The Goldade's

8 Months Old

2011-10-15T13:36:00.006-06:00

He no longer wants to just sit by the doggy...he wants to eat it.

8 Months Old (and loves pulling those socks off to play with those piggies!)

3 teeth on top and 3 teeth on bottom

Survived 1st time stomach flu last week (who knew a little boy could poop that much!)

Not interested in crawling yet, even though we practice everyday.

Loves Lasgana and pretty much anything else he can get off our plates our out of our glasses (this kid has a love for Pepsi...just like his mommy did when she was a baby!...my first word was Pepsi...)

Happy October!

2011-10-15T13:33:00.004-06:00

It just wouldn't be right to kick off October any other way.....Halloween PJ's all month long!!

I love the fall...it's my favorite time of year....and I especially love October and Halloween (and P.S. it's my birthday month and we celebrate all month long! :) )

Trip to Washington

2011-10-15T13:21:00.006-06:00

At the Carousel at River Front Park (the green frog is the favorite right now...he goes everywhere)

Feeding the Geese...they'll eat right out of your hands!

At River Front Park in Spokane, WA

1st time meeting Great Grandma Huff, it was her 80th birthday so we went up to surprise her!

Crew got to meet his puppy Gibson for the first time! Gibson was good and just let Crew pull on his face. We can't wait until the house gets done and he can come back to live with us!

These 2 are going to be best buddies!

The Whole Fam Dam! (you would not believe the caos trying to take this picture!)

September

2011-10-15T13:15:00.005-06:00

7 Months old (it's going way to fast!)

Likes sleeping on his belly...

Seriously, probably the happiest boy ever! Even when he had the stomach flu last week he was still smiling....through all the poop, still smiling.

3 teeth on bottom and 1 on top!

August

2011-10-15T13:05:00.004-06:00

6 Months Old

29"

25 lbs 12 oz

Loves his baby food

Has 2 bottom teeth

1st swimming trip to Lava Hot Springs

(you'd think in August everyone would be hanging out in the pool, but Crew seemed to be the big attraction!)

What Batman looks like after a long day of fighting crime

Loves the swing Granpa set up at his house in Burley!

(did not like being taken out of the swing to eat dinner!)

Having some dinner at Alex & Vanessa's beautiful Alta, Ut Wedding

Showing off his 2 new assets...

July

2011-10-15T12:41:00.007-06:00

Ready for boating in Grandpa's new Malibu!!

Out favorite Summer Spot, the Burley Boat Docks

The Annual Fireworks Show (courtesy of fireworks smuggled across the boarder by Crew's G & G Smith)

5 months old

ISU Fan

1st Trip to the Zoo with the Z's

1st Trip to Yellowstone

Enjoying stolling around Old Faithful

Crew and Old Faithful

I love my Peas!!

4 Month Photos

2011-10-15T12:40:00.001-06:00

1st Father's Day!

2011-06-19T21:42:00.004-06:00

Crew has the very best Daddy in the whole world! He takes such good care of him and Crew gets the biggest smile when daddy comes home!

Mommy and her favorite boy...

And today was my dad's 1st Grandpa's Day!! Crew helped him open presents and read his cards...

I'm so thankful for the men in my life. I thought I loved Blair before but watching him be a daddy to Crew makes me love him even more. I feel pretty lucky to have found him when I did. I love my hubby so much and I'm so grateful for all he does for our little family. I love my dad and I'm so thankful for the man he is and the example he is. He and my mom have always loved and supported us kids no matter and I'm so thankful their all mine for eternity. And of course I love my precious, handsome little mancub! He's truely the LIGHT of my life!

STATS

2011-06-15T23:10:00.001-06:00

4 MONTHS OLD

21 lbs 9 oz

26+ inches long

drinking 8 oz every 4ish hours

was sleeping through the night until last weeks cold & cough kicked in

smiling all the time and first big, long lasting giggle last weekend

looking all over and focusing on things

putting everything he can get his hands on in his mouth, but still trying to figure out how to work those hands

drooling like nobody's business

12 month clothes already

many outfits are only getting worn once

getting lots of hair

rolling over occasionally

loves reading books...he'll babble along with us telling us his version

loving his Missy at daycare

giving his mommy and daddy more JOY than they knew existed

Walk-a-bout

2011-06-15T23:05:00.000-06:00

First Sunday stroll of the summer....Crew loved it...and so did we! It's so nice to finally be able to get out and smell the fresh mountain air!

Handsome

2011-06-15T23:03:00.003-06:00

Probably the most handsome boy in the whole world....

I still get butterflies every time I look at this adorable face! What in the world did we do to deserve such a great baby? I still can't believe he's mine! Words can't even express the love I have for my little man cub...

Dear Ashtyn,

2011-06-07T21:12:00.004-06:00

Oh lovely Ashtyn, I miss you so much. I know we have only met once but it was love at first sight. I think you are so beautiful and I'm so glad that I finally got to meet you...my mom has told me so much about you! I miss your long, wiggly legs, holding your hand and the way you would scoot across my living room floor. I miss the way you slobbered on my toys and flashed me that gorgeous smile with those 2 dazzling bottom teeth. I miss your beautiful Texas tan and the way you hated the Idaho cold. I hope that our next meeting won't be to long down the road. I'm trying to talk my daddy into bringing me down there to see you because I don't know if I can live without you! My mom says that we can get married someday because she loves your mommy so much she thinks they would have fun as mother-in-laws...those funny mommies! But seriously, let's get married someday. Ashtyn, I hope you are dreaming of me like I'm dreaming of you!

Love,
Your Handsome Prince Charming
Crew Jameson Goldade

Oh you silly girl...what a cute diaper bum you have!

I know my hair is just starting to come in...isn't it great!? My mommy likes it...

Thanks for coming to visit us Jana and Ashtyn! We love you both and hope we get to see you again soon!

1st Day of Daycare

2011-05-19T18:22:00.002-06:00

On Monday May 9th I had to return to work...and it wasn't a pretty sight. I bawled my eyes out leaving my precious boy at the sitters and continued to be weepy through the day. BUT, Crew has the best sitter ever who loves him and takes such great care of him. Missy is the only reason I was able to make it through the week at work because I knew he was in such good hands and that he was getting lots of attention and loves. She kept me updated through the day which I loved and she bought me a recordable storybook so Crew can hear my voice through the day. Crew loves his Mis too! He always has grins for her in the mornings. Everyday gets easier at work but I'm realizing I'd rather be home full time...we'll see what happens in the future. I thought what I did at work was really important and a big deal...but it's nothing compared to my handsome Crew! He really puts things in perspective for me...my family is really the only thing that matters all that much!

Baby Shower #4

2011-05-19T17:50:00.004-06:00

My WONDERFUL and TALENTED bf Tiffany threw me another baby shower and can I just say...she out did herself. We both love party planning so I just couldn't get enough of what she did. Here's a little taste of how fabulous it was...

Fresh flowers (that are now making my living room smell delightful) and party favors...

Cupcakes, mints and more party favors...YES....I'M TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH THE CUPCAKE TOWER....(I think I need one to add to my cake plate collection!)

FABULOUS food from Costa Vida...

Grandma lovin' on her favorite boy...

The Hostess with the Mostess herself! Thanks Tiff for a FABULOUS night!

And yes, Crew got spoiled again!!

1st Mother's Day

2011-05-19T17:49:00.000-06:00

My 1st Mother's Day was so great!! It was a day I dreaded every year because it was so depressing and this year it was so happy! Plus, my 2 favorite boys surprised with a little something special...

I about passed out when I saw the famous blue box....I've always wanted to open something and see that little blue box...I think it's from watching to much Breakfast at Tiffany's. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! They did a great job picking it out.

(I loved it so much I picked out another one that would look great with it as a hint for my upcoming 30th Birthday...)

12 Weeks Old

2011-05-19T17:48:00.001-06:00

What a little pimp! Here's our boy at 12 weeks....what a chunky monkey...and no, I can't get enough of those cheeks. I kiss on them all day!

Temple & Blessing Day

2011-05-19T17:34:00.006-06:00

(one of the few pictures we got of the day at the temple...this was him when we got home, and he was done and ready for some jammies)

On April 30th we got to take Crew to the temple to be sealed to us. It was the most amazing, special day ever! He looked so handsome in his white outfit and he was such a good boy...I was praying he wouldn't be screaming! When we all got to be at the alter he was just looking from Blair to me and back again with a big smile on his face...I think he knew what was happening and he was so happy! Of course Blair and I were bawling our eyes out...but how do you not when the spirit is so strong? The sealer was my dad's mission president and it was so sweet for him to do the sealing for us. It was a pretty cold day so we didn't want to take Crew out of his carseat for pictures. We tried to snap a few but when we got home we realized they didn't work! I'm sick that I don't have any pictures from that day but I guess a picture really isn't as good as the memory I have and will have forever. I'm so thankful that my family is eternal and we get to be with Crew forever...we love him so much!

On May 1st we blessed Crew and it was an equally happy day! We had so many family and friends that came to support us on both days and we love and appreciate them all so much! Blair did an amazing job on his blessing and they said he was just smiling and looking at all the men in the circle...how are we so lucky to have such an amazing boy!? Again, for some reason we were slacking with the camera and this is one of the few pictures we got of the day!

Also, Ashley (Crew's birth mother) came to visit Crew on his blessing day! We were SOOOOOOO excited to see her! She feed Crew, changed his diaper and his clothes and just played with him. He was happy to see her too! We miss her now and can't wait to see her this summer!

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T14:15:00.002-06:00

We love our little Easter Bunny!!

Easter morning in his jammies!

After his bath in his Easter outfit...but he's not very impressed with his Easter Basket! He had a bottle and a nap on his mind...

7 Weeks into our Heaven on Earth

2011-04-01T13:53:00.015-06:00

Tomorrow Crew is 7 weeks old and that's about the same amount of time I've been meaning to post! Turns out babies are a handful ( :) ) and I haven't stopped holding him and kissing him long enough to fill you all in! I think subconsciously I have put off doing this because I know I'm going to sit at this computer and cry my way through writing it because my heart is so full of gratitude! (Plus, I had oral surgery a couple weeks ago and the recovery has been brutal to say the least...) This little boy is the most amazing thing I've ever laid eyes on. Still after 7 weeks every time I look at him I get a little warm feeling in my heart and butterflies in my stomach. He is the light of our lives! On February 12 at 4:38am we got the call that Ashley was in labor. We hurried and got ready and packed and headed to Boise. We were planning on being in the waiting room when he arrived but when we got to the hospital Ashley asked me to come into the delivery room with her. I couldn't believe it and I was so honored that she wanted me to be there. Blair waited in the waiting room with Ashley's brother and uncle and I got to stand by her side, hold her hand, count her contractions and watch Crew enter the world! Words cannot describe the instant love I had in my heart at the sight of that big baby boy and the love that I have for Ashley watching her give birth. I couldn't believe her strength! I didn't feel like an outsider in the delivery room at all. Ashley's family was there but they felt like my family too. I made my way out to the waiting room to tell Blair he was here and I'll never forget the look on his face and the tears in his eyes. After hugging and talking with Blair for a few minutes I went back in to see Ashley and Crew. When everything was ok and Blair came into the delivery room I was actually holding Crew...and again...I'll never forget the look on his face. He was so overcome with emotion of love and gratitude and it was a beautiful little moment we got to share. We hung out at the hospital for a couple hours then we left to give Ashley and her family some time with Crew. My parents had come to Boise to be there for us so we met them for lunch and it was so fun pulling up at the Ram restaurant and showing them pictures of their first grandbaby and seeing their eyes light up! It's been so fun to see them be Grandma Jeannie and Grandpa Dave! Blair called his parents then too and it was so fun to hear their excitement! We went back to the hospital later that evening and got to go in the nursery and see Crew and we got to spend a couple hours with Ashley and her family. When we got to the hotel that night I couldn't sleep because every 30 seconds I was looking at his pictures on my phone! We got up that morning and couldn't wait to get back to St. Lukes to see everyone. We got to spend the whole afternoon with Ashley and her brother just talking, laughing and hanging out. We did placement at 4pm on Sunday February 13. It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life and again, I can't begin to put into words the feelings I was having. The love that we have for Ashley and her family is indescribable and we will never really be able to express the gratitude we feel for them. She gave me the greatest gift anyone could ever give. She gave me something that I will probably never be able to give myself...the opportunity to be a mother. I will forever love and adore her and we are so blessed that we get to keep in touch with her and maintain that relationship. We told her when leaving the hospital that we weren't going to say "Good-Bye", we were going to say "See you later" and that whether she liked it or not she was part of us now and would be forever! Crew is so lucky to have her and I'm so glad that he'll be able to know her. Crew Jameson is growing like a weed! He's already 15 lbs. and grown out of his 3 months clothes! I had to bust out the 6 months stash this week! I was a little sad to put away his newborn stuff already. He was this cute little Buddha belly and he's starting to get little rolls on this legs, arms and wrists...not to mention a double chin! He's the happiest boy though and is smiling at us now when we talk to him! He's eating 6 oz every 4 to 5 hours and he loves his bath in the mornings. At night he loves pajama time...we even have a jama time song we sing while getting jammies on! He loves when his daddy gets home and loves on him...I think he thinks his daddy is pretty funny because he saves some pretty big smiles for him. It's been so fun to watch Blair step into the role of daddy...I thought I loved him before but seeing him be a daddy makes me love him even more! He loves his swing and the birds on it that spin above him...he just gets a huge smile when he sees his birds! He'll take his binky if he's tired but doesn't really need it any other time. He did have a little bit of a milk allergy so he's on Soy formula now and loving it...although the diaper are a little bit scarier!! I honestly can't express how enamored I am with him...I can't ever get enough of him. And even though I'm tired at night, I love getting up and feeding him. I love the quiet time to watch him eat and talk to him. Crew is the best thing that's ever happened to us and we feel so blessed to have him! Cutest smile in the whole world! - 6 Weeks Old

Crew Jameson Goldade

2011-02-21T16:04:00.002-07:00

Crew Jameson Goldade
Born February 12th, 2011 at 1:38pm
9 lbs. 11 oz
22 1/4 inches

Our precious baby boy!!

More details to come....

Miracles

2011-01-31T21:56:00.007-07:00

Out of difficulties grow MIRACLES.

~ Jean de la Bruyere

I'm not really sure how to begin writing about the journey we've been on the for the past few weeks. It's been such a short time, but already so much for us has started to change. I hesitate to share something that we believe is so sacred and of something so personal, emotional, special, honest and full of love...but I'm also so grateful that I want to shout it from the roof tops!

A few weeks ago Blair and I were told that we would be receiving the greatest gift ever...the gift of a beautiful baby boy and the next step in our eternal family. We've prayed for this blessing for so long; an opportunity to be a daddy and mommy to a healthy boy.

We have received the blessing of an angel named Ashley. She is the most amazing person we have ever met. Every time we see her we continue to be in awe of her. She's beautiful, strong, brave, selfless, loving, courageous. She's our hero. She also has the most amazing family who supports and loves her. As we continue to get to know them our love and respect for all of them grow.

We are so excited to bring this little miracle into our home. Our story gets to be different and we wouldn't have it any other way. We're so thankful for our Heavenly Father and for our testimonies that have grown through this experience. I now remember what having some faith feels like. I can't wait for the day that we get to take that little baby to the temple and become an eternal family. How lucky are we to have that promise?

Home Sweet Home: The Early Stages

2011-01-17T21:27:00.002-07:00

We're getting there.....

Merry Christmas

2010-12-20T20:44:00.003-07:00

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch though of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

Coming Along....

2010-12-04T16:48:00.003-07:00

Blair and his crew of helpers (who are amazing and we love them all...especially Garrett!) have been busy....

Step #1 Land

Step #2 Hole and LOTS of concrete

Step #3 Surviving the cold and framing

more Step #3

Step #4 Watching Bronson learn the family trade!

We're having fun and it's coming right along!

To much fun...Extreme Makeover style!

2010-08-24T21:43:00.005-06:00

I got a front row seat at the reveal today...Ty is such a babe...I would love to touch that hair!!

MOVE THAT BUS!!

Checking the script right before the family got there...

How cute is Jillian...and how excited was I that she was that close!?! Poor Blair, he missed it and he was really wanting a close up of her! She was such a doll...

The family arriving in the limo...

First look at their new house! What an awesome experience to witness...I don't think there were very many dry eyes in the crowd!

Sun Valley Weekend

2010-08-16T12:52:00.007-06:00

This past weekend Blair and I headed up to Sun Valley for some R&R, a stay at the lodge, some Rocky Mountain Chocolate and the Sun Valley Dinner and Ice Show. We had a blast getting out of town for the weekend but there was one special highlight....

I got to meet Evan Lysacek!!!!

You can't tell I'm giddy at all by this photo can you?!?! I felt pretty lucky to get a photo because no one else did! They weren't letting anyone get photo's with him but we stuck around for awhile (since we were staying at the lodge anyway...) and I asked for a photo and he said "Sure!" The security guard then said "Oh yeah, of course he will take one with the cute blond." I didn't care...all I know is that he put his hand on my back while taking the picture!!! OMG...I'm losing my breath just thinking about it!!

He is SOOOOO cute!! I just wanted to stare at him all night....
I actually got to talk with him for a few minutes which was so cool! He's very normal and down to earth. I (of course) expressed my love for him on Dancing with the Stars and told him I needed him to teach me the Argentine Tango...when I said this he replied "OH, that dance..." (while shaking his head).

As if this night could get any better...he did a routine to "Man in the Mirror"...while wearing the white glove...I said to Blair "I think it was meant to be for me to see this show...Evan and a Michael Jackson song...too perfect for me!"

We had a lazy Sunday morning and grabbed my FAVORITE on the way out of town...a Chicken Bacon Ranch wrap (minus tomato) from WrapCity. My weekend was SO complete!! I decided this will now have to be a tradition every summer.

The latest....

2010-08-07T18:09:00.001-06:00

I've been slacking on the blog thing lately....but in my defense it's been ba-ba-ba-busy around here...not to mention we haven't been in town a whole lot either! Check out what's been keeping us busy...

Newport, OR

2010-08-07T17:46:00.008-06:00

From Washington, we drove over to Portland and picked up my mom and dad at the airport. We stayed the night at my Uncle Tom's and Tuesday am we headed out for Newport, Oregon. I hadn't been to the coast since my senior year of HS so I was excited to go back and check everything out.

We played our own version of Deadliest Catch and spent one day crabbin'. I decided I probably wouldn't do very well up there on the Northwestern because I wasn't patient enough to wait. I'd throw out the pot and pull it up every 5ish minutes to see the catch.

Blair got crabs in Newport too!! :) Here he is checking to see if it's male or female. They have to be over 5 inches long and male to keep...all the females get to go back in the water instead of in the boiling pot!

I also caught of starfish...but it had to go back too! I wanted to boil it and keep it but apparently that's illegal...I think that's stupid...

Blair with one of our keepers....

So, we boiled them for about 20 minutes then we cleaned them out...well...I cleaned one out and Blair cleaned none out. I only gagged once.

I don't eat anything if it lives in the water...but I liked catching them, cooking them and cleaning them....then I ate salad and chicken. :)

Crab guts...

These guys hung out on the dock at the bottom of one of the piers. They were so funny to
watch...and so noisy.

We ate lunch at Mo's (the original one on the Newport bayfront) and again...I passed on the world famous clam chowder and ate chicken and salad.

We had a great time hanging out with my side of the family! Hopefully next time we'll have ALL the cousins there. Thanks mom and dad for a great trip!! :)

Uncle Blair & Auntie Nik PART 3 & 4

2010-08-07T17:29:00.006-06:00

We were so excited for our Washington summer trip this year because we got to go and meet the newest additions to the family! Adalyn and Elyza were born 5 weeks ago and are probably the most precious things ever! I couldn't get enough of these two babies! We were also lucky enough to be there when these two beautiful girls were blessed. Thanks Jade, Megan and Graycie for sharing them with Auntie Nik all week!!

We also had a great family reunion for Blair's family with everyone from Northern Idaho, Nevada and Texas. It was great to see everyone together. AND...we got to celebrate Bronson's 1st Birthday while we were in Washington! He was so fun up there with all the kiddos!

For Sale

2010-08-07T17:14:00.001-06:00

In May we listed our cute house FOR SALE by Owner...

We just thought we'd try it for the summer and see what happened. Well...after six short weeks on the market we sold it! We were so excited but also scrambling to get our house plans done and decide where we were going to build a house!! I'm so excited about building a house...but I had a REALLY hard time leaving my house. I cried off and on for a week and still can't think to much about it without tearing up! We closed on our new lot the same day we closed on the house.

So this is going to be our new location...

The new homestead. :)

This will be the view from the kitchen sink.

Close up view from the front of the house.

We should be digging in a few weeks....

For now we're living in a studio apartment (yes, I wrote that right!). So far, it's not to bad other than 95% of my belongings are in a storage unit packed floor the ceiling, back to front and I'm getting bored really easy with no yard or garden to work in...and I miss my puppy who is living in Washington with Grandpa & Grandma Goldade until we're done building. :( Other than that...I'm REALLY excited!!

Drew & Jenna's Wedding & Reception July 2010

2010-08-07T17:00:00.012-06:00

My baby sis got married on July 9th in Bountiful, UT. She of course looked AMAZING and everything turned out great. We worked our booties off getting the reception set up on Saturday but it was all worth it because it looked great and Jen said it was everything she imagined!!

It's Official...

2010-04-21T08:46:00.002-06:00

We are officially approved for Adoption! Our profile was published on Monday so it's out there for the world to see! I had butterflies all day on Monday! We are so excited but a little bit in shock that this is really happening after all the months of paperwork, interviews, home checks, etc. So now the waiting, praying, finger crossing begins!

Happy Birthday Blair!!

2010-04-14T14:32:00.003-06:00

Today Blair turns 29 years young...knocking on 30's door!! Happy Birthday bud!! Hope all your birthday wishes come true!

My Baby Sister is Getting MARRIED!!

2010-03-31T20:28:00.005-06:00

It's so exciting but also SO WEIRD to think of my sis getting married. I'm so excited for her though because she picked a good one! Drew is going to be a great addition to the family and he treats Jenna like a queen...as she well deserves! Congrats you two...we love you!!

Letting the cat out of the bag.....

2010-03-03T21:20:00.005-07:00

So...I've really hesitated in putting this out there in blog world. It's something that I consider so special and emotional I wasn't sure if I was ready to share it with the world...but Blair thought we probably should so one day we didn't throw everybody for a loop.

We've been trying to have a baby for a LONG time and the stars just haven't aligned yet...at least that's what the doctors tell us will have to happen. It's been the hardest, most emotional trial and the longest bridge to cross. There have been some real struggles along the way in understanding why things are the way they are...I still don't understand much of it. Someone said it's all about the faith...and I'm still learning that too. It's been a real struggle emotionally, spiritually, FINANCIALLY (holy cow!), etc. Our relationship really took some hits along the way and we really had to dig deep and pull each other out of our rock bottom moments...but we got a lot stronger along the way. It's amazing the things you learn about yourself and others.

I could write for pages about the details and the times I've had to pick myself up off the shower floor, all the horrible tests and my body looking like a pin cushion, all the crazy medical procedures we've tried.....but that's not on my mind today. So I'm excited to let you all know that we're getting ready to submit our ADOPTION papers. It took a long time to get to this point and to know that this was the right road for us right now and we're excited! We have the most amazing families and such supportive friends helping to guide us on the journey and we're so thankful for what we're learning along the way. Our story gets to be a little different and we're so grateful for that! We can't wait to appreciate every, single moment. The agency tells us they would "be shocked if we weren't placed with a baby in 2 to 3 years" (I said excuse me what...????) so we understand that it probably won't come quickly but we've found some peace in this decision so we're okay with waiting and letting whatever is meant to be happen.

Maybe you can keep your fingers crossed for us?

Any ideas?

2010-01-31T20:19:00.003-07:00

Got this for Christmas and have messed with it a few times...can't figure it out!!! Any one have any ideas for me???

Whoot! Whoot!!

2010-01-26T21:46:00.003-07:00

I'm so excited that I get to dust off my #18 Manning jersery for the Super Bowl this year!!! I did the victory dance around the living room on Sunday.....Blair watched Man vs. Wild in the other room!

To bad for Brett Farve though....I wanted to cry for him.....and drool over his dashing good looks at the same time!!

Merry Christmas from the Smith Family

2009-12-30T09:52:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T14:46:00.001-07:00

Nativity

2009-12-21T20:18:00.004-07:00

1 baby Jesus doll: $3.00

7 costumes for Nativity story: $60.00

3 Burger King crowns: Free (+ a big smile for the guy at Burger King)

Watching the Sunbeams act out the Nativity story: Priceless

Getting ready...

The cutest 3 Wise men...

Our own little self made Bethlehem...what a handsome Sheppard! Way to step in at the last minute Bro. Goldade. I opted to be the Narrator.

Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem...(still not quite sure they really like each other all that much...they think each other has kooties).

Christmas: Part One

2009-12-17T13:13:00.001-07:00

It's the most WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!

I'm so excited for Christmas this year!! Who am I kidding, I'm excited for Christmas every year!!

This year I was a little behind with my Christmas decor...it didn't get finished until December 12th!!! My obsessive compulsive disorder was about driving me crazy thinking about the days ticking away and my trees weren't even out of the garage yet!!

I managed to drag all my (many, many) christmas decor totes upstairs one night. After unloading all the totes onto the floor, coffee table and couches I decided I was to tired that night to finish. I can't decorate right if I can't even think straight! Well, after a couple days of our house looking like Christmas decor had been puked everywhere Blair started to call me a hoarder. I managed to find time to do it since he was now referring to me as "Betty" (have you watched the show? She was a doozie.)

I got to watch Bronson one night while I was decorating so he got to help me. He helped me decide on the right place for everything. Can't you see the thrill in his eyes over all that Christmas decor!?!

Trees...

The real meaning of Christmas...Man, I love my Nativity set.

My new BELIEVE sign...don't you just love it?!?! I do....

All our fun Christmas books and stories.

One of the reindeer lost his antler. I'm going to have to do some glue surgery.

Merry Christmas to you!!

Fall is my Favorite

2009-12-17T13:07:00.003-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of year! I love to get all my fall decor out and plaster the house with it.

We had one of the best fall days this year when we were raking leaves in the backyard. We had them in a pile so we could bag them but I decided I needed to jump in them and relive the joys of childhood when we would jump in the leaves under our apple trees after dad had raked them up. Well, leaves aren't actually as soft as I remember them being. I nearly knocked the wind out of myself and then was attacked by my horse...I mean dog...I get confused sometimes because he's so big! This in turn started a huge wrestling match with B, Gibson and myself. To bad we don't have our own personal photographer because those would have been some great pictures!!

I was pretty proud of my cornucopia this year. I spiced it up a bit...

Happy Fall Ya'All!!

2 Turkey Days

2009-12-17T13:07:00.001-07:00

This year Blair's parents came to visit a couple weeks before Thanksgiving so we decided to have a turkey dinner with them! Besides, can you ever eat to much turkey?

Hanging out with my favorite baby....Bronson is getting so big and fun. I'm lucky enough to get to babysit every once in awhile! I can't get enough of him!!

Before the feast at Garrett and Shelly's house.

Isn't that a beautiful bird? Garrett did a fine job smokin' his first turkey for our little feast.

Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures at my mom and dad's when we had Thanksgiving dinner there....we were to busy stuffing our faces!!

Dad's New Ride

2009-12-17T13:05:00.003-07:00

Dad's new prized possession is his new cherry red Corvette! He's pretty excited about it and I thought it was pretty cool that Dad got to spoil himself a little bit since it always seems to be us kids getting spoiled.

This is a country road at 100 MPH......fast enough for me on the first ride!

He loves it...as do I! Maybe someday I'll get to drive it!

October 28th & part of Halloween 2009

2009-12-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

I turned 28 big ones on October 28th (My Golden Birthday!!) and got to spend some time with the family for cake and ice cream!

And no, we all don't dress in black all the time....we had just had our fam pictures done!

Knockin' on 30's door with tooooo many candles....

I only get one birthday wish a year so I had to make it a good one...

My birthday request this year was an easy one. I just wanted B to take me to dinner and the Michael Jackson movie "This is It".

Well, he took that request to the fullest. I was adorned with an MJ shirt, hat, wig, white glove, face mask and a "This is It" CD to add to my collection. Along with the goodies for the movie. What I didn't know was that we were going to have a special guest joining us for the festivities.

I had to do some MJ dancing after the movie cause I was all pumped up!

Hadyen was our special guest and she accompanied both B and I to the movie. She's a little rock star and I was so glad she came to help us celebrate. She also was adorned with MJ stuff and continues to wear her shirt proudly. ;)

Thanks bud for a great b-day!!

My other birthday request was a trip to the cabin. So we packed up and hit the road with my mom and dad for the Halloween weekend. There was some serious snow fall before we got there and we got stuck at the corner of Big Springs. Dad and B had to chain up to get us to the cabin.

Mom and I just sat in the warm truck and laughed at the boys. We couldn't believe how much snow there was already!!

The corner of Big Springs by Mac's Inn.

The weekend was spent eating, playing games, cleaning, eating, watching movies, eating, playing games, napping, laughing, eating and playing more games. I had a fabulous birthday this year!! Thanks family!!

Halloween 2009

2009-12-17T13:00:00.004-07:00

We got to spend some our our Halloween holiday with the Larsen family carving pumpkins. Lucky for me Preston decided on the hardest pattern in the carving book. So, I can now officially call myself a Master Pumpkin Carver!!

We had a blast with the kids eating cupcakes and digging out pumpkin guts.

Here's the Larsen kiddos with their fabulously carved pumpkins! Blaker's didn't make it to the lighting of the pumpkins...she decided bed sounded a little more fun!

Preston had to try on his Vampire teeth....

And so did Reece.

Is she the cutest little vampire you've ever seen...??

I'm having way to much fun with these things....

2009-12-08T20:01:00.003-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

M.I.A

2009-12-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

Update to come! Goldade Construction got a new computer but all my pics are on my laptop and its outta commission. Details to come.....

So Sad...

2009-09-14T20:12:00.006-06:00

"Johnny....."

Today is a sad day for all us 'Dirty Dancing' movie loving fools! Poor Johnny Castle died today...his infamous line will live on forever..."Nobody puts baby in the corner." I'll always cherish the scene above. Yes, it's true, I've serenaded Blair with this song crawling on the floor before...I mean, how can you resist?

But lets be honest....this may have been his best work!

Sleep over (minus the sleep!)

2009-08-10T16:36:00.001-06:00

We had the Z's for a sleepover a couple weeks ago (they're the kiddos I used to nanny) and had a blast! We try to have them over every month or two because I miss them so much! This time we headed out to American Falls to do some fishing. They hadn't ever been but had some poles so they were pretty excited.

Getting a lesson on baiting their hooks...Zoe wasn't so sure about the worms at first.

Getting down the casting...She actually kind of had it by the end! And she was so excited that she got a bite but the fish got away, darn it! (B and I will take it to the grave that it was snagged on the sea weed!)

I love that toothless grin and I can't believe how big he's getting! Zachy liked the worms more than the casting...Typical boy!

What goes better with a fishing trip than ending the night sleeping in a tent!? I use the word sleep loosely...there wasn't much sleep going on! Lucky for me Zoe is a crazy sleeper and was all over our side of the tent! At about 2:30 am I decided I'd had enough of the great outdoors (in our back yard) and I packed up Zoe and we finished out the night sleeping in my comfy bed!

We love you guys! Can't wait until next time!

Take me out to the ball game...

2009-08-10T16:13:00.002-06:00

'Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks'....well I ate to much of my chicken salad at Texas Roadhouse to enjoy some peanuts or crackerjacks but my love of baseball was renewed!! It had been so long since I'd been to a baseball game I'd forgotten how much I love the sport. Its so American!

We went to an Idaho Falls Chukars game on Saturday night. It was so fun! It was free baseball night so we both got a baseball, but we bi-passed the lines of little kids getting the players to sign their baseballs and headed for the stands. Its a pretty nice ball field for a local team.

Charlie the Chukar was getting everyone pumped up and ready for the game. The field looked so fun! The grass was green and freshly cut, the white lines were being done when we got there and dirt was all raked and ready to play!

7th inning stretch! We all got to stand up and sing "Take me out to the ballgame." The Chukars won and there were some really exciting moments at home plate with a runner coming in and the ball screaming in from outfield to the catcher who was getting plowed over by the runner! TO FUN!!

We loved it so much we're heading to another one in a couple weeks!

Bryce's 30th Birthday!

2009-08-09T20:05:00.001-06:00

The Birthday Boy!!! Happy 3oth Bryce!!

Bryce wished with all his might for a Cajun BB-Q for his birthday and....POOF! It came true! Only because he has a very fantastic wife who put on an amazing spread for everyone.

55 LBS of Crawfish overnighted from Louisiana! It was a mountain of crusty deliciousness (for a sea food lover...I just stuck to the potatoes!)

The birthday crew at the Bybee family cabin!

P.S. Those are empty shells of what once were happy go-lucky crawfish!

Blair was diggin' in...poor guy doesn't ever get seafood or fish cooked for him cause I can't stand the smell...I guess I should let him choose Red Lobster a little more.

The crawdads came complete with Mardi Gras beads...don't worry...we just divied them up no one had to flash anyone! ;)

Uncle B and Auntie Nik again!

2009-08-07T10:09:00.001-06:00

He's here!

Bronson Connor Goldade was born on August 4th around 2:30 in the afternoon to Blair's brother Garrett and wife Shelly. He weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz. We're so excited to be the fabulously fun Aunt and Uncle who can spoil him rotten then send him home! ;)

Proud and very tired Parents!! Congrats guys! We love you all so much!

Auntie Nik! I keep looking for excuses to go over and hold him! He's super tiny!

Proud Uncle! I didn't think Blair was going to be able to wait to see him. He kept rushing me while I was eating dinner...I had to explain that now that Bronson was here he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon! But I still showed up at the hospital with heartburn because I had to shove my tacos down so fast!

What a cutie! I think he looks just like his mommy!

In Mourning....

2009-07-15T10:45:00.008-06:00

My bucket list included attending a Michael Jackson (if you know me well you know I'm a fan) concert if he ever toured in the U.S. again....I'm sorry to say I've had to cross it off my list as it will never be. What a bummer....So in honor of his FREAKIN' AWESOME music and FABULOUS and IMPOSSIBLE dance moves I've been dedicating some dancing in my living room to his memory.

I remember watching this music video back in the 80's in my mom and dad's bedroom (when I of course wasn't suppose to be watching MTV) and it scared the SHIZZZ outta me...but I would try to mimic the moves...I've come to improve upon it over the years.

This one came a little later in life. Who could forget 'Beat It'? Not me and not my friend Jane. We recorded one of his concerts on TV when we were roomies ( a LONG time ago) and we kept rewinding the video until we could do it, all while Mike Hammond watched and laughed from the couch. I'm sure all our roomies were very impressed?!? Well, we got it down and we still bust it out from time to time.

R.I.P Michael Jackson, you crazy sucker. To bad I won't have any future dances to look forward too. BUMMER!

One of my favorites!

2009-07-15T10:00:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine at work introduced me to a great website called Eat Better America. I may just have been out of the loop and some of you may already know about this but I love it! It's great, healthy recipes that are pretty quick and easy. They taste great and are healthy for you...can't beat that! If you try it out you'll have to let me know what you think....

www.eatbetteramerica.com

It finally came together....

2009-07-09T14:52:00.005-06:00

Last year I was asked to be part of a team who would be creating a new program for older adults in all of Southern Idaho. Myself and three others came to our first meeting really excited and ready to go....what we didn't know was the amount of work that was headed our way! We were NOT prepared for what we were about to experience.

Since October we have been building this project from the ground up. The program is called Reducing Risk in Senior Living and is funded by a cooperative in Washington D.C. This program will be implemented around southern Idaho and is a class designed for seniors to come and learn about the importance of living in a safe environment. We cover home safety (food safety/preparation, fire prevention, home security and emergency preparedness), fall prevention and exercises and medication safety (reducing medication errors). We did all the research and developed all the class materials. Its been a great learning experience for me and I've really enjoyed watching it all slowly coming together.

We held 2 training sessions for reps from other hospitals around Idaho to come and learn how to implement this program in their own hospitals and communities. We had a fun time with the training and we're excited to watch it pop up around Idaho.

We held our first class last Thursday here at Portneuf. We had 25 people show up which is a great turn out for a class like this. The participants had a great time and we received some really great feedback which made us really excited for the rest of our upcoming classes.

In all my glory teaching the Home Safety portion of the class! It was great! They are such a great population to work with and they were all really fun to get to know!

I have felt really fortunate to be a part of this 4 man team! We have struggled, screamed, laughed, sweat, cried, laughed, stressed, laughed and just about every other emotion getting to this point but now we are EXCITED and impressed with ourselves and all our hard work!

Cauldron Lynn

2009-07-06T21:12:00.007-06:00

As I mentioned, the water in the Snake River is REALLY high right now. With all the record rain fall we've gotten the river is over flowing! So, when the water is high we always have to go check out Cauldron Lynn in Milner. If you live around those parts or by some odd chance you're driving through, you should really go see it.

The whole Snake River squeezes through a gap that's about 20 feet wide! Seriously! When the water is high it's a pretty amazing site. When you stand close enough the ground just thunders and shakes because of the force of water being pushed through such a tiny space.

I get a little nervous getting to close...and this was plenty close for me! It was so loud you couldn't hear anything!

The gap...pretty amazing huh? I pity the fool who ever gets to close...ouch!

Blair so dramatically displays the fear you feel when getting to close! Thanks bud for the demo,it's super realistic....

We didn't make it down to Shoshone Falls which is also a site when the water is running high. Hopefully we'll make it back before it slows a bit.

4th of July

2009-07-06T20:56:00.007-06:00

This year we headed to Burley for the annual 4th of July bash at my mom and dad's. We had a great time boating all day Saturday but I'm bummed that I didn't get any pictures at the river. I can't believe how high the water is. It was coming over the side of the docks and up on the grass!

The bb-q kicked off the evening. There were a lot of friends and family and it was fun to catch up with everyone. Doesn't the patio cover look great? Blair and Garrett spent a day in Burley a couple weeks ago building it for my mom. Dad finally gave in since mom's been wanting one for 10 years! (I think because he'll be working her over for the Harley Davidson here pretty soon!)

The fireworks were great! My mom and dad went to Jackson Hole a couple weekends ago to stock up for the show. It was great and this year we actually had a fireworks show without any injuries...an uncommon thing at the Smith 4th of July show! For anyone who has attended...you know what I 'm talking about! Being able to run for your life is usually a prerequisite for attending the fireworks show...not joking!

I love the 4th of July! It's one of my favorite times of year! I love all the patriotism and the red, white and blue. It helps me to remember the sacrifice some have made for us. I'm always amazed when thinking about our fore fathers who had a vision of one free nation, under God. They were inspired men and I'm proud to honor them this time of year!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July!

Shelly's Baby Shower

2009-07-06T20:46:00.010-06:00

On June 27th I had a baby shower for my sis-in-law Shelly. It was super duper fun and turned out pretty cute. I have such a great time party planning I should probably do it for a living...although around here I'm not sure anyone could make a living on being a party planner!

I had everyone write a note to Shelly with some advice or just a little love note! After writing a note they put it in the can and Shelly got to take that with her. It was really cute to see what some of her friends wrote to her.

This was the food table and I really messed up....I didn't get a picture once the food was out! Bummer....Can you tell I have an obsession for cake plates? I've just figured out how to make my own so I can get what I really want and it's MUCH cheaper than just buying a regular cake plate at the store. The problem with this is now my shelves in the pantry are being taken over with cake plates of every size, shape and color!!

This was one of the tables. Check out the party favors on the plates. They were my favorite...boxes with flower magnets and chocolate hugs and kisses! There wasn't really a theme but I decided to be a rebel and not to blue. We did red, black and white with zebra print stuff. I've been on a zebra kick lately so I had lots of stuff to use!

We had the shower in my backyard which was great for getting it finished! We've just had a garden area, dog kennel and a whole lotta dirt for the last couple years. We had plans for a patio and yard but it just wasn't quite getting done. Well, I let Blair know he had a deadline this summer and it had to be done so we could have a party in the backyard! Thank heavens for the party because the yard is now complete! (Although I do still need to pick up some patio furniture!)

The guest of honor! She made a haul on cute baby stuff! He'll be the best dressed kid in town! P.S. They are having a baby boy!

This is the diaper cake I made for her. I had Blair help me roll and tie diapers while watching a movie...he's such a good helper (aside from the complaining!) The bistro was used for the gift table and was full by then time everyone got there!

Thanks to Martha Stewart I made some pom-poms to hang in the trees! They were really cute and were the icing on the cake!

I have to give a big thanks to my very good friend Ashlee at Real Deals here in Pocatello. If you live here and haven't been there yet you need to go...it's home decor store that's to much fun! She helped me with the center pieces for the tables and she is amazing! Thanks Ash for all your help...I couldn't have done it without your help!

Trip to Washington

2009-07-06T20:45:00.007-06:00

In June we (Garrett, Shelly, Blair, me and Gibson) packed in Blair's truck and started out for Washington. Gibson was piled into his crate in the back but he's does ok on the road as long as we stop and let him swim at least once along the way!

Blair's uncles were also able to come and hang out with everyone. Bruce and his wife Debbie are from Nevada and Scott is from Texas. Scott's wife wasn't able to make the trip and we missed her but his 3 year old Val accompanied him and am I glad she did! I couldn't get enough of her! She's such a cutie and a smarty pants for being 3! She was sure to let me know that the "President of the United States is Barack Obama and the Vice President of the United States is Joe Biden"...to freakin' cute! We had a ton of fun visiting with all the family and we were glad everyone could get together!

Graycie provided most of our entertainment on this trip as well! She's 10 months and so fun! We just sit and try to get her to laugh. She wasn't so sure of her Uncle Blair in the beginning but they had bonded by the end of the trip.

We stayed with Blair's mom and dad in Deer Park. For some reason we didn't get a picture of Brian (Blair's dad)...I realized once I got looking at pictures that we only busted out the camera one day! Not so smart on my part...

Graycie loved playing with Val. No matter what Val did Graycie thought it was so funny! She could make her laugh like no one else.

My little side kick and I decided we needed a pedicure! She loved the pink toe nails so by the end of the day we had matching toes!

The drive home was long (probably because I was car sick about 10 miles into the drive!) but the trip was great. It's always nice when everyone can get together!

P.S. We went as saw The Proposal and I highly recommend it! I can't wait to watch it again!

Jenna's BHS Graduation

2009-07-06T20:40:00.005-06:00

So I'm really behind on the bloggin'! I'll have to play catch up with the next few posts.

My little sis Jenna graduated from Burley High School in May. She was really excited and looked super cute in her cap and gown. She's attending CSI for her first year and she is really excited about being a college girl!

Chad and I went in on a gift for her. A whole laundry basket full of anything and everything she'll need to start out her first year! I think I had more fun putting it together than she had opening it!

The Smith fam + Gramp Dalton at their finest! Nice backside Chaddy! Can you tell he's humble? ;)

I'm so proud of you Jen! I know I'm your favorite sister (wink!)...and I'm glad we're such good buddies! Enjoy this time...it goes so fast. I can't believe it's my 10 year HS reunion next year! CRAZY!!!

First Fishing Trip of the Season

2009-04-28T09:37:00.004-06:00

Saturday Blair, me and Gibson headed out to Chesterfield to kick off fishing season. It was still a little chilly (I had on 2 hoodies!) but it was so fun getting the boat out and spending our Saturday just hanging around. When we first got there Gibson wouldn't get out of the water...he was loving it! My arm got tired throwing his tennis ball over and over. We finally got him wrangled in the boat and started out to reel em' in!

As you can see, B caught the first fish of the season! He was pretty excited. I was teasing him that he'd caught Moby Dick because when he started to reel in the fish it JUMPED clear up out of the water!

Gibson was such a good helper when B was cleaning out his fish! He thought maybe he could just lick the fish clean for us! Blair got his fish all cleaned up and ready for a bb-q...now if it would only stop raining!

Ready for Spring!

2009-03-31T22:27:00.004-06:00

Sunday I spent the evening decorating our house for Spring and Easter...but there was one problem. It was SNOWING outside! There is something very wrong about putting up flowers and pastel colors with a blizzard going on outside. I have spring fever SO bad...I need to get out working in my yard or I'm going to have a melt down staying locked up inside!

Pimped My Ride...

2009-03-31T22:21:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago I got a new car and I'm really loving it! I had to find a picture online though, because I haven't been able to get a good picture of my car since it's been covered in snow, thanks to all these great spring snow storms! And no, my car is NOT orange. It's black and I really love it...did I mention that? It's been fun to drive. I have been coming up with errands to run just so I can go drive it.

Highly Recommended....

2009-01-30T11:44:00.003-07:00

A couple nights ago we splurged and went to the cheap theater to see Australia. It was AMAZING!! We both highly recommend this movie, and it's one that's worth buying on DVD because you could watch it over and over. Blair and I walked out of the theater commenting on how they just don't make movies like that anymore. Great movies, with a great story line, great actors, etc. It was epic!!

I thought Nicole Kidman was great! And Hugh Jackman was AMAZING and VERY easy on the eyes! "The Drover" is a man's man...very nice. Then he gets all cleaned up for a ball in town and boy oh boy.....very nice! It doesn't get much better than the kiss in the rain!

Nuallah was the HIT of the show though! He is the cutest little thing I've ever seen. Those big brown eyes just made me melt. And he's got the cutest smile. He says some really funny things throughout the movie about "getting them bloody bulls in the big bloody metal ship" ... to cute!

So if your needing something to do this weekend take in this flick. You won't be disappointed! And it's probably at your local cheap theater so that's even better!

Our new favorite past time...

2009-01-05T20:37:00.006-07:00

Thanks to our Christmas present from our BFF's Bryce and Becky...we are now completely addicted to Prison Break. So much so that it has consumed our lives since last week. We had Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday off last week for the holiday. We had all these great plans to get a bunch of stuff done...and we sat on the couch for hours on end saying "okay, just one more episode then we'll go do something productive..."But of course at the end of that episode we would have to watch another one because it leaves you hanging so dang bad.

So this is Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows (AKA Link...oh so sexy!) and they are brothers who would go to the ends of the earth to help each other...very heroic! They are hot as prisoners because you know that they are innocent but they're freaking tough and have sweet tattoos. They escape from prison and try to bring down "The Company", who framed Lincoln for murder. The first season was so intense I thought I may have a heart attack by the end of every episode.

Finally by season 2 there's a little bit of lovin'! There wasn't enough love stuff in season 1. Oh how I wish I were Dr. Sara Tancredi!

So do any of you watch Prison Break? If not, you should check it out. It's great watching it on DVD because there aren't any commercials. Season 4 just ended and they've announced there will be a season 5. We just finished season 2 tonight and we'll dig into season 3 tomorrow. It's ridiculous how exciting this is....WOW...can't tell we're a little lame huh?

Merry Christmas to us!!

2009-01-05T19:45:00.001-07:00

Since we were traveling to Washington this year for Christmas we decided to make presents easy this year. We had both been wanting a treadmill for awhile and thought it would be a great idea to just do that for christmas this year. I ended up finding it on Craig's List which was fun because I had never used it before. I found one in Rigby that was only a couple months old and had only been used a couple times. They were moving and couldn't take it with them so we got a great deal! Now it's just a matter of fitting it into our tiny house! I told Blair we're going to need a bigger house...he told me I was crazy. So now I get to bust out my new Asics and break them in. YAAYYY!!

3rd times a charm!

2008-12-09T09:33:00.001-07:00

3rd viewing and still ready for more!

What happens in Vegas....

2008-12-04T15:59:00.007-07:00

What an awesome trip we had! Thanks mom and dad for the fabulous time in Vegas...I think it should be a new tradition every year!

In the car on the way to the airport...all the excitement!

Turns out my drivers license was expired so I'm lucky they let me go. I just had to go through all the extra security. We arrived in sunny Las Vegas...I mean RAINY Las Vegas on Wednesday the 26th. We got checked in to our hotel room (at the Tuscany...SUPER nice place and just a block off the strip!) and proceeded to find a place to eat. We ended up at the Rio for the buffet and it was delicious! After dinner we decided to go check out Fremont Street in downtown Vegas. It was pretty fun with the light show on the ceiling but not much going on because of all the rain. After walking Fremont St. we headed back to the hotel for some Black Jack. I LOVE this game!! I think Blair gets a little worried when I walk into a casino. He's not a big fan of gambling so all my gambling balances us out. But I actually did pretty well and ended up coming home on top of what I started with.

Dad and Jenna enjoying the rain on Fremont Street.

On Thanksgiving Day we got up, hit the casino again, and then headed over to the Mandalay Bay for the Shark Reef. It was so fun. I was so excited to go because I was watching the Discovery Channel during Shark Week and they said that the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay had one of only two Hammer Head sharks in captivity. So I'm all excited to see this hammer head shark and what do you know...it died!! Bummer...but it was still really fun and I would recommend it to anyone hitting Vegas.

We stayed there at the Mandalay Bay for Thanksgiving Dinner and I swear I've never seen more crab legs eatin' in all my life! Dad, Chad and Blair did a number on those things! After dinner we went back to the hotel and changed so we could go to the show that I couldn't wait another minute to see....PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

Anyone that knows me well knows that I have a special place in my heart for this show. My Grandma Dalton took me to see it at the Capital Theater when it came out from Broadway and I've loved it ever since! Well, this show at the Venetian did not disappoint. Even though I'd already seen it before it was still AMAZING!!! I'm in awe of all the staging. It's beyond imagination. I haven't stopped listening to the soundtrack since I got home. So needless to say it was the HIGHLIGHT of the trip for me!

Friday morning we headed out to see the Hoover Dam. We took the "Dam tour" and spent lots of time looking over the "dam" side. Well, I don't like bridges very much and I did pretty well on this "dam" one for the most part. After a half hour looking down and hoping that some crazy didn't come throw me over the"dam" edge (being vulnerable like that makes you watch all the peeps around you to make sure they're not going to do something crazy!!) I was feeling the panic/anxiety attack coming on...so we took off to do some shopping at all the outlets. Ahh, shopping...it always seems to calm me down. :)

So we did a bit of shopping and then we went down to the Stratosphere to ride the big shot. I've done this before and thought it would be no big deal doing it again. Well, on my way up in the long elevator ride I was beginning to second guess this decision. Lucky for me we got to the top and waited in line for about 5 minutes when the ride was cancelled due to HIGH winds. I mean HIGH winds...I thought I might blow right through the fence and off the top of that thing. So they refunded our money and we headed to New York, New York to ride the roller coaster. Before we got there we ate and I wasn't feeling great so I decided to bypass the ride since I'd done it before anyway. So Dad and I went and hung out in the Harley Davidson shop so Dad could drool and say his prayers that he would get a motorcycle someday!! Basically we spent the rest of the evening bumming around the strip and hitting up the casino.

After flying back to SLC on Saturday we went to see the lights on Temple Square and they were beautiful as always. But there were way to many people so we made our way back to the hotel. We stayed at the Little America Towers and this is by far my favorite hotel! It's super fancy so it's fun to stay there every once in awhile. Sunday morning we ate way to much at the Sunday Brunch at Little America. Super good...although I vowed I was never eating again after this trip and I would be spending the rest of my life on a treadmill!

Viva Las Vegas

2008-11-25T14:46:00.003-07:00

We're heading to Vegas baby! We fly out tomorrow morning with my family and hopefully we'll catch some sun and not just rain as the forecast predicts! It's going to be so nice to get out of town and take a break! Hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving.

Edward Junkie

2008-11-25T11:09:00.003-07:00

Just needed my daily Edward fix...Thanks Jenna!!

This is also my favorite part of the movie...super hot!!

Once again...

2008-11-22T22:03:00.006-07:00

So I just got home from my second viewing of Twilight. I'm already making plans to see it again Monday. I don't know if I'll be able to wait until the DVD comes out! It was fun the second time because I was over the unknown and I noticed more things. Like did anyone else notice that Stephanie Meyer made an appearance? I thought that was pretty cool. I also could study the other characters a little better because I wasn't just so focused on Edward...well okay, I was still focused on Edward! I really like Jasper for some reason...he just played out a little more for me this time. I'm just fascinated by all the Cullens. I wish I could pause the movie and just check them out! My favorite part is still when Edward drives Bella to school and they walk across the parking lot...the sunglasses are too much! I love it...

Anxiously awaiting midnight on Thursday!

All the ladies waiting for the much anticipated unveiling on Thursday night

And I actually couldn't help myself...I thought he was real!! :) It's a good thing that it was 2:30 am and the only people around were on the same page!

PS I bought the soundtrack on iTunes and it's AMAZING!! I love it, I haven't been able to stop listening to it. So I highly recommend it!

Where do I even begin.....

2008-11-21T08:45:00.006-07:00

"That night was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen...."

Really, seriously...I got home at 3 am and couldn't sleep because I just kept thinking about EVERYTHING in the movie...and how irrevocably in LOVE I am with Edward!!! (wink!wink!)

There are about 3 things I am absolutly positive of....one, I loved every minute of it...two, I thought it was perfectly made...and three, I can't wait to see it again (SOON!!).

Last night I headed out to the Twilight midnight showing. I haven't stayed up that late in a LONG time...but it was very worth it. My very good friend Becky bought me tickets for my birthday (thanks Becky! How will I ever repay you for the time of my life!?) so we made our way through the theater and luckily got the best seats in the house. It was CRAZY...people were running all over the place trying to find seats. I won't write much here about specifics because I'm sure there are a lot of you out there that haven't seen it yet. But here are a few of my thoughts....

The Cullens...beautiful people. When I first saw pictures of who was playing Edward I was unsure if he would meet the expectations I've had in my head of Edward. But it quickly went away as he first entered the scene. He was the PERFECT Edward!! Totally how I imagined him. I also thought they did a great job at matching up the other Cullens. As each one entered, Becky and I kept leaning over to each other and saying "That's totally who I imagined!!" All the characters were pretty close to what I had envisioned. Really the only thing that was really different from how I imagined it while reading was the Cullen's home. It's very modern...not what I had pictured...but it still works. Some of the things that are said are word for word from the book. My favorite, favorite line is when Edward tells Bella "You're like my own personal brand of Heroin"...I loved it in the book and it sounds great in the movie!

Okay, without giving anything away....this was the most amazing scene in the movie!! It was super hot and I wanted it to keep going! Only, I wished it was me there playing Bella. Watch for this scene....you'll love it! So much tension!!

After watching this, I kept wondering how they would make the 4th book into a movie? But after seeing Bella and Edward together...I'm so excited for the 4th movie!!

Over all I give this two thumbs up times a million! There's no question...I WILL be seeing this again, possibly a few more times, before it leaves the theater. THEN...I'll be first in line to buy the DVD and spend the rest of my life watching it over and over and over!!! :) WOW...sounds obsessive but I can't help it....I'm so excited about this.....I can't get enough. All I can say is that movie two better be in the works because Twilighters won't be able to wait very long!

Picture Tag

2008-11-02T22:45:00.006-07:00

Here's my picture tag....a canoe trip down the Big Springs in Island Park Summer of '07 with Blair, Garrett and Shelly. This was Gibson's first canoe trip, and he loved it! Except for the fact that he couldn't stand being that close to the water and not swimming. He jumped out twice in the beginning and I had to jump in and get him...luckily he only weighed about 50 lbs. then...now it would be quite a treat trying to get a 120 lb. dog to stay put in a canoe!

I can't believe he was that little...oh, my little baby! He's a monster now! We took a few breaks on the way down so he could get in and swim around. Once he gets in the water it's impossible to get him out...he loves it! We also take him in the fishing boat...but it's bigger and easier to keep him in. He usually just lays down and chills the whole time! Can ya tell he's kinda spoiled!?

I tag Jana, Shelly, Shamae and Kyra

Happy Birthday!!

2008-10-30T17:43:00.004-06:00

27 years old....that SOUNDS old! Only 3 more years to 30!! That's the weirdest thing to wrap my head around. Blair did a smashing job making my day fabulous this year. I came home to find the living room decorated and a homemade (well, from a box) cake with 27 candles. To fun! Then he took me to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and then he told me we could do anything I wanted to do. It didn't take much though...I wanted to go to Costco! (It just opened last week and I've already been twice!!) So we went to Costco and bummed around. It was fun to just spend some time together...it's been crazy lately and it seems like there just aren't enough hours in a day!

My good friend also stopped by with a birthday gift (which Ms. Hailey, you did not need to do!)...and I love my new ipod headphones and photo albums. I got some money from the folks...thanks mom and dad!! I got a mall gift card from the in-laws...thanks Bri and Lori! Shelly took me out for a girls afternoon complete with lunch at Chili's and pedicures. Shelly, you're a life saver...I needed a day of pampering! Blair got me a new Nikon Coolpix camera and I LOVE IT!! It's so nice! He also gave me a gift certificate (he also made that) good for one craft room! I'm so excited. He's going to fix up the room downstairs and turn it into a craft place for me! YAY!!!! I asked him how soon I could cash that in...I'm so pumped about it I don't know if I can wait! It was a great birthday...even if it did put me one year closer to 30! Thanks everyone!! I love you all!!

Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-27T20:47:00.005-06:00

On Sunday we spent the evening with Garrett and Shelly carving pumpkins. It was so much fun...although I don't remember it being so hard! It must have been because when I was little after getting our fill of playing with the pumpkin guts, mom and dad took care of the cleaning. We had lots of laughs and ended with tons of pumpkin seeds to cook up.

This is mine...I'm so artistic!

Just a little shot of Blair's and mine out on the step that night. It's been lots of years since I've done this and I forget how fun it is to light them up at nights!

Posing with my masterpiece! I'm so proud!

WOW...the resemblance is uncanny. It's amazing how accurate he got that!

Just a pic of our front step. Thanks mom and dad for the super cute tiny straw bales and the pumpkins from the garden.

And just a little kiss goodnight. I was somewhat worried that some evil little devil may come by and steal them and horrifically smash them in the road...but so far my little pumpky is safe and sound. I remember one Halloween when I worked to hard to paint a pumpkin (it even had yarn for hair) and some super mean kids came and smashed it in the road...right in front of me! The tears immediately started pouring and my dad immediately started to scream and them and chase them down the street. It couldn't have been a pretty sight when he caught them! Thanks dad...for not letting my pumpkin die in vain!

Who Shot the Sheriff?

2008-10-27T20:36:00.010-06:00

So we had the awesomest time at our friends on Saturday for a murder mystery dinner. Brody and Katie put on quite the party. It was a wild west theme and took place in Lil's Lucky Saloon (aka their living room decorated like a saloon). I was Lily White, Saloon owner. So I got to read this cute little script for welcoming everyone and then all of the sudden...BANG! BANG! and here goes;
Lily (me): "Oh no...it's the Sheriff....he's been shot and killed and he's fell from the balcony!"
And so proceeded the mystery of who done it?

Blair was Woody Box, undertaker and part owner in the local grave digging business. Apparently, since the sheriff came into town and cleaned it up business has been a bit slow for Woody...not to many people dying in shoot outs anymore. That dang sheriff....messin' with Woody's business...could this be motive for shootin' the sheriff?

Lily White, who was having a passionate affair with the sheriff until he recently dumped her for a dancer in Lil's saloon, that little hussy Scarlet Oh'LahLah. Lily is now heartbroken...she loved that sheriff! Could this be motive for Lily to off the Sheriff?

This is the super cute table that Blaze F. Glory (aka Katie) had set up for dinner. I thought that the pie tins we the perfect touch. Not to mention the moonshine (water) and root beer. We ate white chicken chili with tortilla chips...and it was delicious! Katie...I need to recipe! We also had

some great homemade biscuits with the tastiest Miller Cinnamon Honey Butter.

Here's all of our clues to figure out who shot the sheriff...turns out the sheriff had some pretty good secrets he was keeping. It could be anyone at the party!!

Here's the fearless group of detectives. The banker Ace Lender (aka Brody) shot the sheriff. Turns out, the sheriff had robbed a bank a while back and hide the money under the bankers name in Dodge City Bank. If anything were to happen to the sheriff, 90% of the money was to go to the sheriff's mother and 10% was for the banker for taking care of the money. I guess ole' Ace got a little greedy and decided to get rid of the sheriff and keep all the money for himself...since he's the only one that knew it existed.

Looks like Lily got over that sheriff and all his tomfoolery pretty quickly and took up with Woody Box. I mean, who really can resist that mustache?

The party was GREAT...we had a wonderful time and decided maybe we needed to do one of those as well. And, I think we had just as much fun putting together our costumes as we did at the party.

Sweetheart Tag

2008-10-22T14:03:00.004-06:00

WHAT IS YOUR HUSBANDS NAME ? Blair Derek Goldade

HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN MARRIED ? almost 3 years

HOW LONG DID YOU GUYS DATE ? ABOUT A YEAR!

HOW OLD IS HE ? 27

WHO IS TALLER? um, Blair (6'6)

WHO CAN SING BEST ? Probably me...only when i'm alone driving or in the shower!!

WHO IS SMARTER ? I think we both think we're smarter than the other

WHO DOES LAUNDRY ? mostly ME...Blair doesn't quite understand the idea of "sorting colors"

WHO PAYS BILLS ? mostly me...he helps sometimes

WHO SLEEPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED ? Well, if you're laying the bed Blair does, but if you're looking at the bed...I do!! =)

Who mows the lawn? both of us. Neither one of us minds doing it.

Who cooks dinner ? ME...sometimes...not as much as I should

Who is 1st to Admit there wrong? Were both pretty stubborn, but he usually comes crawling back first!

Who kissed who first? Blair kissed me first

Who wears the pants? I like to make Blair think that he does...but we all know the wife does when it comes down to it!

Another FAB Retreat & Oh, yeah...opening day for hunting season...yipee!?

2008-10-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

It was time again for the scrapbooking retreat at Red Moose Lodge in Eden, UT. This time Hailey, Andrea, McKenzie and I headed out with a suburban packed with totes of scrapin' stuff. But the trip wouldn't be complete without some shopping! We left Friday morning so we'd have plenty of time to shop before heading to the lodge. Let's just say by the time all the shopping was complete on Saturday, you couldn't see out the back of the burb!! We crammed the back of that vehicle over every square inch! It was so much fun...

Here's our table as we're getting started...it didn't stay this orderly for even a second. We got tons of projects done...along with lots of eating and talking!! We only made it to 12:30 am before our brains were dead and we couldn't think anymore.

Here's Hailey showing a bit of her mad skills. This girl can whip out cards like nothing else.

We decided to dine at the Mayan after we left the retreat on Saturday. Hailey hadn't ever been so we had to give her the experience. It was actually better food this time than the last time I was there, and you gotta love the divers!

The retreat was awesome...but I must admit...the highlight of this trip is that I got to go to IKEA for the first time! It was crazy fun...I wanna go again ASAP! I loved it.

It worked out great that the retreat fell on that weekend because Blair spent his weekend hunting (of course) since it was opening season. He didn't get anything which means...I continue to be a "hunting widow" until the end of the season or until he gets one. He said "Well, I saw a lot of 2 points...but I'm waiting for a monster!" I say "Just shoot the 2 point and let's be done!"...until bear season anyway! I almost wonder if he doesn't shoot one the first day on purpose so he can keep going? I think these boys have figured that out. He did get snowed on though...thanks to the snowmobile trailer (sleeping quarters) and a wood stove they stayed warm, while at camp at least.

To good to be true!!

2008-10-15T09:21:00.000-06:00

At our house Friday nights are TACO nights. It's just something my mom always did when we were growing up (probably cause they were quick and everyone was so busy!)...so I made that a tradition in our home too. And lately, I've been craving chicken tacos like crazy. So TACO nights have gone from Fridays to whatever night I can do them! They are so good! Wow...just looking at these pictures makes me want one NOW!! They're quick and easy so it makes it nice for evenings when I get home from work and haven't planned anything for dinner.

Step #1: I usually fry some chicken in olive oil and just season with salt and pepper. Then, fry up some corn tortillas and smear with sour cream. Load up with chicken (shredded).

Step #2: Smother with Herdez Verde sauce (green salsa, but the Herdez brand is best!)...the layer with some shredded cheese.

Step #3: Squeeze fresh limes (usually one slice with do a couple tacos) and top it off with lettuce and tomatoes (except I don't like tomatoes, I leave those off!)...and EAT!!

I can usually out eat Blair on Taco nights....I love them that much!! They are by far and away my favorite food!! If you give em' a try, let me know what you think!

Halloween Fun

2008-10-13T08:27:00.002-06:00

So, last Sunday I spent the evening dancing to Thriller (yes-I know the whole dance!) and getting the house decked out for Halloween...one of my favorite times of year. I don't know if I like it so much because it's super fun or because it means my birthday is coming?! The older I get though, I start to think not so much the birthday but all the yummy candy! We're going through Cinnamon Devils like none other!! Next to Christmas, Halloween is my favorite for decorating. I keep telling Blair that I need a bigger house...I'm running out of decorating room and wall space! He says that means I need to stop buying stuff...what does he know!?

This year I got some new witch stuff that is so cute because it's a lot of glitter and purple...a nice addition to only black and orange. There's also a lot of "wicked witch from the east" stuff with the red and white striped socks. It's super cute!

Basically for the next three months the decor in our house changes often. We go from Halloween to fall and Thanksgiving to CHRISTMAS!!! I think it's an addiction that I have for home decor...I can't seem to stop!

Brake for Breakfast

2008-10-13T08:23:00.002-06:00

Wow! I'm kinda behind on bloggin...it's been a busy couple weeks. On October 1st Portneuf and the the hospital co-op held the 9th annual Brake for Breakfast. It's an awesome event that helps spread the word on breast cancer and health awareness. We figured that we had 2,000 people drive through this year. It's held on the hospital campus and there's a drive through where people can come get free breakfast, a packet of TONS of information on upcoming events and breast cancer awareness, and a cute pink cosmetic bag with a pink ribbon magnet for their car and a pink ribbon lapel pin. There were a few of us on the committee that planned and organized the event. That event alone kept me extremely busy for a couple months but I was proud to be a part of it. My morning started bright and early at 4 am. Well, actually not to bright that time of the morning...as you can see we were still in the dark when the event started at 7 am. The radio station came and did a live broadcast with lots of interviews from Oncologist and breast cancer survivors. That's me with Paul Anderson, the DJ for the morning show. He's a super cool guy and it was fun working with him that morning! All in all, it was a huge success. I was pretty fortunate to be a part of it. They were hinting that next year it may be MY event...I'm feeling a little sick about it already. It will be the 10th annual event so it's gonna have to be big...i'm already thinking of some fun stuff to do. We'll have to wait and see.

TAG...you're it!

2008-09-17T20:30:00.000-06:00

I saw this on my friend Garianne's blog and loved it...so I STOLE it!!

I am: WOMAN!!

I think: about how I'm not ready for winter but I love this fall weather.

I know: how to do the Thriller dance.

I want: to go to IKEA and a new IPOD.

I have: a love for shopping!

I dislike: eating anything that lives in the water.

I miss: Grey's Anatomy...one more week!

I fear: snakes and spiders.

I feel: like going to ColdStone.

I hear: the Pussycat Dolls song "When I grow up" on my Itunes.

I smell: my Scentsy...Skinny Dippin' is my fav.

I crave: Senior Iguanas enchiladas.

I cry: When I watch the Notebook, P.S. I Love You and Oprah (sometimes).

I usually: like to stay up late and sleep in, although it doesn't happen often since I do this thing called WORK!!

I search: for house plans.

I wonder: If palm readers know what they're talking about...I hope so cause I've got some good things heading my way! =)

I regret: not going to the cabin as much this year.

I love: My Family and my doggy so much.

I care: about all my friends.

I always: love to buy totes, post-it notes, sharpies and ORGANIZE everything.

I worry: about getting our 3 month supply of food storage together.

I am not: messy.

I remember: being sequestered on jury duty...not fun!

I believe: in Santa!!

I dance: to Footloose weekly...and Michael Jackson songs too!

I sing: when I'm alone...no one wants to hear that!

I don't always: keep up on my scrapbooking.

I argue: with Blair for drinking my Red Bull!!

I write: Lists...I can't function without a daily list.

I win: never.

I lose: when I buy lottery tickets.

I wish: I was on a beach in Fiji.

I listen: To my IPOD.

I don't understand: how there can be no end to space...if I think about it to long I go crazy.

I can usually be found: Working.

I am scared: when I'm at the office at night by myself.

I need: more money!

I forget: to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer!

I am happy: when I'm with my family.

Tag, you're it!! Jana, Aricca and Shelly

Poison

2008-09-14T21:42:00.001-06:00

WOW....you gotta love it when a band from the 80's can still make you rock 20 years later! We had a totally RAD night taking in the Poison concert this year at the Eastern Idaho State Fair. Bret Michaels, C.C. Deville, Rikki Rockett and Bobby Dall put on quite the show. I immediately wanted to rush home and play Guitar Hero after watching CC at the strings, and he truley helped coin the phrase "hair band"...he had the best hair of any rockstar ever! Many of you know that I was, in fact, raised on a steady dose of Guns N' Roses, Lynard Skynard, Bon Jovi and Poison, just to name a few. So I was overjoyed at the thought of getting to see Poison live. Plus, although somewhat embarrassing to admit, I'm a HUGE Rock of Love with Bret Michaels fan. And you're all in luck...season 3 starts in January. Yes, you heard me...you can get your fill of white trash, rocker chicks in just a few short months! Once I passed along the exciting news to dad, he for sure was in for a night of rock...mom came too, although she was not as thrilled. She did get a kick out of how old those guys looked...cocaine doesn't seem to age a person real well. But with lots of makeup, heavy on the eyeliner, they can put up a front! Chad & Jenna also came and while I think they enjoyed themselves, I don't think they fully appreciated the coolness of this moment. Garrett and Shelly also got in on the action with us and had a great time. I will admit, the next day I felt like my ears were bleeding...they ached to bad! Talk about feeling like your getting old. I vowed to never attend another concert unless I had a get set of ear plugs!

I just couldn't keep my butt in my seat...especially during Unskinny Bop...but then again who can?

A long awaited reunion!!

2008-09-10T21:48:00.008-06:00

It's been much to long...we needed a get together. On Tuesday we drove from Dillon, MT straight to Burley (to much time to spend in a car!!) for a much anticipated reunion! My best friends from kindergarten and beyond finally got together! Troy, Adam and I were like the three musketeers, all my high school memories include those two in one way or another. Now we're all old married people who live across the country from each other...that makes get togethers few and far between. It was really exciting to find out that Troy and Brooke will be moving back to Logan from Florida. That means less distance and more get togethers...yeah!! I'm so glad that Troy and Adam married such awesome girls...they are so fun! And I lucked out because Blair and the boys totally hit if off before we were married, so it's fun for all of us to get together!

But a get together just wouldn't be complete without the life of the party...all the folks! All three sets of parents are the best of friends too. When there is a get together there's so much laughing I can't hardly handle it! So I have to give a big thank you to Troy and Brook for planning the get together, and for Geri and Brook for all the hard work and great food! We all had to much fun we decided this needed to be tradition!

Trip to Washington

2008-09-10T21:44:00.005-06:00

We're are now referred to as Uncle Blair and Auntie Nik!! We just traveled to Washington last weekend to help welcome the newest addition to the Goldade/Helm family. Meet Graycie Mae Helm. She was born on August 15th to Blair's sister Megan and her hubby Jade. It was so fun having a baby in the house! She's the first grandchild so everyone loves to fuss over her. It was a fight to see who got to hold her next.

I threw a shower for Megan on Saturday. It was so fun! We had a great turnout and Megan got some dang cute stuff! Baby girls are so much fun! I was so excited because I found a Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag for Megan...I should have taken a picture of it...it's beautiful! The Queen of all diaper bags!

Can you get any cuter than this baby! I love her!

LOT'S of WORK!! But to much fun not to do! I did this diaper cake for the shower late Friday night. I enlisted the help of Blair and his mom and dad. We got laughing pretty hard trying to hold all those diapers together long enough to get them tied together. It was a fun little gift from the sis-in-laws, me and Shelly.

Weekend in Burley

2008-09-10T21:38:00.004-06:00

Since Jenna is a cheerleader this year and it's her senior year, I really want to make it home to watch her as much as absolutely possible!! So I headed on over to Burley for the first home football game of the season. The new football field/turf was pretty impressive...although getting up some lights would be nice! It was fun getting to sing along with the old fight song and hanging out with the fam in the stands. Jenna looked so dang cute...I couldn't get enough of her! (she's in the middle of the back row) Sadly, Burley lost it's first game, but I have to say they didn't do to bad. Maybe Burley Football can make a come back someday. I decided to stay the night and head to Sun Valley on Saturday with my mom. The Burley Band and cheerleaders were invited to march in the Wagon Days Parade in Ketchum, so we headed up to watch Jen again. It was so fun getting up there again...especially during the Wagon Days Festival. I used to clog in the parade too so it brought back some fun memories. But being up there made me realize how much I missed living there. I used to move there for the summer months, and a month in the winter to nanny. I LOVED living there...we always had such a great time hiking, fishing, eating, shopping, etc. So I've included in here some pictures of the GREATEST place on earth to eat lunch...WrapCity. It's like the food of the gods!!! I seriously still crave it after all these years! I think that was really my main motivation in heading up there with my mom...so I could once again enjoy a Chicken Bacon Ranch wrap. My mouth is watering just looking at these pictures. So if any of you head to the Sunny Valley any time soon PLEASE make time to change your LIFE by eating a WrapCity wrap...I also recommend the Chinese Chicken Salad wrap...in one word....MIRACULOUS!!!!

FABULOUS!!!

2008-08-26T19:20:00.002-06:00

I finally finished this amazing book! I tried to drag it out a little and enjoy it instead of flying through it. It exceeded all my expectations...after the first 6 chapters I was thinking "What more can happen!". I wish I could get into what specifically I loved about this...but I don't want to ruin it for anyone who still needs to read it (i.e. Shelly!!). I think it all came together great in the end and I won't be to surprised if we get some sequels centered around other characters...which I would love!! So two thumbs up from me!!

Yellowstone Park

2008-08-14T13:11:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago Blair and I cruised up to the cabin in Island Park with my mom, dad and sis. We had a blast just kickin' back. This summer has been so crazy, busy that it was nice to get a break...even if it was only a couple days. On Saturday we went through Yellowstone Park. It was great because I hadn't been through for quite a few years. We had fun looking for license plates and trying to get all 50 states, and of course we had the family sing alongs in the car while driving from point A to point B. Here's a few pictures of our travels!!

I had never been to Artist's Point before...it was amazing! The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Park.
We started a list of all the states license plates we saw in the park. This was only the begining. We got all but a couple.
It was a long day in the car!!
Daddio, Mamma, and Jenna at Old Faithful
Look how close we got!!

A friendly game of Mexican Train at the cabin. It's

a family favorite.

Addiction is a dirty thing...

2008-06-08T21:31:00.002-06:00

"My name is Nikki Goldade, and I've been a Twilight series addict for one month. I'm fully admitting now that I am in fact, totally and completely hooked on this drug I like to call 'EDWARD'...Thank you".

When my mom first told me about these books last fall that she was reading I was like "Really Mom....Vampire books....get real!" She talked me into reading them and now I can't put them down. I'm a little concerned as to what it may be doing to our marriage. Blair always asks me to put the book down so we can do something or just talk...my reply is always the same..."One more chapter". But then I get to the end of that chapter and I just HAVE to read the next one. Blair is also getting tired of hearing "Edward would never do that...Edward would never say that...Edward is AMAZING...I think I'm falling in love with Edward, are you going to have a problem with that?"

New Moon was also amazing, although I will say that I enjoyed Twilight a little more (probably because there was more Edward in Twilight). I'm half way through Eclipse and anxiously awaiting the release of Breaking Dawn. But before that date in August I think I may have to read them again....and let's not dwell on the fact that I've watched the movie trailier on YouTube about a MILLION times (roughly estimated).

Thanks mom for the great book suggestion....but this has gotten completely out of hand....you've created a MONSTER!

GRADUATION!!

2008-05-13T14:08:00.005-06:00

Well, the day has finally come! I'm officially a member of the "real world" now. No more late night study sessions, 10 page papers, and finals! The graduation ceremony was awesome! I loved every minute of it. I was so excited...I just had a grin on my face all day! My family and Blair's family were there, and my dad's three sisters even came! It only lasted a couple hours (thank heavens!) and the President of ISU and his wife had a reception for graduates and their families afterwards. I had been thinking of this day coming for so long, I can't believe it's already here and gone.

An after graduation congrats smooch, The family (sorry Chad...you're a little blurry), my school pals Mckenzie and Hailey (I love you girls!), Blair's family (I don't think Blair was ready), Celebration! BB-Q with tons of friends and family, we customized our caps so our peeps could find us!

I got diamonds!! If graduating is what it takes...I think I may get my Masters now! The necklace was from my parents and the ring was from Blair...It's blingin'! I love 'em both!

A much needed retreat!

2008-05-08T15:28:00.003-06:00

Hailey, me and Heidi (Hailey's sis-in-law)...we all had so much fun together!
My friend Hailey and I took a girls weekend to a scrapbooking retreat in Eden, Utah. It was absolutely beautiful there and the lodge we stayed in was so nice and fun! It was held at the Red Moose Lodge in Eden. They had the ballroom/conference room set up for all the ladies at the convention. We got there at about 4 pm and started off our scrapbooking. Maddox catered the dinner that night and it was delicious! We didn't stop until 2AM!! Then we were back at it by 10 the next morning. It was great to get away and have a few days before hitting the books hard to get ready for finals.

I love to make these mini albums with envelopes and bags...well...I somehow managed to impress some ladies at the convention and I ended up selling a bunch of them. It worked out pretty well since the money I made on the albums paid for my trip! I even have two more to do and send them off...I think I may be on to something here...I may need to be opening a business!

This book is one I made for a lady at the retreat. She wanted one to give her friend who had just had a baby girl! I wish I could show the whole thing...it turned out so dang cute!

A finished bathroom...finally!

2008-05-08T15:20:00.003-06:00

Blair put all the finishing touches on our bathroom the other night. We've lived in this house for 2 1/2 years now and the bathroom just got remodeled...but it's worth the wait! It's so fun! Now...ON TO THE KITCHEN! (Hopefully Blair won't see that...he'd scream!)

Celebration Dinner!

2008-05-07T14:08:00.002-06:00

I had some of the people that I love most in this world help me celebrate my new job offer! Blair and I went to dinner at Red Lobster with Bryce and Becky and Garrett and Shelly...and we had so much fun. Thanks for helping me celebrate guys, and thanks for all your love and support!
Garrett and Shelly brought me these beautiful flowers and a card to congratulate me. I have the best bro-in-law and sis-in-law in the world!

I got the job!!

2008-05-06T18:58:00.002-06:00

So i applied for and interviewed for a job at the hospital a couple weeks ago. I hadn't heard anything for awhile so I was starting to think that I didn't get it...then I got the call! Yesterday around 5 pm I got the call and they offered me the position. I'm so excited! I start Monday...and the job title is Community Health Education Coordinator. It's a great opportunity to get right out of the gate! Graduation is this Saturday so it's awesome that I got the job before officially graduating!!

NACHOOOOOO!

2008-04-09T21:54:00.003-06:00

Well I was happy to report that "Marchstacheness" had finally come to an end...but then this happened! I call him Nacho! At this point...don't even ask! Thankfully this only lasted for a day...long enough for him to go to work and give everyone a good laugh. My prayers were answered and it came off the next day! It's nice to have that face back!
Could that be Doc Holliday? This is his "Well, I'm your huckelberry" face. My own real life Doc Holliday clone....I'm such a lucky girl!
(Yes...he used my hair wax to shape the ends)

Our newest obsession!

2008-04-07T20:59:00.003-06:00

So...this year the Easter bunny brought Blair The Game of Life and I got Monopoly (thank you Fred Meyer for your buy 1 get 1 free before Easter). Well, we played Life one night and we're now hooked...mostly. Sometimes I have to beg Blair to play with me, but he usually gives in. And to date he's actually ahead in games won. In fact, after playing last night, we had quite the discussion about how the game is won. Blair never chooses to go to college, and I always do. You would think that would make a big difference but he always seems to draw great career cards (i.e. athlete or entertainer). Even if I seem to get a great career card (i.e. Doctor or lawyer) I always seem to land on the "Lose your job" space and then REGARDLESS of having a college education (and $100,000 debt from going to school) I end up drawing the mechanic card from the career card deck...the mechanic only makes like $30,000 a payday and there aren't to many pay raises for an old mechanic. With that income...it's not so easy to win a game, let alone retire to the mansion instead of the poor house! We decided we were watching to much TV and not hanging out enough so this is our new answer. As much as we love Grey's Anatomy, The Bachelor, Private Practice, Dancing with the Stars, Deadliest Catch (starting in 2 weeks), The Office, My Name is Earl, CSI: Las Vegas, Law and Order: Criminal Intent and SVU, Rock of Love II (I'm almost ashamed to admit that one! But you gotta love trashy!), etc. I love more spending time with my hubby playing a game of Life! We haven't busted open Monopoly yet...Niether of us have enough time in the week!

Marchstacheness

2008-03-27T19:25:00.004-06:00

We've only just begun...

So, for the month of March in our home we've been celebrating "Marchstacheness" instead of March Madness...but trust me...there's been some madness going on. Where do we start...at the beginning of the month Blair and his friend Seth decided to have friendly little competition to see who could go the longest without shaving. When the terms and conditions where being worked out the boys decided to see if they could go the whole month without shaving and then they could shave at the beginning of April. Well, I'm so proud to say that both boys have made it! And enter the madness portion of this story...Blair has decided that he actually LOVES his stache and doesn't think he's going to shave it FOOOREEEEVVVVERRRR (suppose to be read like Squints says in Sandlot). I've tried to hold certain consequences over his beady little head...but nothing seems to be working! Am I going to be living with Jeremiah Johnson for the rest of my life? Stay tuned!

As of today...

Family Snowshoe

2008-02-16T11:02:00.003-07:00

We decided to set out on an adventure the other day since we'd gotten so much new snow. We headed out to Mink Creek which is only about 15 minutes out of town. We straped on the snowshoes and had a great little hike.
The weather was beautiful! A perfect day to spend outside. The snow was so deep that Gibson got quit the work out jumping out of the drifts. He seemed to beat us up the trail though.
Before the big fall! It was hilarious...Blair was buried! And Gibson went full out to go help tackle him while he was still down! Too funny!
Here's me and Gib headed up the trail...aren't my new gloves sweet! And I just love my pink snowshoes! Thanks honey!

Once there was a snowman...with boobs and a mohawk?

2008-02-16T10:44:00.016-07:00

BLAIR: "Nik........someone's at the door for you!!"
NIKKI: "Who is it?"
BLAIR: "I don't know...just come to the door!"

That's a little bit how this went...But when I arrived at the door...there wasn't someone for me...there was snowwoman waiting for me! We got tons and tons of new snow the other day, and while Blair was shoveling the walks he built me this cute new friend. Sorry to say...it wasn't meant to be. With a few warm days my friend turned to a puddle of water on the walk way...and Gibson had fun playing fetch with her arms! Blair is such a witty, funny guy. For those of you who haven't met him yet...just wait! We're constantly laughing in this house...he's so good to me!