The Eckman Family

January 2011

2012-01-19T18:56:00.002-05:00

Peyton 1 year old

The year my little baby girl started to make her way into becoming a toddler. Having a little girl has been so fun, and she is quite the momma's girl. On this day, we celebrated her birthday with just some close family members and friends. Grandma and Papa Eckman made the trip down from St. George, Utah to celebrate with us.

A cute little skirt that we got from a cousin

Then came the BIG moment. The time that all parents love to see happen with their youngest. The blowing out of the candle and their first REAL taste of sugar!!!

Mommy helped in blowing out the candle

Hmmm... this is.... interesting

Okay... I'm still not sure about this

Nah, no thanks!!

If you didn't notice, the cupcake is on the floor. She wasn't interested at all in having a cupcake. So, as disappointed as I was, there were any big, messy cupcake pictures.

But there was plenty of sweet kisses to go around!!

2012-01-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

So, I realize that it has been a while ( like a year and a half) since I last posted. I realized how much I have been missing it an have decided to try and give it a try again. Our newest adventure was that of our little girl turned two!! I can't believe that my little baby is getting so big and growing so fast.

Peyton 2 years old

JD started first grade this year. The first week was a little rough, since he wasn't use to going to school all day. But he is now thriving and absolutely loves schoo!!

JD 6 years old

We were able to take part of some fun vacations this year, but that will have to wait until later. I thought that starting small was better than not starting at all. Another post to come.... (be patient with me, please!!)

Chelle, Reed, and JD at Rainbow bridge

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

2010-10-25T15:50:00.002-04:00

At JD's school, they have a system in their class. Green is good, yellow is okay, red is bad. For the longest time, JD was getting a green after green. I was so excited thinking my little guy was perfect angel at school. One day Reed asked me how I knew that JD got a green for sure. I looked at him with a shocked face and said, "Cause JD would tell me if he got a different color. He wouldn't lie to me."

Well, about a week after Reed mentioned that, JD told me he got a green at school. I was excited, as I always was. Well, I was told that he actually got a yellow, and the day before he had received a RED!! Where both he had told me he had gotten a green! I was more upset with the fact that he lied to me about it. When I confronted him about it, he kept insisting that he had a green but eventually broke down crying and told me what he really got.

My heart was just broken with the thought of my little boy lying to me. I'm sure it wasn't the first time that he lied to me, nor will it be the last. But the thought that he did just keeps nagging at me and I don't know what to do about it. I love my little boy and want him to make the right decisions. I'm sure this post seems little and petty, but it's a big deal to me. So, now I am trying to find ways to get it through to him and lying isn't good and how it makes other people feel when you do. Hopefully, we find a way that works.

Sweet "P"

2010-10-12T17:25:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to put a post about my little girl, Peyton. I just love her so much. I love how she cuddles in my arms. I love how she says Mama every morning when she wakes up. I love that she squeals and laughs at her brother when he is acting crazy. I love when you turn on a certain Baby Einstein movie, she hops up and down on her bum in excitement! I love how she comes crawling so fast into the bathroom when she hears the water running in the tub. I love that she wants to be included in everything that we do as a family. I love her smile. I love her laugh. I love the affect that she has had on our family. I love you, Sweet P!

First Day of School.

2010-09-24T23:36:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I know that I am really slacking and just have not been on top of the whole blogging thing lately. I apologize, I am going to try being better at it, but I make no promises. On August 30, 2010, my baby boy (who is now 5) entered into the world of Kindergarten! Now, I have to admit that the week before I was very emotional, having panic attacks, and crying whenever I was alone at the thought of him entering into the world without me by his side. All I want to do it protect him from the world and make sure he is safe. But, he was very ready to go to school.

On the morning of, JD was very excited about getting to school. He was excited about his new folder and tote box that he he was able to take. Once at the school, which is just a walk of ten minutes away, JD saw many of his friends from his primary class that were also in his school class. Playing on the playground was so much fun. Once the bell rang, and Mrs. Bailey gave out instructions to the kids, JD gave me his big cheesy smile that he is famous for, waved, and yelled, "By Mommy!" And without looking back, he walked into his classroom.

I admit that I got teary eyed seeing my first child walking away, but at the same time I knew that he was where he was suppose to be and that he would thrive. And he has been. He loves going to school, his classmates, his teacher, and all that he is learning. He is such a smart cookie, and I just love him to death!

First Day of School

Waiting in line

Now we get homework brought home!

Salt Lake Trip Day 2 (Thanksgiving Point)

2010-06-19T18:37:00.014-04:00

That's right, I'm starting with day 2 because I took no pictures of day one! We had so much fun up in Salt Lake with the Eckman/Olsen/Paxton families. We went to Thanksgiving Point to visit the petting zoo. We found this water thingamabob, and the guys had more fun with it then the kids did. The kids just watched it while Papa Eckman, Alan, and Jeff played with it.

Kaboom! Look out, Alan.

I love this picture of Aubrey. She looks so scared!

Once we were done playing with the water, we hit the petting zoo. Lots of farm animals, so cute. My favorite are always the horses and peacocks.

JD said it smelled.

Papa, Alan, and Jeff so so great with JD on this trip (since Reed was not able to come because of work), keeping an eye on him, playing with him, and just helping me out in general. There was this little jailhouse there and it was so cute!

JD and Alan

JD, Madison, and Garrett. They look like they are up to something.

JD on the Pony Ride

Madison looks so cute, and she loved it!!

We had so much fun at Thanksgiving Point!

Main Street Water

2010-06-18T16:53:00.005-04:00

So the kids and I took a trip up to Utah for a week. One of those days, we went to the Main Street park where they have these waterfalls for the kids to play in. We met up with Grandma and Papa Eckman, and Aunt Aubrey and Madison. I didn't see much of JD while we were there, cause he was in the water running back and forth. Peyton was getting warm sitting around and watching, so I undressed her and get her feet and legs wet. She loved it! She flexed out her toes and bounced up and down. It was a nice warm day to play in the water.

The only time Madison and JD were near eachother. They wouldn't look at the camera.

My niece, Madison, and Papa Eckman

Peyton enjoying the water

Me and my chunky baby

Rice Cereal!!

2010-06-18T14:06:00.005-04:00

After getting the okay from our doctor, Peyton was able to have her first taste of rice cereal. I wasn't surprised to find that she loved it! That girl eats like a horse. She gets very excited now whenever it's time for cereal. Kicks her legs like crazy and starts swinging her arms around. It's so funny. I can't believe how big she is getting and how fast the time is going. Love my little girl.

First Bite

Yummy!

She loves adding her fingers to the menu.

Newest Member of the Family

2010-05-11T17:52:00.006-04:00

So since we have moved into our house and now have a massive backyard, Reed has been wanting to get a dog. That's right, a dog. I have been dragging my feet and been very reluctant on getting one, but I finally gave in and we got one.

Meet Rose

Rose is a Siberian Husky and is 3 months old. She is extremely lovable and cuddly. She loves JD so much. We take walks every night and it has become a game to her to keep up with JD on his bike so that she is walking right beside him. If he isn't taking a walk with us, she will drag her feet the whole time. We have learned the Huskies are very smart. on her first morning home, she only walked on the carpet three times before learning that she wasn't allowed on it. She does not come on the carpet anymore, even with the cat sitting a couple feet away. She loves kids. Any kid near will soon be covered with kisses from her. We learned that Peyton doesn't like puppy kisses, just like her mommy.

JD and Rose wrestling

Peyton getting puppy kisses, and not liking it.

JD has been great with taking care of her. He feeds her twice a day and cleans up after her. Our four-year-old has his first job of his life: his dog. Luckily, he never complains about it at all. We are still having puppy moments, but working through them. We just wanted everyone to meet the newest member of our family.

Thumb Suckers!

2010-05-11T17:30:00.005-04:00

Today while Peyton was taking her morning nap, I heard a weird noise over the baby monitor. When going into her room to see what it was, I found her in her bed, SUCKING HER THUMB!! Remembering that I took a picture of JD doing the same thing when he was the same age, I decided to make it tradition and take one of her. Hehehe. Aside from the colors, I think they look like the same baby!

JD at 3 months

Peyton at 3 months

The Girls!!

2010-04-28T16:30:00.005-04:00

So a couple weeks ago, we ( I mean, the kids and mommy) made a small trip up to Utah for a little visit. Peyton and my niece, McKinley, were able to spend some tummy/back time together. I can't believe how big my little girl is! She's almost the same size as her cousin who is three months older! They were so cute together and we had lots of fun taking pictures of them. They just coo and talk to eachother as if carrying on an actual conversation! It's just precious! Madison had just woken up from her nap, and wasn't quite ready for her close up. hehehe. I love my little nieces and my baby girl. They are just so much fun!

McKinley and Peyton

Kinley found a place to put her fingers!

They are just so cute!

Madison still waking up. I love this spunky little girl!

First Fishing Trip

2010-04-01T17:41:00.007-04:00

Well, JD went on his first fishing trip with Reed and Papa Eckman. He had so much fun and is constantly asking Papa when they can go again. Reed said it was a good thing I wasn't there because JD is quite the hiker. I guess I would have been freaking out, at least that is what Reed says. He said JD was climbing rocks with very steep slopes and having no problems with it. I was just happy he was able to get out with Daddy and Papa and enjoy time with them.

First day was at Quail Lake. Didn't catch anything.

Kissing the worm bye-bye (YUCK!!)

JD and Papa Eckman

JD and Reed

Second day, at a little reservoir up on Skyline Ridge in St. George. Caught three fish!!!

His first fish!!

What a good size of a fish

This one was flapping around alot, so he was a little unsure what to think of it.

I know... I know....

2010-03-17T18:41:00.007-04:00

It has been way to long since I have last posted. But most of you know that it was because of us being very busy, with 1) buying and moving into our new house! It's a 2800 square foot home that sits on 1/4 acre lot. It has four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a loft, huge kitchen and pantry, two living rooms, and a big backyard. I didn't take any pictures of the inside because it is messy and not done being decorated (is it ever done?).

2) We had our little baby girl. Peyton Marie Eckman joined our family on January 13, 2010 at 5:51 pm. She weighed 9 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long. Her birth story is, my doctor didn't want me to have another 10 pounder baby, so I was induced at 39 weeks to avoid that. They started me on pitocin at 10 am and a couple hours later tried to break my water. The doctor was having a hard time finding the water sack, since the baby was on it. She was only able to poke it a couple times. Doctor wanted me to switch positions to see if the baby would move. As the were sitting me up, and gush came out and I was like, "Um.. I think my water broke!" The doctor, nurses, and I started laughing. They upped my pitocin to get contractions more intense, and about 20 minutes later I wanted that lovely thing called an epidural! Once I got that, they checked me and I was sitting at 5 cm. We started taking bets on when she would come. Twenty-five minutes later, I was having intense pressure and felt the need to push. Reed ran to get the nurses. They came back, checked me again, and I was at an 8!! I never went that fast with my first, so this was new! They couldn't do much for me with the pressure, but the upped my dosage for the epidural and that took a little edge off of the pressure. For the next couple hours, I could feel pressure with every contraction but not the contractions themselves. At 4:45 pm, it was time to start pushing. I have to say, the next hour seemed like it went really fast to me. I was getting exhausted near the end and about to give up, but Reed was the best coach for me and continued to cheer me on. The nurses brought in a mirror for me to see how close she was. That was enough to give me the extra drive. Four or five pushes later, she was here. Our little girl was finally here.

3) Life in general. It seems that life gets more busy with the more kids you have. But I love them both to pieces.

Reed has finally started school for his job. He has been on casual status since October, and was very anxious to get the ball rolling. JD has been doing well with the new addition to our family. He is a very big helper for me and has a times of great affection towards his little sister. I feel so blessed right now with my two adorable kids, a great husband, and the fact that we are so much closer to our family and friends now. I'm going to try and keep up with my blogging now, but I make no promises.

Major Catching Up!!!

2009-09-14T11:26:00.003-04:00

So, I know that it has been a couple months since I have posted anything, but I'm going to use the lame excuse of being pregnant. hehehe. In August, our little man, JD, turned four! He was so excited to be turning four. We didn't do too much for his birthday, since all he wanted to do was go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I took him to some fountains, took him out to lunch, and got him a new book. I can't believe how big he has gotten and what a blessing he is to our lives. He is such a good boy, so smart, and a walking bunch of energy.

On September 1st, I had my ultrasound. I really wanted to be surprised with this one, but JD was really anxious for a little brother, so we decided to find out... just in case. It only took a minute or two of the tech moving the wand around until we got a very clear picture of a little girl! Yes, we are having a little girl enter our family. JD was very disappointed and started to cry along with saying " Oh crap! I wanted a brother!". He wanted a brother very badly. After Reed has explained to him the great things about sisters and the awesome job of being a big brother to a little sister, JD has warmed up to having a sister and continually likes to talk to her. We are excited to have her coming to us.

Reed and I have reached our seven year anniversary. I can't believe that we have been together that long, because sometimes it seems longer and then shorter. Reed is such a hard worker, amazing father, and a wonderful husband. I love him to pieces. Our move out to Vegas is happening in a few weeks, and we are getting very anxious to get going. We are happy that we are getting out before the cold really hits, but we are going to miss having the four seasons around us. But, we are ready for new scenery and a new adventure (like having a second baby wasn't a new adventure enough, hehehe). But that is what has been happening with us lately. We are pretty boring, but very ready to get going and have some excitement going on.

New York Trip #3

2009-07-21T09:49:00.010-04:00

On our last day up in New York, we made our way towards Niagara Falls. Once again, the weather was just beautiful, but too cool to really want to get soaked by the falls. So, this year we decided to just do the Maid of the Mist boat ride up to the falls. If it had been a really warm day, then we probably would have done more of the hikes right up to the falls. JD knew where we were as soon as he saw the water fall. He was very excited to see it again. We really did have a great trip together. Made us a little sad to think that we won't be able to do this next summer, since we will be in the west once again. We are very excited to move, but at the same time, we will miss the experiences that we have had out here.

JDs first encounter with Seagulls

In line for the Maid of the Mist. He had to give me his Jedi look.

Getting ready to go

Got just a little wet

Mommy and JD

New York Trip #2

2009-07-20T10:14:00.011-04:00

So this post won't be as long, since all we did on our second day was go to the zoo and did some shopping. I was pretty worn out that day (thanks to being pregnant) and couldn't really handle doing something really big. The weather was gorgeous, low 70's and sunny! JD was very excited to go to the zoo, since he loves seeing all the animals. He was such a good little guy. There was a little... water hole... i guess you can call it, where kids could wade in the water and play. The water was freezing, but that never bothers JD. If there is water to play in, he is all for it! We had a great day spending it with eachother. Excuse my pics of the animals. Since I have gotten my new camera, I have been trying my hand out with taking pics of nature and animals.

JD and Reed

The skull of a wolf

An annoyed mountain lion

The three little bears

The tusk was surprisingly heavy!

Happy boy playing in the water

I love bald eagles

This one was really pretty

Trip to New York #1

2009-07-19T12:57:00.010-04:00

On a spur of the moment decision, we decided to head up to Palmyra, NY to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant and other sites. I'm so glad that we did, since this might be the last time that we will live close enough to it. We left early in the morning and got up to Rochester in the early afternoon (it's about a seven hour drive). When we arrived, it was pouring rain. I just said a prayer in my heart that it would stop in time for the Pageant that night.

My Uncle Tom, Aunt Jana, and their daughter Tami (along with her friend, Anna) were up there at the same time. When we got to Palmyra around 3 in the afternoon, the sun was out and it was beautiful (besides the ground being soaked and soggy). We stopped at the stage first to lay down some stuff (two coats, a blanket, and a towel) on the chairs for seven people. We met up with Tom and Jana at the Sacred Grove. I wasn't able to get that many pics cause you really had to watch where you were stepping or you could slide in the mud. After spending time in the Sacred Grove and getting some dinner, we got to the Pageant about an hour before it started. The weather was great, with clouds only in the distance. JD was very excited for it to start. He remembered seeing it last year and wanted to see "Jesus" again.

About half way through it, the wind started to pick up and the clouds that were so far away were alot closer now. I kept praying that it would just miss us and storm away. Samuel the Lamanite came on stage telling the people to repent. As he was preaching, there was lightning and thunder starting to happen. His line, " Thunder and lightning, eathquakes and fires..." that got quite a few laughs out of people. A few minutes latter, over the loud speaker, they told the cast to get off of the stage and that there will be a ten minute intermission. As soon as the cast was clear, a down pour of rain came! With the coats, blankets (the girls brought some more to sit on), and the towel, all seven of us hurried to huddle under what little cover we had. Many people started to run to their cars while some, like us, kept on the chairs and covered up. I made the remark that the special effects this year were really amazing.

After what seemed like forever, the rain stopped and everyone cheered. Unfortuntely, there was another storm coming after it, so it was canceled. I was sad that it was, but mostly for people (like my Uncle and Aunt) who traveled very far to see it. We all got a laugh about it, but it's a good memory for us. We did have a good time with our family and seeing what we could of the Pageant.

JD and Reed

Trying my hand out at some nature shots

The Sacred Grove

JD is showing off his Jedi face

Chelle, Tom, Jana, Tami, and Anna

The beginning with the whole cast!

Our makeshift shelter from the rain.

Thomas the Tank Engine!!

2009-06-20T12:34:00.010-04:00

My mom came out for a visit to help me get my mind off of the early stages of being pregnant. While she was here, Reed decided to take the time off and that we should take a trip. We decided on Strasburg, PA. once again. We love going up to that area!! It's so pretty up there, relaxing, and the food is great!! While we were in Strasburg, it was the week that Thomas the Tank Engine was there! We weren't able to get tickets early, so we just showed up an hour before they opened. Luckily, we were one of the first to get tickets for the first ride that morning! There we alot of vendors there along with Amish selling their baked goods, wood work, and even one had little dwarf bunnies for sale! SO CUTE!!! We found one tent that was all Thomas the Tank Engine! Of course, JD was staying right by the toys and kept telling Grandma that he wanted this one, now this one, and this one... I think you get the picture. JD was taking advantage of the fact that Grandma was there. Made us all laugh! When it was time for our train ride, JD did not like the idea of waiting in line. He just wanted to get on right then and get going!! I don't blame him. He was very excited. Seeing his excitement made the day the best day for me. I just love it when he gets so excited and is having so much fun! We had a great time on our trip. It rained a little and cooled down to the 60's, but we had a great time seeing the sights, Thomas, and getting some shopping done! I love having my mom come out to visit. I had so much fun with her and have enjoyed every minute of it.

Thomas the Tank Engine

Arriving before anyone else was there!

Thomas the Tank Engine made out of Legos!

JD and Thomas

JD and Grandma Olsen

He was so happy and excited to be there!

Rachelle, JD and Reed

Musical Boy

2009-05-15T20:09:00.003-04:00

JD has really been getting into the musical, "Newsies". I was downloading music for my Ipod, along with some music for JD as well. Once I had the Newsies music downloaded and turned it on, JD started dancing around the room and singing along! I knew that I had to get it on camera before he wouldn't let me record him doing it at all. I'm glad to know that if sports don't work out for him in the future, there will always be.... THE THEATRE!!!!

Easter

2009-04-13T14:55:00.006-04:00

We were so blessed to be able to spend Easter morning with some friends and their kids. We had our ham dinner at lunch time, did our Easter egg hunt, and then went to church. The weather was a little chilly, but we had so much fun with the everyone. We missed our family, but were able to talk with them via webcam and enjoy them. Hope everyone else had a good Easter.

The boys waiting to be let lose into the yard

And they are off!!!

JD started at one end and worked his way around the yard

I just love this pic with how deep in thought and cute he looks

The Bounty!

Egg Coloring

2009-04-11T17:04:00.007-04:00

So, this was our first time coloring eggs with JD. He came down from his nap/quiet time and found the table with all sorts of cups with colored fluid in them. He was very excited! He had alot of fun coloring the eggs with daddy. I took pics most of the time. Can't wait for tomorrow for him to wear his cute outfit!

Colorful Fun!

My two boys having fun

He was fascinated with the color changes

Look at all those pretty eggs!

He was very excited to eat an egg

And he thought they were awesome!

Popcorn Popping!

2009-04-05T15:36:00.007-04:00

Spring if here for us! The trees just started to blossom here this last week. Some are starting to lose the flowers and starting to get leaves, so I knew I had to hurry and get some pics of the trees. These are just a few of the blossoms happening right in our apartment complex. They smell good and are so pretty!

New Orders!!!

2009-03-17T13:58:00.001-04:00

Just a quick update, Reed got his new orders today. By either November or December, we will be moving again. This time, we are heading to.... Nellis AFB, NV!! Yes, it's true!! We are coming back out west to live in Las Vegas, NV!! We are both very excited about it, and the orders helped give Reed a little nudge towards re-enlisting! We can't wait to get out there and be close to our families once again! YAY!!!!

Potty Training Reward

2009-02-23T17:01:00.009-05:00

We have been enduring potty training. JD went a week without any accidents. So, we took him up to Strasburg, PA to the railroad station to see the train. He was so excited to be there! We made it a weekend, staying in Lancaster, PA. We went to the Amish community to visit their farmers market, bake shops, and the best restaurant ever Good N' Plenty. That place has the best food ever. We did get some snow one morning and it was a very cold weekend, but we had so much fun on our little vacation!

Here comes the train!

JD was very excited to ride the train

JD and Reed before getting on

My cute little guy

The engine switching

JD and Me

This was JDs reaction when the ride was over. He just had so much fun!

Quick as a Cricket

2009-02-19T10:57:00.004-05:00

These past couple weeks, we have been doing the potty training thing. I have found that if I sit by JD and read him a book, he responds really well to it. One of the books we have been reading has been "Quick as a Cricket". One day, my smart little guy surprised me and started to read along with me. Now, he reads this book to me. I had to get it on video cause I just thought that it was so cute! What can I say, my little guy amazes me!

Let it Snow!

2009-02-06T19:29:00.005-05:00

We got home at around 9:00 pm on the 26th of January. Got home, got JD to bed, and got the essentials unpacked for the night. The next morning, JD and I looked out the window to see a winter wonderland. JD was so excited to see snow and wanted to go play before having breakfast. I was dreading going outside in the cold. I am not a big fan of snow, especially IF I have to drive in it. That's the nice thing about having only one car, my chances of driving in it are very slim! Anyway, JD had so much fun being out in the snow. What a great thing to come home to!

If all the snowflakes...

were candy bars and milkshakes...

Oh, what a snow that would be!

Sister Olsen, on to London, England

2009-02-05T16:12:00.005-05:00

As some of you know, while we were in St. George my sister left on her mission. She is going to London, England for 18 months. So, my parents were going to take her up to the MTC and come back the same day. I decided to opt out of the emotional ride there and back. So, the night before she left I had JD say good-bye. I told him that she was going on a mission and wouldn't be back for a while. He looked at me and said, "Little Einsteins?!" For those of you that have younger kids, it's a little show on Playhouse Disney. JD loves it. Anyway, after explaining to him that she was leaving, I told him to go give her a hug and say good-bye. He went up to her, gave her a big hug, and said, " Bye, Aunt Jenn. I'll miss you very much." Jenn, my mom, and I broke out crying at his precious little words. Jenn glared at me, thinking I told him to say that (which I didn't). He does miss his Aunt Jenn, as do we all. Some pictures the night before she left.

Kisses for Aunt Jenn

JD and Sister Olsen

Rub-A-Dub in the Tub

2009-02-03T10:58:00.004-05:00

My brother, Jeff, was gone for a week while we were visiting in St. George. A couple nights during that week, we stayed over at Beth and Jeff's house to keep Beth and Garrett company. It was really cute to watch the boys play together and it was really awesome to hang out with Beth. I hardly ever get the chance to just visit with her by myself. It was so nice to hang out with my sister! I love her to pieces! So, on one of the nights, JD and Garrett took a bath. I couldn't resist getting pictures of them in the tub. The last one is a little blurry, but we had to do a soapy mohawk hair picture!

Garrett and JD

Water is so much fun!

Soapy Mohawks!

Jumpin' Jack Fun!

2009-02-02T19:52:00.007-05:00

On one of our nights in St. George, Utah, we visited this place called Jumpin' Jacks. This place was full of the inflatable slides and obstacle courses in it. There were between 5-10 in this place. We hit it with Grandma Eckman, Aunt Beth and Garrett, and Aunt Aubrey and Madison. JD and Garrett had such a good time! They were running everywhere and hitting any slide that didn't seem too tall!

JD is constantly talking about this place and that he wants to go back. It was a lot of fun!

Garrett and JD

JD sliding down one of the slides

I love this picture of my nephew. He's so cute!

Going down together! WHEEEE!!!

They are so cute!

Disneyland #4

2009-02-01T09:55:00.009-05:00

On our last day of Disneyland fun, we made sure to hit Toon Town and California Adventures. After hitting every possible ride the day before, we were kinda all done with rides. We did small and easy going ones, only a couple thrilling ones. We hit the Muppet Show in 3D, and JD just loved it! We were all pretty tired, especially JD and Garrett. They were such troopers!

JD didn't wear his ears this day because he got a little sun burned the day before on his cheeks. It's unfortunate that he has sensitive skin like me, always having to protect it. The day before, Reed had told JD that if he kept his ears on all day that he would get him a lollipop. Well, we forgot that day, so made up for it on our second day. JD was definitely at a sugar high by later on in the day. But, that's the awesome thing about being on vacation!

Our main mission for the day was to find the main Mouse! Once we found him, JD was in almost shock! He just couldn't believe that he was with Mickey Mouse. Seeing your child's eyes light up when they get excited is the best thing ever. He was so happy. We were sad for the trip to be over, but we all have great memories of that trip. JD still talks about it to this day. Oh, and that his favorite ride was the Monorail! Of all the rides, it's that one. Oh well, we all had a great time!
Thanks Mom and Dad for such an amazing experience and the great memories.

JD trying to be strong!

JD and Garrett driving a car in Toon Town

Pluto and JD

This is the lollipop Daddy got JD

JD found WALL-E at California Adventures

Mickey Mouse and JD

The whole gang with Mickey Mouse

Disneyland #3 ( Character Breakfast)

2009-01-31T09:27:00.010-05:00

To begin our second day of Disneyland fun, we went to a character breakfast. And there were alot of them there. JD didn't eat much food because he was too busy watching them walk around. The food was so delicious, and everyone really stocked up on eating the fresh fruit. My nephew, Garrett, fell asleep right before we got there, so he slept for most of the breakfast, but when he did wake up, he certainly ate his share. JD helped him as well. What a great way to start our day!

Minnie Mouse and JD

JD and Dale

My sister, Jenn, Reed, Chip, JD and me

Chip with my parents!

JD and Eeyore

Minnie Mouse with my brother Jeff, his wife Beth, and their son Garrett

We did find a character that JD was scared of. Captain Hook!

Garrett and JD helping eachother eat their breakfast

Disneyland #2

2009-01-30T10:41:00.007-05:00

So, to finish of our first day at Disneyland, we hit almost all the rides that first day. JD insisted on going on the roller coasters with us. He went on Space Mountain (didn't want to go on that one again), Splash Mountain (didn't want to go on that one again), Star Tours (didn't want to on that one again), and Thunder Mountain (didn't want to go on that one again). As you can see, most of them he only wanted to go on it once. What a sport he was!

The first time I went to Disneyland, I was younger than JD. For the longest time, the characters scared me to death! I would scream and kick, trying to avoid any kind of contact with them. I was really praying that this fear hadn't been passed down to my son. Luckily, he was so excited to meet the characters that he had watched on TV and movies! I was so happy that he had no problem going up to them and giving them hugs. YAY!

The weather was absolutely beautiful. 70 Degrees for the weekend that we were there. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. We got alot of compliments on our shirts. My mom and sister made them with stencils and spray paint! It was really nice to be able to keep track of everyone. We were definitely a sight to see, eleven people wearing the same shirt. WE loved them so much we washed him after our first day and wore them the next. Thanks Mom and Jenn!

Garrett and JD on Casey Jr. Train Ride

Here we are with Tigger

Here's Winnie the Pooh!

Making music at Tarzan's Treehouse

My very awesome family

Disneyland #1

2009-01-28T13:05:00.007-05:00

Okay, so I have been terrible with my blog this last month, but i have a good reason! I have been visiting family back in Utah the past couple weeks. During that time we took a trip to Disneyland and sent my sister on her mission to London, England. So, for the next couple days, I'm going to try and post more and more pics (since I took a ton!) so that you can all see the fun we had for our couple weeks out west.

So, my parents took the whole family to Disneyland. Last family trip before my sister, Jennifer, left on her mission. A couple days before we flew out to California to meet up with the family, I found out about a deal that Disneyland/Disneyworld was doing for their armed forces. We were able to get Reed in for free along with getting up to five people in with a three-day-pass for the price of a one day pass. The three-day-passes were around $150 dollars a person! One day was $94. We were really excited to help out my parents with this. We saved them a couple hundred dollars, and now a days saving is a great thing.

For a couple days, we were at Disneyland and we has so much fun! JD insisted on going on roller coasters! We thought that we would start out with some of the rides that always have a long line on them.

The Olsen family

JDs first Mickey Mouse ears. He picked out the color.

JD and his cousin, Garrett, trying to pull the sword out of the stone!

On the Carousel.

JD rode on Dumbo with his Aunt Annalisa and Uncle Ryan

Reed's flying scared me!

Like I said, I will be putting more pics on either tomorrow or in the next couple days. I have too many pics to put on just one entry! We had the best time ever and it was so great to finally be together as a family again.

Christmas Fun

2008-12-28T21:49:00.010-05:00

Our Christmas was alot of fun. It was this year that JD started to understand who Santa was. JD got so much stuff (which is what happens when mommy starts shopping in October). Later on, we made our annual trip to the Washington DC Temple to see the lights. Once again, JD wanted to go inside the temple. That just brought tears to my eyes and filled me with so much warmth. Hope everyone else had a great christmas.

I actually took a ton of pictures! It was really hard to narrow it down to a couple of them.

This is what Santa left for JD

He's so cute!

JD got Daddy a Nerf Gun!

Our little handy man!

Washington DC Temple

Reed and JD

Me and JD

Making Cookies for Santa

2008-12-24T19:29:00.006-05:00

So we were doing some grocery shopping and realized that we needed to get cookie mix for Santa. Well, Santa (Reed) said that he would like to have peanut butter cookies. Well, this was my first time making peanut butter cookies. I decided to be brave and let JD "help" me. He was very excited to help out and especially loved squishing the cookies down. We hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and we love you all.

Cox's Farm

2008-11-08T12:04:00.004-05:00

So, after Halloween was over with we went to Cox's Farm (about thirty minutes from us). This place is huge! Before Halloween, they gave free pumpkins. Now, after Halloween, you could bring your pumpkin and they were doing pumpkin smashing! It was really fun! There were slides everywhere at this place! Along with a petting zoo, hay ride, and a corn maze! We spent over two hours at this place! JD did not want to leave. Definitely a place that we will hit this time next year!

JD actually got to milk a cow!

This is just one of the many slides

More slides!

JD at the petting zoo with a goat!

A happy boy with his free little pumpkin.

Halloween Time!

2008-11-06T18:34:00.006-05:00

Well, I know I'm behind on getting the Halloween pictures up... better later than never!! This year when went trick-or-treating with some friends that we went with last year. JD and his friend Erica had so much fun walking from door to door they didn't want it to end!

We only did one block around and his bag was dragging
on the ground from all the candy he got.

Even I and our cat, Wilson, got into the Halloween mood.
We sure had a great time.

Check out JD's bounty of candy
(it went straight to his potty jar).

We are the Eckmans!

2008-09-29T18:42:00.000-04:00

So, it's about time that I started our own family blog. We are living in Virginia right now, about a half an hour from Washington D.C. Reed is doing great with his work, and JD continues to amaze me with all his adventures that he brings into my life everyday.