Luck O' the Snyders

Valentines Cards

2012-02-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

So, I totally stole this idea from my sister-in-law, Mayka and her super crafty blog, www.mybrainbaby.com. She did it last year and I was totally jealous, especially after I had just bought the super lame-o cards from the store. It's super easy. I took a picture of Oliver with his fist out in front of him. (He wanted to add the Darth Vador element). Then just make some slits on the top & bottom of the fist and stick a lollipop through.

Blockheads Shavery

2012-01-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

Back in December I was asked to do custom art work for a dessert place (shaved snow) in Santa Monica, CA. This is the finished product, hanging up in their store. The pieces are much bigger that they look and each panel has much more detail that the picture shows. They are each 18x36. I was really hoping they would have them up when we went down to CA for Christmas, but the framing took MUCH longer than expected. The panels tell the story of Blockheads. It was a really fun project and I was thrilled they asked me to do it.

Trying to be Like Jesus

2012-01-22T17:18:00.001-08:00

California Christmas

2012-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, we were able to go to California! (A special thanks to Mike's brother who drove all of us down in his car). The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was a much needed vacation and I am so glad we were able to go. We visited tons of family and had loads of fun. Did I mention how awesome the weather was?

Visiting Mike's Cousin, Betsy, in Dana Point.

Mikes uncle Dave owns a boat down in Santa Barbara, CA. He took us out on it and it was totally awesome. Mike's parents and brother and family were also able to come along. It was a beautiful, warm day and an awesome ride. We all had a blast.

After the boat ride, we went and played on the beach for awhile. I still can't get over how warm it was! Oliver absolutely loved the beach. He would have stayed all day.

Mike's Aunt Tina and Uncle Rick & family took us to the San Diego Zoo.

I love zoos and have always wanted to go to this one. It was so much fun! The pandas were adorable.

Oh, and of course the reason we came....Christmas! The whole 2 weeks felt like one big long Christmas day. It was so much fun!

Our Tree

2011-11-28T16:18:00.001-08:00

Sunday

2011-11-15T16:33:00.001-08:00

It was a hard day at church for all of us.

Lotion

2011-11-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

I guess Hazel had some pretty dry skin.

All About Oliver

2011-10-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

We got Oliver's Kindergarten Pictures today. He is so incredibly cute isn't he?!

(He definitely is going to have my same experience with braces and all kinds of jaw fixing things).

Yesterday Oliver turned 6. (For some strange reason he chose to go to Chili's for his Birthday Dinner...2nd year in a row. We never go there...yet he loves it.)

-He is always trying out new vocabulary...it's so funny. He uses really big words when he expresses himself and it's always making us laugh.

-He does not like nicknames of any kind. His name is Oliver, period.

-He wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

-He loves 8-grain cereal for breakfast. He prefers it over anything else. It's like this oatmeal type cereal that has this jello like consistency after it's sat for awhile. It makes me want to throw up just thinking about it. Yesterday he said he wanted 2 bowls of it since it was his birthday. Too funny.

Turning Six!

2011-10-22T13:40:00.001-07:00

Dinosaur Park, Ogden UT

2011-09-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

My First Tri...

2011-09-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Stansbury Park Triathlon
Sprint Distance

1/2 Mile Swim
13 Mile Bike Ride
5K Run

Kindergarten

2011-08-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Oliver
First Day of Kindergarten
Hillcrest Elementary
Logan, UT
Teacher - Ms. Dopp

Rodeo

2011-08-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

This past week I had to do some judging at the Box Elder County Fair.

In return, we got some free rodeo tickets. So we went.
The pictures below really suck...I know.
It was pretty fun.
Oliver had a better time that he's making it look although boredom started setting in after about 15 minutes.But we did sit there for 2 hours in anticipation of the final act.
They had a couple of Motor Cross guys come out on their motorcycles and jump and flip with ramps and stuff. Oliver thought that was the best thing ever. Of course it only lasted 5 minutes and I didn't get any pictures.
Oh I almost forgot...I did catch a shirt while in the stands thrown out by some cowgirls in pickup trucks. That was pretty awesome. I think the girl in front of me was pretty ticked. I can't help it if I'm slightly taller than her and snatched it about 2 inches from her hand.

Oliver's First Fish

2011-08-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Turning 30

2011-07-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

I turned 30 yesterday. I thought that day would never come. Time sure does fly the older you get.

We started out with a trip to the Park City Outlets. Mike watched the kids on the playground and I had free reign to go shopping all by myself! The perfect present. I found some pretty sweet deals to top it off.

Last night my parents watched the kids and we went to out favorite special occasion restaurant...Happy Sumo.

We only go there a couple times a year so it was really nice.

My 30th Birthday.
Nice and Simple.

Tennis

2011-07-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Logan Parks and Rec and our "Student" financial Status...(yea for being poor!)...Oliver was able to take tennis lessons this summer for free. He has really enjoyed it. Of course...I couldn't help talking it up since that was totally my sport in high school. Without any coaxing he said Tennis is his favorite and way better than T-ball and Soccer...Can't argue with that.

There is only one other kid in his class and there are 2 coaches. So it's like he has his own private lesson everyday. He acts pretty silly most of the time...but I see some natural talent in him...or maybe that's just wishful thinking. But either way...it's been fun.

Anniversary

2011-07-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's been an Awesome 9 Years!
Love You Mike...

7-11 Day

2011-07-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated 7-11 Day. Very important holiday in our family. Slurpees for all and a fun time at the park!

Thank you 7-11 for your wonderful big gulps, slurpies and nachos. And of course your interesting employees. You are one-of-a kind.

Reunion Time

2011-07-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Last Week was the Wight Family Reunion. The reunion started with my great-grandparents on my mom's side and has been going long before I was born. It's amazing that it still happens every 2 years. We had a blast this year as always. 4 days at Little Bear River Resort outside of Logan.

Craft Time for the Kiddies

Climbing Trees

Lots of Playing Around

Playing in the Sandbox. Oliver fell face first into that hole. Had quite the ordeal trying to get sand out of his eyes.

Family Follies...Same games for 20+ Years and still so funny.

A great time had by all...and only 2 near death experiences. Couldn't find Oliver on the last day. Finally found him in our car, fast asleep. Luckily he hadn't been in there that long. Then about 15 minutes later, during dinner Mike started choking on a piece of meat. Luckily, Uncle Boyd was there to give him the Heimlich Maneuver. No Joke.

MS 150 Bike Ride

2011-06-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

This morning we got up at 5:30, got ready, dropped the kids of at my parents camping trailer and took off with my dad and bikes to the starting line of the MS 150 bike ride. We had been signed up for this ride for quite a while and hadn't done any training. In fact, Mike doesn't even have a bike and I have ridden only 2 times in the last month...with my longest ride being 9 miles. So we borrowed my parents commuter bikes and took off from the starting line at 7:45am. Thanks to my dad, we are actually part of the Zions bank Team (the Z-team) and got to wear these awesome jerseys. We chose to do the shortest course which is 40 miles. There were 3 rest stops along the way with lots of snacks and drinks, also thankfully some pain reliever. Of course my dad took off and finished about 45 minutes ahead of us. But we cruised along the whole way and came into the finish about 11:30. Before the race, we were hoping we could make it halfway and figured we would get a ride back from there. But we felt pretty good the whole time and decided to do the whole thing. Surprisingly we came in still smiling and joking around. I'm super proud of ourselves and would actually consider doing it again...maybe even upping the ride to the 75 mile course! Who knows?!

Hiking

2011-06-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went hiking up in Logan Canyon, less than 10 miles from our house. With all the snow and rain this season it is crazy green and the river is actually raging! It was quite impressive. It made for a wonderful walk in the woods. The kids actually do really well considering it was pretty steep and rocky. I, of course, still refuse to wear shoes while I hike, but my flip flops actually did really well. The way back down took the longest, since Hazel decided to pick every daffodil that crossed our path. The awesome summer here ALMOST makes up for the winter...

T-Ball!

2011-06-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

Big Bellies

2011-05-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

So the kids like to take all of the cars and other small toys and put them down their shirts so they can have big bellies. They thought this up all on their own. Pretty funny.

All About Hazel

2011-05-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hazel turned 2 this last week. There were too many things going on we decided to keep it simple. Open a couple presents, and have the traditional birthday "cake" for our family....chocolate pudding and whip cream on a graham cracker crust. My sister-in-law, Mayka made those ultra-cute bunnies in the middle for Hazel. She's super crafty (My Brain Baby).

Anyway...A couple things about Hazel at this stage in her life.
-She is constantly taking off her diaper. I have to dress her in onesies just to keep my sanity.
-She always gives Mike a kiss and a high five when he leaves for school.
-She calls Oliver "O" and loves to play with him. She falls asleep in his bed then needs to be moved to her own at night. Those two remind me so much of Rosie and Caillou.
-She takes a 2 hour nap everyday....thank goodness
-She loves to eat.
-She loves to be cuddled and held...basically be the center of attention.
-She absolutely loves dogs, and I can't wait until we are at a place where pets are allowed. That is going to be the biggest Christmas/Birthday surprise for her! I can't wait.

She is a Huge Handful but I am so glad she is ours.

-

Mehndi Girl

2011-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

So I've been busy giving Henna a try. I practiced on a bunch of college kids this week, giving free henna tattoos. It was pretty fun. These are only a fraction of the ones I've done.

I'm all signed up for the farmers market this summer. Come and check it out if you're ever in Logan!

www.Mehndi-Girl.com

OLiVEr

2011-04-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

20,000 Bouncy Balls

2011-03-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here comes the Helicopter!

The Pilot is carefully leaning out his door and undoing the clasp on the bouncy ball boxes. It was so windy...the helicopter felt so close!

And there they go!

Its hard to see....but here they are hitting the ground. They were bouncing all over the place. We got hit with a few of them.

Pretty cool - It was a world record!

Antelope Island

2011-03-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

This last week was Mike's spring break. He was off the whole week. We were able to do a lot of fun things together as a family. Antelope Island was our last outing for the week. It has a cute little farm we explored, then we had a nice picnic in the sunny 50 degree weather. Can't wait for summer!

Sledding

2011-03-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

Children Museum

2011-03-11T05:50:00.000-08:00

We went to the Tree House Children's Museum in Ogden.
It was really fun and the kids had a great time. We would definitely go again.

Kindergarten Registration

2011-03-03T10:04:00.001-08:00

My Little Artist

2011-01-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

Goofy

2011-01-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Here's the story. When I was little, maybe 5 0r 6, and it was my brother Clint's birthday, I had nothing to give him. I went into his room and took HIS Goofy, wrapped it up and gave it to him. Then to top it off, I stole it back and kept it in my room. When Clint got married, I thought I'd be funny and give it to him for his wedding present, and so that's what I did. A few years later, I opened up a wedding present from Clint and found Goofy, dressed in a wedding dress Clint's wife, Mayka, had sewn. So I have had Goofy for the last 8 years trying to figure out how to give Goofy back, until this last Christmas. Clint has really been into Triathlons lateley so I decided to make Goofy into a triathlete. I sew'd him a triathlon suit out of an old swimsuit of mine. Then used my timing chip and number from the St. George triathlon I never made it to, thanks to a broken toe . Got him some goggles. Then my favorite part....I took some little kid gloves, cut of the toe and sew'd them up for some Vibrams. I think it turned out really cute and I'm so proud of my sewing skills, considering I never sew!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

Dance Recital - 2010

2010-12-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

Oliver was in a dance class this last semester. A friend teaches the class and her kids, who Oliver loves to hang out with, are in it. He actually had a really good time.

He's the second one out...hard to miss since he's one of 2 boys.

Preschool Art Class

2010-12-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

This last semester I taught a preschool art class at our Housing community center. I had some pretty fun kids and can't wait for next semester!

The Storm of the Century! (not really)

2010-11-29T09:15:00.000-08:00

So we prepped ourselves for what was to be the "Storm of the Century" here in Logan.
Now I wouldn't have gone driving in it, but I didn't think it was up to the hype the
weather men were giving it.
It was fun to watch from our back window though... And I think the pictures are kinda cool.

(not so much) Fun in the Snow!

2010-11-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

Sick Kids...

2010-11-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

Typical scene in our house last week. Hazel on the couch, trying to get her fever down and Oliver playing the DS while he coughs up a lung. And to think winter has just begun...

Going in for the kill...

2010-11-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

Play Dough

2010-11-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

So, I'm usually not a very good mom when it comes to crafts that have the potential of making a huge mess. It's ironic since I teach an art class, and I'm fine getting messy there, but for some reason it's different in my own home. Well, this week in my class I'm doing sculpture and I want the kids to be able to make their own play dough. So Oliver and I tested out a recipe today.(while Hazel was asleep) I think it turned out pretty good and I'm sure the kids will love making thier own "sculpting clay". He built the snowman next to his head. The others are just things he wanted in the picture.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-29T20:33:00.001-07:00

Oliver is 5

2010-10-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Oliver turned 5 yesterday. Hard to believe. He got to pick anywhere to eat and he chose....Chili's. Have no idea why. We never go there. But he's been talking about it for a couple months...so that's where we went. Mike tried to talk him into Indian Food...but no such luck. Oliver played with his toys and we all just goofed around the rest of the day.

(I know that's Captain Kirk in the Battle Droid Tank...but that's the only guy he had.)

Getting ready for Church

2010-10-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday has come to be the most stressful day for us. It always starts out good. We all are ready at least 20 minutes before we leave and then something always happens. Directly after these pictures, I went to put on my nylons and ripped a huge hole in them...So I had to change my outfit which always is a cause for stress. As we're walking to church Hazel pulls her hair out and will have nothing to do with putting it back in. So she's got bangs hanging down to her nose in front of her eyes. Not to mention Oliver walks slower than a turtle and whines the whole way there about how tired his legs are.

Hazel is 2 weeks shy of her 18 month mark. It is IMPOSSIBLE to keep her under control during Relief Society and Sunday school. She is not one to sit on my lap and listen. I'm ashamed to say that on more than one occasion
recently I have taken her into an empty nursery room to let her play and give me some peace. Mikes pretty good and will hold her the whole time. But I'm not that strong...she's a solid little girl.

Yesterday I had enough so I decided to walk home before the last meeting. (we have sacrament mtg last) Oliver chose that time to decide he really liked Sacrament mtg and threw a tantrum that he wanted to stay. Where did this come from!? Mike said he'd stay with him. So half way home, I turn around and see Mike & Oliver leaving the church house. Apparently Oliver had realized I had the snack/toy bag with me along with the I-pod where he plays Angry Birds.

I think I may just stay home next week and go the next when I can drop Hazel at nursery.

18 Months

2010-10-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

What can I say about her?

She is a spoiled little girl...

...who already enjoys tormenting little boys.

But she is oh...so...cute.

A Touch of Texas

2010-09-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

New Pajamas

2010-09-15T08:39:00.001-07:00

Well...its getting kind of cold here so it was time to get the kids some warm pajamas. They each picked what they wanted. It's funny, Hazel really loves sponge bob. I know what your thinking, but don't judge me. Sponge bob is actually pretty funny if you watch it long enough and it's late enough in the evening. I think I should have gotten her the 24 month size instead of 18 month. O-well. Oliver, of course, picked some Lego Star Wars pajamas. And that isn't a pacifier in his mouth. It's one of those whistles. He got it in his hot dog happy meal at A&W.

Glasses

2010-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

So I've had to wear glasses since I was in 4th grade. When I got contacts in high school I hardly wore glasses from then on. I just hate the feeling of something on my face. Anyway...so I hardly ever buy new glasses, mostly because they are too expensive and I don't wear them that much anyway. Basically just at night or when my allergies have taken over to the extreme.

But...my brother told me about this website....www.zennioptical.com They sell complete glasses starting at just $8.oo Well I ordered some a couple weeks ago, since I just got an eye exam. I was wondering how they would work out since my prescription is fairly strong (-5.75 in both eyes). Well I got them today and they're pretty awesome....especially considering they were only $8.00. The fun part is that you can order wild and crazy ones and it you won't feel bad cause you're only spending $8.00. I ordered these crazy green psychedelic ones. I want to order a bunch more...one for each of my outfits...j/k...but really!

So if you wear glasses...check it out!

Catch up

2010-09-09T10:54:00.001-07:00

Well I thought I'd take a moment and catch you all up on what is happening here at the Snyder home. (more like writing it for my own journal purposes).

The semester has started and thus Mike is back in school. Along with some Math and Science he is taking a blues guitar class. It's a little on the easy side for him, but he's having fun.

I am teaching a preschool art class here at the family community center. I have about 8 kids in each class (I do 2). It's only once a week for an hour. So far it's going pretty good. The kids really seem to be enjoying themselves. Most of the kids are only 3 years old so the projects are pretty simple.

Oliver is obsessed with Lego Star Wars. Which reminds me, we are getting Return of the Jedi from Netflix today...that will make his day. He's still doing preschool once a week.

Hazel is growing some molars and is CRANKY...Wow! Only 2 more months till nursery. I can't wait!

We have joined a gym here that has a daycare for the kids. This way we can all go together instead of trying to plan a time when one of us has to be home. It's pretty good. I am trying to get back in shape for the triathlon next year. Mike thinks he want's to give the triathlon a go too.

I had to mail out a bunch of packages yesterday. Well our car won't start. First, it got stuck in the on position and we had to stall it out to turn off the car. Now it won't start. Apparenlty this is a problem with Saturns. We have to get a whole new ignition kit at the dealerships. Luckily there is still one in SLC. Anyway...so I ventured out on the bus yesterday with a backpack full of packages. (The bus is free here). Hazel started crying then screaming. We walked to the post office from the transit center, then the library then back to the bus. But first I bought some M&M's for Ms. Cranky. It all added up to a very long day.....

K'naan - Wavin' Flag

2010-08-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

So I've got sucked into this whole Zumba phenomenon and its AWESOME! I'm not much of a dancer, but it takes me back to my "clubbing" days (if clubbing at the Omni counts) and it's so much fun! You all should give it a try. I go to a random dance studio in town and while it's mostly young college students there are some older people there too with all different levels of dance talent. My favorite part, other than the dancing, is hearing the different songs. I'm not up on the music scene so it's my only way to be introduced to the popular music of the day. These 2 songs are my FAVORITE that we dance to. They were both used during the world cup.

Waka Waka - Shakira

2010-08-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Aggie Family Day

2010-08-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today we were able to walk over to the stadium and enjoy Aggie Family Fun Day. There was some fun stuff for the kids and booths of various kinds. There was also a football scrimmage we got to enjoy. We only made it about 15 minutes since it was 95 degrees...which is pretty darn hot for Logan in late August! We aren't used to that kind of heat anymore. They gave away free water and we even were thrown a free T-shirt! This was Olivers first football game and he had a great time.

Logan Zoo

2010-08-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

In Logan we have a little "zoo" that is only $.50 cents admission. There's not even anyone at the gate. You just stick your money into the slot and walk right in. It's incredibly small but it's probably the nicest kept zoo I've ever seen. Nice manicured grass with plenty of shade trees and peacocks freely strolling around the place. Granted, there are no elephants or giraffes or not much else for that matter, but there are plenty of birds, along with some coyotes, raccoons and even a wallaby. In my opinion, It's perfect.

Seizure Bear

2010-07-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

So we had a pretty good time in California. We got to do a lot of fun things (as you can tell in recent blogs) but unfortunatley we weren't able to make it back without some bad luck. We left for home Thursday morning with the intention to drive straight through. That was our first mistake. We tell ourselves every time that we're not going to do that again...because it just takes too much out of us and the kids. But we didn't listen. When we got to state line, we decided to take a break and walk around the outlets to cool down for a bit. It was really hot outside and we had driven a while. Well, Hazel ended up throwing up in Ann Taylor. She was a little warm but we figured it was just the heat and long car ride.

We got back in the car and made it to Cedar City without any further problems. As we were leaving Cedar, I look back and notice that Hazel is looking out the window staring at the stars. I find this a little weird and start calling her name. She doesn't react and keeps staring blankly. Meanwhile Mike has pulled of the side of the freeway and starts clapping in her face. There is still no response. I think that was the scariest moment in my life thus far. We race to the ER while Oliver is saying "she's dead" over and over. After a long 3 minutes Hazel brings her eyes back but her head drops and she can't lift it. We get to the ER, and Hazel seems to have come back to us.

We take her in, and as we're checking her in, She throws us 3 times all over me and the ground in front of the desk. The lady seems to take no notice even though I inform her there is throw-up all over the ground. She reluctantly gets a room for us, even though they are "full" and then informs us that Oliver is not allowed back. Mike stays with Oliver while I go back with Hazel. (She's had one seizure before, about 3 months ago, so I kind of know what to expect.) The short story is this...they do all kinds of tests, don't find anything and tell us not to worry...just keep the fever down. Well we finally get out and pray that we can make it back to SLC and get to Primary Childrens without any more scariness happen. By the way...Mike told me that the puke never got cleaned up...Nice

We get to my parents house at 5am, and sleep for an hour. Hazel is still really hot, so we take her to the Childrens ER up at the U. I am so HAPPY we were able to go there. What a difference. The doctors were so nice and answered all of our questions. They did all kinds of tests and still found nothing wrong with her other than a fever, but they took the time and explained all about her specific seizures and what was happening and why the seizures weren't necessarily dangerous.. They put her on an IV and made sure her fever subsided before they sent us home. They made us feel a lot better and confident that we will know what to do the next time this happens. If this does happen a 3rd time, they will to an EKG on her just to make sure nothing is wrong there.
Hazel is one of 2% or less, I think, of kids who has had more than 1 febrile seizure (seizure caused by high fever). Most of the time, febrile Seizure kids will only have one seizure and then out grow it. I guess Hazel just needed some extra attention.
The doctor gave her this bear during the visit, and she has hung on to it ever since we got home. I pray that I don't have to witness another seizure from our sweet little girl, but thankfully I feel a huge since of relief due to the awesomeness of the Doctors at the U.

LA Temple

2010-07-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Santa Monica

2010-07-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

While we were in LA we stopped at the Santa Monica Pier then headed down to the beach to just goof around. Hazel wanted to go head first into the ocean. Oliver got scared if the water came within 5 feet of him.

Cousins

2010-07-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

All the Cousins from Mikes side were able to be together in California for one last time before Mike's sister and family move out of the country.

-Evelynn with Hazel

-Trying to get all the "happy" kids together for a snapshot.

-Owen & Oliver hanging out in the sleeping bag before bed.

Pinks

2010-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

While we were in LA we were able to make it to Pinks Hot Dogs. It's a pretty famous place and I've always wanted to go there. The hot dogs were actually pretty good.

Water Park - CA

2010-07-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

While we were down in California visiting with Mikes Fam, we were able to go to the local waterpark. I was a bit weary since Oliver is deathly afraid of being splashed with water....but he had a great time going down the lazy river by himself! (with a life jacket of course). We must have gone around 50 times. It's the only thing we did. Hazel fell asleep around the 43rd lap. All in all a good time.

Happy 4th!

2010-07-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July Weekend. On Friday we headed up to Earley Park near Tremonton for the Nicholas Family Reunion. Since we live so close, we chose to come home for the night, instead of camp and we were able to get home in time for the Logan Fireworks. Since the fireworks are let out right near the stadium, we have front row seats right outside of our apt. So while everyone else had to set their blankets and chairs out in the morning, we were just able to walk outside our door and enjoy the show.
Saturday morning we headed back to the park to enjoy more visiting and games. Hazel finally took an afternoon nap in her playpen under a nice shady tree. That might have been my favorite part of the whole reunion :)

Road Trip

2010-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Boise these last few days to visit some friends I hadn't seen in a while. We had so much fun. We were able to stay with Melissa and visit with Rachelle. I wish we lived closer and could hang out more. We had quite the night reliving all of our high school memories. It's so much easier to laugh about things when you're older. I'm just thankful I'm not in high-school nymore. I would NOT want to relive those days! I can't wait until next time....

Oliver with Caleb, Bailey & Matt

Tustifiesta 2010

2010-06-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Another great year at the Tustison Family Reunion! More pics to come...

The Triathlon that Never Was

2010-06-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

I signed up to do the St. George Tri back in December. Two weeks before the race I broke my pinky toe and couldn't participate. Talk about a bummer. I went down anyway with the kids to cheer on my brother Clint, who was racing in it. Well, I didn't think going to the race would cause me to get so emotional, but when I got there and saw all the triathetes, I have to admit I started tearing up. I had trained for so long to have it all taken away at the last minute. I took a picture of my age group standing on the ramp waiting to start the race. I should have been there. I was able to pick up my packet the night before. So I have the shirt and my numbers....but I almost feel like a fraud wearing it. On a positive note though, watching the tri made me get really pumped for this one next year. I'm definitely going to sign up as soon as I can and give it another go....this time being a little more careful of my toe.

Soldier Hazel

2010-05-11T14:01:00.001-07:00

We bought this hat for Oliver, but Hazel is obsessed with it. She crawls around the house with it on her head, covering her eyes. She can't see anything but she seems to love it. Go figure.

Special thanks to Oliver for the black sharpie line on her face.

First Farmers Market!

2010-05-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

I had my first Farmer's Market on Saturday (technically, not a farmer's market...a Gardener's Market) We had a pretty good time considering it was still 40 degrees outside. Mike took the kids home for a couple hours for naps....but all in all it went pretty good! The coloring books were a big hit and I got a lot of positive comments about my stuff. I'm looking forward to next Saturday!

Edible Enterprise...

2010-04-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Oliver loves to watch Star Trek TNG with us. We are the ultimate nerds, I know....but he's wanted a toy enterprise forever and has never gotten one. Well, one day he asked for a "round cracker" so he could make something. He came back with this....his own toy enterprise. Pretty clever, I thought... He likes to separate the battle bridge and saucer section...Then eat the saucer section.

Hazel Turns 1

2010-04-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

Swimsuit Fever!

2010-04-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

So my sister-in-law Mayka has her website/blog for all the cute stuff she makes. (I know...her creativity and talent totally makes me sick too.) But she just posted this blog about this swimsuit store named Lime Ricki. It has THE CUTEST SWIMSUITS EVER! They just opened up a store in Salt Lake up on highland drive. I am totally going.

I think this one is my favorite. (It's a tankini top..it's so long...I love it)
This is one I also love...It's a one piece.

Anyway...Check it out!

2010-04-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

We are having severe Texas withdraws. For one, It is still snowing here! Come on already, It's spring! And second, we are just missing some people and certain Texas things you can't find anywhere else, or atleast not here in Utah. I put together a list (no particular order) for those who are interested.

1. The weather-I loved the warmth and even the humidity. My skin is SO dry here.

2. I have a history ever sense i was little of getting really bad outbreaks of canker sores. Well the whole time we lived in Texas I never had an outbreak and only had a couple canker sores the whole time. Well since we've moved up here, my canker sores have been non stop. I've had to go back to special toothpaste, rinsing with hydrogen peroxide, coating with milk of magnesia, no tomatoes, nuts, gum, etc. Not cool.

3. The ward/people- We didn't realize how awesome Waller Ward was until we left. We had some great friends. Oliver asks about Gabi and Bella along with Lucy and Owen everyday. Last night he started crying and said he wanted to go back to Texas where he knew peoples names.

4. Hempstead Elementary-I don't know what I'm smoking, but a part of me actually misses my old job. Some of the kids may have been terrible (that's putting it mildly), but The teachers I worked with were Awesome. They made me laugh so hard everyday. (otherwise we would be crying) I had some great times there.

5. Mike would be mad if I didn't put this next one. The Barbecue. I have to admit the food there was pretty awesome. Take a listen to George Straits' Texas Cooking. It does a pretty good job of explaining things.

Well that's all that comes to mind right now....but to give Utah a fair shake I'll force myself to put some good things about Utah.

1. No Fire Ants-Oliver can actually go outside and play (without shoes if he wants) and not get eaten alive by those little devils.

2. Spiders aren't as big as your hand-In Texas there are spiders as big as your hand, and they like to build their webs right outside of buildings.

3. Family-This is probably the biggest one. We are now so close to family. We love to hang out with family and now we get to all the time. Shout out to Salsa Sundays!

4. Mike's school-The whole reason were here. USU has the program the Mike wants which is awesome.

So while we are here, I am going to love it. And then when Mike is done...who knows where we will end up. Maybe we'll get to go back to Texas. It's funny, when I would meet people from Texas back in the day, they would have so much Texas pride, and I would think they were crazy. Who could be s proud of a state? I didn't feel that way about California. But after living in Texas I totally understand. Texas gets it's claws into you and never lets go.

Enjoying the CA Sun

2010-03-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Disneyland

2010-03-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

So much Fun...
Notice our matching outfits? Actually Mikes idea!
Oliver IS happy..he just has his Jedi face on...Star Tours was his favorite ride.
This was actually the only picture we took...we were too busy having Fun.

This is the place

2010-03-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

A visit to "This is the place" in SLC with Tia Mayka & the boys.

Union Station in Ogden

2010-03-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

Trains...Trains...and more Trains. A little boys paradise...

First Day of School

2010-01-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

Oliver started preschool today. I don't know if 1 day a week for 2 hours constitutes as preschool, but hey...he got a new backpack for the occasion.

First Tooth

2010-01-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

First Tooth-and not too happy about it.

Merry Christmas

2010-01-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

The extra kids in this pic are my brother's kids...Mia & Aiden.

Snow

2009-12-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

Mike built Oliver a snow cave. Turned out pretty cool. Oliver helped by making snow angels.

Fun With Spaghetti

2009-12-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Update

2009-12-03T09:04:00.001-08:00

Potty Training Accomplished!

All it took were a few quick showers after he pee'd on himself...and he was ready to start going potty in the toilet.

Potty Training

2009-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Oliver just turned 4 last week and is still not potty trained. I feel as though we have tried everything. I don't want to push him too hard and I'm trying to be patient, waiting for the time that he is ready. He totally understands the concept. He knows that in order to go to preschool he has to be potty-trained and he says he will be by then. I would appreciate any advice that you may have....except I would prefer not to hear from those parents whose kids were potty trained by the time they were 2 : )

Here is what we've tried so far....

Buying special underwear-he doesn't want to wear them and could care less about them

Pull-ups-these are a little better, so he can pull them up and down easily when he goes to the toilet, even though that's not very often

Toys, Candy, Prizes, Stickers-you name it, we've offered it and he simply doesn't want it. We've offered him really big things and he would rather go in his diaper than have the toy. We tried making a chart to keep track and he was totally uninterested.

Taking things away-During the summer he would have to go potty in the toilet before he could play outside. That worked really well until it started getting too cold to play outside. We also take away the cartoons once he's pee'd in the diaper and then he can play computer or watch cartoons once he goes in the toilet. We also not let him drink anything other than water when he keeps having accidents.

He is such a cute little kid and when he goes in his diaper, he knows he wasn't supposed to and will get up and change himself and apologize. I've treatened him with a cold shower, but I don't think I could be that cruel. (Give me a few more months and maybe I'll change my mind) I really don't want to let him run around the house naked. Personally, I just have a problem with that. I think I may just start putting him in his underwear and go from there...I really just don't want to clean up after him everywhere. I guess I could make him clean it up...

The only thing I could think of, is that for the last few weeks, he has been jealous of the attention Hazel has been getting. So he's been pretending to be a baby sometimes, pretending to cry, wanting to be held, wanting to play with Hazel's toys. Maybe subconsiously, he doesn't want to be a big boy so he goes potty in his diaper. I don't know....what do you guys think? Maybe it's just a matter of time....he's got to be potty trained eventually....right?

Oliver's 4th Birthday Party

2009-10-26T10:25:00.001-07:00

6 Months Old

2009-10-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Too Cute

2009-09-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

Highlights

2009-08-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Random Highlights of the last few weeks of Summer

playing Duck Hunt....that's right, good 'ol Nintendo

Bear Lake

Visiting Friends (here are just the husbands) We were naturally in the back room gossiping.

Hill Air Force Base

First Fat Lip

Eating Cheez'its on the porch with friends.
Does it get better than this?

Going Private

2009-08-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well I think it's time for us to join all those smarty pants who are going private. I couldn't ignore the feeling any longer that it was time. Please leave your emails if you would like to view my blog in the future. I know there may be some silent blog followers (old friends from the past and present) that I don't know about. Don't be shy, leave your email. (I'm willing to admit....I am one of those silent blog stalker types). I'll wait a few weeks to go private so I can give everyone time to leave their emails. Thanks.

Anniversary #7

2009-07-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but we have been married for 7 years. We have never done much for our anniversaries, mostly because we never have money or babysitters. We tend to do everything together as a family anyway.

So....we went bowling. Exciting I know!!

We even got nachos...(probably not the smartest thing we've ever done).

Naturally, I won.

Wight Family Reunion

2009-07-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to the Wight Family Reunion, which includes my great grandparents on my mom's side and all the way down. So there were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cousins. It was up in Logan Canyon at Beaver Mountain Lodge. Luckily we only live about 30 minutes away, so we didn't bother camping, we just drove home every night. We had a great time. But I think Oliver had the best time of all.

This is a picture I drew and colored in to donate to the family auction they have every year to raise money.

Story Time

Playdoh

Hiding in the cubbies (he's in the bottom row, brown shorts)

Happy 4th

2009-07-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

All in All, A very good 4th for the Snyders...

BBQ and Ice Cream at my parents house

Oliver hanging out with his friend from Nepal.

Waiting for the fireworks to start at USU stadium.

Helping Grandpa

2009-07-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

playground

2009-06-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our back porch in our new apartment. (We are just living in Married housing on campus) We are right outside the playground which Oliver just loves. He spends ALL day out there and I can stay in the house and get things done. Since the weather is so nice we can just leave the back sliding glass door open . It's great! The playground is also fenced off, so theres no way he can get out.

And this is just a cute picture of my kids.

Texans No More

2009-06-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we blessed Hazel. My parents came down from Salt Lake and my brother Trevor came up from Houston. After church, we all started our long road trip to Utah. It was pretty sad leaving Texas, more so than I thought. We arrived in Logan a couple days ago and have finally unpacked our last box. We've been able to explore a little bit, but Mike got mad at me today because I wore my BYU shirt while we were walking around USU. I couldn't help myself :)

Blog Backgrounds...

2009-06-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Why am I so obsessed with Blog Backgrounds? I can't keep the same one for longer than a week or so. Especially now that I'm up with Hazel most of the night, I can't keep from looking at all the different blog backgrounds out there to keep myself busy. I keep going to different blogs and finding more websites with cool designs. Does anyone else have this problem? I'm satisfied with my background for now, but who knows how long that's going to last!

Hazel...

2009-05-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Asleep

Awake

Super cute either way!

Oliver...

2009-05-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

Oliver loves Jammin' on his guitar.

He also loves not wearing pants.

The Story...

2009-05-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

For anyone who's interested...here is Hazel (and mine's) story...

My water broke in the middle of class. Luckily, like usual, my students weren't paying much attention and I was able to excuse myself to the restroom to make sure that's what it was. By the time I was down the hall, it was running down my leg and I was pretty much soaked.

We packed, dropped off Oliver, and headed for the hospital. A few hours later, I had the epidural and an hour after that I was ready to push.

The doctor came in, asked me to push. I did...3 times, and out came the baby. She says, "Look at your new baby boy." She stops and says, "no...this is a girl." (the ultrasound lady, back at 5 months, said it was a boy) Obviously we were surprised...but it was a very good surprise. The nurses at first were a little nervous, thinking we would be angry. I guess they get that reaction-which i can't imagine. This was the first time in 11 years that an ultrasound was wrong for my doctor.

Anyway...everyone was healthy and strong and we left the hospital the next day.

Fast forward to that night. I wake up and have the worst pain I have ever felt. My head is throbbing and my neck is totally stiff to where i am completely paralyzed. I can only lay completely flat and not move for there to be any kind of relief. I find out I have a spinal headache from the epidural. From what I understand, it is where my spinal fluid in leaking out of my brain cavity-therefore having my brain literally sag down onto my spinal chord.

The doctor suggests that I lay down, take some pain relievers and drink a lot of caffeine. Apparently the problem usually cures itself by having the blood clot where the leak is. Well I tried this option for a day and was not liking it very much. I have never been in so much pain before. After some more research and calling my mom, I opt for my other option. We head to the ER where I asked for a blood patch. They hook me up to a caffiene IV and take blood out of my veins and fill it in the epidural hole so that the blood clots immediately. Well they were only able to get half of the blood in due to the poor blood circulation and condition of my back. Luckily it worked. Within an hour I felt back to my old self.

Since then I have had headaches here and there but nothing compared to what I was feeling before. I would have gladly welcomed those contractions with open arms if I had known what pain I would feel later. I don't know how our next baby is going to come...but it won't be by an epidural. Even if the chances of having another spinal headache is slim, there would be no way I would go through that again.

So as of now, we are both home and doing great. Hazel looks so cute in pink and every minute I think of things that come with having a girl that I didn't have time to think of before. Bows, ponytails, and dresses! I don't think we have combed Oliver's hair once since he's been born. Wow...it's going to be different!

The new baby!

2009-05-01T10:16:00.001-07:00

Hazel Snyder

8lbs. 1oz.

2009-04-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Oliver is always wanting to put on the baby's clothes. This is the only things that he can fit into. So of course he wears it around the house whenever he gets the chance.

Happy Easter

2009-04-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

Boat Ride

2009-04-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Mike turned 31 about a week ago. I took the day off work and we went on the Port of Houston free boat tour. They didn't allow cameras on the boat so we were only able to take pictures before we boarded. The Houston Port is one of the largest in the world, so it was pretty cool. Oliver really loved seeing the huge cargo ships and waving to workers from all over the world.