Lindsay Life

Lindsay Life:)

2011-04-25T17:03:00.001-07:00

We had a great Easter, we spent Saturday on the mountain at "Easter Valley" had a picnic and easter egg hunt! Sunday morning was so fun, the kids loved all their goodies they got from the Easter Bunny:)

Quinn had a great time during his wrestluing camp, he did great! He had to wrestle 3rd and 4th graders because of his weight division, but he still dominated and had a blast:) We tried USA wrestling but their wasn't anyone in his weight division for his age, so we had to cut the season short:)

Poor little Carissa brike her leg:( She was on the tramp and came down on Q's foot and it buckled. We took her to Billings where she decided on a pink cast, unlce Nick came over to see her, and then we went out to eat with uncle Nick and aunt Lindi. She is now is a half cast and it is purple this time. She is healing quickly and cannot wait to start sunning again;)

Family pictures

2010-12-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

We finally got a new family picture, and oh yes after I had already ordered cards, prints, etc. with that pic., I noticed my sweet little Celeste has her finger up her nose. Oh well, memories:)

Pumpkin Time

2010-10-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

For FHE tonight we took the kids to the Hyde's pumpkin patch to let them pick out their very own pumpkins for Halloween. They had a lot of fun and actually picked their pumpkins out really quickly:) We came home and had Halloween brownies and pumpkin spice eggnog. Short and simple, but we love family night and spending time together:)

VIP in our family

2010-10-01T21:10:00.001-07:00

Carissa started VIP and is loving it! She loves her teachers and is making so many new friends. She goes three times a week and is loving all the new things she is learning. I am excited for her to be able to have the same experiences the boys did. Carol and Laurie are so great!!

(Thanks for taking the pics Kim;)

Dance;)

2010-09-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

Carissa has been so excited for dance to start again! She convinced her cousin it was pretty fun and they are in the same class this year and both loving it!!

New Dos

2010-09-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Baby and I got new hair-dos this past week. She looks so big! I was trying to put it off as long as possible, but she does not like her hair done so we had to cut some bangs. She looks adorable, (she was eating a sucker earlier so she added a few of her own polka dots to her outfit:) I love how her hair is naturally curly so it looks cute to just wash and got, or spray down the curls a little. Very low maintenance, but very cute! My change was not too drastice, but felt nice to get my hair colored and highlighted color without the purple blue tint and have a trim. Small change, but feels better.

Quinn Soccer 2010

2010-09-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Quinn just finished up his soccer season, uncle Ken was his coach and he loved it! He was so serious this year and would keep score in his head and get really upset when they lost, fortunately that didn't happen very often;)They had a really good season and had a great time!

1st Day of School

2010-09-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

The boys had a great 1st week of school, they love their new teachers and have a lot of good buddies in their classes. The first day of school started off great seeing Grandpa in the parking lot when we firts pulled up. They were then met by Mr. May and got a brand new pencil to start the school year off with, they also got a hug from Mrs. Hutchinson, the P.E. teacher. They were excited to meet up with their best buddies Kalem and Jaystin and had to get a picture in front of the 100s board all together (since they are going to be on it A LOT this year, they informed me;) I had a great 1st week back too and am looking forward to finishing up school in the next few weeks and then student teaching in the spring! Carissa and Celeste are loving haning out at aunt Kim's during the day, things are going great and we are excited for the future:)!!!!

Fun with cousins:)

2010-08-09T21:11:00.001-07:00

My Aunt Pam and cousin Alisha came for Matt and Megan's reception, it was a quick visit, but it was so fun to be with them for a short time. Alisha and I have kids really close in age and they all just gravitated towards eachother and became best buddies. It was so fun to watch them play, we so need to take a trip to Idaho to hang out again, too much fun!!

Wedding Pics.

2010-08-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

The kids didn't get to go to Denver for the wedding, but they had so much fun with the chocolate fountain at the reception. I still didn't get pictures of our whole family together, so we will just have to do family pictures sometime. Chad snapped a few cute ones at the reception though:)

I was able to fly to Dever a couple weeks ago to attend Matt and Megan's wedding. It was fun to see everyone and be there, even though my family didn't get to go with. It was a quick trip, but I was glad I was able to go.

Water, water everywhere:)

2010-07-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

We have been having so much fun with water this summer! We went over to Kim's earlier this week to jump on the tramp and run through sprinklers.

Here are the big boys CJ, Taysum and Quinn (Hayden was safely out of the way of the water and the jumping:)

The girls

My water babies:)

Taysum and CJ doing water art by the fence

Taysum doing water art:)

Parade fun!

2010-07-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

This morning we went over to Cowley for the parade, it was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast dancing and watching the floats come by. Grandma drove the Rhino for the Cetco float and stopped and picked up the kids along the way. They had fun giving everyone high fives as they drove by:)
This year Quinn went as Mario to the parade, last year her went as Sonic, too funny:)

CJ's shirt matched the "safety green" that was the theme of the float;)

Celeste stayed back with us and stayed on daddy's lap in the shade:)

Kids waiting patiently for their candy:)

Quinn and Carissa did the can-can while CJ tried to pretend I wasn't there to embarass him;)

Quinn mania

2010-07-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

This was Quinn's first year in wrestling and he LOVED it. He went undefeated the whole season and got his method of being able to pin his opponets quickly down. He was so fun to watch:)

More from the Lindsays

2010-07-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

The kids have been having so much fun while we have been living with Jodi, one of Jodi's many talents is quilting. She has made all of my kids several quilts. Two of her most recent quilts she made by pulling the images off the internet and quilting from those images. CJ loves Phineas and Ferb, this is one of the quilts Jodi entered in the quilt show
This is another one Jodi did from an on-line image without a pattern. The boys were so excited to see their quilts in the quilt show.

CJ was so inspired by Jodi's hard work that he decided he would like to try his hand at quilting. Jodi taught him what to do and he was able to make this quilt on his own. He didn't get it done in time to officially enter it in the quilt show, but he took it to show the ladies at the show. They loved it and asked him to dispaly his quilt during the show. He was pretty excited, he made it for one of his friends whose cat recently had kittens. It is covered in kittens, he name it "Kitties on the run."

Quinn turned "6" this year, he has slowly moved from his Sonic stage into Super Mario brothers. He helped decorate his cake this year and I think it turned out pretty cute!

He decided he wanted to have a bowling party this year, we had a lot of fun with friends and family. It was during a very busy weekend with Tyler graduating as well, so we had a lot of family that we normally don't have. He had great time!

Carissa Joy turned 4, she had yet another princess party, complete with a princess cake. Another one of Aunt Jodi's talents in decorating cakes and did a great job on this one.

She looked so pretty in her princess dress:)

Carissa loves her little baby sister and is never too far from her side. She was helping watch Celeste at Tyler's graduation party here:)

CJ has lost so many teeth! This is his most recent smile:)

Carissa still enjoys her dance classes, here she is all dressed up for her recital. She did amazing, I love how excited her brothers get when they see their sister on stage!

We had a lot of snow this past winter. One of the kids' favorite things to do was go and help their daddy shovel walks. I don't think Chad minded all of his "helpers", he ended up getting them trained really well!

Little helpers:)

A little of what we've been up to:)

2010-07-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, finally time to catch up a little bit. Sooo much has happened since the last time I posted. Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to, more to come soon..... I hope:)

School field trips: Quinn Red Lodge Zoo, CJ Dinosaur Museum
Carissa turned 4 on 05/05/10
Quinn turned 6 on 05/22/10
My Celeste baby had her very first Bday:)05/27/10
Quinn: tennis camp
CJ wins his first golf tournament by 10 strokes
Lots more to come!!!

Tender Mercies

2010-03-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

With a full day of wrestling and track meets, my Saturday was pretty much all but over when we got home this evening and with a talk to write for my son, a RS Lesson to prepare, a huge assignment due (that I hadn’t even started…..) my night was looking endless again (considering we didn’t sleep the night before because poor little Celeste is teething and miserable and wants to make sure everyone knows it!!)
Our nightly routine of scripture study was almost nixed due to me feeling there was not enough time to include that in my already seemingly full night. Due to my wonderful children this was not an option. I sat down found a talk for Quinn off the internet while the kids were finding their places in their scriptures and getting settled in, I printed it off just as they started calling me to tell me they were ready. We sat down and had a great little scripture study together, after we were done Quinn read and practiced his talk close to flawlessly, after prayers and several hugs and kisses the kids went to bed with no fight, I was able to finish my assignment in less than an hour (big deal for me), and as a surprise my teacher found I had made a huge error (like doing a previous assignment completely wrong) and allowed me to revise and resubmit for full credit, I have just finishing touches to add to my RS Lesson in the morning and I am getting to bed before midnight and the baby is still sleeping soundly……. Lesson learned It is SO important to take time to do the seemingly little things to make the seemingly big things go more smoothly :)

Wrestlemania

2010-03-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

Today was Q-man's first wrestling match and he had a blast, he ended the match 1-1!! Not bad for only two practices. He had long day, but had so much fun:)

Unfortunatly I did not get to go, as I had yet another test to take, blah:P I cannot wait to be DONE!!

State

2010-03-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to State Indoor to watch Tyler and AJ. Tyler dominated and took 1st and AJ did amazing as well at 5th place:) We also got to visit Aunt Tammy, Uncle Steve and hang out with Aaron and Aalissa as well. Aunt Tammy decked our little pokes out in Wyo gear and bought us tickets to the game on Saturday as well. The kids had a blast dancing to the music and cheering on the Cowgirls. As we were walking through the feild house on our way to the game we had an awesome photo op. and had to take it, the boys fought over the 1st place spot but fortunalty got over it so we could get the following picture:0) It is always a little crazy trveling with kids, and a sick baby doesn't make it any easier, but the fun parts of the trip always make them worth it and make me think it is a great idea the next time we decide to take a trip.

More changes

2010-02-19T21:09:00.000-08:00

I think our theme for our family in 2010 is going to be CHANGE, we are going to have so many new changes in our lives this year it is almost sureal to see where things are going. When Chad and I decided to go back to school over a year ago to better our family, getting to this point seemed so far away. Recently Chad was offered and has accepted an offer to become the CFO (chief financial officer) for the Northwest Wyoming Treatment Center in Powell, as well as two group homes associated with the center. He will run the “business end” of the treatment center and group homes. Below is the aticle that was in the paper:) (Congrats babe, we are so proud of you:)

‘New challenges’
Lindsay resigns as
Health Coalition director

The longtime director of the Big Horn County Health Coalition is moving on to new challenges, though he’ll remain close to home. Chad Lindsay announced
his intention to resign last Tuesday at the February Community Advisory
Board meeting. Although he hadn’t submitted a letter of resignation as of Friday, he said the resignation would be effective next month. Advertising for the position has begun. Lindsay, who has been the Health Coalition Director
for seven years, has accepted an offer to become the CFO (chief financial officer) for the Northwest Wyoming Treatment Center in Powell, as well as two group homes associated with the center. He will run the “business end” of the treatment center and group homes. Ty Barrus, who Lindsay and the CAB once hired to be the substance abuse counselor for Districts One and Two, is the director of the Northwest Wyoming Treatment Center with Greg Bennett as the clinical director and Lila Jolley as the case manager. The great thing about the treatment center, Lindsay said, is its location. In the past, youths who needed
treatment had to go to Casper, where they would lose touch with their family
and their school. “It was hard for them to keep in touch with protective factors that could positively benefit them,” Lindsay said. “This is a local facility serving local youths, and it realizes the importance of having positive family relationships and academic progress in the student’s school.” Lindsay said he will miss the Health Coalition and is appreciative of the career advancement the job provided him. “I’ve loved my time with the Health Coalition,” he
said. “My personal and professional growth with the Coalition has been exponential. But now I feel the need for new challenges and I’m excited to be able to be a member of the Coalition rather than director and support the innovative ideas the new director will catalyze. “I’d like to thank everybody
that has collaborated with and supported the efforts of the Health Coalition
to provide opportunities for local youths. The Health Coalition certainly isn’t going away. It’s stronger than it’s ever been and funding is in place currently that will direct those efforts at least until 2014. The deadline for applications
for the new director is March 4, Lindsay said. “The goal is to get an energetic and qualified person in this position as soon as possible so the transition
and training period can begin,” he said. Lindsay said he plans to remain in his hometown. “We (he and wife Lindsay and family) love Lovell and will continue to live in Lovell and be active members of the community,” he said.

72 hr. kits

2010-02-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight we started to put together our 72 hour kits. We loaded backpacks up with basic essentials and necessities we would need in case of an emegency and we just had to grab and go. We talked about why we would need these kits and how Heavenly Father has asked that we be prepared. After the lesson and putting the kits together the kids were all pretty excited for a natural disaster to occur so we could use the kits, not really the point of the lesson and activity, but it was fun to do and it is nice to have them:)

They had these great backpacks on sale at Wal-mart for $3 each, Chad got a great glow in the dark GI Joe backpack that he was pretty excited about;)

Lindsay Life

2010-01-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was fast and furious. We had something going on every night in December it seemed with all the kid's concerts and family get togethers. We had a great Christmas and the kids got spoiled beyond belief (as usual). Oh yeah......... and we also decided last minute to move over Christmas break and so that kept us busy as well. I think we are finally getting settled and back into a routine for now. I had a lot of fun pictures and cute vidoes ( that are taking forever to download so I will hav eto add in later)from Christmas I just had to share:)

Dancing Queen

2009-12-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our little dancing queen had her very first dance recital and did great! She loved getting all dressed up, having everyone come to watch "her" and all the applause. Chad and I were beaming we were so proud of our little cutie:)They boys were hootin' and hollering for their sister the whole time and Celeste was such a little trooper, but zonked out before Carissa got on stage. I did get one blurry video, and fortunately all the dances were videoed and parents could get a copy for like $1 so we got a few of those and Grandma and Jodi took pictures as well so I think we are covered.

Brilliant Boys:)

2009-11-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

We had parent teacher conferences this past week and we were blown away by the reports!! Our boys were referred to as “BRILLIANT”!!!! They are both doing so well and we could not be more excited. They are both proficient in all areas. C.J. is reading at a level 15 and excelling in math as well. Quinn knew all his sight words and is reading at such a high level that he will be in his own reading group!! Carissa and Celeste are adjusting to daycare wonderfully, it is so nice to have a little break in the middle of the day to go visit them. Work is going well and I am enjoying seeing my boys in the morning at school. Next week I will be working with a student in Quinn’s class and will be able to go to his classroom as well as specials (P.E., Music, etc.....):) It will be fun to be with him.

Party Time

2009-10-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

The kids all had their Halloween Parties today so Celeste and I spent our afternoon running from party to party. We dropped Princess Carissa off at her party and then headed over to the boys' school for the Halloween Parade with Chad. After the boys paraded across the stage we helped set things up for CJ's party. CJ's teacher asked if I could get things organized for their class party so I called my friend Aubrey because her little girl is in CJ's class and pawned it off on her (thanks for ALL your help:) We then went to check Quinn's party out.
After the boys parties we went back over to spend a little time with Carissa at her party. They all had so much fun, we are so lucky our kids have such great teachers who take the time to do such fun things for our little ones.

Last night we had a chance to celebrate Mom's birthday with dinner and cake and ice cream out at our house. We had fun getting all together and celebrating our wonderful mom:)

After the party I asked my mom to help me finish up costumes for the kids' Halloween parties the next day (thanks soooo much for the help, they were so excited to see their costumes when they woke up this morning, especially Sonic. He ran around like a crazy man:)

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last night for FHE we carved Jack O' Lanterns. The kids drew the faces they wanted carved out on their pumpkins they picked, I cut the tops off and we let them go at it for awhile until they were up to their elbows in pumpkin goo..............., then Chad and I finished them off for them.Very messy but very fun! After we had all the goop out of the pumpkins I sent them upstairs for a bath while I finished carving the pumpkins and put candles inside (fastest bath ever I might add:). Then they got a treat of popcorn and peanut M&ms to enjoy while they sat around with their pumpkins all lit up. I am not sure how out and about we are going to be this year for all the Halloween activities going on with all the sickness going around (we are trying to stay away from it), but we are planning on the trunk-or-treat on Sat. for sure and the normal stops of grandma and grandpa's and aunt Jodi's. The kids all have their Halloween parties at their schools on Friday as well, so I am sure they will get plenty of treats.

BIG Changes

2009-10-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

We have some big changes coming up in our lives......... I have been working on my Elementary Ed, degree for the past 18 months and I am set to graduate and begin my student teaching program in Aug. I was then going to start subbing to kind of get my foot in the door until a full time position opened up that I could apply for. We have been praying and working to be able to do what was best for our family. A couple of weeks ago there was an advertisement for a paraprofessional job for a Special Ed. Aide at the Elementary and Middle School, Chad and I talked about it and decided this would be a great in, where I could get to know the students, the staff and how the system works. I would also be able to do my observations and go right into my student teaching from there. I decided to apply and ended up getting the position. Things are happening a little sooner that I had originally anticipated when I went back to school, but when opportunities are placed in front of us I feel it is important to take them.
I found an amazing lady who has recently moved to Lovell and opened an in-home day care right around the corner from the school. She is a member of the Church and is great, I have taken the girls over a couple times already to familiarize them with the whole concept, Carissa really enjoys going and is already asking to go back and play. I was hoping the school would just let me take Celeste to work with me in a back pack if I promised she would be really good, but no go;) I am awaiting my background check to go through before I officially start so I have a little time to wean myself from my little girlies:( I am excited to be able to be around my boys and dad during the day though, that will really help.

Conversations:)

2009-10-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was driving around running kids to activities and other errands we had the following conversations:)......
Q: Hey mom, someone kicked me today at recess:(
Me: What did you do?
Q: Um, kick him back..... hard.
Before I could say good job, don't start fights, but finish them;) CJ jumped in.....
CJ: QUINN!!!, what have I always told you and told you, don't be mean back! IGNORE, WALK AWAY or TALK IT OUT!!! How could you?!?!?....
Q: Sorry, I didn't know those were the rules.

Oops, guess I didn't know the rules either:)

The next conversation we lead into was:

CJ: Mom, today in the lunch line some girls kept tickling the back of my neck and I did NOT like it!!!
Me: What did you do?
CJ: I asked them very nicely to please stop.
Me: Did they stop?
CJ: NO! They just started giggling and doing it again......
Me: Well, girls are kind of silly. When they like you sometimes they do silly things to get your attention.
CJ: Well, that is NOT the way to get me to like them!!!

Kiddo Update

2009-10-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

CJ came home from school today very excited. He told me that he ran for student council and that he was nominated!! He told me that his teacher asked the class who would like run for class representative, she wrote the names of all the kids who raised their hand. Then everyone was to put their head on their desk and close their eyes and raise their hand for the person they wanted to vote for when she called out their name. He also got his name on the 100s board today (thank you grandpa), they are working on the streets around the school and they have orange cones set up to keep students away from construction, some were knocked down and CJ went and picked them all up to keep the kids safe;)

Quinn is loving kindergarten and is getting into the swing of things, he works really hard to keep his green ticket, if he keeps his green ticket all week he gets to pick a prize from the treasure box.

Carissa had picture day today at school and was so excited to get all dressed up for the occasion. She is loving school!

Celeste had her 4 month check-up and shots on Tuesday, she weighed in at 19lbs13oz. she is off the charts and still growing, she is such a little chunk! I LOVE kissing her chubby little cheeks all day:X

CJ a.k.a Chad

2009-09-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

This was just too cute not to document. As most of you know CJ’s full name is Chad Kevin Lindsay Jr. There is another little boy CJ’s age also named CJ, this has proven to be a little confusing in the past when they have been in the same class. He would be CJ L. and the other little boy was CJ P. The last time they were in the same class was pre-school, this year they are in the same class again and his teacher was asking him how they would know which one she was talking to and asked if he wanted to be CJ L. He thought about it for a min. and then decided he wanted to be Chad. She told me that night at parent night what he had decided and said she asked him 3xs if he was sure he wanted to be Chad. He assured her he did and so he has been Chad at school this year. It still throws me off a little when one of his teachers or classmates refer to him as Chad or when he brings his papers home and it says Chad at the top. Too funny, he told me he would be CJ next year if CJ P. wasn’t in his class.

Carissa's 1st Day(s)

2009-09-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Carissa had her 1st day of dance lessons on Wed. and she was so excited to get all dressed up to go dance:) She is our little dancing queen and loves to shake her little bootie any time she gets the chance. She loved that there were mirrors covering the walls and she could watch herself twirling and dancing the whole time.

Today was Carissa's first day of pre-school. She has been so excited and very anxious since the boys started a couple weeks ago. She looked so big in her new school clothes with her little back pack. Chad came home from work to see her off and brought a surprise, a Hannah Montana notebook, she was pretty excited! When she got to school she found where she was to hang up her back pack and then she found her buddy Braxton and was all set. She had such a fun day and can't wait to go back Monday:) Three in school, wow;)

Labor Day Weekend Fun

2009-09-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

The kids were pretty excited to find a flag in the front yard this morning, they recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang The Star Spangled Banner, it was pretty cute:)

We had such a busy, fun weekend. My cousin Jessie and her hubby Aaron met us Friday night at Tyler’s football game (which they won, yay Tyler!) Then the next morning we headed out to the overlook, from there went on to the wild horse range to see if we could find any Big Horn Sheep and Wild Horses.........no sheep, but we found a few horses cooling off in the shade. We ended up at horseshoe bend to let the kids swim and cool off and play for a while. We then headed home to get ready to go to the mountain, we spent Sat. evening at 5 Springs and roasted hotdogs and made s’mores:) We hung out with Chad’s family Sunday night for dinner, Tammy and the kids were in town for the weekend so it was fun to see them. CJ has had a lose tooth for a couple weeks, his first, it has been hanging by a thread and it literally fell out of his mouth last night while he was sleeping. Luckily he found it this morning, so we put it in a safe place to save it for the tooth fairy tonight. He is hoping for $100 dollar bill to help towards his computer fund, but ah hopfully he will settle for a $1 bill.

Overlook

Wild Horses cooling off in the shade

Kids coolong off in the water at Horseshoe Bend

CJ's new smile

Aaron hanging out with Celeste and Liss hangin with Edward;)

Big Boys off to school:)

2009-08-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, my two big boys were off to school this morning and they couldn't get out the door fast enough:) (Of course my camera was dead so I had to use my phone) Quinn has been waiting so long to ride the bus and go to school with CJ and CJ was more than happy to show him the ropes. I am so glad they are best buddies and can look out for each other. CJ has his back to school night tonight, Caissa has an open house tomorrow for Pre-school and then Quinn has his back to school night on Thursday.....First week back and already my calendar is full, we wouldn't have it any other way.

9 years and still going strong

2009-08-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

"As you sit side by side through this roller coaster of life remember to scream from the peaks, hold hands through the dips, laugh through the loops and enjoy every twist and turn. The ride is much better when you share it together."

Chad and I at 6 flags in St. Louis on our 1 year anniversary:)
Yesterday was Chad and I's 9 year anniversary:) The past nine years have had there ups and downs that comes with work, school, and 4 beautiful kids. It's hard to take time to be together. With kids starting soccer practice in the mix yesterday we got home a little late and didn't have a chance to do anything special, but we wouldn't trade our busy lives with our kiddos for the world. I am looking forward to another year together and more time to spend together. With all the ups and downs life truly is a roller coaster and it's been a great ride that I never want to end...................

Kids+Mud=FUN!!

2009-08-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

One busy evening as I was trying to get some homework done and Chad was busy as well, we noticed we were strangely uninterrupted for a long time and the kids were a little too quiet. I went outside to check on them and I found them standing knee high in mud. My first reaction was “what a mess!!!!!”, but then I thought “ya know they are having fun and being good, why not?” So we let them have at it while we finished up. I then started them a bath and had them strip down outside and one by one I handed them to their dad to go and put in the tub.
The bottom of my tub was caked with mud after the bath, but they had a good time and they clean up so well:)

Party and Parade:)

2009-07-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Friday was Grandpa Anderson’s 85th birthday; we had a barbeque for him over in Uncle Danny’s garden. It was fun trying to sneak pictures of grandma and grandpa (thank goodness for zoom lenses, lol:) Aunt Kelly and little Michael came to join the party; it was good to see them.

The next morning we took the kids to the Cowley parade since we missed the others this summer. Carissa had fun shakin her bootie, and they all got more than enough candy:)

Adventures in ARIZONA

2009-07-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

WOW, where to begin. Who thought you could pack so much into one week! We took the kids to Arizona last week to watch their Daddy graduate from UOP, Chad has completed his MBA and we are so proud of all his hard work, we had to go CELEBRATE! We left early last Tuesday to catch our flight out of Billings to Mesa. We took all the kids, they had been counting down the days until they could go on the airplane. They were awesome little travelers (THANK GOODNESS:)

We have some really good friends in Mesa who were kind enough to let us stay with them for the week. When we left Billings it was raining and 65 and when we stepped off the plane it was dry and already 115, wow. Fortunately Bill and Oma have pool in their back yard and the kids couldn’t get into it fast enough when we got there.
Tuesday we relaxed and played in the pool and that night John and Kendra came over for dinner and we spent the rest of the night laughing at John and Chad.

The next day we took the kids to the Arizona World War II Army Airfields, Chad loved it and the kids had fun checking out the aircrafts. That night I got a hold of my awesome cousin Audra and she brought Kirstin over to play in pool and catch up a little that night. It was kind of late when we finally got together so we made plans to meet at Peter Piper Pizza (similar to Chuck E. Cheese) for dinner the next night.

The next day Oma planned for us to go to the Science center, there were tons of hands on activities for the kids to do, Lego Land was the first stop and then we just went from room to room after that. The kids had so much fun. Oma invited one of her neighbors to go with us so we could have one adult per kid (thanks for hanging out with us Lynn.) We also hit the movie SHARKS at the IMAX, it was 3D and the kids loved it. After lunch we headed back to Oma’s for some much needed R&R before dinner.

After sending Audra and JR on a goose chase to find us, we finally met up at the right Peter Piper and the kids had a blast. The little cousins hit it off immediately and had so much fun playing together. It was so good to catch up a little and meet JR, he is a sweetie. (We definitely need to keep in touch Audra, love ya!)

Friday was the BIG day and we spent the morning getting ready for the graduation; Chad hung out at the house and played in the pool with the kids while I got to hang out with Oma. We hit the grocery store for snacks and since we had time we ran to Walmart for a new camera too. Then it was off to the Stadium for the graduation, the facility was huge and the ceremony was very nice. The kids made it through the entire time with only a few trips to the potty. They were such little troopers and as sleep deprived and off schedule as they were they were great!

We took Chad to In N Out Burger for his graduation dinner (his choice.)
Happy boy waiting for his double doubles Animal Style:)

We had such a great time with the Godina’s, they are some of the kindest, most giving people in the world and we will never be able to repay them for everything they have done and continually do for our family. The kids absolutely fell in love with them, WE LOVE YOU GUYS!! Thanks for the FUN week

A Day Out With Thomas!

2009-07-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to “A Day Out With Thomas” in Billings on Saturday, they all love Thomas and Friends and they were so excited they got to go! They had so many fun activities for the kids to do while we were there waiting to ride on Thomas. They each got to pick out a “Day Out With Thomas” shirt and Grandma let them each pick out a train. CJ picked the Troublesome Trucks, Quinn picked Evil Diesel and Carissa chose Lady.

Quinn and Carissa got to play bongos in the band and dance.

They all got to make pictures, and play in the Thomas Lego Land, and even see Sir. Topham Hatt himself!

Then it was time to go meet Thomas and go for a ride! It was the first time the kids had ever been on a train and the fact that it was Thomas made it that much better.

They were all so good and had a blast! Thanks for spending our day out with Thomas with us Grandma:)!

Little Highlanders

2009-07-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

I posted earlier about our time in Billings at Zoo Montana for the Highland games, I found some more pics. and an awesome video that I had to share! The kids kept busy during the day when there were breaks between the events looking at the animals and posing for pictures and after they big guys were done they even got a turn!! It was such a fun day!

After the guys were done it was the little guys turn. Here CJ and Quinn are throwing the Caber(the mini version). After they each had a turn Quinn asked if they had a mini version of each of the events:)

Celeste's Blessing

2009-07-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

We blessed our sweet little Celeste today, we had everyone come over to the house and Celeste received a sweet, special blessing from her daddy. She looked beautiful in her blessing gown; Chad blessed her, and grandpa, great grandpa and Bishop Winterholler where in the circle. Some of the blessings she received were the ability to be a leader and an example. She was also blessed that she would listen to the Holy Ghost to know right from wrong. She is such a sweet spirit in our family and we are so blessed to have her as part of our lives.

Summer FUN!!

2009-07-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

This summer is just flying by for us and we are trying to get in as much as possible before it is gone. Chad didn’t have to work Friday and neither did mom so we headed up to 5 Springs. The kids had fun playing in the creek, throwing rocks and pinecones (and whatever else they could find on the ground.) We cooked hotdogs and made s’mores around the campfire and even made the hike to the falls with the little ones. They did great; the falls were so full it was so pretty to see all the water.

Chad and the kiddos
Tyler roasting shmallows

Grandpa and Carissa jamin out

Boys eating more s'mores

Kids by the lower falls

CJ showing off the snail shells they found on the hike to the falls.

LOVELL'S DAYS

Lovell's Days was a little different for us this year. We had our fourth annual strongman competition this year and since I just had a baby and Chad was saving up for the Highland Games we didn’t participate this year. We also squeezed in the Follies that night. The kids absolutely loved the show! Quinn started the show off with a bang by running out to the medium strip and dancing with the little can can girls. CJ’s favorite part was the dancing girls, when they came on to dance he started whistling. He whispered to his aunt Jodi that he was going to date one of the girls, lol. Carissa was busting out her moves from her seat with the help of grandpa’s choreography. Thursday we went over to Kim’s for a bar-b-que. Nick and Lindi came to town for the big celebration so we got to hang out with them for a while as well, so good to see them. Never long enough, but fun when we can.

Saturday we headed up to Zoo Montana in Billings to watch Chad and Tyler in the Highland games. Yes, kilts, Celtic dancers and even accordion players. We had so much fun; there were so many fun things for the kids to see! The guys did great taking 1st and 2nd over all, not bad for their first competition with very little practice with their make shift implements:) They are looking forward to more competitions.

Wyoming State Games

2009-07-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

The boys participated in the Wyoming States Games in Casper this year and had a blast! CJ did the long jump and the 100 meter dash, Quinn also did the 100 meter dash, but also wanted to run around the WHOLE track, so he did the 400 meter dash as well. Quinn got a little lost while running around the big track so Chad ended up running around the entire track with him on the field, he had to avoid different obstacles and people in the process, Quinn kept looking around to see where Chad was while he was running. When Quinn crossed the finish line Chad scooped him up and Quinn said (very out of breath) “I didn’t stop the whole time dad!” Chad was a pretty proud pa pa of his little boys.

CJ's Long Jump
The boys 100 meter dash

Quinn's 400 meter dash

Proud Pa Pa

Splish Splash

2009-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have our niece Aalissa come and visit for a few days. She was such a big help with the kids and the new baby. It was nice to be able to get out of the house during the day and go play with the kids at the kiddy pool with an extra set of hands. The weather has been so nice during the day, even with the occasional rain storm. We had just enough sunshine to spend a couple hours at the pool before the dark clouds started to role in.

T-ball Time

2009-06-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

We just finished up our first season of T-ball. This was the boys’ first year and they were short on coaches, even though this wasn’t the best year for us to volunteer and we didn’t know the first thing about coaching t-ball we wanted to help out so we volunteered to coach, fortunately we had a bye the day Celeste was born (thanks Tashie ;) It was a little crazy with Chad’s work schedule, the new baby and packing four kids and t-ball equipment all up for games, but we had a lot of help from friends and family. We had a really young team this year and since this was our first year as well we all fit pretty well together. We learned a lot about t-ball and had fun spending time as a family. It has been a really good learning experience for us and the kids always got treats after all the games so they always left with big smiles on their faces and we even finished up the season with a WIN!!

Batter up CJ
Batter Up Quinn

CJ batting

Q-man batting

CJ taking a break

Carissa loved the pink helmet

Happy Father's Day!!

2009-06-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a minute and write down a few of the reasons I am grateful for Chad and the wonderful father he is to our little ones:

· He is not only my best friend, but the kid’s best friend as well.

· He is a wonderful provider and works hard so we can enjoy the comforts we do.

· He is a very giving person, of his time, talents, and anything else he can offer.

· He is honest and trustworthy.

· I am grateful for his strength, not only physical but he is the rock when things aren’t always perfect.

· He is a great listener and knows the right thing to say.

· He loves his family and would do anything for them.

· He is one of smartest people I have ever met and is a great teacher.

· He has a strong testimony and loves his Heavenly Father.

· I love his sense of humor, he is so fun to be around and to laugh with, he has a great laugh.

· He is my love and I am so grateful for him and that he is the father of my children. I am so grateful I have eternity to spend with him and our family. I love you Chad.

Little Celeste

2009-06-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Celeste is getting so big so fast! She is such a little cuddle bug and just a sweet mellow baby, fortunately she just goes with the flow of our on the go, hectic life, we are enjoying every minute with her. Her brothers and sister just adore her and she loves it when they talk and sing to her, she is the perfect fit to our family.

Belated Birthday

2009-06-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

I am a little late but I really did want to thank everyone for helping me celebrate my birthday! My birthday was on a Friday this year and also the day before State Games. The boys wanted to compete so Chad and Uncle Russ took the boys to Casper Friday night so they could compete the next day (Russ got a bunch of great pics. of the boys running and jumping that I need to track down.) Chad and the kids threw me a party Friday afternoon before they had to take off and then Sunday we went over to mom and dads for dinner and more cake. Always a bonus to have multiple parties.

Sweet Baby Celeste

2009-05-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

We welcomed Celeste Ann Lindsay May 27th at 5:11p.m. She weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz. and was 21 inches long. She was 2 weeks 3 days early and we were glad she decided to come early. I went in Tuesday and got stripped to almost a 6, he didn’t have to try very hard before he said ”oh, I think I am going to stop you there and let you get home and get things ready and we will probably see you this afternoon or tonight.” I started having some contractions, but not consistent so we had a long night. The next morning not much difference until about 10:30a.m., I called Chad and told him they were pretty consistent and I was going to take a shower and get ready. We called and told the hospital we were coming, took our time, dropped the kids off and headed up. We got up there about 2:00 and still nothing major, but consistent so they had me walk for about 10 min. then Dr. Ellis came over to check me and broke my water and said to call when I was ready, things went really fast after that, almost too fast. I started having major contractions and asked for my epidural, they tried and I was so far that it wasn’t working at all. I said I needed something, so they hurried and did a spinal, soooo much better after that. She came fast and she is beautiful! The kids absolutely adore her; they came to see me the next morning. CJ looked at her and started to get teary eyed and I said “what’s wrong buddy?” he said “oh, they are just tears of joy.” Quinn was holding her a little later and said “oh, she is gorgeous, just look at her little armpit.” Carissa saw her for the first time and said “Wow, I just love her, I so proud of you mom!”

Sleepy Daddy with his pretty little girls:)

Quinn's Birthday

2009-05-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

Quinn man turned the big 5 on the 22nd!! He is into SONIC the Hedgehog ( or should I say he is Sonic the Hedgehog, he has already informed me he is changing his name when he grows up) and has been giving me the details on how his party would look and what he was going to get for weeks. Sonic is just about the hardest party theme to have, we had to get creative because they don’t make Sonic birthday decorations (that I can find anyway), the closest I found was Mario Brothers, but since Sonic wasn’t in the group Quinn gave it the thumbs down. So I turned to the Internet and made a Sonic Happy Birthday Banner using pictures I googled, he loved it so score one for mom on that one!
Since most everyone was at State this weekend, Quinn had multiple parties.
FRIDAY: Was not only Quinn’s real birthday, but also CJ’s last day of school and then he had a play date afterwards. I a spent the day attempting to clean, decorate, and finish all my homework. Poor Quinners didn’t have much of a “real” birthday, but we made up for it the next two days.
SATURDAY: Was Chuck-E-Cheese day in Billings. Aunt Tammy, Aaron and Aalissa got into town and they along with Jodi, Kim, Ken, Taysum and Bailey were able to go with us as well. The kids had such a fun day, maybe a little too much. They were all going about 100 miles an hour all day, and then to top things off we took them to Cold Stone to add to their fire before we headed home. Talk about crash and burn; they were so wiped on the way home
SUNDAY: Everyone else got home by Sunday so we had his cake and ice-cream party then and he finally got to open his presents,” the sweetest thing that you’ll ever find in the whole wide world is a happy boy.” He was a happy boy when he finally got his Sonic Party, it was nice to have everyone over and celebrate our sweet little boy with us.
Now we can just sit back and relax and wait for baby!

FUN DAY!!

2009-05-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today was CJ’s “FUN DAY” at school! They had the kids walk over to the High School this morning for some fun track and field events. They started out with relay races; CJ’s class won the bean bag carry.

Next they had tug of wars, they divided up the three kindergarten classes boys vs boys and girls vs girls. CJ’s class won two out of the three!

Next they were off to the long jump. CJ did great; he jumped clear out of my shot while I was trying to get a picture.

They then sent the kids over to where they had an awesome obstacle course set up. They had the kids run through land mines, tires, walk over a see saw bridge, and army crawl under the “electric wires.” Quinn and Carissa were great cheerleaders and had so much watching CJ!

After the fun track and field events they took the kids swimming and then back over to the school for lunch and they got to eat their lunches outside. After lunch they took the kids to a movie at the Hyart for a movie (provided by his dad:) CJ had such a great day; he is going to sleep well tonight!!

BABY UPDATE:)

(On another note, I forgot to add about my last doctor's appointment:) They did an ultra-sound last week because I was showing bigger than my dates. Tuesday the 19th when I went up for my appointment for the results, my doctor told me that the baby was already over 9lbs and showed to be 39 weeks along, WOW! He told me he would get me started Friday if I wanted, but considering everyone is going to be in Casper for State and it is Quinn's Birthday I decided to hold off until Tuesday the 26th. He is going to strip me then and then hopfully we will have our new little girl:0))

Quinn's Graduation 2009!

2009-05-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

Our big Q-man graduated from pre-school, I can’t believe I am going to have three is school next year (two in elementary and Carissa starts pre-school, what?), WOW! We signed up to do treats for graduation so we made graduation cap cupcakes. We had a lot of fun putting these together and fortunately they were super simple so I didn’t stress myself out (too much:)

They had the kids put on a really cute program for the parents and since I can’t figure out how to download videos from my phone, we just have cute pictures.

Quinn’s Preschool Picture 2008-2009

V.I.P. Class of 2009 (Quinn sitting by his best buddy Jack:)

Spoils of Mother's Day

2009-05-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Card from Lindi, so sweet!!

These are the tiles Lindi made for my mom, sis and I! Love them!!

I was so glad Lindi put these on her blog, her photos came out a lot clearer than mine and I wanted to have them on my page as well, I am so lucky to have such a talented sis-in-law. Love ya Lindi and thanks again!!

MY MOTHER'S DAY:)

I woke up Mother's Day morning to so many fun presents! Quinn made me a flower pot with a picture of him on the flower (and a picture he painted of Sonic on the flower pot), CJ gave me his special people book with some extra pictures and fun stuff we hadn't seen before, Chad got me a dozen beautiful red roses, chocolate, candles and a gift certificate for a mani/pedi (I needed soooo bad since I can't reach my toes anymore:)), he let each of the kids pick out a cute card and sign it for me too. Very nice morning! After church Kim stopped by with more chocolate, yum, and a card. Later we went over to Mom and Dad's where I got even more presents a beautiful wall hanging from mom and dad and Lindi sent me an awesome tile that had the letter F in the background and forever family in the front, love it! It was such a great day, I just love being a mother and wife (even if I hadn't gotten all the fun presents:)
Mother’s Day is not only a day to celebrate, but also a day of remembrance for our family. Chad lost his mom to cancer when he was very young and before we started a family of our own, it was kind of a hard day. I think about his mom a lot on mother’s day and how proud she would be of all he has accomplished. Though I usually take it for granted, I am so fortunate to have my mom and also to be able to live so close, she has always been such a great example to me and one of my best friends. Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Mother’s in our lives!!

Princess Party

2009-05-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Carissa turned three on Cinco de Mayo!! She of course had to have a Princess Party and had a great time. CJ was at school during the day and Quinn had a play date so we went with Aunt Kim, Taysum and Bailey to McDonalds for lunch. She wanted pizza and fruit on a stick for dinner so we made fruit shish kabobs and take and bake pizzas for dinner. Then it was time to open presents, she got a bunch of new clothes, princess ponies, movies and mom and dad redid her room (including a big girl bed) in princess décor! She wanted a pink princess cake and picked out rainbow ice-cream for cake and ice-cream. She had so much fun with all her aunts, uncles, cousins and grandma and grandpas. Thanks everyone for making our little princess’s birthday so special

TOFW!!!

2009-05-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

What an amazing and spiritually uplifting day! My mom, sister and I had the opportunity to go to Time Out for Women Sat. the 2nd. We had the opportunity to hear from several speakers who shared their testimonies with us, including Hilary Weeks, DeAnne Flynn, Chris Stewart, Kris Belcher and Kim Nelson. The testimonies they shared were wonderful! It was so fun to hang out with my mom and sis. for the day. We got to catch up with some old friends and have a fun girl’s day out thanks to our hubbies who took care of the kids and held down the fort while we were gone for the day (I even came home to dinner and a clean house, yay!)

CJ in Wonderland:)

2009-04-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago CJ came home with a flyer from school inviting all the kids to try out for the school play "Alice in Wonderland", he was so excited and asked if he could try out. I was very surprised he wanted to try out(considering he hid under the table the whole time during last year's pre-school Christmas program), I was excited he wanted to try out though. He went to try-outs the next day and he made it, he got the part of the tall grass and a tree:) He wasn't very visible during the play since he was dressed all in black to blend in and he was behind a prop., but he kept trying to peek out once in awhile to give me the thumbs up:)He also got to be in the court at the end of the play so we got a couple pics. of him. I am so proud of how far he is coming and how involved in everything he is wanting to be, he told me next year he is going to ask for a speaking part:) He is really coming out of his shell and it is fun to watch!

Underage Drinking and Impaired Driving Prevention Presentation

2009-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Last Monday Chad was asked to speak to over 1000 high school studens for an Underage Drinking and Impaired Driving Prevention Presentation in Basin, they had to have it outside at the fairgrounds so they could have a place to hold all the kids. It was an alcohol prevention assembly to stress the importance of not driving while impaired. Chad’s dad was killed by a drunk driver when he was four; they asked him if he could talk about that and how it has impacted his life. He used Quinn as a visual aid since Quinn is the same age he was when he lost his dad to a drunk driver. It was really touching when Chad got up to speak, there were so many kids there, but they were so quiet the whole time he was talking and Quinn was so good, he stood by his daddy while he spoke. It was sad to think of my little guys not having their daddy due to someone’s ignorance.

They also had a mock crash and had several rescue vehicles there to simulate an actual crash (we hung out behind the bleachers and threw rocks and picked flowers during this part, it was a little too graphic for Quinn and Carissa), after the assembly the kids were allowed to walk around the fairgrounds and look at the rescue vehicles and do the climbing wall as well (Quinn was too little to do the rock wall even though he really wanted to, so we talked uncle Tyler into doing a demo). They fed all the kids and had several booths set up with free anti-drug /anti-alcohol items to hand out to the kids. It was a beautiful day and Quinn had a blast checking out all the rescue vehicles.

Chad

2009-04-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Chad is involved in so many things in the community; I thought I needed to start documenting a few of the things he has been involved in. Recently he received a special recognition for all his volunteer time and for the work and effort he puts into his job. He was selected for the 2009 Citizen of the Year Award. He was presented his award at the Chamber Meeting the night of Saturday April 18.
He did such a great job even though he wasn’t expecting to have to give a speech, but as always he did great. My mom sent him a congratulatory e-mail and this was his response, thought it was sweet and wanted to remember it.
Thanks so much, but Lindsay deserves the honor for putting up with me and taking care of things at home while I am off volunteering my time. She should be recognized for all of the things that she does (and does well). I am certainly glad that she is getting better.
Take care, Chad

Chad Lindsay Outstanding Citizen
Chad Lindsay: Giving back to the community that raised him
By David Peck

A man with a strong desire to give back to the community he loves was honored Saturday night as the 2009 Outstanding Citizen by the Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce.
Chad Lindsay was honored Saturday for his tireless work on behalf of the youth of Big Horn County. Currently the director of the Big Horn County Health Coalition, he said he is a living example of the phrase: “It takes a community to raise a child.”
“I’m certainly a product of that concept. So many people have played such an integral role in my life and have helped me to be successful,” he said.
The son of Chet and Joy Lindsay, Chad lost his dad at age 4 when a drunk driver hit him near the Oasis Junction as he was riding his motorcycle, and Chad then lost his mom from ovarian cancer eight years later when he was 12.
That might have been enough to send the average person over the edge, but thanks to the love and support of several adopted parents like Dale and Carol Walker, Carvel and Patty Despain and his sister Jodi, as well as many, many others in the community, Chad not only survived his adolescence, he thrived. He said he can name at least 10 people in the community who took him to events as an extra son and made him feel welcome and included in family events.
Lindsay became a top-notch student and one of the best athletes in Lovell history, excelling in football, basketball and track and field before his graduation in 1989.
He still holds the shot put (62-2½) and discus (175-4) records at LHS, even though they were set 20 years ago. He also still holds the Wyoming State Class 2A record in the shot, 61-10¼, and the record for the Meet of Champions, 61-4, and he continues to compete in masters track and field events nationwide.
Lindsay went on to earn a degree in kinesiology at the University of Wyoming in 1997where he starred for the Wyoming Cowboys track and field squad. He worked as a lab tech at American Colloid in Lovell during and after college.
Health Coalition
Then in 2003 he landed his dream job – director of the Big Horn County Health Coalition, which funds and establishes programs for young people and at-risk students such as after-school tutoring and enrichment and strategies to prevent substance abuse.
The Health Coalition also sponsors smoking cessation programs, parenting programs, New Year’s Eve, After Prom and After Homecoming parties, the Mustang Days Teen Roundup and a brand new program to help at-risk students attend college, the Today’s Choices for Tomorrow program.
“I said it in my interview (for the job),” he said. “I’m addicted to kids. This was an opportunity for me to try to help kids in an expanded role from just coaching. I would have been classified as an at-risk kid. This gave me an opportunity to help kids like me.”
Volunteering
Lindsay administers the many-faceted coalition, writes grants to sustain it and performs hands-on work at many functions and meetings, but it is the work he does on a volunteer basis, away from his “day job,” that most-often puts him in touch with the kids he enjoys working with.
For some 14 years, Lindsay has been a volunteer coach in the Lovell school system for football, outdoor track and field and, recently, indoor track and field. He has also been a paid assistant but likes the flexibility being a volunteer gives him.
Away from the playing fields, Lindsay and partners Kevin Walker and Ken Ferbrache spend time at their business – Better Body Fitness – working with students during weight training or exercising.
He has also served on the Lovell Recreation District Board, the Lovell Fitness Club Board and the Big Horn County Tobacco and Prevention Control Board. He currently serves on the Family Treatment Court Board, the Lovell Inc. Economic Development Board (treasurer), the Big Horn County Suicide Prevention Coalition, the Big Horn Basin Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Board and last fall was elected to the Lovell Hospital Board.
It’s all part of giving back to the community that raised him.
During college, as Lindsay was working his way through school and throwing for the University of Wyoming track and field squad, Chad lived for one summer with the Godina family in Cheyenne. He said they helped him through some tough times, and when he asked what he could do to repay them, Bill Godina said, “Help one kid and you’ve repaid me.”
“Every child I help repays Bill and every person in the community that helped me,” he said.
Chad and his wife, Lindsay, have three children: CJ, 6; Quinn, 4; and Carissa, 2, with a girl due in May.

LHS BIG THREE!!

2009-04-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

My baby brother and little nephews have been OUTSTANDING this year in the throws! They are all doing so well; Russ got some really great pics. of all three of the boys and Chad put them together so I made a poster to hang up to give them props. We are so proud of all of them!!

Easter Attire

2009-04-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to have a couple pics. of the kids in their Easter attire because we missed going to Stake Conference Easter Sunday, we got all dressd up this past Sunday and I only got a couple pics. before we had to rush out the door, but they all looked so cute!

CJ's Special Day!

2009-04-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

CJ had a special day just for him at school. He was able to invite anyone he wanted and he had quit a crowd, mom, dad, Quinn, Carissa, Aunt Jodi and Grandma and Grandpa all came to watch him do his presentation. He started of the presentation with a story about his adventures with stinky, the class pet (a stuffed skunk), then he read everyone his special person book, it began with a special note from his mom that Mrs. Strom read to him. The book told about all of CJ’s favorites. After he read his book he was able to share something special, he chose to show one of his PowerPoint presentations that he had made. He loves PowerPoint and has several so it was hard to decide which one to share. After he was done with his PowerPoint presentation, Mrs. Strom went around the room and asked his classmates what made CJ so special. There were several comments from all his friends, everywhere from he is a good friend to he is handsome. I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time. When he was all done he gave everyone in his class (even his brother and sister) a treat that he helped mom make the night before. We love Mrs. Strom and for all the ways she makes our little guy feel special, he has had such a great time in kindergarten and we are so proud of him!

What a Week!

2009-04-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

What a week! This past Wednesday I was getting kids laid down for naps and lunch cleaned up when I started to have some really sharp pains in my back, I have had kidney stones with Carissa and this was feeling VERY similar. Chad was out of town in Casper and I texted him right away to let him know I was hurting. He quickly made phone calls and Kev was out at the house in no time. I called Dr. Ellis to let him know what was going on and he said to get up there right away. After the kids were taken care of we headed up to Powell. The pain I was having in my back sent me into contractions so I was dealing with both, luckily my mom showed up and stayed with me until Chad could get there. They got me into a bed and hooked up to an IV and then started trying to determine what was wrong. They tried Demerol, then a big shot right in the area I was hurting, when that didn’t help they moved to morphine which helped a lot and we got the contractions to stop. They drew a bunch of blood and ran a bunch of tests. Since I had a history of kidney stones and blood in my urine, they concluded that is what it must have been. So right now I am to take it easy and take pain meds. as necessary until my next appointment next week. Good news is that the baby is perfect and was just as happy as could be the whole time.
Chad has been so great this whole time, he stayed with me in the hospital for the three days I was there and has been waiting on me hand and foot while taking care of the kids and keeping the house clean as well. I don’t know what we would have done without my parents; they took care of the kids for us. I got home Friday night and they made dinner for us, too. The next day we had plans to go to Easter Valley, it is tradition to go every year and the kids were really looking forward to it. My parents again saved the day and came and picked up the kids and took them, even though Chad and I couldn’t go with them. They had so much fun and had so much candy, they couldn’t have been happier. Carol made dinner for us that night and Russ came and brought it out to us.
This morning the kids woke up to big surprises as the Easter Bunny still made it even though we had a rough week. CJ’s basket was full of art supplies, Quinn’s had sports Equipment, and Carissa’s had a baby doll with a journal and markers, and of course more than enough candy in each. Chad made a yummy breakfast and then sent me back to bed. We didn’t make it to church as I am on bed rest for awhile, so we didn’t get all decked out in our Easter attire, oh well. We are just happy we are all okay and able to spend the weekend together. I am so grateful for all my friends and family who helped out with kids and for all the phone calls to check on us.

FHE Fun!!

2009-04-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

With the weather warming up, we decided to go to the park for FHE. Chad had a paper he had to finish and Grandpa was studying for his class that night so Grandma was nice enough to go with us:)

Carissa decided she wanted to play follow the leader, the leader of course being her and the follower Grandma. She had grandma crawling all over the playground equipment, up ladders, across bridges and even through tunnels. Grandma was such a good sport;)

Grandma and Carissa repelling down the rock wall:)

Then it was the boys turn to play with grandma, they decided they wanted to ride the dinosaurs! Grandma had to turn around and ride backwards so she could go the same way as the boys. The boys thought it was pretty funny:)

We stayed at the park until the sun started to go down, then the boys rode their bikes back to grandma's house to park their bikes so we could all head back home for banana splits with dad and uncle Tyler, too. We got to bed a little too late, but we had so much fun! Thanks for playing with us Grandma:) (Quinn is making his Sonic eyes so that is why it looks like he is scowling, what a kid.)

Under the Big Top!

2009-04-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Q and Carissa on the Elephant (from this past summer when the circus was in town:)

Today Quinn had a fun surprise when he got to
school. We saw a big sign on the front doors that said"Welcome to the Circus!" When we opened the door the whole classroom was decked out like a circus tent. Q-man had a blast. He got his face painted and they even had bubbles the clown come and make balloon animals for all the kids!

When they asked Quinn what he wanted painted on his face he said SONIC, guess they weren't familiar with Sonic the Hedgehog:)

Quinn and Bubbles

These pictures are actually from the past summer when the Circus came to town. I thought I would add them in here so they could be in my blog book, when/if I ever put one together. The kids were really excited to go, at the circus they had a show with acrobats, lions, tigers, elephants, jugglers and clowns. Then they had rides the kids could go on as well, Carissa only wanted to ride the Elephant and CJ only wanted to ride on the ponies. Quinn of course wanted to do both:)

Quinn and Carissa on the Elephant Ride

Quinn and CJ's Pony rides!

Weekend in Washington D.C.

2009-03-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Chad and I decided to take a couples get away before the new babe is born. Chad goes to D.C. every year for work and I have never been; he knows all the fun spots and knew his way around so well that we had a really fun time! We left early Friday morning and spent most of the day flying. I have the worse time flying because my ears don't always pop and my head feel like it is going to implode, we found these amazing things called EarPlanes, I tried them and they worked like a charm, they are my new best friend :)

We flew on United the whole way.

That night we stayed in Crystal City at the Hyatt, GORGEOUS!

This is the Lobby of our Hotel, wow!

This is a picture of our room, I got spoiled. It was so nice (thanks babe!)

We walked around the beautiful Crystal City for a while that night and stopped for dessert and then headed back to our room for the evening.

The next morning we got up bright and early and took the metro into D.C. to the mall area. On the way we saw the Arlington National Cemetary. When we got to the mall area we walked the loop and saw all the Monuments, the Capitol building, the Washington Monument; we saw the Jefferson Memorial across the water, we were there a week before the Cherry Blossom Festival and the trees were starting to bloom. We then headed over to the World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial was amazing up so close.

Arlington National Cemetary

D.C. Metro

The Capitol Building

Chad and the Washington Monument

Jefferson Memorial and the Cherry Blossoms

World War II Memorial

Lincoln Memorial . Chad was getting tired of posing for all my pics.

We finished the morning up with some shopping and a visit to the Air and Space Smithsonian to take some cool pics. to show the kids when we got home.

After getting gifts for everyone, we headed back to Crystal City to get ready for Chad’s track meet. The meet was at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, it was a huge facility with a ton of activities going on, Chad did great, as always, especially considering he was still recovering from an injury. He dropped a 45 lb. weight on his toe a couple weeks before we left. I had a front row seat and got some good videos. I will try and download them later.

Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex

After he was done competing we headed over to Old Alexandria for dinner and a trolley ride. We took the King Street Trolley down town to this amazing Italian restaurant called Bertuccis. It was sooooo good. Since I was getting a little tired from our day we hopped back on the Trolley to see the rest of down town, it was so pretty at night all lit up. The ride ended back at the metro and we headed back to Crystal City.
King Street Trolley in Old Alexandria

Yummy Italian food!!!

It was so fun to walk around downtown and look at all the cute shops, it was all lit up and just a beautiful night to walk around together.

When we got back to the Hyatt we were both pretty tired so we had a nice dessert in our Hotel at the Lobbibar and headed back up to our room for the night.

The next morning we slept in and packed to get ready to head home. It was such a fun weekend and fun to spend time together. We couldn't wait to get back to the kids though :)

St. Patrick's Day Fun

2009-03-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

For St. Patrick’s Day this year I sprayed the boy’s hair GREEN. Little messy but they loved it; they were both dressed head to toe in green.

I didn’t even try to spray Carissa’s hair, way too messy for a two year old. She did pick out her green Dora shirt to wear and didn’t miss not having green hair like her brother’s at all.

CJ’s favorite color is green so he was more than excited to get all decked out for St. Patrick’s Day, they had some fun arts and crafts they made at school and they even had green eggs and ham. He didn’t try the eggs but he ate the ham.

Quinn had a leprechaun visit his preschool, when we walked in we saw little green foot-prints all over. They left some magic beans for the kids to plant that grew into suckers! Quinn also got to make a really cute hat. When he got home we had to wash the green out because it was getting everywhere, he decided he wanted Sonic the Hedgehog hair, so we spiked it and put gel in it and he ran around as fast as Sonic for the rest of the day.

Family Prayer

2009-03-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

This was too cute not to share. We were saying family prayers tonight and all the kids take turns to avoid fights. Quinn said his usual prayer and blessed everyone and everything he could think of until I had to cut him short so the other two could have turns. Carissa did her normal "Dear Heavenly Father, Amen" and then when it was CJ's turn he took his time and really thought about what he was saying, he was finishing up and said "bless the water in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, Amen." It was too sweet, they have been trying really hard to make their prayers more meaningful and it is so fun to hear what they think about. It is time like these that really strengthen my testimony of how important Scripture Study and Family Prayer is, even when it doesn't feel like they are paying attention or getting anything out of it, it is little things like their sweet little prayers that remind me just how important it really is and how they really are listening and building their own little testimonies.

It's a girl!!

2009-03-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

Today we had an ultra-sound and we got some great pics.!!! We took all three kiddos with us and they had so much fun seeing their new little baby SISTER. The boys were rooting for a new little brother and Carissa told us we were having a baby gull (girl), they were all excited when the tech. told us we were having a little girl. She is healthy and beautiful, we are getting so excited for her to get here.

She was busy kicking around the whole time the tech. was trying to get measurements and all the info. he needed, but as soon as it was picture time she decided to take a nap and looked so sweet. This is the first 3D ultra-sound I have had, and it is so amazing to me how clear the pics. turned out!! We are still deciding on names, so right now she is baby.

Cake Raffle

2009-03-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Friday was the 5th grade cake raffle at the Elementary School, CJ asked for a dime so he could buy a ticket for the cake raffle, I gave him a dollar and told him he could buy 10 tickets, he insisted he only needed 1 dime. Chad and I finally talked him into buying a few more to up his odds a little and he ended up winning a cake! He was pretty excited, when he got home he told us we could all have some after dinner, it was yummy!

Kids say the darndest things!

2009-02-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Last night CJ and I were looking at the baby ticker together and he saw how much time we had left before the baby would be here, he asked “mom are you going to get fatter when the baby gets bigger?” I said, “my tummy will get bigger, it needs to grow to make room for the baby and the water.” At this point he burst into tears, and I asked “what’s wrong?” He said “I don’t want you to get fatter, I don’t want a fat mommy.” So I said, “Well buddy I won’t stay this big forever, as soon as I have the baby my tummy won’t be as big.” Being a little irritated after trying to stress to all my kids not to judge people on their appearance I asked “why don’t you want a fat mommy?”, and he replied “I don’t want it to hurt you, it looks like it hurts when you walk sometimes with your big tummy” This made me laugh, so I explained how I have done this before with he, Quinn and Carissa and I was okay every time, I told him it was worth being a little uncomfortable to get a beautiful little baby. This made him happy and I told him how we could all go to the next baby appointment together and we would get pictures of the new baby and we would be able to find out if we were having a little baby brother or baby sister, he got really excited after this and ran to tell his brother.

Carissa Joy

2009-02-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

It was such a beautiful and warm day yesterday afternoon, we stopped by the park for a little bit while the boys were at TaVaci.

Carissa LOVES to sing and dance, she was doing a little musical number for me and I caught a really cute picture!

Cuddle Bug

2009-02-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of cuddle time together, while the kids are down for naps he gets to spend time with his dad over Chad's lunch break and while I work on my class, he is usually by my side, what a little cuddle bug

Quinn is having so much fun in preschool, they have so many fun activities, and he loves going to see what they are going to do next. Yesterday they took the kids bowling and treated them to pizza afterwards, Q-man loves his pizza and did pretty well bowling too (must be all the practice he gets from the Wii.)

2009-02-25T12:17:00.001-08:00

This morning CJ and I got to go to “Muffins with Mom” for breakfast at his school; we had blueberry muffins and chocolate milk, while we read stories together. As we were getting ready to go he said “Mom, I had a lot of fun with you, but I am so excited for Donuts with Dad tomorrow, you wanna know why?” “Why” I asked, “because daddy gets to come to school with you?” He said “yes, and I just love donuts!” Guess the muffins weren’t a big hit; he had two cartons of chocolate milk and a little nibble of a muffin.

CJ is loving being a kindergartener and is learning sooooooo much, he bounced off the bus last Friday so excited to show me his hat he had received that day, they were learning to write lower case b’s and to encourage the other kids to write them correctly CJ and another little boy in his class got “brilliant b boy hats” for writing them correctly. He was pretty excited!!

2009-02-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

Lindsay Life

2009-02-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

Okay I finally gave in and did it (THANK YOU Lindi and Kim, mom you are next...........) I think this is such a great way to keep in contact with friends and family, kids had a day off school today so I thought I would take a min. and start a blog. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. This will be fun to keep a log of our busy lives, we have so much going on and sometimes we lose track of what everyone else is doing. This will be fun to keep others up to date and see what others are doing as well. I am not sure how diligent I will be, but it will be nice to have somewhat of a journal of our life!