The Mott Family

Happy Birthday Girls!! (Family Party) Gracelyn 5, Abigail 3

2011-07-23T23:00:00.001-06:00

The Birthday Cake.... When we went to pick out the cake of course we could not agree on the cake theme... Abigail wanted Tinkerbell and Gracelyn wanted Princesses! The bakery at Smiths gave the idea to do the Princesses and then add Tinkerbell to the Princesses!. It worked out and everyone was happy:)

This is my Gracelyn... She is such a fish.

Gracelyn can sure catch some air off the diving board!

Abigail was fearful of the board until her Birthday Party! Once she started she could not stop!

Little Max even LOVED being in the water!

Pinata Fun!

More Pinata Fun!

Singing and Birthday Candle Blowing!

Gracelyn's main gift from her parents was a Dell netbook computer! It is pink with all pink accessories... Including a backpack, mouse and headphones!

Abigail's main gift from her parents was a basketball hoop and Little pink and purple basketball. Abigail has always LOVED balls!!! From this picture she already has great form at 3 years old!

Abigail turns 3:)

2011-07-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

On the morning of Abigail's Birthday we woke her and her sister up by singing "Happy Birthday" .... We surprised her with balloons... and a few little gifts. Abigail is really into Cars... So her balloon was of Lightening McQueen and Mater from the movies CARS. Abigail also received a Minnie mouse, and 101 Dalmatian figurine set. Then a Lightening McQueen car that when you shake it ... it will speed away... The more you shake the further it goes:)

Later that morning we went out to IHOP for breakfast as a family:)

Happy Birthday Baby Girl:) We love you!

Fireworks at night!

2011-07-06T09:21:00.001-06:00

The night of fireworks.... we went to West Point Fireworks display. The kids (old and young) had fun with "glow sticks".!!! The kids made head pieces and and placed glow sticks around their ankles wrists etc. ... They ran all over the field and looked like little martians running all over the place. Very cute.. Those glow sticks were a huge hit that night!

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-05T12:13:00.002-06:00

The 4th is a day to celebrate.... But we should be proud of our country and our freedom EVERYDAY! The Flag should be a reminder of what men and woman have for us to have! Thank you to all of our service Men and Women!

The 4th is also a special day for our family. Bill was born on July 4th, 1976. The Bicentennial year of our Independence.

Daddy getting Birthday Kisses from his girls:)

We had a great day of Family, Food, and Fireworks... Hope everyone had a great day and a safe, fun Holiday Celebration!

Family 4th Pictures:)

2011-07-04T23:45:00.003-06:00

We have for a few years enjoyed dressing in Red, White, and Blue, and taking pictures! Here are a few.....

Mott family July 4th 2011

Mommy and Her Girls:)

Daddy and his Girls:)

All the Grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa Mott:)

Friday Nights & Family

2011-07-01T23:25:00.001-06:00

For Almost 1 year straight... The Mott's have all gotten together EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT! We have only missed a handful of fridays:)
We get together to have dinner (since we all need to have dinner anyway) and then we just hang out, visit, laugh, have technology learning classes or even watch movies.

Our dinners are fun.... We have had easy nights of Take and Bake Pizza to gourmet meals of Prime Rib....

This weekend, the Friday before the Fourth of July we had a fun evening of Pizza and then.....

FIREWORKS!!!!
This year Utah allowed the aerial fireworks up to 150 ft.

So this year we invested in some ground fireworks.. and one aerial called the machine gun. The biggest hit for the older kids was getting to "lite" the fireworks. ( We have a bunch of pyro's in the family:) For the little kids they Loved the "glow sticks" and the "pop rocks" the most. What another great night being with family... Since that what life is all about:)

2011-06-25T11:45:00.001-06:00

This is the Syracuse Dance Academy Float for the Syracuse Days Parade...

Every year the Saturday after the Big Dance recital is the Founder days for Syracuse City.

Gracelyn has never seen a parade because she has parents that are night owls and have a hard time getting up early.

Abigail and Dad waiting for Gracelyn's float to go by:)

Since most parades are in the morning.... we have not gone to many.

So this year we dropped Gracelyn off at the float and told her to wave and smile and throw the candy they provided.

Gracelyn didn't really know what she was getting in to but.... When we picked her up at the end she was smiling and seemed to have had a fun time!

After Recital... and ...THE FLOWERS!

2011-06-24T21:36:00.001-06:00

Gracelyn's Favorite part of the "Recital" is joining the family afterward and everyone showering her with flowers for a job well done!

Very proud of her FLOWERS!

Gracelyn did such a fabulous job at the recital. She pays very close detail to her dance moves and has no such sign of stage fright!!! Gracelyn on Thursday June 23, 2011 went to dance competition tryouts for the 2011-2012 dance year. She did well and she was placed to be on Syracuse Dance Academy's Show Time Dance Team as a "mini". It will be a busy time next year with 3 and half hours of dance a week and starting kindergarten but We know she can do it! We look forward to the "recital's"!

Dance Recital Day:)

2011-06-21T12:00:00.002-06:00

Gracelyn could hardly wait to get ready for the Dance Recital.... Gracelyn LOVES the "make-up, sparkles, and frills" to dancing!

This is her outfit for her Jazz/Ballet class. They did the song, "Walk like a Dinosaur."

What a beautiful little girl!!

This is her outfit for her Tumbling class... The song for this class is " Everybody have fun."

Gracelyn's end pose that was captured at dress rehearsal.

Abigail did not want to get left out so here she is posing for pictures with her hair all done and ready for the busy day:) My adorable little Blondie:)

Dance Recital The Night Before Prep!

2011-06-20T21:06:00.001-06:00

Curlers... Curlers... and More Curlers!!!

Little Sister had to join in on the fun and get her hair done too!

Quotes!!!

2011-06-17T20:00:00.001-06:00

The other day I had this fabulous friend that gave me this quote. I instantly was touched by it.... I think it is what I needed to hear:)

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect, it means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections!"

I know I need to look beyond the imperfections more frequently. I wish (and I bet we all do) that everything was perfect. I just get hung up on it being perfect that I don't RELAX and enjoy what is almost perfect!

History repeats itself:)

2011-06-13T18:14:00.004-06:00

OK... So it has been a few years since I have last posted. I was browsing my old post and man time sure flies. What is funny it my last post was about potty training Gracelyn and how we were thrilled that she woke up dry. Now... potty training Abigail is NOT EASY. She wants nothing to do with it and is almost 3 years old next month. I wonder if we will still be changing her diapers when she is 30!
I hope I don't wait as long to post in the future.... I forgot how fun it is to go back and view old post! My family is growing up way too fast:)

Dry Bed

2009-12-13T11:35:00.002-07:00

Gracelyn has been waking up with dry pull ups consistently the last few weeks. Well, last night... Mom and Dad forgot to have her put a pull up on! And this morning she woke up dry!! It is very exciting. Hopefully soon we won't have to buy any more pull ups for her!!!

Gracelyns First Self Hair Cut!

2009-12-02T18:15:00.001-07:00

Well it was bound to eventually happen... I just did not think this soon. Gracelyn has had VERY SLOW hair growth. After 3 1/2 years it is barely long enough to put in a small ponytail on the top of her head. She has been wanting to have her hair done and more into her hair. Well.... On Wednesday December 2nd I was cooking lunch and thinking about getting the girls baths afterward. I had worked the night before but had kept thinking Gracelyn had looked different. Well.. It finally hit me. She had CUT her hair. When I had noticed Grace looked a little panic stricken and began crying. I asked to show me the sissors and after some coaxing she pulled them out of her purse. I then asked where she did it and we learned that it was done in the computer room. The funny thing is that earlier that morning Abbe had gotten into the staples out of the computer desk. When I was picking them up I kept getting small chunks of hair. I just had thought to myself that,"man I was sure shedding."
So then after finding the evidence and learning where it took place I asked Grace when she did it. (I had to know if it was on "my shift" or on "daddy's shift".) Well she told me that she had done it "last night". I asked her where daddy was and she stated, "Changing Abbe's butt."
At first I was upset with her but then as I thought about it ... it is funny. I just laugh when I think about it. Grace can never know that I find it funny until she is way older. It's just hair. It will grow back. Who knows when since her hair is so slow at growing. I just hope she doesn't get any wild ideas to cut Abbe's hair. Her hair is actually growing at a more rapid pace.

The evidence!

The Damage!

Trying to cover it up!

She doesn't seem to upset about it!

Family Pictures November 2009

2009-11-28T11:50:00.002-07:00

Every Year I like to have pictures taken so I can place a recent picture in my Christmas Cards. Well, I am so lucky to have a father in law who loves to take pictures!!! So, I get my photography for free! The Saturday after Thanksgiving we did our photo shoot! The photographer is the best it is just hard to get two little kids to look at the camera at the first time. I feel the pictures turned out excellent!
We even got pictures of the girls with Grandma and Grandpa Mott!

Halloween Night!

2009-10-31T23:09:00.000-06:00

Here are the Halloween night Pictures. Gracelyn had fun going around to get candy. She had the "trick or treat" down pretty well. Abbe didn't last to long because she wanted to stop and eat every piece of candy that she got. Grace got kind of scared at the houses that had the dark bloody decorations she seems to think everything is pink and nice. She was very unsure of any "scary" costumes. One house there was a man in a gorilla costume sitting on his porch and when she walked up he moved and she bolted so fast! It was funny! We showed her that it was a costume and she asked "Why is he dressed like that." The man just stated that it was his costume just like she had one.

Here is the loot to prove the trick or treat night! She got a lot for such a little age!

Halloween Day!

2009-10-31T19:22:00.001-06:00

Halloween was fun this year because it was on a Saturday. So we had the opportunity to get dressed up early and go see all the Grandma's and Grandpa's before going out trick or treating that night. We went up to Perry first and saw the Martinez's. Mema surprised and scared Gracelyn with a funny witch mask and hat. After that we went over to the Motts and had pictures done by Grandpa Mott ( I don't have the copy of those pictures yet.... I am sure they are better than mine!) After visiting a little while then we went home to start the candy hunt! The Picture of me was taken because Bill was teasing Gracelyn and would not give her her Thumbelina fairy wings. He was showing her that they looked better on Mom! I don't think they look to bad on me!

Trunk or Treat!

2009-10-28T21:54:00.000-06:00

This year we went to our wards "trunk or treat". It was held the Wednesday before Halloween. So the girls got to dress up 2 times. Gracelyn was Thumbelina ( because the costume was "pink and sparkly". ) Abbe was a bee ( Her favorite movie is the "Bee Movie".) Gracelyn had a blast because she was able to spend the evening with her best friend and neighbor Brynlee. They had a bunch activities for the kids and they also had a chili dinner. After the dinner and the games the kids go around to the trunks of the cars to get candy. However, it was so cold that they held the candy exchange in the gym of the church. Kids love it and get a ton of candy in a matter of minutes.

Our outdoor visitor!

2009-10-25T18:33:00.003-06:00

For the last few years we have tried to decorate our front porch for the fall. This year we went all out and got a ton of pumpkins and decorated the straw bales with indian corn, little colorful squashes, and mini pumpkins. After it had been up for a few days I had noticed one of my indian corns was disappearing. So Bill got out our fighting ammo "d-con" to keep the little critters from coming into our house.
One afternoon my sister Amy had come over to our house. When I opened the front door to let her in I noticed a little grey fur ball stuck in the middle of the straw bales. He was still moving and I know he had ingested our "ammo". A little while later we went out side and he was in a "deep sleep" in between our pumpkins. It was hard to explain to Gracelyn that we don't want little mice hanging around the house when she loves the Disney Movie Ratatouille. Thank You Disney for making such dirty little rodents so lovable :)

Ogden Train Station

2009-10-02T18:21:00.002-06:00

Gracelyn has always been excited to see trains. We decided to take a day and go up to the Ogden Train Station to see the trains then ride the Front Runner down to Salt Lake to shop at the gateway and have lunch. Grandma and Grandpa Mott went with us and we had a fun time! Abbe is sure starting to walk well.

2009-09-08T20:24:00.001-06:00

This is the first video that we have on a phone of Abbe taking her first few steps. She of course did it while mom was at work.

Dance Begins

2009-09-08T12:17:00.001-06:00

Getting ready for my 1st ever Dance class!

Today was Gracelyn's first class of her Dance Class. Gracelyn is taking a tap and ballet class. They work on tap movements and hand - eye coordination. Gracelyn has been so excited for her class to start. We went about two weeks ago to pick out her Dance outfits and since she is my shoe girl her expression when they showed her the tap shoes she states," Oh mom look how beautiful they are!". Gracelyn was not shy at all. She had no problem jumping right in and participating in her dance class. Hope she enjoys her classes!

Daddy Daughter Moment

2009-09-07T20:38:00.002-06:00

Bill has always been jealous that Abbe frequently will fall asleep in my arms but never his. So this Labor Day she spoiled her daddy! The pictures look all sweet and stuff but the following pictures you can see that it may have been a con to get her little hand on the "remote" too!

Biking on Legacy Highway Trails!

2009-09-06T22:57:00.001-06:00

We decided to spend the afternoon together as a family and go for a bike ride down on the Legacy Highway Trails. We drove down to Cenerville and we parked the truck. We let Gracelyn ride her new bike that she got for her Birthday! Gracelyn rode 1.2 miles on her bike. It was slow going but she did awesome. It was a great teaching moment to try to keep her on the right hand side of the trail. At one point some people came by us on bike and I had to excuse us for being in their way and her comment was, "Why are those people in MY way."

After Gracelyn rode we parked her bike and Bill and I and the girls went on a ride up to Farmington a total of 12 miles round trip. It was a great ride except the strong head wind we got on the way back to our truck!

Abbe is sure growing up fast!

2009-08-31T22:58:00.003-06:00

Our little Abbe is growing up soooo..... fast. She is really starting to let her personality shine! She has really enjoyed being able to play in her sisters room. She also loves all of her sisters toys! We love her very much!

Look what happens when Moms's at work!!!

2009-08-27T22:26:00.021-06:00

I guess while I was at work... Gracelyn decided to get the dishwasher soap down from the counter and give to her sister Abbe to play with. It was the indoor sandbox. My question to dad was,"Where were you"??? He then stated, "Who left the soap out". I guess we are both at fault!! It looks like they were having

fun!

Then I guess they got tired!

Tunnels!!

2009-08-03T20:51:00.003-06:00

Abbe we have noted that she loves to go under things. SOO... Daddy felt that Abbe needed a tunnel to crawl through. So here it is. And she LOVES it!! Both Abbe and Grace spent hours today playing in the fort/tunnel house. These girls are sure spoiled. How long do you think the excitement will last???

Gracelyn's 3rd Birthday Party!

2009-08-01T22:00:00.000-06:00

Gracelyn celebrated her Birthday at her Grandma and Grandpa Martinez House. They have the pool which makes for a fun Birthday party! Gracelyn had all of her cousins, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles that lived close at her party. There was Pizza, Cake, Pinatas, and of course Swimming. I think everyone had a fun time. Gracelyn got some great gifts. She got a CD player that has a microphone on it so she can sing. A new baby stroller ( 3rd one she has gone through in 2 years) and a bike. She also got some clothes, laptop, and a cash register scanner. There was some great screams and reactions to the simple gifts of sunglasses and jewelry! I think she had a great day.

During the Pinata she was concerned that people where hitting her "shoe."

After the party was over and we were headed home Grace stated that she wanted to have her Birthday again. We are grateful for all the family coming to the party and all of the great gifts and of course for Grandma and Grandpa Martinez for donating the pool!

Annual Birthday Pictures!

2009-07-27T20:05:00.000-06:00

It was time for Birthday Pictures to be taken. These were Gracelyn's 3 year and Abbe's 1st Birthday Pictures. I wanted to get a picture of the 3 three of us as well. Pictures this year was not a pleasant experience for mom! We got a NEW photographer and she struggled getting Abbe to smile and then Grace has started showing the attitude for the horrible threes. We had only gotten the picture of Abbe and Grace together when Grace threw a fit and started crying, kicking her feet and throwing her shoes. It was embarrassing but I know I am not the only mom that has had that experience. During her fit we were able to get Abbe's done and then another worker got Grace to semi cooperate and we got her pictures done. It is not as cute as I know she can be but at least we have the memory of her horrible threes.

We then got the picture of the Girls and I. I was really shocked that that picture even turned out. At least they are done and they don't seem too bad.

Heber Railroad Dinner

2009-07-25T21:21:00.000-06:00

During the Grandma and Granddad Bass's stay here in Utah we had the opportunity to go to Heber and ride the Railroad and do a dinner ride where we were taken to a place where we had a BBQ dinner and was entertained with a blue grass band. Gracelyn has been very interested in trains and it was fun to see her excited about riding in the train. We also had great company to enjoy the evening with. We were with the Martinez family, Grandma and Granddad Bass and Grandma and Grandpa Mott!

Family Pictures!!

2009-07-22T23:40:00.003-06:00

We have never had a chance to have Family Pictures done. Since we were going to get the Four Generation Photos done with Grandma and Granddad Bass being here we decided to try get one of us as a family. I feel these pictures turned out great! I sure do love my family!

Four Generation Pictures

2009-07-22T23:34:00.002-06:00

We have been very excited because Grandma and Granddad Bass have been up from Tucson, Arizona to visit. This is the first time that they have met Abbe in person and Gracelyn was only a few months old when they were last here.
We decided to take advantage of them being here that we went and had a Four Generation Picture done. The girls did so good with the Pictures and cooperated very well. This was a priceless moment!

Abbe's 1st Birthday Celebration!!

2009-07-19T21:29:00.006-06:00

Today we celebrated Abbe's 1st Birthday. I know it was a few days early but, we did so for convenience for everyone that works during the week. We had a great BBQ lunch. Everyone was wonderful for helping me with providing the food. The presents were great and Abbe received a lot of them. Her attention didn't last too long with the presents. She enjoyed standing and crawling all over them more than opening them. We also had a pinata that all of the kids enjoyed.

Abbe did great with attacking her cake. She dug in well and loved squishing the icing through her hands. She also enjoyed flinging the cake by waving her hands in excitement. She also did discover that her thumb is more enjoyable to suck covered in icing. It was a mess to clean up. But worth it!! My baby is sure growing up fast. We were worried that Gracelyn would be jealous with Abbe getting presents but she did great. However, after everyone left she took over with playing with all of Abbe's new toys and they are in Gracelyns room!!! Gracelyn was very cute and while Abbe was attacking her cake she went and got a dish towel from the kitchen and kept trying to clean up the cake off the floor as Abbe flung it around. We reassured her that it was okay. She finally gave up and started taking bites of cake off Abbe's high chair. Every time Grace took some cake Abbe would scream at her! It was a Great DAY!!!

My Water Babies!!

2009-07-11T23:16:00.002-06:00

Tonight was proof to how much my babies love water..... I bought me a new quilt for my bedroom and the washing instructions call to soak in vinegar before washing. Sooo.... I was running the bath water with COLD water and of course all of the kids were with me in the bathroom. I stepped out to get the vinegar and next thing I hear is a "thud" and then of course followed by a cry from little Abbe. Upon arriving Abbe had flipped herself into the bath tub with freezing cold water in it fully clothed. I should have grabbed my camera but motherly instinct was to get her out as soon of possible since the water was cold. Abbe loves the bath and I guess she was ready to take one at 9:00 P.M. I never thought she could flip herself into the bath tub. Now I know she can!

Happy 4th and Bill's Birthday!

2009-07-04T23:30:00.000-06:00

On the 4th of July we celebrated Bills Birthday and had a get together with the Mott family. We all had a BBQ at my house and then that evening we went to clearfield fireworks. It was Gracelyn and Abbe's first time getting to see fireworks. They both loved it. The weather was perfect. It was a very mild summer day! Hope it stays this mild the rest of the summer:)

My Birthday!!

2009-06-27T23:55:00.007-06:00

For My Birthday (and My sister Amy's) we all went to Lagoon... ( I must give Amy the credit because it was her idea to go) Anyway, We spent the whole day at Lagoon for Our Birthday Celebration. This was Gracelyns and Abbe's First time at Lagoon.

Gracelyn enjoyed the little rides but she went full force and rode many of the bigger rides. Gracelyn was 38 inches and you have to be at least 36 to start riding some of the bigger rides. Gracelyn rode Rattle Snake Rapids, Scrambler, Tilt a Whirl, The Big Boat one and even the Log Ride.

Abbe was able to ride the Carousel and the train ride with everyone. Abbe LOVED the Carousel. Her Little face was priceless. She had the biggest grin on the whole time while riding the carousel.

It worked out the best for all because there was so many of us there that Bill and I were able to enjoy some of the Adult Rides. There was always someone that didn't want to go on the rides. Bill and I were able to do the Large Bungee swing that you have to pay extra for. Papa Martinez did it with us as well. It was so worth the $15 dollars each. Papa Martinez was great and pulled the rip cord for us!!
While we were there we had an old time family picture session done. The pictures turned out great!!

We also watched one of the performance shows with the dancing and singing. Gracelyn kept commenting on all the the performers accessories. There was some hat on one of the boys she didn't like, but many of the girls shoes and dresses were a big hit.

The girls were great the whole time but were VERY tired by the end of the day. We were gone 14 hours.

History!

2009-06-12T20:27:00.003-06:00

This is a photo group that is on my wall in my living room. It has been there a while but is well over do for blogging about it. This has a lot of sentimental value to it. The top picture is a picture of me when I was few weeks old. Then I have a saying that I came across and love. It states, "Diamonds my be precious... but Daughters are Priceless."

What is wonderful is my mother saved the dress that I was wearing in the picture and I decided to have both of my daughters pictures taken in my dress. I do plan that after I am done having kids and girls then I plan to frame my dress and add it to this wall photo group I display in my living room.

Hope you enjoy. I love it!

Watching my Garden Grow!!

2009-06-12T20:14:00.004-06:00

I have never had the desire to have my own garden but I must have been bitten by some weird bug this year. I have been itching to have my own garden. Besides our flower beds needed some work so... instead of flowers we did food.

I decided to try out a few things to grow. I really wanted tomatoes. I bought 5 plants anticipating a few dying. But all 5 are growing strong. I even have found 2 little tomatoes growing on one of the plants.

I also planted little green peppers, jalapenos, green chilies, and 2 very huge zucchini plants. I also planted a few strawberry plants not pictured. The strawberries are not growing as well as the others. In fact I think 1 or 2 of the plants have died. Anyway, for the first time every growing something on my own I feel I am doing well. I am very proud of my job so far.

I now am having a crazy idea of possible canning my tomatoes so they don't go to waste. I think I may be crazy. We will see!

Food Storage

2009-06-08T20:05:00.002-06:00

Food Storage!! We all know that it has been taught and encouraged that we have an emergency supply saved for disasters or loss of jobs. From the time Bill and I got married this has been something we both felt strongly about having on hand. It has been 3 1/2 years since we married and we have finally started. This is about 80 plus #10 cans of food.

From Lasagna, scrambled eggs with bacon, to fruit we are well on our way. This picture is a ledge that is on the side as you head down to our basement. We don't want to store it on the floor so until we get our shelves put in our cellar this is their home. We hope to continue to make this project grow till we have at least 1 year or more. We now need to get water stored. One thing at a time!

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T14:56:00.002-06:00

We were able to spend Memorial Day at Grandma and Grandpa Martinez's house. Their pool has now opened for use this summer and we were all able to enjoy swimming that day. Abbe enjoyed the water and was the last one out. Gracelyn has not forgotten how much fun it is to jump off the diving board.

When you are tired… You are just tired.

2009-05-20T15:27:00.000-06:00

Abbe was jumping away in her jumper and in a matter of minutes she just fell asleep! I guess if you are tired anywhere will do!

What happens when we get no nap!

2009-05-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

Gracelyn still takes naps.... If she does not get one she gets very whiny and drives me crazy. If we let her go to long with out her nap ... When she gets a still moment she crashes. These are some fun photos of her naps. She fell asleep at Ruby River in Provo when we went to visit Grandpa Mercer when he was up in Utah. The other was just falling asleep in the car.

Pictures with Grandpa Mott

2009-04-15T21:32:00.006-06:00

Grandpa Mott has a passion for taking pictures. He has always wanted a back drop for taking photos. So for his Birthday in January he got one. So... We have decided to help out Grandpa and put him to work with taking photos. So this Easter weekend we had Grandpa Mott take some pictures of the girls in matching dresses. There were a ton of pictures that turned out very cute but I only posted a few that didn't needed to be cropped or edited! Grandpa did a great job! We hope to have many more cute photo shoots to come!!

Easter Morning!!

2009-04-12T21:22:00.000-06:00

SHOES!! SHOES!! The best gift of the all!!

Easter Morning came too early. We were all tired but had to get moving because we had a busy day. The girls got a few toys and matching swim suits that will be great for outdoor swimming . Gracelyn did get some new flip flops and off course that was her favorite because she is CRAZY over shoes! After the girls got their Easter baskets and hunted a few candy filled eggs we went over to Aunt Kathy house for an Easter Breakfast with the Martinez side of the family. Gracelyn got tons of Easter candy there and then later we went to Grandma Martinez house and got more Easter toys and an Easter dress and of course MORE CANDY!! We go too much candy. Gracelyn also got more candy by inviting herself to the neighbors backyard and got to meet the "Easter Bunny" and they let her take another basket full of candy! Overall, it was a great weekend it just went by way... too... fast... as always!

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-11T21:11:00.001-06:00

Saturday Night LATE before Easter morning we were quickly coloring Easter Eggs. Mom was crazy and tried to plan too many activities the weekend of Easter and it was nearly impossible to get them all done. ( It didn't help with me being sick either) SOOO..... We did have to make sure that we completed the Easter tradition and have colored eggs. We didn't color too many because with a 2 year old she looses interest quickly. However, we did get them done!

Living Planet Aquarium

2009-04-10T20:58:00.001-06:00

On Friday April 10th we were able to go visit the Living Planet Aquarium. It was our first time. It was the kick off fun for Easter weekend. We went with Grandma Martinez, Uncle Travis, Aunt Amy and of course Abbe, Gracelyn and Me!! I think Abbe had the most fun. She was GLUED to glass watching the fishes move. Gracelyn loves all the attention that she gets from Grandma and her Aunt Amy. They SPOIL HER!!!

Spring Fever

2009-03-23T21:46:00.003-06:00

I was going through the pictures on our camera to update the blog site and found these cute pictures of Gracelyn playing outside. Dad must have taken these one day when I had left for work. I wasn't present for these pictures but they are way cute! (If I was gone and Dad is taking these pictures of Gracelyn then.... Where is Abbe??) We have all had Spring Fever bad and Gracelyn has been dying to play outside. It is nice to see all the kids starting to play outside and all the snow melting away! These were taken March 7, 2009

My own Piano

2009-03-20T20:44:00.001-06:00

Since I have become an adult and moved out of my parents house I have wanted my own piano. However, they are not cheap and are so heavy to move that until you have a permanent location you really don't want to get one. I am no concert pianist but I do love to play and sing. One of my dream piano's is the Yamaha Clavinova Digital Piano but they are VERY EXPENSIVE! At this time we don't want to spend money on it. We have other big projects that need to be done first. Gracelyn has been showing an interest in music and I know that we should have a piano at an early age so if she wants to learn we would have it available. Besides, I want one. So Bill informed me that if I found a used piano within a decent price range then I could get one.

I really wanted a Clavinova but after a few days and realizing that a standard piano was my only option to getting a piano now.... I focused on the idea. I began my search on KSL.com and found a few to go and see. So after seeing a couple I found this one. I believe it was a great deal. Gracelyn has loved plinking on it as well.

Abbe's Hair

2009-03-15T19:56:00.001-06:00

Abbe has very unique hair. It has been said that it reminds people of the hair that was on "Troll Dolls"! It likes to stick straight up. Her hair is fine, very blonde, and soft. We don't fight the hair we just let it do it's own thing! It is just part of our Abbe! (Abbe 8 months old)

My new Dining Table

2009-03-09T20:36:00.001-06:00

I have been telling everyone about my new dining table and they keep telling me to blog about it. I have never had this nice of a table so it is exciting to have. Our last table the chairs were not very good quality and since we are not "Little" people they were breaking. So I went and found this more "heavy duty table". I like how heavy the chairs are. The table also expands in out to other lenghts. It is 76 inches long and can expand to 96 then out to 114 inches. We got eight chairs with our set in case we have some big party or something! Anyway, here is my new table!

Gracelyn's First "Ponytail"

2009-03-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Gracelyn has not been blessed with an abundance of hair. This is Gracelyn's hair at 2 1/2 years old. It has never been cut. We have just been waiting patiently for it to grow. Mom has enjoyed that fact that when you are in a hurry that her hair has been easy to do. It has taken 2 1/2 years but she now finally wakes up in the morning or from naps with "Bed head". Gracelyn is so Girly and wants desperately to wear the cute hair clips but her hair is very fine and they don't stay in. With this small little ponytail it is a start. I guess I am going to have to finally start styling her hair!

My Three Kids

2009-02-27T19:49:00.004-07:00

These three are the most precious people in my life. I love them very much. I am so grateful they are apart of my life!

2008-12-31T23:33:00.002-07:00

Bill and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. Bill surprised me with this beautiful rose bouquet. I Love Roses! We spent our anniversary going to Salt Lake and going to the Body Worlds exhibit. We also enjoyed the evening seeing a Laser Light show at the Planetarium. Overall, it was an enjoyable day! We hope we have many more anniversaries to share!

Snow Fun!

2008-12-29T23:14:00.004-07:00

This was Gracelyn's first time sledding. We thought she would be a little scared so we took along cousin Madison to ride along. Both of the girls had a great time! Gracelyn even got brave enough to ride by herself. Daddy sure got his exercise helping the girls up the hill multiple times. The smiles and screams were all worth it!

Pictures of Daddy's Girls

2008-12-28T22:59:00.004-07:00

On Sunday before we went to church Daddy decided to snap some pictures of his girls. Gracelyn was doing some fun and silly poses and Abbe sure was giving Daddy some big smiles!

Christmas Morning!

2008-12-28T22:55:00.002-07:00

Christmas morning was full of....

Sleepy Moments...

Fun...

More Fun...

And most of all Smiles...

This Christmas was very fun... Gracelyn had a blast and her excitement was fun to see. She did so well at opening her gifts and was so excited for her shoes, new pajamas, princess table/chair set and her new doll stroller. Abbe did well watching her sister and did try to grab at the wrapping paper a few times. We have a few years before she catches on to the excitement of Christmas.

Santa Was Good This Year!

2008-12-28T22:51:00.002-07:00

Santa Delivered lots of great gifts this year!

"Our Chemistree"

2008-12-12T23:44:00.003-07:00

On December 1st we set up our Christmas Tree. Gracelyn has had her own unique way to say Christmas Trees. It is pronounced as "Chemistrees" . She had fun seeing all the lights and helped with a few decorations before she was side tracked with other things. She gets excited every night we turn the tree lights on!

Santa at the Mall

2008-12-12T23:32:00.003-07:00

Saturday November 29th. We had gone to the mall to get cousin pictures taken. Afterward we were running errands around the mall and the line was short to see Santa. So cousin Courtney took Gracelyn up to
to see Santa. I didn't know that you were not allowed to take pictures with your own devices.... Well, I was able to snap a few photos before they informed me that I was not supposed to. Gracelyn was unsure of Santa but she sure liked the candy cane she got from him. Gracelyn is still trying to figure out what this Christmas stuff is all about!

Trailer Trip Moab, Utah 2008

2008-12-12T15:36:00.006-07:00

This is the Train of Trailers!

Cute Family but WAY PREGNANT!

There was a ton of dirt...

and more dirt...

And it was sure fun to play in!

We are still cleaning Moab dirt out of our trailer!

Once again were able to take a trip to Moab Utah with our trailers. It were able to go with the whole crew again. Justin & Nancy and family and with Mom and Dad Mott and the girls. I was 6-7 months pregnant with Abbe and was almost not allowed to go on the trip because of toxemia signs and symptoms. This trip was not as busy as the Yellowstone trip for me. I was unable to go on the hikes but those that did hike did enjoy it! We also rented jeeps and for the most part we enjoyed jeeping. I know Megan and Nancy were fearful of the high roads that were climbed and me... Well lets say I don't recommend jeeping and being pregnant. It is kinda painful. I hope we can repeat that trip again someday so I can enjoy it pregnant free. Moab we definitely HOTTER than Yellowstone but at least we had our A/C in our trailers. I love trailer camping. Well we look forward to more fun trips in the future!

Trailer Trip Yellowstone 2007

2008-12-12T15:06:00.004-07:00

We are a cute family I must admit!

What a face!!

Mom and Dad Mott and Cousins Courtney, Ashtyn,& Madison

Justin & Nancy Mott and Cousins Jesse, Megan, Josh, & James

We were very lucky to purchase a travel trailer in the spring of 2007. We decided as a Mott family to take our trailers and try to do a fun week long trip every summer. Our first adventure was to Yellowstone National Park. It was a blast with all the cousins, Mom, Dad, Justin and Nancy. The vacation went by very fast as most vacations always do. We planned well for the trip and I don't believe we went with out. ( Nancy and I are always teased by the other members of the family on how crazy we are when we plan. We get full menu's and lists after lists. We take the teasing because we know we are good at making sure we have all we may possibly need.) We saw almost every animal except a moose. We were able to see a bear and we also were stuck in many Buffalo traffic jams! The scenery was breath taking. We will have to do another Yellowstone trip again in the future!

Abigail Jean

2008-12-12T14:51:00.002-07:00

Abigail Jean was born on July 21st, 2008 --- 8 lbs. 10 oz. She was born on her cousin Josh's Birthday. So our kids like to be born on other peoples Birthdays. We had originally planned to have Abbe born on Gracelyns Birthday. The C-section was scheduled but Abbe was making me TOO sick and at our appointment on Monday July 21st our doctor said I was done being pregnant and she scheduled our C-section that night. It was amazing how much better I instantly felt after she was delivered. So Gracelyn and Abbe are 10 days shy of being exactly 2 years apart. Having a C-section the second time around was great. So much easier than the first. I healed well and was mowing the lawn three weeks after she was born. Abbe is beautiful and we love her very much but she has been a little more difficult of a baby than Gracelyn was. She took longer before she was sleeping through the night and had longer fussier periods in the evenings. Gracelyn has adjusted fairly well to Abbe. She can be very loving but also rough at times. I am sure they will enjoy getting on each others nerves as they get older.

Gracelyn Rae

2008-12-10T21:36:00.002-07:00

Gracelyn was born on August 1, 2006. She was born on her great-great grandmothers Birthday.(Nana) I was showing signs of toxemia and over the weekend the doctor had me do some tests. So on Monday July 31, 2006 when we were headed to go talk to the doctor regarding the test results we were in a car accident. Luckily nobody was hurt except my truck. (Bill was okay with it since it was a Toyota) When we got to the doctors office after getting my truck to the repair shop we learned that they were going to start my labor. So as we were admitted to the hospital we had the insurance agencies getting statements regarding the accident while they were running pitocin to start my labor. We labored all afternoon, and into the evening but never had any progression with labor soo.... at 3 in the morning they took me C-section and we had our beautiful baby girl. Gracelyn was 8 lbs 1 oz.

As Gracelyn has grown she has become very independent and very stubborn. She is very "Girly" and LOVES SHOES. ( I have no idea where she gets that. I am not a shoe person.) Gracelyn also likes all the "BLING" including jewelry, painted nails and make-up. She is definitely our Little Princess.

How the Mott's Began!

2008-12-04T11:44:00.003-07:00

Bill and I met on Friday October 7, 2005. We were set up by Nancy and Justin Mott. I work with Nancy at Crestwood Care Center and she had suggested that she had a great brother in-law. Justin was unsure about setting his brother up but luckily they felt it was a good idea. We went on a double date to the Olive Garden. It was a great night. They next day Bill and I talked on the phone for a few hours and from that time on we have been inseparable.
By December we knew we would marry. Sooo... We decided to just get hitched on December 31, 2005. We got married at a little 24 hour chapel in Salt Lake. It was very fun! Not your typical wedding but memorable for us. We then went to the Hard Rock Cafe and had a lunch/dinner with close friends and family.

We have started a BLOG!!!

2008-12-02T15:07:00.003-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I have been persuaded to start my own blog. There are so many people that are doing it and well...... I have been talked in to it. I know it is hard to keep in contact with so many people that this is a fun way to log LIFE!. I enjoy scrap booking but with TWO little kids I don't have much time. So this will be our online scrapbook for all to see! I hope you all enjoy and please be patient till I can get some pictures and stories going!