Anna had her baby!!!

Little Logan Beal (I'm not sure about a middle name) was born this morning around 6:00 a.m.

I don't have a lot of details, and I would hate to say it all before Anna gets a chance, but I thought some of you might enjoy seeing a picture of him until Anna gets a chance to update her blog!

The funny thing is... yesterday morning Anna and I were talking on the phone about her NOT having a hospital bag ready, and not having some of the "essential things" that you need after having that baby. So she made a list while we were on the phone. We talked about having her girls things packed, camera's ready and charged with fresh tapes in them, hygiene things, exct. So that evening her and Alex went shopping for the hygiene items and other things they didn't have... by 12:30 midnight they were headed to the hospital!!!

Unfortunately their video camera wasn't charged so they haven't got any film yet. I'm not even sure they had their still camera with them, but I went to the hospital this evening and snapped these 2 pictures. You'll have to wait for Anna's post for the rest! In the mean time here he is!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday! Unfortunately she is out of town so my little kids and their cousins can't sing "Happy B-Day" to her, (their favorite thing to do). But at least she is with her family in Missouri!

As I mentioned, my Grandpa passed away last week, and that was Her father. The funeral was yesterday! It's probably not the best birthday when you have to go to your father's funeral the day before, but on the good side, She doesn't get to see the rest of her family very often so that helps...
Mom,

I'm glad you get to spend this time with your beloved family. I wish I could be there with you, but I hope you had some fun today!

Love Mel.

Happy Birthday Mom.

Pictures of Me... (May 17, Sunday)

So Sunday morning (last week) I felt pretty, which doesn't happen often at this stage in my pregnancy. So I copied Anna and asked my husband to snap a few pictures of me before we went to church!

Since I'm the one usually taking pictures you don't see much of me on the blogs, but here I am on a good day.

(I just wish I had the patients to Dr.-up my pictures like Anna does. I look kind of pale... maybe I really am that pale!)

Any way... I'm now starting to go to my Dr. appts. every 2 weeks now instead of once a month, so it's getting closer!

Father and Son's Campout....(May 15, Friday)

Last weekend on Friday, We all got up and went to the zoo. Tory took the day off to take Chase to his first father-and-son's outing, but Chase also had a pre-school field trip to the zoo that morning; so we all went together and had lunch there, and then we got home around 1:00. Tory got all packed up and they left around 4:00 to go camping. I think they went to Pinetop.

Tory said Chase was the biggest little helper...

As soon as they arrived there Chase started looking for a "prefect" spot to put the tent; his first suggestion was on a badly sloped area with lots of debris, but after a little coaching from Dad about what a "good spot" is they found one.

Then Chase went to the car and grabbed the tent by him self and brought it out to be set up. Next he tried to get the sleeping bags, but Tory told him those can't come out until the tent is actually up!

After helping hammer in the stakes and practically unloading the entire car by himself Chase decided he needed to go find fire wood!

Tory said all the other kids were running around playing, but Chase was all business until the camp sight was ready! They both had a really fun time; Tyler stayed home and kept me company. We went to the grocery store, had Burger King for dinner, and went to the library to get a movie to watch!

They got back Saturday around noon, just in enough time for me to go to my cousin's wedding at the temple. Kelli Willis. Her dress was so beautiful!!!! I wish I had taken my camera with me and took a few pictures; but being 7 months pregnant... I didn't stick around long.

My parents, and 2 sisters, and I, and our families went out to a late lunch at Olive Garden together. Surprisingly the kids were really great, and it was nice to be together, I just wish my brothers could have joined us.

Tyler's Birthday, (May 12)

Well here are the pictures from Tyler's birthday. I wasn't expecting a big crowd so I mad a small cake but I wanted it to look special. So with some green sprinkles for grass, and aluminum foil for a road, a toy car, and a few printed pictures off the computer I managed ok.

Before 8:00 in the morning Chase was begging me to make the cake, so I decorated instead. I told Ty all morning it was his birthday, but he didn't really realize it until he saw the streamers...


His reaction was so cute he climbed up on the table and starting saying birthday so I caught a short veido of it.

These pictures are a little washed out from the sun shine...

Tyler still hasn't quite figured how to blow out his candles, his hair gets it instead, so My brother Dave blew them out for him!

Disney "Cars"
is still a favorite of his so along with a bubble blower gun (that doesn't work) he got...

2 Lightening McQueen's and Frank the combine tractor.

Tyler also really likes Eve from the movie "Walle." Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Hebdon Tyler has some really cute new clothes

Grandma and Grandpa Harris got him some sand box buckets and shovels...


And this is the quilt from my mom... (Even though I sewed all the squares together, embroydered most of the cars, and puth the quilt on the frames, and tied it by my self, it was from her.)

A few years ago She made one for Chase, and Tyler lovers Cars so much I wanted him to have one too, so now we have a pair!

I took a close up of Ramone because he turned out great even thought the picture isn't great!

And the little black stiches on the sides of him...

Those are the ties. (it is a special way to tie a quilt that hides the ties.)

My Grandpa

My Grandpa passed away yesterday... He was an amazing man. Most of my childhood memories of him are of all the times we would gather at their home, and sing and dance around, while Grandpa played his harmonica!

He loved to serve... he did it with all his heart.

He and my grandma served 3 missions together: Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and as a Mission President in Mazatlan, Mexico.

I hope I get the basic facts right or at least come close, but they never finished their mission in Mexico because my Grandpa was diagnosed with cardiomioapthy. His heart was enlarged 4 times it's normal size. (that's how I remember it) and the Dr's gave him about 2 years to live.

That was over 15 years ago!

Our families all pulled together our faith, and through fasting and prayers his heart made a medical miracle and shrunk. The Dr's couldn't explain it.

And we have been so blessed by our faith that we all got to keep him around for so many years later.

I'm grateful for the time I've had him in my life.

He Married and Sealed Tory and I together in the Boise Temple for time and all eternity, and I know I will see him again some day!

Here are 2 more pictures I found of him. This one was taken in Carthage Jail in the room where Joseph Smith was killed.

And this one of my Grandpa and my Dad is in Nauvoo on a piece of property owned by some of our pioneer ancestors who lived there.

I love you grandpa, and I miss you already!

Tyler's Birthday!

My baby Ty was born 3 years ago on May 12, 2006. He was 7lbs 11oz, and 21 inches long.

The labor and delivery was quick and painless (thanks to an epidural), I was induced sometime around 8 in the morning and he was born about 3 and a half hours later.




I love this picture of him!

Chase has always needed companionship, so we were very happy he was blessed with a brother to play with! Chase and Ty are 22 months apart, so in this picture Chase is not quite 2 yet.

They grow up so fast...

It's early in the morning so we haven't had a birthday party yet, so when we do I will make another post but for today I want to dedicate it to my precious boy who I love with all my heart.

We had new pictures taken just 2 weeks ago so this is our most recent picture of Tyler!

He's been my baby for so long it's hard for me to see he's defiantly not a baby any more!

Happy Birthday Ty.

The Sandbox and the Tree!

About 2 years ago Tory and I bought a Silver Leaf Maple tree for our back yard. It died! So last Saturday, May 2, we bought a new one. It cost us the same price as the last one but lucky for us this one is twice as tall as our now dead one.

So here are a few pictures of Tory digging up the dead tree... which isn't easy with roots that have had a few years to establish them selves.

And here is the new tree (being supported by our slide).

I took a far back picture with Chase by it so you can see how tall it is... Something around 12 ft. I suppose... our last tree wasn't much taller than 6-7 ft.

I thought I took more video's of Tory getting the tree planted, but I was helping him hold it so I guess I wasn't recording.

A story I forget to tell is the one about our new sand box!

Tory made Chase and Ty a huge 8 by 8 ft. sand box a few weeks ago. He was sad because I didn't get any pictures of all his hard work and effort... then I realized, these are the first pictures I've take of the boys and the sandbox, and we've had it for almost 3 weeks now!

I did break out our video camera the day we loaded the sand in it. Our neighbor Justen who use to mow our lawn for us and now at age 20 now has is own lawn care business, came over with his younger brother and a friend to help unload a trailer full of sand.

I was busy in the kitchen making pizza and preparing fruit and food for our gracious helpers so that is why I don't have those pictures.

But the boys love it!!! If it wasn't raining so much lately they would be out there every day. I'm learning how to keep the sand out of the house but sometimes they run in to use the bathroom when I'm not paying attention.

Needless to say the house gets vacuumed more often than it use to!

Chase has become such a "Boy" lately. His new thing is rolley pollies. He loves to find bugs and show them to me! He even wants to keep them!

I guess Boys will be boys!