Tyson, Rachelle & Landon

Did anyone miss us?

2011-08-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I really have no excuse! I think it was a mixture of laziness and business! But a few, only a few, told me that they missed our blog and that I needed to post! Yes I do and I will be better for you few faithful followers!

So here is what we have been up to the last few months!

Our friends from Pittsburgh, Danny and Maretta came to visit us. Made me miss Pittsburgh, just a little! :)

Our little Landon is three now, he's naughty and wonderful at the same time. I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world though, he is our sunshine! I can't believe how much he has grown!

We have spent lots of time outside but its the times inside that have been the most fun. Who says you need a girl to do a little dress up...

Idaho Falls has received a lot of rain this spring and summer! The lightning storms have been fun. Although Landon is scared of them and in his prayers every night he prays that there will be no thunder and lightning and no monsters. And on those yucky days, lunch with Buzz and Woody is the only thing to do of course!

We were called to be the cub scout den leaders which has kept us really busy! Bike rides, plant growing, square knots, and widdling. It's very educational.

We got a dog, Ryder. Yes...even before we had a yard. My husband was really insistant on this fully trained, expensive, bird dog. I was so against it and complained about this big, manly, black lab for months, but I have learned to kind of like him, just a little! :)

Summer = Water and we have played in plenty of it! Landon tried the slip-n-slide for the first time and laughed quite hard when mommy took a dive on her butt while showing him what to do! I always tend to forget my camera during these water events so I only have a few pictures. Hopefully we can get some more in before the summer ends! (Landon with some friends at Rigby Lake and Landon and his cousin at the splash park in Rexburg.)

My 2nd favorite holiday is the 4th of July! Always a good time!

We got a cute little trailer and went camping in it for the first time with family in Lava Hot Springs. It was a ball! SOOOOO much better then a tent!

The word YARD has been a FOUR LETTER WORD in our book this summer! But we got through it and it is so pretty now! Thank goodness. The stress was getting to me and my sweet hubby who worked like crazy on our amazing fence (along with his dad who we appreciate so much)! Thank you also, to all who helped us lay sod! We got our yard in just in time for snow...yea!

Before:

After:

And per request, here are some pictures of the inside of our house!

Living and Dining room:

Extra Bedroom:

Bath and Hall:

Landon's room:

Master bath and bedroom:

And the biggest news of all is that I lost about 40 pounds since January!!!! WAHOOOO FOR ME!!! I would show a before pic but I don't have many of myself, I guess I liked to be behind the camera. Wonder why?

Tyson has also been doing well as Dr. Murdock! He is quite the dentist and enjoys his job so far. Now if we could only feel better about all the school loans we are paying on! Well, there ya go. Until next time...hopefully soon! BYE FOR NOW!

Our really, really long catch up post!

2010-11-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

It has been waaaaay too long since our last post and I do apologize to our followers, although I know we don't have many! :) We are finally feeling completely settled in Idaho Falls and really enjoyed this summer with our family and friends. Warning: This post will be HUGE with lots of pictures...sorry!

July Murdock Family Reunion at Lagoon Amusement Park in Utah.

The best thing about our reunion was watching Landon's reaction while we pretty much forced him on the rides. Mean parents? Hey, he ended up liking them in the end!

See, so much fun that we just tuckered him right out!

Look, my first tattoo!! Watch out, us Murdock girls are pretty wild!

4th of July (It's not that bad that I am posting this in November right?)
Food, Fireworks, Family, FUN...enough said!

Grandpa and Grandma Kay...

Camping with old friends! (We are still in July folks!)

We were so excited to finally take Landon camping. We had several opportunities to go in Pittsburgh but Landon was a handful in his infant days and we were too afraid it would be a nightmare! It was great to reunite with some friends that we haven't hung out with in forever. We played in the water, cooked by fire, and played lot's of games! We had an awesome time!

The slip-n-slide...brought memories of when I used to slither down that long tarp as a kid. Landon loved it!

Tyson and Roger, they are sweeties through and through. (There is more to the story there...)

Roger and Melissa.

Josh and Jill.

Our amazing view from our campsite.

And here is my scary camping story. Ooohhh! We went to bed late, Landon was already in the tent sleeping. Tyson and I snuck in the tent and got settled into our sleeping bags. Unfortunately, it had started to rain earlier in the evening which was kind of a bummer. Tyson fell asleep pretty quickly, as he usually does (urgh). I was fading in and out of sleep, trying to get comfortable, trying to get warm, listening to the rain. I all the sudden was awoken by the loudest growl I have ever heard. It was coming from behind my head, right outside the tent wall!! I don't think that I have ever really felt true fright until that moment. I thought something would rip through the tent at any second. I didn't say a word, I was too scared, I hid in my sleeping bag. Didn't hear the sound again. In the morning a fellow camper said that there were coyotes in the area. AHHH!!! I coyote was right by my head, growling!

Long over due trip to our cabin in Island Park! (September)

Every time I step into our small mountain cabin by the lake, the smell, the old furniture, the sound of ducks on the water always brings back a million memories. I was so glad to finally get back and spend a weekend there with my family.

Landon with his cousins eating some gold old s'mores!

The best thing that happened all weekend was Landon's first catch! Sadly it happened so fast we couldn't get the action on camera but here are a few of the big fish he reeled in.

He may be quite the boy with his big fishing skills but he still loves his time with the ladies.

And what cabin trip would be complete without a bath in a rustic metal tub on the back porch in the woods! Isn't he the cutest!?

October, Yellowstone Bear World

Prepare yourself for the cutest picture you will ever see! A little deer and a little boy, it could be in a calendar!

They had some little rides that Landon enjoyed before we left the park.

That's it for now! We have house and fun Halloween pictures to blog next...hopefully I'll get them posted before next year! :)

Summer fun in Idaho!

2010-08-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

It has been great being in Idaho and finally settling into our new home (pictures to come soon).

Tyson is working as Dr. Murdock and is really enjoying it. He actually took care of some cavities for me today and I was quite impressed with his skills. He looked good as a dentist. I was so proud that I almost wanted to jump out of the chair and give him a big kiss, perhaps it was the laughing gas causing me to have a little too much excitement!

I have been busy decorating and organizing (my two favorite things) our home and getting some sort of a routine after moving. Surprisingly, I do miss Pittsburgh a tad. Just a tad! I got a little emotional recently as I reminisced about dinner at the Thompson's, game nights and girls nights with friends, playing at the neighborhood parks, and the Children's museum. Man do I miss that place!!

Landon has had so much fun getting to know his cousins. We have been busy with the family and trying to get lots of fun activities in during the summer. He is getting so big. I think I finally know what people are talking about when they say "terrible two's". I think it is starting. He has been throwing himself on the floor, which is new and so so much fun!

Here are a few pics of the things we have been up to...

Lot's of swimming at Nanny and Grandpa's house.

This is Walker, Landon's cousin. They are the new troublemakers in the Murdock family. Landon has never been too mischievous but little Walker has had quite the influence on Landon. See here, cute, doing their Superman pose. But then...

Trouble!! Walker snuck into Landon's room while he was sleeping, woke him up, and they both decided it would be loads of fun to wipe Desitine all over each other. I was laughing so hard when I saw it that I nearly peed my pants!

The evidence...

And exhaustion follows the next day after a late night of Desitine play.

The Blue Angles came through Idaho Falls and it was an awesome airshow! The planes were literally right above our heads!

Here is Mr. Cool waiting for the show to start!

Landon's cousin had a bowling birthday party and he was able to bowl for the very first time. He was excited for about 20 minutes then he was done. Typical!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

2010-07-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

8 years ago, I made a decision that has proven itself time and time again to be the best decision that I have ever made. That decision was to ask Rachelle Woolstenhulme to be my wife. I love this women more than words and emotions can describe. She has become my personal blessing from Heavenly Father. Rachelle, I know that we are perfect for each other, I know that we were meant for each other. Thank you for your support and love in my life. I can say for a surety that I would not be who I am today without your influence in my life. Happy Anniversary!!

Great News...

2010-06-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

No, we are not pregnant. Dang it! But, we just got a house! We are so excited. After a lot of searching, praying, discussions, and stress, we finally decided to put an offer on this lovely little house and they accepted it! I guess we are really staying now! Oh boy, I can't tell you how excited I am to pick out paint colors and decorate. A blank canvas, just for me! Wahoo! It is also going to be a lot of work...no fence, no yard. So, I am open to all of your thoughts on where we should buy blinds, a good brand on a fridge, and the best way to landscape. We move in the beginning of July, party at our house!

Big Steps

2010-05-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in the last few weeks, it's hard to know where to begin. We did it! We finally did it. We are moving onto that next step in life. And what a big step it is! Speaking of steps, there were tons of things that we didn't get to do before leaving Pittsburgh. You think that you will have time, maybe after this semester, or after those finals, but our last few years in Pittsburgh flew by. One thing that I really wanted to do before leaving was to explore the steps of the South Side. Pittsburgh is full of steps, next to roads, in place of roads. It's crazy. There are so many hills, that steps were made to make getting up and down these hills a little easier. So, I drug a few of my good friends with me and we went a climbing! It was so much fun. We stopped and took some pictures along the way.

Turning 2 is another big step! Our sweet little Landon is growing up so fast! We had a fabulous time at Chucky Cheese. We invited Landon's best friend, Jackson and his parents (who are also the best people ever)! Pizza, toys, pizza, presents, cake, toys...yes, Landon was in heaven! Well, except for this time...

Okay, I am going to get a tad sappy here. I was blessed with a lot of great friends in Pittsburgh but I think of one as my angel. She came along and saved me. She was the one who called me when I was feeling lonely, she teased me when I needed to smile, she gave me a hug when I needed support, she loved me and my family. Landon loved her family too, especially her little boy. He asks for him now, to play with him, and it breaks my heart. We can't wait to see you again. To Landon's bestie and mine...we love you!! Thank you for everything. Really, for everything.

(Wiping tears) Now, drum roll please, for the most exciting step! Introducing Dr. Tyson Murdock! Hooray!!!

Waiting for Tyson and the other graduates to walk down the isle. So exciting!

I couldn't be more proud!

Most of the "dental" kids! How cute is that?

Saying goodbye was hard. Here are a few more of our amazing friends that came over to wish us luck! We love you guys!

There were a few close friends who we didn't get to say goodbye to which was really, really sad but it's time to move forward and be grateful for the good memories we did make while in dental school. Thanks to all our friends who helped us along the way. (That includes my awesome clogging buddies!) They were hard years but they taught us a lot.

So long Pittsburgh!

And hello Idaho!!?? Yes people, that is snow, in May...snow. Oh man, it's good to be home!

Blog? What Blog?

2010-04-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I have tried to sit down to blog about 10 times. It gets a little crazy when you're trying to sell a house, pass boards, pack, look for a new house....I could go on. Anyway, I am finally doing it! So lets see if I can play catch up and tell you a little of what we have been up to. I celebrated my lovely 30th birthday in March and some good friends helped me take the big number a little easier. I have only gotten a pedicure and manicure once before but now I think I will be getting once a month! And a delicious breakfast at Pamela's Diner!? Delightful.

But more then breakfast and nail polish the biggest news is that Tyson passed the second part of his boards! I was so proud of him! I was also quite proud of the "Boards Survival Bag" that I put together which included breakfast, lunch, his favorite treats, and a gift certificate for a well deserved back rub after his test! I think it must have helped because he got an amazing score. Now he can really be a doctor!! Yippee! I knew you could do it my love!

But perhaps the MOST exciting thing that we have been up to has been all the packing we have been doing. NOT! I am already sick of seeing boxes. I forgot how much I hate to pack. Why can't I be this excited about packing...

Other then that, the emotions are definitely starting to set in about leaving Pittsburgh. I teach Relief Society in church and cried like a huge baby during my last lesson. So sorry to those who had to witness my meltdown! :) We hope to have lots of warm weather the next few weeks for lots of fun with friends before we leave. Until next time!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Easter this year. Holidays get more fun as Landon gets older. Our church playgroup had a little Easter egg hunt. I wasn't sure if Landon would fully understand, but he got so excited when he found an easter egg to put in the bag.

Here are the kids all lined up ready to go!

Landon had so much fun with all his little friends. Here is Jackson, his very best friend. They gave each other a hug when they saw each other but I missed it. So cute.

And one of Landon's only little girl friends, Madi! And what a little girl she is! Landon figured out that the eggs had candy inside them at this point!

Landon and Mack. (Landon eating his 4th piece of candy...oh dear!)

Look what the Easter Bunny brought us!

Landon got some paint, stickers, a tractor book, a tractor, a lizard,a chocolate doggy and lot's of yummy candy from the Easter bunny. He was quite excited. The Easter bunny also hid some easter eggs in our living room and dining room for him to find. (Tradition in my house growing up.)

Heck, even the grass inside the basket was exciting! I think I was picking it up around the house all day long.

We had to dye some Easter eggs although it was quite a messy experience and I have never seen uglier eggs in my life! Landon enjoyed putting the eggs in multiple cups to mix it up. We had lovely puke green and brownish orange eggs! Pretty!

Oh my gosh...this was the best! There is a man who lives in our neighborhood who enjoys dressing up for all the major holidays. He saw us in our backyard so he came over and asked if he could give Landon a bag of Easter goodies. Landon was fascinated by the giant bunny. While talking to him Landon snuck benind him and squeezed his tail. It made us all laugh. When the man left, Landon looked so sad and concerned. "All gone Easter bunny", he said as he waved his little hand in the direction that he left.

Ladies and Gentlemen, May I introduce the newest member of the 30 year old club

2010-03-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Rachelle,
When I first met you in the Albertsons parking lot, my heart dropped and I knew then that someday we would be husband and wife. When I see you now, after many years together, my heart still drops and my palms still sweat and I realize how lucky I am to have my best friend as my eternal companion. Our life is just beginning together, and I can't wait to spend many more days with you. Today is your birthday, you may be turning 30 years old, but your still just as beautiful as the first day that I saw you.

With all my love,
Tyson

Momma,
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mmmmmmmmmnhgfgujfcgjhgiloksggmmmS

Love,
Landon

Mixed Feelings!

2010-03-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

We sold our house! It was so much sooner then we expected and the offer we accepted was for our full asking price which was awesome. That is one major thing that we can now cross off our list in preperation for the next chapter of our lives.

Surprisingly with all the excitement of finding a buyer for our house I have found myself feeling a little bit overwhelmed with the fact that we will be leaving our first little home in just a few short months. Our walls are filled with memories of our student years here in Pittsburgh. We have had barbeque's in the backyard with our closest friends, I cooked my first thanksgiving turkey in our kitchen oven, we've watched the rain from our front porch, we walked through the front door with a new baby boy, we watched him take his first steps across the living room floor. Oh man, here come the tears. I can't believe our four years here are almost over. I have loved our little house and I love all the happiness that is inside. Thank you 2804, for being our safe haven.

Lot's of cake we did eat, so we made a trip to the dental seat!

2010-02-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

Grandma sent Landon some really cute cooking utinsils and bowl. He LOVES to cook. So, he had a ball making daddy a cake for Valentine's Day! I might have a future chef in my home, watch out Food Network!

We celebrated Tyson's birthday on the 21st. Happy 29th babe! You are my soulmate, my friend, my everything. Thanks for all you do. I hope your day was great.

Landon enjoyed Daddy's cake too!

Landon's first trip to see almost Dr. Murdock!!! Dr. Tyson Murdock...that has a great ring to it! It was so great to see Tyson in action. Landon enjoyed having his teeth cleaned. P.S. Tyson passed boards last week! Yahoooo!! We are so proud of you babe!

But, he did not like having his teeth checked!

Nothing an alligator full of teeth can't fix!

Landon left with a lot of stickers, a new toothbrush and a clean smile! Good job little man!

The Groundhog WAS serious!

2010-02-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

In the four years that we have been here in Pittsburgh, we have never seen this much snow. The residents in our neighborhood say they can't remember the last time they have seen this much snow. I think the city is in a little bit of a shock!

There must have been about a dozen cars that got stuck in front of our house. Our TV has been down so this is our entertainment for the day!

I haven't been able to watch the news but I am sure we have gotten over 2 feet of snow. So naturally, it took Tyson some time to clear off the truck.

That tree is not suppose to look like that...

Be safe everyone!!!

Say Cheese!

2010-02-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Our AMAZING friend, Maretta, took some AMAZING family pictures for us!!! Of course all of my favorites are of Landon. Um, hello?! Don't we have the cutest kid ever?? Thanks to the city of Pittsburgh for our great backdrop. Now we can remember the 4 years we spent here in style! If you would like Maretta to take your photos or to check out her albums Click Here!

The Perfect Winter Day!

2010-01-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am not the biggest fan of the winter months but we finally were able to take advantage of a beautiful sunny, snowy day and it made me so happy! I felt like a little kid outside with my hat and snow pants on. It really has been years since I've made a snowman! Landon wasn't so sure about the snow at first but loved it after a while.

Oooohhh, our snowman died! I can't believe I am going to say this but I was a little sad when all the snow melted!

And what better then to end the day with something warm to eat! Landon has been fascinated with helping me in the kitchen. He loves to stir anything that I have cooking in a pot. It makes me a tad nervous so I watch him like a hawk! He knows not to touch. He looks at the stove and says to me "soup, really really hot." I love you, my sweet little chef!

Our top 8 holiday moments!

2010-01-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

#8

Why not start off our holiday vacation with an exhausting airplane ride with a busy, restless, high pitched screaming toddler? Yea!

#7

The holiday's = food. (Mine and Landon's personal favorite, chocolate, was overflowing from our stockings as always!) Hence, New Year's resolution = Diet!

#6

A memorable Santa photo. Sorry Santa.

#5

A little holiday music.

#4

And some fancy dancing too!

#3

Our list wouldn't be complete without lot's of Idaho snow! Watching Grandpa with the snow blower was the highlight of Landon's week!

#2

All the presents of course! Not to mention those embarassing pictures caught while opening presents! Tyson, did you get a papercut on the wrapping paper or something? And yes, my husband gave me lingerie that he made me open in front of the whole family! Thanks babe, I WILL get you back.

And drumroll please....

#1

Spending time whith all our family!

Landon bonding with his cousins...

And not so sure about some of the bonding...

Landon's new best friend...his uncle Mac and Cheese!

All and all we had an amazing holiday break. Thank you to all our friends and family who did so much for us while we were in Idaho. We miss you already but it's good to be back home!

Fun fun!

2009-12-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us already and we have enjoyed the spirit around us. We leave to visit Idaho for Christmas in just a few days. Thought I would try to get one last post in before the craziness. Had to put up some lights on the house. Looks pretty darn good I think! We have gotten a few snow flurries here in Pittsburgh, Landon has enjoyed watching it.

Got together with a few friends and had a game night with a pre-Christmas feast! We love games and we love our friends that play with us!!

I have had a blast with my clogging class! We performed a show at the mall last Saturday. The picture is just of a few ladies in our group! I was a lot of fun and we had quite the audience too! We also had a holiday party at our studio. We put on some music after we ate and danced to some Christmas music. I think there might be a future clogger in our family!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas!!! See you next year!

The latest...

2009-12-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast the last month has gone by! Here's what we have been up to...

Tyson's sister, Megan, came to visit us the middle of November! It was so fun to have her here. We were lucky to have one really nice day so we ventured off to the zoo! Unfortunately, I only took a few pictures of Landon while visiting the elephant section! We went shopping, to the movies, dinner, and had some great girl chats! Thanks for all your help Meggers! See you again soon!

I absolutely LOVE Christmas and was excited as always to decorate and prepare for the holidays! Landon was fascinated by decorating the tree. Of course after he was done I had to move the ornaments around, as they were all clumped in one spot!

Wrapping presents however is not my favorite. Ebony thought she would join in by biting the corners of the packages after I wrapped them. Urgh cat!

I came into the living room and caught Landon peeking over the couch at his presents. He he!

Thanksgiving was great as always (thanks to Michele and her mad cooking skills)! We ate like Kings and Queens! It was fun to visit and relax with friends the entire afternoon. Being with such great people made me miss home a little less. Thank you everyone!

Landon eating some pie with the big kids!

And what do you know...we ate again later, hence Landon's smile full of food! Look at what a cheese ball he is! Love it!

Goodbye Fall! It was fun!

2009-11-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

We love fall here in Pittsburgh! I wish that it lasted longer. Sadly the bright orange, red, and yellow leaves are starting to fall and winter is approaching way too quickly! We have been busy picking and carving pumpkins, partying like crazy, and dressing up for loads of candy! We went to Trax Farms, just as we did last year, to pick up the perfect pumpkins and have some good old fashioned farm fun. We visited the petting zoo, admired Christmas decor, and picked up some fabulous salami and cheese from the deli. It has been amazing having a one and a half year old. Tyson and I stood and giggled the whole time Landon rode this little choo choo train!! (Don't miss the video!)

A friend of mine and I threw a little Halloween party. I love Halloween parties, they are the best! I made some really yummy treats! The eyeballs were delightful! All of the kids looked great in their costumes!

Landon helped me scoop out all the pumpkin guts! Sadly, I didn't get pictures of the carving...I was retarded and didn't think to get out the camera. Tyson did an amazing job on his! He always teases me that I do cute pumpkin carvings and that pumpkins can't be cute for Halloween. So Landon and I's little pumpkin is as spooky as I could get it!

Isn't Landon just the cutest little Frank you have ever seen!? Tyson was trying to get him to do "scary hands" for the picture. Trick or treating was a blast! We decided to go up a few blocks from our house and trick or treat on a street that we heard was hoppin last year. We thought about taking the stroller, in case Landon got tired. But to our amazement, he was such a little trooper! He walked, holding onto mamma's and dada's hands, for several blocks just as happy as could be. After a few houses, he finally got the concept. See bowl, grab candy, put in bag, try to go for seconds. Everyone commented on his costume. People would stop to watch him walk by. Others would see him and run to tell their friends to look at the little Frankenstein. Yes, he was a little show stopper!

There our houses in our neighborhood that really get into it! I didn't get it on film, but the house in the video had a baby doll locked in a cage with a bowl of dog food next to it. Ummm...freaky!?

Landon finally got brave enough to walk to a house to get some candy all by himself!

And what could make the end of this night perfect?? Why, a load of candy of course!! Little Frank, you made our Halloween so much fun! I hope everyone else's halloween was just as SPOOKtacular as ours!!

Kitty Kisses and Lot's of Words!

2009-10-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry! This is another post about Landon and it might be boring and kind of long for some of you but I had to document all of the words he has been saying! He has been talking up a storm, his little mind amazes me! I only pray that I am doing everything I should be to help him learn more and more everyday! Here are all the words he is saying, hopefully I haven't forgotten any! Oh, and of course he says them all in his own little way. I tried to spell out the words that he says for some of them.

Bubble, Ball, Mama, Dada, Bubba (his nickname), Boon (Balloon), Elbow, Belly, Eye, In (Chin), Cheek, Hi, Up, Off, Done, Gen (Again), Uh Oh, Broom, Titty (Kitty), Doddy (Doggy), Bye bye, Wall, Bachama (Vacuum-don't aske me where he got that word), Peas (Please), Duck, Clock, Potty, Baby, Nana (Banana), Cracker, Candy, Cookie, Sucker, Apple, Juice, (Muck) Milk, (Otter) Water, Spoon, Fork, Knife, Cheese, Teef (Teeth), Belly Button, Poopy, Pee pee, Bee, Big, (Ider) Spider, Star, Puter (Computer-of course only in this day and age), Jesus-my favorite, Sock, Snack, Truck, Tractor, Bus, La Mow (Lawn Mower), Choo Choo (Train), Stick, Rock, Walk, Ditty (Dirty), Raining, Light, Fan, Stuck, Yuck, Shoes, Bowl, Tar (Guitar), Book, Brush, Candle, Bum, Fishies, Hat, Hot, Owey, Piano, Kiss, Night Night, Elmo, Tunnel, No

Also, our cat Ebony has always had quite the attitude but I have been pretty impressed with how well she has done with Landon. She will hiss at him from time to time when he gets a little too rough but for the most part she is patient, especially when he tries to give her kisses. In the video you can hear him say one of his favorite words. When he sees her in the morning he say's "ohhhhh titty."

Fall Festival

2009-10-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

After sitting on the 279 in the car for over an hour waiting for construction (ugh!) we finally made it to Zelienople for our annual fall festival outing. Such a cute little town with lots of yummy food and cute craft booths.

Landon was fascinated by and couldn't take his eyes off a band playing country music. He is really into guitar's. "Tar, tar!" Cute!

They had the cutest little petting zoo. Landon has no fear when it comes to animals. He even got to ride on a horsey! Oh man, that was the highlight of our trip. So fun!

Clogging, Forts, Grandma, Crafts, and Suckers!!!

2009-10-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

What wonderful things!

I am so excited because I have found a clogging class!! I started clogging when I was about 14 years old and clogged up until college. I love dancing and performing and have really missed it. I started searching for a clogging class online a couple years ago after seeing a group perform at a fall festival. I had no luck at finding anything. I started my search again a few weeks ago (after seeing the Fab 5 cloggers perform on America's Got Talent--awesome!) and finally came across a group that meets fairly close to our home. I had to blow the dust off my old shoes but went last night...it was so much fun!! Can't wait to go every week and get my clog on!

I can't tell you how sad I am that summer is over...no more playing in the backyard. Boo hoo! Guess I will have to start really getting creative. Forts are always fun, right??

My mom came out to visit last week while Tyson was on a hunting trip in Ohio with a few of his friends. He shot a big buck but couldn't find it which was a bummer, I was hoping for the meat! He forgot his camera on the trip but maybe I can get my hands on a picture of him in all is camo gear that one of the other guys took so I can post it. He had a great "male bonding" time! Anyway, the weather was horrible while she was here but we managed to get out one day to the strip district to look through shops and get some yummy popcorn. She had fun playing with Landon and Landon loved giving his grandma kisses. We also had fun with our tradition of crafts during conference. I made little wooden Christmas tags and my mom made a beautiful floral arrangement for me. Isn't she sooo talented?? I was glad she was here to keep me company while my hubby was gone. Thanks mom, we miss you.

I needed to get a few things done and Landon was being really, really needy. Hmmm, what could I give him to distract him for just a moment so I could finish the laundry? Ah hah! A sucker! He loved it. I might use this technique again! Does that make me a bad mom? :)

Bad Day

2009-09-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

I think most of you know that motherhood has been challenging for me and man it tested my limits a few days ago! I was having such a bad day with Landon. I must have cried at least a dozen times. Landon was fussy most of the day and throwing lots of tantrums! I was very ready for Tyson to get home from school and he could tell that I needed him after talking with him earlier in the day. After he got home he took Landon so I could finish getting dinner ready. I thought they were downstairs but then I heard someone come through the front door. I walked over to see what was going on and saw this...

Landon had surprised mommy with a pretty rose and an "I'm sorry" note (with a little help from daddy of course). I cried for the 13th time and felt blessed to have a husband who cares as much as he does. The rose, now sitting in my kitchen windowsill, reminds me to try to keep a smile on my face through those rough days because I know that I am really loved.

Lawn mower obsession!

2009-09-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Landon loves lawn mowers! Now this is how exciting our days are, brace yourselves! Every Thursday a lawn mowing service comes to take care of the lawn at the house across the street from us. We go outside and watch the lawn mowers from the front porch. Oooo! He loves it. "Awn mow, awm mow, he'll say! He also loves to help his daddy mow the lawn! Might as well start them out while they're young, right!?

Can you see the little lawn mower in the background? :)

Random

2009-09-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...more pictures of Landon. These are just some random pictures of our favorite little person. Wanted to share them, especially with my family. He is just growing up too fast, always doing the cutest little things.

Oh, and I couldn't post my video that I was trying to upload. I think it might be too long. It was of Landon kissing our kitty. Hopefully I can catch another shorter video of it.

I took a pair of my jeans and wrapped them around Landon and clipped them together in the back. It looked like a little superman cape. He walked around with this big old smile on his face, like I had just given him the coolest thing ever. So funny.

Who needs to buy fancy hats from the store when a box will do!?

Ok, he might kill me for this when he is older but who can resist a baby bum?

Video waiting

2009-09-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

I am having problems trying to post a video. It will say that it's processing but will say that for over an hour. Has anyone else had this problem?? Urgh!

Sick of being sick!

2009-09-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, about a week ago Landon developed an eye infection, the next day a runny nose, the day after that...an ear infection! Slowly it got worse moving into his other eye and other ear as well as a yucky cough and diaper rash due to diarrhea! OH MY GOSH! This really has been an awful week. Of course the lovely virus was passed on to Tyson and I keeping us up half the night with sore throats and cough attacks! Since this is my first time experiencing a really sick child for the first time, I have cried a few tears. It broke my heart whenever we would have to hold him down to administer drops in his eyes and ears. Poor little guy. Please let this sickness pass soon. I hope that when it does I won't have to look at these things for a very, very long time!!

An afternoon picnic (Warning...many posts to follow, I was really behind!!!)

2009-08-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day and we decided to take a nature walk and have a yummy picnic! Landon had fun throwing rocks in the creek and there were tons of people walking their dogs which Landon also loved. Every minute he was pointing to one and saying "doddy, doddy"! Of course people were so nice to stop and let Landon give the dogs kisses. I have to get a video of him doing that to our cat Ebony and post it...so cute!

Okay, let me explain this one...Tyson saw this HUGE spider in one of the trees by the creek and had to take a picture of it. HE MADE ME POST IT! EWWWWWW!

Precious stuff!

2009-08-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

In one of the neighborhoods near our house they have a bunch of festivities along the main street once a month during the summer. We went with some friends of ours to enjoy the nice summer evening! As we were walking along my friend Ashley noticed that her little boy and Landon were holding hands. I was speady, I whipped out the camera and caught it! Oh my gosh!!! SO CUTE! They held hands for quite a while too!

Landon playing peek-a-boo. Oh and he had to have a balloon that one of the booths was giving away! He was in heaven! He loves "boons".

Palmyra, NY

2009-08-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Tyson's mom, Ranae, his dad, Wayne, and sister, Megan came to visit us in Pittsburgh! We were so excited for there trip here and all the fun things we had planned. We had the amazing opportunity to go to Palmyra to see some of the church sites. We had a great time! I was so excited to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant and it was quite the show! It was really an experience to be right were the prophet Joseph lived and where the church was first formed. I think that all of us would say that the Sacred Grove was the most memorable place that we visited during our trip. So great, that we visited twice!

The Palmyra temple was so beautiful!

This is the stage of the Hill Cumorah Pageant. We got there quite early to get good seats! We went to the visitor's center, hiked up Hill Cumorah, and had a really good chicken dinner in one of the tents selling food near by.

Bompa and Landon heading up the hill.

Nanny and Landon, waiting for the Pageant to start...way past his bed time!

What do you know? We got our picture taken with Captain Mormon!!!

This little boy is in our ward! So cute!

This was hilarious! Landon was so tired. Poor bubs! It was such a long day, waiting for the pageant to start with no nap. He was trying to fight it but his eyes just couldn't stay open anymore! He finally crashed and slept on daddy's shoulder through the whole show! Thank goodness!

Joseph Smith's farm house.

This tree is what they called a "witness tree". Meaning, they believe that it was one of the few trees that were standing when Joseph Smith saw his vision in the Sacred Grove.

They cut one tree down so you could see how hollow the trees are inside.

I think that Landon liked the Sacred Grove!

It was so peaceful, Landon fell right asleep!

Leaving the Sacred Grove. Feel the love! :)

The Sacred Grove was a special experience and one that we will always cherish. It felt as if you walked through some protective bubble and once inside all the worries of the world outside just kind of disappeared. I definitely was overwhelmed with emotion as I felt the spirit so strongly. It was great to share it with our family. To Wayne and Ranae...I can't express my thanks enough for all the things that you did for us while you were here. The support and love from our family means everything to us and I was so glad to have gone to Palmyra with you guys!!!

We lost again!!!

2009-08-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Megan, Tyson's sister, really wanted to get to a Pirates Game! She loved it the last time she was here! So, this post is for you Megers! Glad you were able to come to Pittsburgh to visit! And, thanks for all your help with Landon. He misses you!

The seat is much cooler then the game of course!

And this is how we kept Landon occupied most of the time. I don't know why we didn't think of this earlier! He just learned how to dip things! He must have sat there for a good 40 minutes dipping and sucking the ketchup off his fries!

All clean!

Yea Megan!!!

Another trip to the Zoo

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

We were glad once again to make it to the zoo. I really have been impressed with the Pittsburgh zoo and all the animals there!

How cute is the bear!!!???

Landon watching the fishies swim!

I think we're pretty good lookin, don't you??

2009-08-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

Just some cute pictures that Tyson's mom snapped of us while we were out to eat one night while they were here visiting!

Playing at the park

2009-08-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

And down the slide...1...2...3...GO!

Good old country day!

2009-08-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

We went to a cute little county fair on July 11th outside of Pittsburgh. (I know, I am really behind! That was a month ago!) It ended up being perfect because we went earlier in the day and there really wasn't anybody there yet so we were able to walk right into all the exhibits and get our food without standing in line. Landon LOVED all the little animals. It was so fun to see him react to different animals other then our cat and our neighbors dog! Made me miss our annual trips to the Blackfoot fair in Idaho!

He is a Murdock boy for sure! Loves his machines!

More pictures and summer news to come!

2009-08-03T19:41:00.001-07:00

Hi all! I promise that I will get some new pictures posted soon! We have been busy this summer trying to get in last minute site seeing trips and visiting with family that have come to stay with us from Idaho! I still can't believe that it is our last summer here in Pittsburgh. I keep forgetting that we need to get all our summer things in before the cold weather comes. THIS IS IT! Anyway, I tried posting tonight but ran into some internet problems! Hope to post sometime this week! We are all doing well and Landon is healthy and growing like a little weed. Oh and Tyson just finished his last final of his dental school career last week! No more finals...ever!!!! Hooray! I love you babe. So, so proud!

And his first word is (drum roll please)...bubbles!!!

2009-07-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video clip of Landon saying his first word!!! He loves bubbles!

Happy 4th!!

2009-07-08T18:30:00.001-07:00

The 4th of July kind of snuck up on us so we really didn't make a lot of plans for the weekend. I think that at the beginning of the day we were feeling pretty bummed and really wishing we were home with our families on this fun holiday. But our kind Bishop and his wife invited our ward family to his home for food and fireworks that evening and that certainly lifted our spirits! It was great to mingle with some good friends and eat some delicious food. Landon did really well during the fireworks too! He totally stayed in our laps and watched the whole show! He is not a lap baby so we took in every minute of cuddling with our little boy!

Landon and I with my friend Ashley and her little boy Jackson. Thanks "bestie"! :) You have been an awesome friend and can't wait to hang with you more!

Landon going to play with the big kids!

Watching the fireworks!

Oooooo.....ahhhhhhh.....

"Take me out to the ball game..."

2009-07-08T18:05:00.001-07:00

We were so excited to finally get to a Pirate's game this summer! Landon only watched the game for a few minutes of course, his attention span is quite short, but it was still fun to be in the stadium and to eat some really unhealthy food that was oh so yummy! It has been great to live in a city of champions...the Steelers, the Penguins! But our dear Pirates, oh how they struggle. I think the last time that they won the world series was in 79?? Yikes! Still fun to watch though!

Landon trying cotton candy for the first time!

The view of dowtown Pittsburgh from outside the stadium. Love this side of the city!

There was this man walking near us as when were leaving the game pushing a cart full of flowers that he was selling. He was very nice and was commenting on how cute Landon was. He asked if he could give Landon one of his flowers. It was so funny! Then he offered to take a picture of all of us...you can see his little cart next to us. You could tell that just talking to us and taking our picture made this man's day. Cute!

Boo Boo

2009-06-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Since Landon has been walking he has definitely had his fair share of trips, falls, bumps, and bruises. But I have to say that this one has been the worst. The poor little dude just looses his balance and goes a tumbling! He fell into our china hutch and got this little scrape! It looks much worse in person! Anyway, had to post it!

Father's Day

2009-06-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Landon really has the best daddy in the whole wide world! Tyson, I could not be a mom without you by my side. I love you so much! Landon is lucky to have you and so am I! Happy Father's day! (This picture was taken when we met some friends for dinner at a campsite, it was beautiful and our smores were yummy!)

Thank Heaven for Summertime!

2009-06-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Oh my, do we love summertime! We spend lot's of time outside now that the weather is warmer. We got out his little pool a few weeks ago. I even got right in with him. He had a ball, forgot to get the camera out so I will take some pictures next time to post!

He also has loved playing in the sprinkler and with his new little car that we got from a neighbor. I also got a pool pass at a local pool and can't wait to post pictures of our trips there. Landon loves the water! And you know what? I totally just realized that we should call this blog "Landon". It really is all about him isn't it?? Tyson and I are doing great too. Just one more year of dental school. It is crazy to think that this is our last summer here. We hope to enjoy it as much as we can!

Dressed to Impress!

2009-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Just a random picture of Landon and I before going to church! Don't we look spiffy?

So I have decided to be a little better about writing on our blog. I have never been great at keeping a journal. I hope to make that my personal goal this year but figured that I could also be better about journaling on our blog! I guess I just never have because I am not the best writer! I have been thinking lately about all the cute things that Landon has been doing and wanted to share them with you! Plus, I don't want to forget them as he gets older! It is amazing how much they learn in such a short period of time! He makes me smile every day with the cute things that he does:

* When we ask "where is your belly?" he taps his chest with both hands. Close!
* He puts his hands up to let us know he is all done with something.
* He waves bye bye.
* He totally laughs when he toots or burps and tries to do it again!
* He growls when he is angry at you.
* He knows to get his shoes when you say the word.
* I swear he is saying the words ball and bubbles!
* He plays peek-a-boo.
* He understands several words and points to the object when you say them.
* He knows how to climb up the stairs all by himself! Scary!
* You can tell he wants to run but still isn't quite there so instead he walks really, really fast with those short legs! It is hilarious!
* We are trying to teach him to blow kisses. He is almost there!
* He claps when something exciting happens.
* He bounces up and down to music.
* He gives high fives! Tyson taught him that one!

Landon, little bubby, thanks for all the things you do to make mommy smile every day! Love you little boy! Oh and daddy wanted me to make sure and tell you that he loves you too! :)

Memorial Day in DC!

2009-05-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had a list of places that we wanted to visit while living here in Pittsburgh and Washington DC was one of them! We finally were able to plan a trip to go over Memorial weekend. It was really great to take our little family and get away for a few days! The hotel we stayed in was awesome, the view looking down from our window into the hotel was really cool. We did a ton of walking and saw some amazing things!

The Whitehouse was really neat and was the first thing that we decided to go see once we arrived. The security was crazy and we kept hearing the sound of a helicopter really close to us but never actually saw it until we got around to the other side. We finally saw it take off and got some great shots of it right in front of the Whitehouse. We learned on the news the next day that the President had left for Camp David around that time. Maybe we were able to see him take off!? It was pretty cool! Landon was fascinated by the whole thing!

Landon with the statue of Jackon. Funny!

The city was full of amazing buildings, statues, and structures. I wish I was a better photographer to better capture all of the amazing things that we saw!

Unfortunately a 1 year old and a museum don't really go together so we really had to rush though a lot of the museum's faster then we wanted but we still were able to see some great pieces of history and learn a bit more about our country.

Landon had a ball playing in the hotel pool! He was splashing so much that it was hard to get a good picture! His poor little eyes were red from the chlorine but he didn't care! I am glad that he loves the water! It's so fun.

Mom's Visit to Pittsburgh!

2009-05-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

It was so great to have my mom come out from Idaho to visit with us here in Pittsburgh. We had a good time and tried to get out and do some fun things while she was here. We went to the park and played with Landon on the slide and swings, we went to the movies and saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past which was sooo not as good as I wish it would have been! We went out to eat, to Trax Farms, and to the Children's Museum. Woo, we did a lot! Landon loved having his grandma around to play with too. Thanks mom for everything!

Landon's birthday wasn't over yet! Grandma brought some fun present's for Landon, a cool little people plane, a book, and some cute clothes! Man, what a spoiled little boy!

My mom had never been to the Cheesecake Factory so we had to take her! Mmmmm, it was really, really yummy and it was such beautiful weather too.

We went to the Children's Museum which was so fun. They had all sorts of activities for Landon to do. He loved the water section of the museum. It was so cute, he was totally getting soaked as he was playing with all the little tubes and holes where the water was coming out. It was all fun and games until he stepped back on his rain coat and slipped to the ground. He was okay but bonked his head pretty good. I felt so bad! We then were able to distract him from crying by finding a little fish in a pool of water for him to play with!

Blue sand and wooden blocks! A little boys dream!!

Fun with Grandpa and Grandma Kay!

2009-05-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Our visit with Grandpa and Grandma Kay was so fun! It was especially neat to have them here for Landon's birthday. We went out to eat, played at the park, and visited the zoo. Landon loved the zoo! His favorite part where all the fishies! It was great to be with family again and I look foward to my mom visiting next week!

1 Year Old!!!

2009-05-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

Our little baby boy is 1! Wednesday, May 6th was Landon's birthday. His Grandpa and Grandma Kay came clear from Idaho to visit us on his special day which was so much fun! We had a few friends over for a barbeque later in the evening to help us celebrate. It started to rain really hard which was a bummer and to make matters worse all our company seemed to overwhelm poor little Landon and he got really really upset and wouldn't calm down as you can see from the picture below! (That's grandpa holding Landon in the picture.) Oh man! We worried that might happen and we thought we were in for a long night and that his birthday would be a wreck! But as soon as he dug into his cake it turned out ok.

We had a little animal theme and I made lion cupcakes! Man, they took forever but aren't they so cute!?

And here is Landon's bear cake!

Landon didn't know what to do with the cake when we put it in front of him but his daddy helped him by putting his hand in it and then he dug right in! He was just shoveling it into his mouth! It was so cute!

And here is the after picture of the cake! What a MESS! All that work! Sheesh! But it was worth it!

Wahoo...opening gifts! It was getting late and he had a really long day so we were handing him his presents quickly so that he could open a few without throwing a fit!

Thank you to Nanny and Bompa for the cute clothes and Barney video!!

And Grandpa and Grandma Kay got him some fun outside toys...a sprinkler, dump truck, bubbles, and a shovel!

We didn't have time to show Landon his big present from us on his birthday but we got him a fun pool for him to use this summer! Landon loves the water, can't wait!

Here are just a few of Landon's fun gifts, he also got some books and a CD with fun childrens music on it!

Landon loved his new ball! He played with it all the next morning!

To our little boy, mommy and daddy love you so much! You are getting so big and learning so quickly. We are so proud of you and for the sweet spirit that you are. You have brought more joy to us then we ever thought possible. Happy first birthday bubby, we look foward to sharing many more!

Landon is walking!

2009-04-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

Landon has been walking around the furniture for about a month or so and just recently he has taken a few steps on his own (which I have the video of and have been meaning to post). But today he totally surprised us and walked from the couch to his jumper all by himself! So of course we had to get the camera out to try to catch him doing it again! Here is the best video out of several that we took! :) I can't believe how big he is getting. Soon I will be chasing him all over the house! My little baby boy is turning into a little toddler. Good job Landon, Mama and Dada love you and are so proud of you.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a family picture on Easter Sunday and this was the best that I could come up with! Happy Easter to all our friends and family!

Busy Busy Bee

2009-04-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Looking at my new book I got from my grandma for Easter!

This is my new friend Ralphie, I love him so much! Let's go for a ride Ralphie!

Mom, I'm about to make a mess!!

I fit just right!

29!!!

2009-03-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

On the 24th I turned 29 years old! Yikes! That means that this is my last year of being in my 20's! So sad! We kept it low key, went to dinner at a yummy Italian restaurant called Bravo's. Tyson got me a delicious cheesecake from a local bakery and I got some nice gifts. Another one bites the dust!

Fall on the floor laughing!

2009-03-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

I had a lot to post so make sure to scroll down for all the latest!

Anyway, we had to post this video! Landon was being a little fussy as usual so we were trying to find things to entertain him and make him happy. I put a little ball he had in my mouth and started moving my head around, the ball fell out of my mouth and he thought that was pretty funny. So, I put the ball back in my mouth and blew really hard...the ball flew across the room and Landon laughed harder then we have ever heard him laugh! Oh my gosh, so funny! Luckily he was still going pretty good when we got the video camera out! Hope it makes you laugh as much as it made us laugh!

Swing away!

2009-03-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a beautiful warm spring day that came out of nowhere! It was in the 70's! So of course we had to stop over at the park and take advantage of it! Landon got on his first swing. He didn't know what to think at first but after a while I think he liked it! I snapped about 30 pictures! I need help!

Old ties!

2009-03-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we drove to Dayton, OH to visit some good friends of ours that we knew in Idaho. Tyson and John went to ISU (Idaho State University) together. They moved to Ohio not long ago so that he could finish up his last few years of medical school there. We were so excited to find out that they would be somewhat close to us! It was a great visit. It was just like old times! To our dear friends John and Kristine, we love you and thanks again for letting us stay with you. We had a great
time!

Landon and the girls!

Ohhh, John and Tyson together in eachother's arms at last!

New Kitchen Floor!

2009-03-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

Okay this might not be exciting information to all of you but to us it is!! We had a horrible kitchen floor with lots of yucky stains and have been wanting to replace it for a while now. So we finally saved up enough money and found a great deal! I am glad that we have something now that looks soooo much better! Here are the before and after shots!

Standing all by myself!!

2009-03-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

Gotta love the Golden Girls!

2009-03-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

OK, I will admit something, probably very embarrassing about myself but I love the Golden Girls! It used to come on in the mornings while Landon and I would be up and playing. He loves any music that comes on the TV but he especially gets excited about the Golden Girls theme song. Why? I have no idea! I mean, it is quite catchy. Come on now, you all know it! "Thank you for being a friend, traveled down the road and back again..." Ha! Anyway, tried to catch the moment on video!

Silly Landon

2009-02-23T13:13:00.001-08:00

Mr. Landon was being super silly as we were having breakfast this morning. Had to snap some shots of his big cheesy smile!

The Big 28!

2009-02-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Tyson! On the morning of his birthday he enjoyed a speical breakfast made by his wonderful wife! ;) After that he opened presents which included a Sushi making kit, something he has wanted for a while! Later in the evening we celebrated by going out to eat at Buca di Beppo, and Italian restaurant, with some of our close friends...Keri, Bryant, Michele, Cory, Dave, and Elise. It was really good! Later we had some yummy cake. Hope your birthday was a great one babe!

Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get this posted earlier but I have had a bad cold this week and seem to be moving a lot slower then usual! Tyson and I had a really nice Valentines Day. Our good friends Ryan and Niki offered to watch Landon for the evening so that Tyson and I could go out on a date! Tyson and I really haven't been out on a real date since Landon was born! Sad I know! Tyson surprised me with a couples massage which was so relaxing! Then we went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant called the Sesame Inn. It was really, really good! For anyone that hadn't been you must try it! And he got me some beautiful roses and some yummy Sarris chocolates, my fav!! Landon did great too. I don't think he even noticed that we were gone! To my husband: Thank you for loving me for who I am, for having faith in me, and for always listening to me when I laugh and cry. I am so lucky to have you here to hold my hand through this life. Thank you for the great V-Day!!! YBFFEAB!!!

Thanks for the Valentines card Grandpa and Grandma Kay. It was quite delicious!

He's On His Way!

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

Landon just started scooting a few days ago! He might be on his way to finally figuring out this crawling thing! He gets frustrated though, he wants to go faster!

Landon's New Trick!

2009-02-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

We taught Landon how to clap! It has been so fun to watch him learn new things! Clap Landon, clap!!

Just another day...

2009-02-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Man, is it hard trying to get ready for the day with a little one to look after. Then, I found the perfect spot for him while I did my makeup! HA! Hopefully he doesn't learn to turn on the faucet!

GO STEELERS!!!

2009-02-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post these pictures on superbowl sunday but our internet was down! Anyway, here are just a few pics of us gearing up for the superbowl!!! We watched part of the game at a friends house but we had to leave early because poor little sensitive Landon would start crying everytime the crowd would yell for a touchdown! He gets scared easily! What a great game though! Wooooo Steelers!!!

Could it be???

2009-01-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

Oh my! I couldn't believe my eyes! Blue sky and sunshine! WAHOOOOO!!!

No no no, not more snow!!!!

2009-01-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Man, it snowed like crazy here today! This only adds to my winter depression! Here are just a few pics of this beautiful white winterland...NOT!

And this my friends, is the lovely sky that we have been looking at for days. No blue, just grey. No clouds, just grey. No birds flying about, just grey!!!

First Haircut

2009-01-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, so you might not be able to really see the difference but his hair was getting a little long, especially on top and I could't spike it as well. (I love spiky hair on little boys!) Man, it was the hardest thing to get him to stay still while I gave him the trim but we did it!

Before...

After...

I have the winter blues!

2009-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

I need help! I am running out of things to do with Landon in our little Pittsburgh house during these cold, dreary, grey, wintry months. I try to get out and run errands as much as possible so that we can get out of the house for a bit which helps but I need some advice on what to do with a 9 month old while at home? So this is for all the stay at home moms! Help! I don't know how many more days I can handle the same banging of spoons on cups and rolling of the Elmo ball! Man, I never knew being a stay at home mom would be so hard. If anyone wants to have a play date around 11:30/noon, I'm in!!!! Oh, please summer...come soon!

Growing up!

2009-01-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

You know your baby isn't a baby any more once he has a sippy! So grown up! Had to snap these shots while he was getting the hang of his new cup!

When will this little boy crawl???

2009-01-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

Landon just doesn't seem interested in crawling at all! He leans over and gets started but then just topples onto his belly and...nothing! But he is still the cutest baby boy in the world. Just look at those blue eyes! Thank you Tyson!

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

We are finally back in Pittsburgh after a long Christmas vacation. It is good to be back in our own space although I cried for the first few hours we were back, missing my family like crazy! But here we are, back in our routine and back to reality! But here are some fun photos of when we were home!

My daddy and Landon!
Dad, Kay, and Landon

Landon's first present!

My mom and me, we were totally wearing the same shirt! Like mother, like daughter! (Christmas Eve)
Look how cute my hubby is!
Landon loves his grandma!

Look at all the fun things Landon got!

All ready for Santa to come....

First, set out cookies and milk for Santa!

then rip up letter to Santa...and eat his cookies!!

Christmas Day!!!

Landon with Great Gradma Merrill

Hanging out with Bompa Murdock!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it is actually the day after Christmas. I wanted to post yesterday but the day was just too crazy! We are in Idaho Falls for the holidays and it has been so great! We have enjoyed visiting with all our friends and family! Landon has loved spending time with everyone too! He has been a good little boy. It has been wonderful to truly understand how important family is and how much we need to be there for each other and love each other no matter what. Since Tyson and I have been living in Pittsburgh without family we have grown to appreciate our family more. What a blessing it has been to be able to travel home and spend this special time with them. I want to thank our parents for making our Christmas the best as usual! You have no idea how much your help and support mean to us.

We are blessed in so many ways but especially to have the knowledge that our Savior lives and loves each of us. May we always remember to celebrate him, all year round! Happy Holidays to you all! I will post lots of fun holiday pictures soon!!!!

My New Ball

2008-12-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

I had some requests from my family to post another video! While we were at the store one day, I saw a little Elmo ball and Landon was fascinated by it! He had a good time playing with it later that night!

Hot Hair and Cool Shoes!

2008-11-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

Landon's hair was so dark and beautiful when he was born but it got lighter and most of it fell out! I have tried to spike it a few times before but his hair is so thin. But a few days ago I got it to kinda stand up and look cute!

We put shoes on Landon for the first time! He had fun playing with the laces.

Turkey Day!

2008-11-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

We had a really great Thanksgiving. The weather was pleasent too, the sun peeked out a bit! I made a lemon meringue pie for the first time. I always get nervous when baking new things and I forgot to bake the crust before putting the filling in! Ahh! But, it ended up turning out okay! Thank goodness! The Thompson's were nice enough to invite us into there home and feed us a yummy Thanksgiving dinner! Landon even had some mashed potatoes and jello! He has been doing great with his solid foods and it has been fun to feed him new foods and see his reaction to them. We sure did miss our family during this time but can't wait to see them soon!

It is tradition in my family to give the baby a turkey leg for the first Thanksgiving. Although Landon wasn't quite old enough to eat any turkey we had to get a picture of him at least holding it! Michele cooked a huge turkey so the leg was gigantic! He couldn't hold it on his own so mom and dad had to help him. He didn't know what to think.

Landon's first taste of mashed potatoes! As you can see he didn't like them at first but after a few times we couldn't give them to him fast enough!

The girls (Jonece and Dene) playing with Landon.

Countdown with Candy!

2008-11-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

This one is for you Mom! The little Santa Clause chocolates I found fit perfectly in the pockets of the calendar stocking you gave me! Yummy!

Let it Snow

2008-11-18T17:44:00.001-08:00

Poopey, winter is here! Although I must say, it was really pretty as the snow fell all day. Made me get in the mood for the holidays! But I am NOT looking forward to winter roads!

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-11-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

Yeah, yeah, I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet and we have our tree up! I thought I would put it up now so that we can enjoy it for at least a month. We will be out of town for the holidays and are leaving the 13th. I love decorating for Christmas! I have way too many decorations for our tiny house. Landon just kind of stared at it for a while. He was enjoying pulling at the branches. He also helped daddy but the snowman angel in the top after we decorated!

Tyler Surprised Us!!!

2008-11-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

So, it was just another normal day. I was making dinner and Landon was being a little cranky so I was a bit frustrated trying to get everything in the oven on time. Tyson told me that he had some meeting at the dental school so he was going to be coming home late. Meeting? Since when did he ever have meetings? I was a little suspicious but I didn't ask a lot of questions. He also told me that a friend of his was going to drop by our house later to pick something up that Tyson had borrowed from him. When the door bell rang I picked up my crying baby and went to the door expecting to see Bryant but instead I saw my brother! HOLY COW! I was shocked! He had flown all the way from Salt Lake to stay with us for a few days and he totally kept it from me! Tyson had gone to pick him up at the airport and was hiding on the porch filming my reaction with our video camera, I looked like an idiot as I stood in the doorway with my mouth wide open! Tyler, you got me...it was the best surprise that I have ever gotten. We went out to eat, showed him a few parts of the city, put up the Christmas tree, and hung out around the house. It was fun. And if you are reading this Tyler know that I love you and everything will be okay in the end. It is hard to see it now but this will pass. Thanks for coming to stay with us in Pittsburgh!

I am finally sitting on my own!

2008-11-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

Landon is finally sitting on his own, although he only sits for a few seconds. He is getting the hang of it!!

Give thanks!

2008-11-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, wow! I have no idea what I did but I finally fixed it! And now I have a cute new background! Landon is napping right now and there are a million other things I should be doing instead of being on the computer. Although I did dust a few minutes ago. The amount of dust collecting on my furniture was getting a bit out of hand! (I hate dusting!)

Opps!

2008-11-11T09:18:00.001-08:00

So, I was playing around with our blog and I somehow messed up my background. Everything is a mess...I hope I can figure out what I did wrong and fix it. So, if you are on our blog and it looks screwed up, it will hopefully be fixed soon!

Jump Jump!

2008-11-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

I think these are some of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken of Landon!! Don't we have the cutest baby boy ever?! Ahh, I can't get over his adorable smile! We finally were able to buy him a jumper. Holy moly, they can be expensive! But, I got a check in the mail a few weeks ago from a doctor's office in Idaho Falls. I saw the doctor years ago and it was some refund for one of my visits! How random! So, we were excited to use the money to buy him a fun jumper. He seems to like it. I don't think he has figured out all the gadgets on it yet but it is fun to watch him use his feet to make the seat move up and down. He is growing up so fast and getting so big. A month ago, we went to the doctor for his regular check up and they were concerned that he wasn't gaining enough. He was only like 12 pounds, 10 ounces. (He was 9 when he was born!) We just went again today and he now weighs 17 pounds! Wahoo! He is now in the 40th percentile for his weight instead of the 5th!

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

Fast asleep!

2008-10-20T17:53:00.001-07:00

So lately Landon has been wrapping his arm around the bumper pad in his crib. The minute we lay him down for the night he rolls over and slips his arm over it! So I had to take a few pictures! It is so funny the habits kids develop when they sleep!

Trax Farms

2008-10-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

Tyson, Landon, and I went with some of our friends to Trax Farms last Saturday. They have several of these farms in the area. It was so cute. They had a petting zoo, hay rides, and lot's of pumpkins! The food was great too! It was a bit cold when we got there but it ended up being a perfect day! We bought a little pumpkin for little Landon!

Landon in the Laundy!

2008-10-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Kisses

2008-10-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

Landon is giving kisses! Ok, there not really kisses. They are more like slobbery open mouth licks, but we like to call them kisses! Tyson tries to get Landon to "kiss" him on the check all the time, he loves it!

Big Eyes!

2008-10-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

I got a kick out of Landon and his big blue eyes, I was trying to get him to blow bubbles (that has been his new thing lately) but he didn't want to perform!

Fall Festival

2008-10-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

This remeinded us of something you would see in the movies. These guys were on the street singing. Had to get a picture with them!

They have a moutain man exhibit every year where men and women set up tents and stoves and build fires and live just like real moutain men do. They cook all their meals and tough it out, rain or shine. It is fun to walk through and see how people like that would have lived.

Dad and Landon in line for an Italian hotdog! And then off to see some little goats!

Tyson and I love Fall Festivals and we found a cute little one in the town of Zelienople just outside of Pittsburgh the first year that we moved out here. We decided to make it a tradition and go every year. It was fun to take Landon! Here we are getting ready to head out. Landon was excited to go!

Fall walks!

2008-10-12T19:19:00.001-07:00

I love fall time, especially here in Pittsburgh. There are so many trees and it is just beautiful when they all start to change colors. The weather has been awesome and Landon is now at the stage where he loves his stroller and walks. I hope the weather stays nice for just a while longer so we can get a few more in! I am so not looking forward to winter and snow! Anyway, here are some pictures we took while out walking one evening. I bought the cute little blue hat and gloves for Landon so he would stay nice and cozy while we were out and I must have taken a dozen pictures of him in it! I am a total dork! Poor little guy fell asleep on the way back to our house.

My first taste of real food!

2008-10-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

So, I have been meaning to post these pictures for a few weeks now but life has been a little hectic and I have had trouble finding time to spend on the computer! I thought these pictures were way cute. He is doing better and better with the cereal and spoon although sometimes he just sticks his tongue out and tries to lick the spoon, of course the cereal flies everywhere and I have quite the mess to clean afterwards! I am going to try baby food here in a few weeks. Man, he is growing up so fast! Sometimes that makes me happy, sometimes that makes me sad!

Two cool dudes!

2008-09-21T19:54:00.001-07:00

Home sweet home!

2008-09-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

I know that some of you wanted me to post some pictures of our cute little Pittsburgh home. We like it but are slowly growing out of it and are excited to move into something a bit bigger in a few years. But, for our first home, it has been perfect! Home sweet home!!

Our House

2008-09-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

We play and then we sleep!

2008-09-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

A few more cute pictures of Landon!

My Frist Tooth!

2008-09-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

I was out with a friend running errands when Tyson called me to tell me that he had discovered a little tooth in Landon's mouth!! We were both so excited. We tried to take a few pictures and I think this one turned out the best. The little twit (my grandma called him a twit when we were home visiting during the summer and we thought it was so funny so we call him that all the time now) wouldn't let us get in his mouth! I don't know if you can see it but it is right where my finger is pointing! He now has a second one just next to it coming in!