Wide Open Spaces

Puppy Love

Pucker up Golden, here comes Nate... Golden has been pretty good about not coming in the house. He does, however, try to get as far inside as he can while still keeping his back paws outside. He just has to be part of the party!

Mr & Mrs Judkins

married in the Mesa, AZ temple

they were glowing

The reception...

...these kids threw a fun party. There was lots of dancing to the big band, well wishes by family and friends, every kind of pie you could want (as well as chocolate/strawberry milk) and tons of other yummy things. Fun, huh? We are so happy for Cade and Becky! We'll miss them like crazy while they are up in Idaho. Congrats newlyweds!

Play all day

Becky's Bridal Shower

My sister Becky's shower was so fun. The company was delightful, food was awesome and she got hooked up. That's what a bridal shower is all about, right? Now she's less than a week away from the big day!

It's the little things

...like being able to park in a garage for the first time since being married. So nice.

Buried Alive

*sigh*
it's a good thing he's so cute

Look who's two!

Nate the Great turns 2 today. He is an energetic wild man. Still a mama's boy. Loves Dora/Diego, Grandad's truck and anything with wheels. He thinks it is so fun to jump off of things (couch, beds, curbs etc). He's a little talker. He will put himself in time-out if he needs one. He likes playing with the dog, even though the dog is quickly getting bigger and stronger than he is. He loves to help. He will give random hugs throughout the day and tell you he loves you.
Happy Birthday Nathan! We love you!

Moment of silence, please...

THIS came out of my kitchen... For the last 8.5 years or so, Robert has been asking/begging/nagging me to learn to make homemade bread. I have tried several times, even had my Mom help me, with no luck. Well, last night the stars aligned and I ended up pleasantly surprised. Nate was intoxicated with the smell of fresh-baked bread. While it was cooling, he grabbed a spoon and fork and tried to stab a bite out of the side. Only problem: I don't know if I can do it a second time! :)

Church

I had to smile at Gabby when I walked around the corner and saw this...She had all her dolls set up while she read them the Book of Mormon from her doll crib pulpit. She had even put on a skirt and had her dolls all wearing their dresses too.

Happy Valentine's Day

It's so fluffy I'm going to die!

Thanks to Despicable Me my kids are now crazy about unicorns. Nate runs around the house saying, "It's fluffy, I die!" Nice, huh? So, Carter wanted a unicorn themed birthday party. We went low key and had her friends come to the park for unicorn cupcakes, ice cream cones and a unicorn pinata. Fun times!
Don't laugh, Carter loved it :)

MIA

We haven't had much time for blogging lately! There is so much to do before and after moving. We have been exhausted for a few weeks now but we are so excited to be in our new home.Nate found a glove in the garage and decided he needed it to "help" move some things

out of the old house. It's not as easy as it looks to assemble a bed while Nate runs circles around you and steals your tools. Robert was a good sport.

Home Sweet Home. Thanks to all our real helpers who helped us get settled!

Happy 7th Carter!

Wait...7? Shouldn't she be this old with chubby cheeks and a love of all things Dora? I can't believe I have a 7 year old! Carter was so kind to let us buy a house on her birthday and handle all the craziness that goes along with it. We did fit in a few pictures and fun ways to celebrate though.Per Carter's request, we started off the day with breakfast in bed (with a makeshift breakfast tray, we had to make it work with what was unpacked, oh well). She thought that was pretty special.She also brought these beauties to her class...skunk cupcakes. Is there anything more Carter?
Then after school, she got to see her new house for the first time and decided it would be okay if we move there. Finished off the night with dinner and a movie and she had a pretty fun day. We'll have a little party for her sometime next week when things settle down a bit.
There is so much to love about this girl. She is super creative and is always making up a new song, dance, craft, play, whatever. She loves to perform, as well. She is a reading superstar and loves school. I love her "I don't care what other people think" attitude and hope it stays around through the junior high-ish years. She is excited about being baptized next year and has to wear the new CTR ring that she got from her primary teachers everyday. Here's to a great 7th year Cartergirl! We love you!

Robert went to Wal-Mart for paper and ziplocs...

and came back with a puppy. He is sooooooo cute that I couldn't even be mad. We decided to gift him to Carter as an early birthday present. She named him Golden and he is 6 weeks old.
I think it is safe to say that we are smitten :)

Best Day Ever

Carter thought yesterday was the coolest. She asked me if she could get her own library card. Since she has read every chapter book that is not packed up in our house, we went to the library. She was very excited to fill out the form and check out books with her brand new, very own card. If you want to see it sometime, just ask. She is more than happy to pull it out of her wallet to show you :) The first book checked out? Ramona Quimby, Age 8. She is a big fan of the Ramona books.

Christmas Eve

I am finally posting something! We had a great Christmas break with family and traveling and now we are glad to be back home. Before my camera died Christmas Eve, I got a few shots of everyone at my Parent's house. Amy and Carter
Becky and Cade

Gabby serenading Jack with some made-up Christmas carols

Mom watching the grandkids play

Everyone ready for Christmas dinner, so much fun to be together!