home which gave us a great view from all directions of many personal firework shows! Thanks to our great neighbors who put on great shows for us!

Last but definitely not least Bob and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary! We were so busy that we woke up and actually forgot what day it was! Bob made a quick trip to the local grocery store for some pretty flowers. I know I am so lucky to have such a great guy in my life! I love him soooo much! Happy anniversary to us! I hope you all had a wonderful and safe weekend as well!

Family 2011

2011-06-22T22:08:00.001-07:00

One thing I bet you don't know about Bob and I is that we are adopting 15 more kids!! Aren't they cute?? can you image having that many kids? I feel like they are mine anyway! Here are my adorable kids and nieces and nephews on J.R.'s sealing day. We are so lucky to live by them. I don't think a day goes by when we don't see eachother!

Sophie

Carly and Savannah having a sleep over

All the ladies...and a couple guys

Nik made the trip without going into labor! Thanks sis!

Summer 2011

2011-06-22T21:48:00.001-07:00

We made a quick weekend trip to Denver to visit Aunt Nikki before her little guy is born. The kids had a great time. We went to the Denver zoo and a Rockies game! It was so fun. I had no idea how awesome the Rockies Stadium is! We sat in the nose bleed section also known as the "Rock Pile" and it was still so cool!

Having fun in the jetted tub. I have to look for them under the bubbles!

Only one set of stitches so far this summer. I am getting a little braver now that it is my second set. Still no fun for J.R.

Sigh of Relief!

2011-06-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

We were holding our breath until the adoption was finally official and signed by the judge! It finally happened on May 24th! What an amazing day!! We worked with our judge throughout the whole foster care process and finally at the adoption hearing he gave us a smile and a hug! What a sweet man and what a tough job! Our family and Grandma Ann went to the adoption hearing and then celebrated at Charlie's for a bit of ice cream! We were also able to take our family to the temple to be sealed together on May 28th. It was the most beautiful, sunny day and it was so fun to have my entire family with us. We were able to get my best friend from high schools' Dad to do the sealing which meant a lot! We have so many people who we hold dear to our hearts for bringing J.R. into our lives and helping us through the process. Melissa, DCFS, teachers, counselors, our attorney, our family, J.R.'s relatives, etc. THANK YOU SO MUCH! We love you and couldn't be happier!

It's finally here!

2011-04-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

We have so many blessings to be grateful for! First of all, our sweet, adorable little foster son J.R. will officially be our little boy next month! We are so excited to have him be a part of our family FOREVER! I can't imagine our lives without him. We got some more great news today. J.R's pre-school teacher called me and said that he has surpassed all of his requirements in his special education class and he is no longer eligible for special education or speech! I can't tell you what a miracle that is!! Those of you who knew him one year ago when he first came to live with us truly know what a miracle it is!

Lastly, in January Bob totally shocked me when he said he was offered a job a couple hours away! It was bitter sweet thinking about leaving Logan and all of the many memories and friends we have made here. But we will be moving to the same city as my sisters and parents and many family and friends so the decision took like...1/8 of a second to make! Since that time we have sold our home, bought a new home, and Bob has been working there while I stay here and MISS him all week long!! I know thats cheesy but I am really excited to be together as a family again! So, this Friday is the last day in our wonderful Logan home! We will miss you!

Carly's Birthday Party!

2011-03-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I posted but I will give it a try again! For anyone who is wondering, I tried to go private for a while but never took the time to compile email addresses so I decided that I will keep it open for now. Anyway, we had a really fun time last weekend celebrating our sweet little girls birthday! She wanted a princess party so I made a castle cake and decorated pink! The funny part was this castle pinata I bought that nobody could crack open! Even my 8 year old nephew who is an avid baseball player couldn't budge the pinata! Dad tried to take a swing at it and instead of breaking the pinata he just broke the handle off it! It got very competitive!! Those things are made of some crazy cardboard! I haven't laughed so hard! It was fun to spend time with family and we were so happy to have aunt Niki stay the weekend with us! I love my Carly. She makes me laugh everyday at her witty comments. I can tell there is a lot of fun in store for the future! It is so fun to watch her grow and see this amazing personality! Happy Birthday to my little princess!

Look at Ty's face! He was so focused! He is the funniest kid I've EVER met!

Lots of Change!

2010-08-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Our lives have changed a lot since I last posted! I finally feel comfortable enough to blog about the new addition to our family so here it goes! About a year ago we thought about being foster parents. Bob was very hesitant but was awesome about taking the classes with me. We continued with some hesitation but kept taking steps towards it until finally in April we were placed with a sweet 3 year old boy! Really, it has been a roller coaster of emotions and a lot of work but such a huge blessing to have this boy in our home! We don't know how long he will be able to stay with us since his family is trying to get the support they need but we are loving the time we have with him! We celebrated his 4th birthday at the pool, the boys have taken t-ball, swim lessons and have had a really busy summer! I will post some pictures and maybe his family can also keep up with the activities in our life!

Thomas the Train came to town

Pre-School Graduation

T-Ball! I love this picture!

We took the kids to the Signing Time concert when she was here performing. J.R is coming along on his speech but sometimes he still prefers to sign so it was fun!

J.R's 4th birthday!!

The 4th Of July!!
Carly

Emerson

J.R. loves anything with wheels!

The good looking Groberg Family at Kevins car barn on the 4th of July!

We tried a few times to get a decent family photo!! This one is us most of the time! :)

Camping at Lava with the Coats and Anderson Families! So much fun riding 4-wheelers and playing in the dirt!

Having fun boating and swimming with the Nelson family

Why I love Logan!

2010-04-20T13:19:00.001-07:00

This is hilarious to even post since I haven't blogged in months but this was such a fun evening! Nicole and I decided it would be fun to spend the evening in the canyon last night! Bobby brought the grill and we cooked up some grub! It was so peaceful and wonderful to be out in such a beautiful place! The kids had a blast running around and washing their hands in the river. We roasted bisquits on the fire which was a first for me and they tasted yummy with a little jam! Anyway, I just thought how blessed I am to live in such a wonderful place! (Don't mind how we look PLEASE! It was a long day!:)

A few of Halloween

2009-11-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

Carly was a cute little ladybug and Emerson was Thomas the Train. Grandma "B" threw the best party for the kids!! We fished for prizes and had other fun games!

Bob Potter looking quite nice in his mullet!

Thanks Grandma B it was a fun night for everyone!

Aggie Basketball

2009-11-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

We have attempted to go to the games this year with the kids! In the past it has been hard to keep them interested! So far a little bit of popcorn and soda can do wonders! We had a really good time!

A Bunch of Random Pictures!!

2009-10-25T20:43:00.001-07:00

I caught Emerson jumping on his bed with his cowboy hat on and I had to take a picture!! I was just thinking today how much fun I'm having with my kids. They are constantly doing and saying the funniest things. Carly was crying in the car and Emerson turned to her in the sweetest, highest pitched voice you've ever heard and said "It will be OK sweetie." (The first time I've ever heard him say sweetie)

Carly is our ham! She is always smiling and cuddling and loving whoever and whenever. Her daddy loves to give way too many kisses and she always yells at him "NO Dad!" even as she's laughing!

Here is a picture of the only pumpkin we grew in our garden! It literally smothered all the other pumpkins that tried to grow! It is wierd looking but we love it!

We washed our pumpkin and then I rolled it to the front of our house! It was sooo heavy!

A neighbor made this for us and I thought it was so cute! I love fall and halloween and of course the treats that come with it!

I thought these were funny. The kids always want to be naked and running around. What will we do in the winter?!

My 28th Birthday! Thanks Mom, Ang, Hay, and Nik for spending the day together! It was fun as always!

We took the kids for a ride on the horses. They had so much fun! These pictures were about a month ago and I'm already missing the weather!!

Here is Emerson and Drake Palmer.

A Big Bull!!

2009-09-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

I had to post this for the few hunting fans out there! After waiting 16 long years Bob finally drew a tag for this southern Utah elk hunt! Thanks to his Dad and friends that helped him scout he got a beautiful elk! I am sooo glad that he got the big bull elk he was waiting for! Does anyone eat elk meat?? I think I'll be eating it this year!!

A few more of Summer!

2009-09-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Jackson Hole a few weeks ago and it was one of our most enjoyable family trips. The scenery is absolutely beautiful! When the kids get bigger we will float the river!
I think this is a chipmonk that fell in love with Emerson and I later learned it was because Emer was feeding him his lunch! Tons of these little creatures crawl out of their burrows and walk up to you! This was on the Square in Jackson Hole.

Emerson and Bobby rode the Alpine slide and I've never seen Emerson so happy!!
The look on his face explains it all! He had a blast riding the chair lift and coming down the slide! Oh, the scabs on his face are from a previous bike accident! He looked a little beat up for a while!

Carly had a horrible case of the flu on our trip to Jackson but she always pulls through with a smile! I love this girl, she is our sweet little sunshine!!

Some of Summer

2009-08-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Cousins

The new golf cart has been a hit!

I have been trying new recipes from the Deceptively Delicious cook book so that I can use up our garden veggies. Below are my healthy zucchini and banana cookies!

I have to put a plug in for my cute friends Jennifer Palmer and Brittany Andrus who designed and sewed this awesome bedding for me! I loooove it!

Turkey Dinner!

2009-05-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

So, Bob drew a turkey tag this season but was having a hard time finding any turkey! The kids and I even went with him one time and they are a lot smarter animal than you think! This morning, much to his surprise a nice turkey came strutting by behind our warehouse! With a handfull of Bob's employee's watching he takes out his bow and arrow and takes that poor turkey down! He loves the story but I'm a little grossed out by it! Here are some cute pictures. Emerson was so excited to see the "sleeping" turkey and was petting it and telling me how he wants to get a turkey when he gets bigger. Funny kids! Needless to say we will be eating turkey dinner on a beautiful spring evening!

St. George

2009-02-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

Having fun at the pool!

St. George

2009-02-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

Four generations of Strebels!

2009-02-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

This was our view from our back porch! So beautiful! Karie and Abbie, you guys will love this place!

St. George

2009-02-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

Since our work is slow in the winter we decided to take a 2 week vacation to St. George! We had such a good time! It was a nice break from the really cold weather! We visited Bobby's Grandparents who live there and our friends Chad and Katie came for a few days to stay with us too. We even got Bobby's parents to come for a couple of days! We went swimming in this amazing indoor swimming pool, visited Zion National Park, went for a lot of walks, did some shopping and of course ate at In-n-Out Burger! The kids had a riot and it was so fun to watch them. Bobby and I decided that we don't need a lot of fancy things in life we just want to take fun trips together and be with family and friends! I hope you're all doing well! (I had to insert this picture of Bobby going down the slide! What a goof! Hot but goofy!)

"Baby Will"

2009-01-17T22:21:00.001-08:00

"Baby Will"

2009-01-17T21:53:00.000-08:00

William Douglas Nelson (my nephew) was born January 13, 2009 in Alexandria, VA. Due to complications with the umbilical cord this sweet baby, cousin, brother and son passed away. His memory will help me to not take my family for granted. I am so grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life. I am also grateful to know and believe that families can be together forever and that we will be able to meet this courageous boy one day. We did a small memorial with close family in Idaho Falls. His plot happens to be right next to the Christmas Angel Memorial which honors children who have died. Ry and Barbs, I know you couldn't be here but I wanted to post some pictures of the graveside. It was so sweet. It was a beautiful, sunny day. I hope these pictures are something you may want to keep! We love you and our prayers are with you!

2009-01-14T09:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Emerson!

2009-01-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Emerson turned 3 a couple days after Christmas! We had such a fun day. It was his first birthday party and we celebrated at the gymnastics center in town. We rented the tumbling room for all the kids to get their winter wiggles out! They had a blast! They jumped in the blow up toy and kicked balls and hung from ropes. The theme was "animals" since Emerson is an animal fanatic! Elsie followed Emerson around saying "Emerson is my very best friend" ( I have a bunch of pictures of them together!) Cord and Lyush took over on opening the presents since Emerson was too busy! They loved it! In the end I think Emerson felt pretty special and that made the day so worth it! Thanks Grandma Ann and Aunt Nicole for your help!

Some Christmas Moments

2009-01-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

We had a very fun and relaxing Christmas this year. We stayed home and celebrated with the Strebel family. We went to Layton on Christmas Day and visited family. Like always there was good food and fun company! Emerson has a new cousin who was adopted this year and is his age. He and Lyush had fun playing (and hurting) eachother! Emerson and Carly woke up to Santa Claus on Christmas morning. Emerson was not too excited though. He kept saying "No, I don't want Santa Claus!" I snapped a couple pictures of him crying while opening presents. Poor kid, I feel so bad for him! :)

My Cuties in Costumes!

2008-11-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

The kids could not figure out why I dressed them up and made them walk around town collecting candy but we had a lot of fun anyway! Emerson was a celebrity as Barney!

Keeping Busy this Fall!

2008-11-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

Emerson started pre-school this fall which gave me a little bit of free time to finally finish getting he and Carly's rooms painted and decorated. It was a lot of fun!

Family Fun

2008-10-18T19:18:00.000-07:00