Carrie Snider

Photo Tutorial: All-In-One menu plan/cash/coupon

2011-12-31T10:04:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you want to organize and thrif-i-fy the "food" part of your life? Here is a little tutorial outlining how I do it.

Step 1. Active shopping list. I like it on my fridge because as soon as I run out of something, I write it down. This is from the $1 section at Target.

Step 2: Recipe binder. I use a 3-ring binder (with a clear front pocket) and printed off all the recipes I use the most often. I've been updating mine for years, so this was fairly easy. It's really nice to have them all in one spot so I don't have to search several cookbooks or find the paper I printed from the Internet (I love allrecipes.com). I use a 1-inch binder and I found the cute printable cover online.

Step 3: Recipe book title page and dividers. This is the best thing ever! It's nice to look at one page and see all the recipes I use a lot. It's much better than flipping through the recipe book all the time. I have divided the main dishes this way: chicken - beef - pork - fish - beans. So then if chicken is on sale, I can just go to the chicken section and see what we could eat for dinner.

Step 4. Menu plan prep. I printed 12 pages of empty calendars (found online somewhere) and put them in the front pocket. I like this calendar because it has three spots in each date -- room for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Step 5: Coupons. I have a few pages of baseball card sheet protectors to hold coupons I printed from the internet and also I get two Sunday papers.

I am not an extreme couponer. I limit coupons to toiletries and more healthy food options. I hear all the time "I don't coupon because it's just for junk food!" That is true some of the time. But there are some coupons out there for healthy food. Right now I have coupons for fresh avacado, canned pineapple, yogurt, bagged salad, baking stuff like olive oil and salt, etc. Also diapers, cleaner, cat food, etc.

I mostly follow athriftymom.com and thekrazycouponlady.com since they both outline couponing at Albertson's, Wal-mart and Walgreens, the three places I use coupons the most. By stacking coupons with the store sales (see the next step), that is the best way to coupon.

Step 6: Store ads and "deal list" of the week. I get store ads in the Sunday paper (or you can find them online at each store's website). Then I make a list of the best deals I think I might want to get. This week I listed a few deals from Wal-mart, Albertson's, Walgreens, etc. Did I get them all? No.... but by doing this I knew where to get the best deals on certain items. For example, at Wal-mart bagged chicken was about $7 for 3 lbs. At Albertson's, it is much cheaper at only $1.88 per pound. So when I go to Albertson's this week, I'm going to get the chicken there because it's a better deal.

On my "deal list" you see on the right, I used a regular pen to write out what I thought I might get, then I used a blue marker to show what I actually bought and the total.

Step 7: Menu plan. With coupons and best deals at the stores fresh in my head, I pull out my shopping list and calendar and make a 7-day breakfast/lunch/dinner menu AND a shopping list. It's nice to have my recipes right there for quick reference. And by using food I want to get with coupons and sales, I save money.

Step 8: Completed shopping list and coupons to use before I get in the car. I put these in the outside pocket of the binder so they are handy when I'm at the store. I like to take the whole binder just in case I need to refer to a recipe, use another coupon (like if I find an unadvertised clearance and I have the coupon for it, making it an extra sweet deal), etc.

Step 9: CASH! I listen and read Dave Ramsey. One way he tells people to save money is by paying cash for things. So on pay day, I pull out $x for groceries. I divide it in half and use that amount for the entire week. Once it's gone, it's gone. It's really forced me to be frugal by couponing, shopping sales, and only buying what we need. I also find myself really planning ahead and only going to the store for one major shopping trip per week, plus a small shopping trip on another day of the week if there is a good deal or we need something extra/fresh.

Step 10: Receipt and record. I have a pocket in my binder to put that week's receipts. I do this because eventually, I want to add another section to my binder: Best Price List. I want to compile the best prices on things we buy a lot so I know when to stock up. For example, I already know that the best price for 24-packs of water bottles is every few months when Walgreens has a coupon for $2.49 each (usually limit 3 per trip). Typically 24-packs of water bottles are $2.99 or even $3.99. So when this sale comes around, I buy three (we put them in our cars and in our water storage) if we are running low.

Sydney Turns 1

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

One year ago, my water broke (2 weeks early!) and our sweet little Sydney was born a few hours later. She is as sweet as pie. Everyone loves her. She is taking some steps and should be chasing the boys soon!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! We spent a week at the farm in Oregon. It was cold, but there was no snow this year. We spent a lot of time lounging, watching movies, relaxing.... do you see a trend here?

The boys loved the angry bird masks! I.... er Santa made them last minute on Christmas Eve.

Some Snider-Kennington cousins.

Loook what I got!

Justin "helping" grandma with dishes. Ok so Justin isn't always wearing clothes! He has learned to put on and take off.... everything.

Uncle Conrad brought his cool remote control car. He told the boys to lay down so he could drive over them. Of course they did it!

Sydney and daddy taking a nap.

Chasing the car in the field.

Athena found a feather and shell.

What's Up With Those Sniders?

2011-11-29T11:42:00.000-08:00

My thyroid is behaving.
I'm losing weight! (more on that later)
We had a great Halloween.
We had a great Thanksgiving.
Our Christmas tree is up!
Sydney is alllllmost walking.
Sydney has a mouthful of teeth.
Justin acts like a 3 year old ALL DAY! Sheesh!
Dallin looooves school.
Jon is so so busy at work. A blessing and a curse.
Slow season for my two jobs-- allows me to catch up.
I am sewing and shopping for Christmas gifts.
It is COLD here. I need thicker socks.
I am not pregnant during Christmas! Yippeee!
Our cat basically sleeps all day.
It snowed a few times but melted already.
I don't have to nap everyday like I used to.
I am still plugging away at writing a few manuscripts.
I am getting paid to write for a website.
That's all for now!

Yakima Family Photography

2011-09-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful family from down the street and also at church. They are a hoot! Good luck to their oldest, who is off to work at Disneyworld. :)
See more of my work at www.carriesnider.com.

Yakima Wedding Reception Photography

2011-09-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

What a fun reception! The bride was beautiful and the yard was just perfect. It was a fun party.
See more of my work at www.carriesnider.com.

Yakima Family Photographer

2011-09-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

I love this family! We know them from our many years in the local Spanish Branch.
See more of my work at www.carriesnider.com.

Dallin's First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Jackson read us 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed.
I colored some papers.
A boy in a green shirt was sad so his mom came and he felt better.
We walked around the sidewalk outside in the school.
I got a candy, it's in my backpack.
Can I go back tomorrow?

Deluxe Brownies

2011-08-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have been making these brownies since I first learned to bake. They are from the Betty Crocker cookbook. Everyone loves them, especially my brothers who requested them very frequently!

Deluxe Brownies

2/3 cup margarine/butter
5 ounces unsweatened chocolate (I used 5 T of cocoa powder)
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9x2 pan. Heat margarine and chocolate in a saucepan until melted. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, then add chocolate/margarine mixture and stir until blended. Pour into pan and cook for 30-45 minutes (I usually do 30 so they're a tad bit doughy).

What it's like to have Postpartum Thyroiditis

2011-07-31T22:35:00.001-07:00

I was first diagnosed a few months ago.... read about it here.

I went to a specialist at the end of May, and he ordered my 4th blood test. Previously my thyroid had been hyper, then hypo. Now it was reading "normal" even though I was still displaying all of the thyroid symptoms. He said with the up and down my thyroid was displaying, it would probably continue to do so until it evened out on its own. In the meantime... suffer through it.

Let me tell you what having postpartum thyroiditis is like. For a few weeks, you feel fine, then you have a "crash" and feel crappy for a week or two. During that crappy week, what is it like? Well, sometimes I change my shirt 3x a day, because the heat gets to me and I sweat profusely. My hair comes out in clumps. I get a bruise, and it lasts for weeks. I can't think straight.... I leave my purse and diaper bag in the road and drive off. I have to sit down and rest in order to do anything, even something easy like wash the dishes. My muscles are sore, especially my big muscles like my quads, but also stomach and back and arms. I can't lose weight because my thyroid isn't letting my metabolism do its thing, plus my appetite is completely out of whack. I have no motivation, which when you have three kids, an online job, a husband, and a house to take care of.... yeah. I have to take a nap everyday just to manage. But sometimes when I am tired, I just lay there, not able to sleep. In a word, it sucks.

So in early June, I went to a wonderful clinic in town and met with a wonderful pharmacist who had me taking some supplements-- mostly for adrenal gland issues. Right away, it took away a lot of the dizziness and tiredness. It was so wonderful. But I still had odd thyroid symptoms. Later, Jon and his brother gave me a priesthood blessing, and I knew things would work out.

In early July, I went to another clinic, as I was visiting my parents in another state and they had luck going there. I thought there was room for improvement, so why not? This wonderful nurse talked to me for an hour and thought we should focus more on my thyroid and taking kelp and a few other supplements.

So now I take at minimum, 9 supplements per day. I feel my thyroid tingle most every day after I take them. I feel they are helping me, but they can only do so much.

For three weeks (so most of July), I felt the best I had felt since before being pregnant (meaning pre-May 2010). It was wonderful! I was able to do so much more than I had in a long time. I figured I could even start exercising. The first day I felt awesome.... I had a rest day. Then the second exercise session, I felt just ok. Then a rest day. Then after the third session, I crashed. My thyroid went nuts. I could feel it get huge, and even Jon said it looked big. I basically slept for a few days just to recover. That was about 10 days ago, and I still feel really crappy. All of the symptoms you read above? They came back with a vengeance.

It has been really frustrating. I want to at least be able to make dinner and do laundry without getting winded. I want to feel motivated to play with my kids outside and be able to pull weeds and just do normal things. But I just can't. I feel so limited. All I can do is lay down and read, watch TV, stare at the ceiling, etc.

I pleaded in prayer the other night. I felt so defeated, and that I just couldn't do it anymore. I want to feel better, and I don't know what else I can do. I know in my heart this will continue for several more months at least.

I have never been one to accept defeat easily, but what else can I do? I might call my doctor again, or make another appointment with the specialist and have another blood test, but I already know what they will say-- rest when you can and just wait it out.

Update August 20, 2011: I got all my labs from all the different blood tests. It was really interesting to compare them, and my doctor brother-in-law explained how the different numbers interacted with each other. My levels are coming down, which is good. I am still going up and down, but not as dramatically as before. I have felt ok the past two weeks. I am getting better slowly, and I also am dealing with it better by knowing when to rest. The doc wants me to go back again in two months for another blood test.

Fourth of July

2011-07-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

Since being married, we hadn't been to my parents' house for the 4th of July... I'm so glad we made the trip this year! We had a fun weekend hanging out and seeing family.

Start at the bottom... the pictures sort of go in order starting at the end.

Yippeee!

Last one!!!

Conrad aimed it just right, factoring in the wind speed, and most of them landed pretty close to the launch pad.

Look at it go!

Setting up for the next rocket.

Watching the first rocket come down.

Dallin getting ready to watch Uncle Conrad shoot off rockets.

Thanks grandma!

Fireworks!

Bee on one of mom's beautiful flowers.

Raspberry ice cream. Must get it into my tummy any way possible (his third bowl).

Mommy and baby.

Baby's first fireworks!

Grandpa!

Watching the fireworks.

And hold babies!

On the Fourth of July, many family members gathered to eat and talk and laugh.

The kids couldn't get enough of the iPad.

I like to stick out my tongue!

The kids dumped the cherries into the big bucket.

Justin doing what he does best--get dirty!

Sarah getting some love from the farm dog.

The troop heading to the barn.

The kids also took turns going for rides with grandpa on the four-wheeler.

Dallin and Athena help each other.

Justin loved picking, too!

Grandma's big cherry tree was completely full of red cherries--of course they had to help pick them! Little Carson fills up the dump truck.

The big kids gather as grandpa read them a bedtime story.

Conrad and Sarah and their kids came over and spent the night. Here are little Sydney and Anna playing together.

Justin especially loved the dirt pile near the chicken coop.

We took walks around the farm everyday. The boys loved looking for animal tracks, throwing rocks in the canal, and checking out the cows on the farm.

A New Day, by Carrie Snider

2011-06-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

The innocent voices wake me,
It must be 8 o'clock.
And so the day begins again as
I trip over another sock.

It's breakfast time
And the menu is carefully set.
Each child's hand is open,
Waiting for what they'll get

I put the laundry in
And I start the dishes, too.
Oops I forgot to change diapers
Where are the wipes in this zoo?

My own breakfast sits cold
Back in the dirty kitchen
Waiting for me to remember myself
Admist these angels from heaven.

Banana Splits

2011-06-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, the boys had their first-ever banana splits! Yummmm.

I'm so happy!!!

Yummmmmm x100000

My Sweet Little Helpers

2011-06-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Since Sydney was born in December, my two sweet boys have really stepped it up and helped mommy.

Just the other day, I came into the living room and they were vacuuming for me!

Vacuuming each other, I should say.

Maybe they were getting dirt off of each other. Yeah, that's it.

What a nice brother.

I got a package from Brielle a few weeks ago--a beautiful quilt for Sydney! Justin was such a good helper and put the box to use within minutes (cut out arm holes mommy!!).

The boys also love to cook for me. How sweet that they are cooking their treasured toys into a tasty meal!

And finally, they help mommy by making me laugh. Here is human potato head Dallin. And some drawings on his face and neck? Hmmm.

How We Sleep

2011-06-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

With a basket of toys. You know, to keep them safe.

On a chair. Because I was too tired to go to my bed.

Next to brother. Because we both played and played and then collapsed at the same time.

With our arms in the air. Why not?

Always with my face nuzzled in the corner of the bed.

Silly Snider Kids

2011-06-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Fish... Motorcycle..... Fish.... Motorcycle (thanks grandpa K!)

So sweet, and crazy, and spit-up-y...

Soft!

Pictures? Camera? What?

I poke your cheeks!

Awww!

Ok too much.

Hehe!

This is what you get, mommy!!!

More Baby Talk

2011-05-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sydney Loves to Talk!

2011-05-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Dying Easter Eggs

2011-04-30T10:01:00.001-07:00

Messy.
Fun.
Quick.
Memorable.
It's so fun having kids that are young and enjoy every bit of holiday traditions.

Pinoeers and Prominent Men of Utah

2011-04-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

A nice man at the library in Tooele, Utah, found some snippets of info on Richard Kennington and his son William Kennington in a book for me. The book is Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah.

History of Tooele County

2011-04-22T08:49:00.001-07:00

I have been emailing a nice man at the library in Tooele, Utah, where my ancestor Richard Kennington immigrated to in the 1850s and lived and is buried. He was unable to find an obituary, but he did find him mentioned in this book. It gives a few more details about the building of the old Tooele LDS church.

Cheap & Easy Holiday Decor

2011-04-16T18:24:00.001-07:00

I love words, so when I saw this cool idea, I knew I had to do it. The blog post only had Thanksgiving, but I decided to do every holiday (after finishing the ones you see pictured, I just thought of doing New Year for January.... doh!).

Thanks Joann's for having cute paper and a matted frame on sale today!

Road Trip! Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Tillamook

2011-04-09T23:20:00.000-07:00

My brother Conrad had a convention in Seattle, so we met up with him on March 31. First we go lunch at Ivar's.

Then we threw french fries at the seagulls (tradition).

We walked around, checking out Ye Old Curiosity Shoppe.

Then came the Seattle aquarium, with much marine life....

And Justin (far left) itching to jump out of the stroller.

Justin and Dallin giggled uncontrollably at the fishies.

Me and Sydney... she was such a good little baby, mostly sleeping in the sling. Here we watched the Pike's Place dudes throw fish.

We were so tired after walking, we found an ice cream shop and ate ice cream while playing with Conrad's iPad. We went back to his hotel and said good bye.

We spent the night in Bremerton, where my cousin Betsy lives. Her two sweet boys are close in age to our boys. Many, many legos creations were made...

It's pretty much impossible to get a photo of all of them looking at once; as you will see, they take turns looking away from the camera.

We said goodbye and drove a few hours to Vancouver, WA, to Jon's brother's house.

Five seconds after stopping at Blaine's... Dallin played and played outside with his cousin Savannah.

Justin doesn't know how to ride yet, but he couldn't be left out of the fun!

Trying to pedal.

Beautiful Savannah.

My new favorite picture of Justin.

The next day we listened to General Conference, then headed out to downtown Portland. We parked at the Lloyd Center Mall and took the Max into the city.

Saturday Market is .... interesting. Here is a silver guy who stands completely still until you give him money.

Dallin was timid... then the guy did some routine with four glass balls. It was weird.

Checking out the river.

We all shared elephant ears, then checked our GPS for the next destination.

We went to a few places, including a stop at Powell's Books... I love that bookstore!

Sweet little Sydney enjoying General Conference on Sunday.

Sunday night we traveled to my Aunt Wendy's house south of Portland. She was, as always, a gracious hostess!

Monday we headed out to Tillamook, Oregon. Since we told the boys we were going to the cheese factory, they have been so excited to go!

Say "cheese"!! We then went upstairs to the viewing area and watched them put together and package different cheese.

Fresh Tillamook ice cream. Yummmmm.

Hey, dad, this one is for you!

That's mine!

We had planned a day at the beach, but it was so cold and rainy. Booo.

The waves were huge and scary.

We braved the weather long enough to snap photos. Believe me, it was brave.

Mom. Car. Cold. Brrr.

Monday we headed for home, after a quick stop at the Portland Temple.

Another new favorite of the boys. I love the sneaky look on Justin's face.

We had so much fun! Our kids are such good travelers. I felt very rested.

Feeding the Ducks

2011-03-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

The boys were getting a little stir crazy--heck, I was getting a little stir crazy--from being inside so much. Cold weather and a newborn have a way of making you stay indoors.

So the other day, we put on our jackets and headed to Randall Park! Where the ducks roam! And crazy toddlers!

The boys took some time to think about life, contemplate the universe, and throw dirt into the water.

Mom contemplated why there was a park bench in the pond. Perhaps the ducks are practicing their table manners?

Here are the boys taking a mandatory photo break. Mom got tired pretty fast from chasing these two. Thankfully they are cute. Notice how they are dressed in bright colors--quite useful when you want to spot them quickly!

Dallin has always had a good arm. Here he about to throw some bread to the ducks.

And it's a homerun!

Old Tooele Ward Church

2011-03-23T02:26:00.000-07:00

Richard Kennington came over from England and settled in Tooele, Utah in the 1850s. Richard and his son, William, helped build the Old Tooele Ward Church. Here are photos of a monument there.

Erected 1869 by the first pioneers who settled in Tooele City with Bishop John Rowberry in charge of construction, George Atkin, Superintendent of Work, and Richard and William Kennington, Davd Adamson, John Pickett, James Hammond and Edward Broad, active in constrution work. Rock used was taken from the mouth of Settlement Canyon. The Church was dedicated by Daniel H. Wells, accompanied by President Brigham Young, John Taylor, Orson Pratt and Wilford Woodruff, on April 29, 1870. The building was remodeled in 1918. (Small plaque below) From the tower of the first Toele Valley chapel, which stood on this site, the bell atop the monument served the people for 39 years. Construction began in 1854, finished in 1869, and demolished in 1968.

http://www.duptooeleco.org/Markers.htm

Mary Ann Davidson Kennington - 1900 Census

2011-03-23T02:13:00.000-07:00

Mary Ann Davidson Kennington (1810-1900, wife of Richard Kennington) is listed as the mother-in-law at Bear Lake, Idaho, in the 1900 census. She died later that year.

Obituary - Richard Kennington's daughter

2011-03-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

I've been learning more about my ancestors Richard Kennington and his family, who came over from England. I was very excited that Jon's mom found one of his daughter's obituaries (Sarah Jane Kennington Adamson).

This is from the Deseret News Mar 5 1898. I have the entire page in PDF format if anyone wants a digital copy--I can email it to you. Or you can find it on this website: http://digitalnewspapers.org. The image below is actually two portions of the page put together in photoshop.

It talks about coming over from England, and then pulling handcarts!

The other thing this mentions is her mother, Mary Kennington, who was living in Georgetown, Bear Lake, Idaho, at the time. She must have moved there sometime after Richard died, to live with another daughter.

Baby Quilt!

2011-03-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Check out what I got in the mail yesterday. Our sister-in-law made it for Sydney. Isn't it just beautiful??

Thanks Auntie!

Best Idea Ever

2011-03-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

A vast majority of my day is spent cleaning or hovering over children who are "learning" to clean up their messes.

I could come up with the actual percentage of how much of my day is spent cleaning, however I blocked out all computing type stuff after I barely passed Statistics in college.

ANYWAY. I'm always on the look out for ways to make cleaning go easier/faster/etc.

This one really works for us!

Basically I took all of the boys' "activities" and toys with "little parts" and bagged them into Ziplocks. Then I got this nice white basket from Wal-mart and put everything inside.

When not in use, it sits on top of the fridge so little hands can't tamper with it. When they want a baggie, they can have one at a time on the table only. Then they have to clean it up when they are done.

Dallin is good about cleaning up on his own, so when Justin is taking a nap I take down the whole basket and Dallin can choose what he wants to do. Then when Justin wakes up, the basket goes back up on the fridge.

Potato Heads, puzzles, games, playdough, coloring stuff, stamps, cards, bubbles... our basket is full of fun stuff to do!

Not only has it made it easier to keep the living/dining area clean, when the boys are restless I can just grab something out of the basket and they get excited and run to the table!

Thumber Sucker

2011-03-13T22:25:00.001-07:00

Who Does Sydney Look Like?

2011-03-08T00:40:00.001-08:00

What do you think?

Jon
baby pics

Carrie
baby pics

Dallin
baby pics

JUSTIN
baby pics

Postpartum Thyroiditis

2011-03-08T00:21:00.000-08:00

A week ago, I took Sydney in for her two month doctor's appointment. My doctor asked if I needed anything... I told her I had been feeling extremely tired and dizzy lately.

By tired I mean, more than I should for having three kids, one of them being a baby and nursing around the clock. Which would mean I'm REALLY tired.

By dizzy I mean, I stand up for an hour to make dinner, then feel so dizzy when I sit down to eat that I have to lay on the couch.

So basically, things have been rather interesting around here.

My doctor said my thyroid looked inflamed, so she ordered a blood test. Sure enough, I have Postpartum Thyroiditis.

In essence, it's a "post baby" thing, and it can be Hyper or Hypo, or even switch between the two. Some of the symptoms of each are the same, and some are different. About 5-10% of women get it, but I'm guessing most pass it off for normal "post baby" issues such as tiredness, irritability, weight loss or gain, etc etc.

My immunity is down, so in addition this lovely condition, I am catching EVERYTHING from pink eye to a horrible sore throat and cough and runny nose. Which makes it hard to function sometimes.

Thankfully I get little bursts of energy here and there, and I have wonderful people in my life who offer to help.

I am being referred to an endocrinologist to see if I should be put on medication. From what I understand, that will depend on the severity of my symptoms. Some women get over it on their own, some do with medication, and others continue to have thyroid issues forever. I hope I'm the first, and I hope it's soon.

I was thinking the other day that most of my health issues revolve around pregnancy/childbirth. Preeclampsia, high blood pressure, etc.

And then I wonder why this came about at all? Reading about it online, I don't seem to be in the high risk group for developing this. Though I did have an inflamed thyroid when I had mono during college. I wonder if it is related.

In the meantime, if I don't call you back or I don't sound like myself, it's all part of this lovely condition. Basically, my brain is only partially working!

9 Weeks Old

2011-03-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

Veggie Pizza

2011-03-04T11:09:00.001-08:00

Don't be fooled by this Veggie Pizza... it tastes good!

You can use pizza dough, or actually it's even better with Pillsbury biscuit or crescent roll dough (plus you don't have to take the time to make the dough!).

The real secret is Cream Cheese and a Ranch Dressing Packet.

After cooking the dough, slather on some Cream Cheese, then veggies (you can chop them up uncooked, or in the above pic I actually sauteed them a bit to make them soft), then sprinkle some of the Ranch Dressing Packet (find in the dressing isle) on top. Viola! You're done!

Jon really really loved them, and asked me to make them again a few days later.

Brotherly Love

2011-03-04T11:04:00.001-08:00

I don't remember when I took these, but Sydney looks pretty young.

Dallin and Justin love their sister!

Grandma & Grandpa Kennington Visit

2011-03-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

My parents came at the end of January for a quick visit, most especially to meet and hold baby Sydney! We hung out, shopped, ate, etc. We can't wait to see them again!

Wacky Thyroid

2011-03-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

I took Sydney in for her 2 month appointment on Monday; while I was there I told the doctor I had been feeling extra tired and dizzy. She said my thyroid looked inflamed, so she ordered a blood test.

Sure enough, I have postpartum thyroiditis.

Oh joy.

I was actually quite relieved. At least I actually have a reason for these weird symptoms! I was starting to think I was crazy (oddly enough, anxiousness and moodiness are symptoms too).

Meanwhile, I'm tired and have to rest a lot. Which is annoying. Oh well.

From what I have read online, my symptoms aren't as bad as others' so hopefully it will go away on its own.

Kennington Family History Blog

2011-03-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

I am loving this blog!

It has lots of info and documents of my Kennington ancestors.

http://kenningtonfamily.blogspot.com

Smiling Sydney

2011-02-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

Weekly Craft Day

2011-02-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

Every week, I get together with two lovely ladies and we craft/sew for a few hours while our kids play. It is wonderful! So rather than ignore several "I'll get to them someday" projects looming, I'm actually getting them done!

Here is a quilt I made for Justin out of Jon's old jeans. I love the pockets! There are also two patches I had to put on there since those pieces had little holes (from the knees).

Just today I finished recovering all our random throw pillows! They have zippers so I can take them off and wash them if need be (believe me, they will definitely need to be washed eventually!).

Sydney's Baby Blessing

2011-02-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

Double Sippies

2011-01-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

Left = Water
Right = Milk

Cutie Pie

2011-01-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

Baby Sydney is here!

2011-01-13T12:26:00.001-08:00

Sydney Jo Snider
December 27, 2010
4:29pm
20 inches long
7 lbs 3 ounces

At 38 weeks along, I was sitting at the computer, waiting for the boys' lunch to cook. Then pop! My water broke! A little over three hours later, she came into the world.

She is a sweetie. I love having a baby in the house! The boys are good big brothers, and Dallin especially is really helpful. She is sleeping better at night, so I am getting a little more sleep. We are so glad she is here!

Christmas Morning

2011-01-07T18:26:00.001-08:00

You really can't beat the excitement of Christmas morning with little kids! Except the getting up early part.

But really, it was so fun to see them jumping up and down for joy. Check out their loot.....

Visit with Santa

2011-01-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

The Saturday before Christmas, our ward had a Christmas party with food, a musical nativity presentation, and of course a visit from Santa! Dallin just had to wear his Santa hat, and then he told Santa everything he wanted for Christmas.

Justin skipped the Santa thing altogether and just went for the candy.

Gingerbread Experiments

2010-12-22T11:21:00.001-08:00

We invited Grandma Sharon over and attempted to make Gingerbread Houses... it was tornado season in some of the Gingerbread neighborhoods (meaning we couldn't get our houses to stay up!) but we still had fun eating all the candy.

ESPECIALLY Mr. Justin...

Here is Dallin decorating his Gingerbread Car.

Jon turned out to be the best Gingerbread Builder and Designer.

Cool shingles!

Yummy Gingerbread Man!

Left=mommy's & Right=Dallin's

Typical Lunch

2010-12-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

Justin, come sit by me on the piano bench! We can dismantle our sandwiches together.

Mmmmm, turkey and cheese!

Mommy, watch!!! MOMMY! Look at me!

IRON MAN HAND!!!

Dallin Photography

2010-12-02T23:38:00.000-08:00

We have a small camera that Dallin likes to hide and take pictures with when I'm not looking... actually he's pretty good! Here is a look into his "world" ....

Thomas the Tank Engine close up

Self-portrait

Train close-up

Spiderman jammies

Little brother

Justin in crib

Lady's eyeball

Dallin's hand

Dallin's shoes

Little brother part 2

Humngo Belly

2010-11-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm 34 weeks people!!! I think baby Sydney is kicking the top of my belly in this picture. She likes to do that.

What Justin Did

2010-11-23T22:46:00.000-08:00

Justin, age 2. Cute. Sweet. And chronically naughty.

Justin loves the trash can. He also loves egg shells. Here is Justin trying to make a get-away while mommy makes him clean up.

Justin loves milk. Loooooves milk. He also loves pouring liquid into various containers. The dog (notice her foot in the top right corner) almost got there before mom. If she had, she would have lapped up the evidence.

Justin loves the fridge. And taking things out and putting them back in again. Here he is taking out everything from mustard to ketchup and lining them up, perhaps as soldiers so they could do his evil bidding.

Hurry, quick! Close the lids before mom sees!

Now Justin is hungry. Unless he is strapped into a harness, he stands to eat, sort of like an animal. After every meal he says, "take a bath?"

It has been snowing. Justin is intrigued. He sees his older brother Dallin get ready to go play in the snow; naturally he follows his lead. Here is his attempt, with the obvious essentials like boots and pants missing. "Ready to play in snow!" he tells mommy.

"Not a chance," is the reply.

And finally, Justin loves to move around holiday decorations. Amazingly, mom didn't seem to notice this stuffed pumpkin had been missing for three days. It was being kept at a nice, cool temperature tucked away in the moisture control drawer.

October Wedding

2010-11-20T21:04:00.000-08:00

The weather called for rain this Saturday in October, but thankfully it was relatively warm for and clear, at least during the ceremony! I had a great time photographing this wedding at the client's house!

Spiderman Halloween

2010-11-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

Meet little and littler Spirderman...

Central Washington State Fair 2010

2010-11-20T20:49:00.000-08:00

Every year when the fair rolls around, I think of when I moved to Yakima in 2002... during fair weekend! That's where Jon and I first met, and every year since we have been to the fair together!

And now it is a Snider tradition for grandma, the aunts & uncles and cousins to converge at the fair. We walk around, the kids go on rides, and we eat fair food. This year we had a lot of fun!

Today's Kid Funnies...

2010-11-10T22:16:00.001-08:00

...brought to you by the Snider boys!

November 10, 2010

Dallin: "Mom, what is this dinosaur called?"
Carrie: "I don't know."
Dallin: "It's a dopedaanagoodaanoo..... it has a naughty face."

Justin: "Ewwww! Nasty Gross Stinky Yucky Spider!"

Dallin: "What are those things on cows' ears?"
Carrie: "Those are ear tags. They have numbers on them."
Dallin: "What are the cows' names?"
Carrie: "They don't have names, just numbers."
Dallin: "Their names are Burger Cow. I saw them in grandpa's trailer. They are called Burger Cows."

Carrie: "Hey Justin, did you go potty on your Elmo seat?"
Justin: "Yeeaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

November 16, 2010

Dallin: Daddy doesn't wear diapers. Just babies.

Justin: I crassshhheeed! (which is why his diaper fell off)

Master bedroom remodel -- It's DONE!!!

2010-11-04T09:23:00.001-07:00

Last night Jon and I ripped out the old, nasty carpet from the master bedroom. This was after spending the last few weeks repairing, texturing, priming, and painting the walls.

I am happy to say, the Master Bedroom Saga is DONE!!!

Well, more or less... we still need to get a new light fixture, touch up paint (pesky painting tape took off some of the blue at the ceiling), finish painting the molding (at the floor), get new plates for the outlets, get new blinds, get new windows (eventually), refinish the floors (eventually eventually), and etc etc. You know, those little odds and end you get done a little bit over time, because you can live without them for now.

Jon picked the wall color (Acapulco Skies from Ace Hardware), and I was afraid it would be too dark at first, but now I think it's perfect! I love it. It goes great with the wood floors and the quilt my sister made us.

Now it is so much more relaxing in the master bedroom. There is also plenty of room (at the corner opposite the bed) for a little bassinet. :)

Here are some before pics...

FYI the walls and carpet were much nastier than they appear here...

2006

Here is the room after we started the process of repairing the plaster...

2009

Master Bedroom Walls - A Saga

2010-10-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

We moved into our lovely little cottage in Jan 2006. It needed a lot of work. Since moving in, it seems we always have a million house projects going on at once.

One area of pure nastiness-- the master bedroom.

In the 1930s, they did not use drywall. No, they used something that has become the bane of my existence. PLASTER. At times, I like the look. But try to hang up a picture and it's the luck of the draw as to whether you can get the nail in.

All of the walls in our house were a special "dingy white" when we moved in. So we recently repainted the living room a light beige. I absolutely love it. It inspired me to continue onto the master bedroom ASAP.

The master bedroom has been the dinginest room of them all. Nasty, nasty, nasty. Like I don't think the last owner even painted them, and they owned the house for 10 years. And to top it off, there are surface cracks in the plaster EVERYWHERE. The home inspector said they are nothing to worry about structurally, they just look ugly. Yes, yes they do.

We realized we had two options-- completely demolish the walls and replace with drywall or repair the plaster. I was strongly against demolishing the walls. The thought made my head hurt. It would make a HUGE mess and I wasn't ready to deal with that. So we researched how to repair plaster and thought it would be a better solution.

The first step was completed sometime in 2009. Basically we used some tools and cleared the old paint around all of the cracks. It reveals quite a few interesting color choices over the past 80 years. It was a messy and time consuming job, chipping out all that paint.

The next step was to drill out a tunnel into each crack. So now that it is 2010, and I want to finish repairing these walls and paint them before the baby comes, that is what I have been doing little by little all week. It's actually going faster than I had anticipated.

Not to say that drilling it all out is a picnic. There is a lot to do. The west wall is done-- there were not many cracks. But the south and east walls were COVERED. There is only one crack on the north wall. Here is a picture of part of the south wall:

Lovely, huh?

Once they are all drilled, the next step is to fill them in with caulking, then put joint compound over that, then mesh tape, then two more layers of joint compound, and then sand. THEN we can prime and paint. My goal is to finish it all by the end of October. Think we can do it?

Update 10/21/2010: I just finished putting up the final layer of joint compound!!! Once it dries we can sand, then my favorite part... head to the store to get PAINT! We're doing white on the ceiling and trim and a really nice faded blue on the walls (Jon picked it).

Update 10/26/2010: The old texture already on the walls is posing a huge problem. It's so wacky that it's really hard to match. So I am heading to the store to get more joint compound. I'll be doing a Tuscan-y looking texture by hand on all the walls and the ceiling. Thankfully it's not a big room. Hopefully I can finish it by tomorrow and paint Thursday!

Serious to Silly -- Senior Photos Yakima, WA

2010-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's not hard getting seniors to laugh... it's actually harder to get them to be a little serious! :) This senior was so much fun! Congrats!

Dallin Art, age 4

2010-10-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

Dallin likes to draw people, maps, letters, numbers, and just about everything else almost on a daily basis.

Senior Photo Shoot Yakima, WA

2010-10-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

Love this girl! I did her Quinceneara Photos a few years ago. I can't believe she's a beautiful senior already. :)

Prosser Balloon Rally

2010-09-27T00:38:00.000-07:00

Who would wake up at the crack of dawn to see a bunch of balloons?

We would!

We got to the Prosser, WA, airport on Saturday around 6:30am, almost time for sunrise. There was already quite a crowd gathered, and all the hot air balloons were laid out, ready to go. Once the sun appeared, the large fans blew air to inflate the balloons.

One lady pulled me aside and told me to shoot inside her balloon. How could I say no?

Once the balloons were full of air, they turned on the fire to get them to lift.

One by one, the balloons ascended into the sky.

Eventually they were all up, and they made their way over the bridge in the middle of town.

Then they each took a quick dip in the river.

Then they sailed away. Bye!

Ready for Church

2010-09-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

What can I say? They are so cute. :)

Dallin is in Sunbeams and he loves it! His teacher thinks he's pretty cool. I'm not sure if he still bursts out into songs about dinosaurs...

Justin practically runs to nursery and forgets I exist once his teacher opens the "truck" bin.

Of course, after wrestling with them during Sacrament Meeting, it's nice to be able to be kid free for a while... at least until the baby is born!

Senior Photos Yakima, WA

2010-09-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

This senior was so awesome! When they are beautiful and natural at posing, it certainly makes my job easy. :)

New Ride

2010-09-19T01:23:00.001-07:00

We didn't plan on buying a van, but some friends at church are moving far away next week, and so we got an awesome deal! It is in great condition and is so roomy. It's a 1996 Ford Windstar with fairly low miles and it drives beautifully.

Old Easter Video from Jon's Phone

2010-09-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

Jon just downloaded this funny video from his phone. I wasn't aware he took it, so it was a fun surprise! This was in March, back when we were going to church at our Spanish Branch.

It starts with me (you can see the back of my head) carrying Justin (in white overalls) outside. The little kids were supposed to go outside and wait until we said, "Go!" but of course they saw the eggs and started running.

This is Justin's first real attempt at Easter Egg Hunting. Watch as he gathers eggs but leaves his basket behind....

Yakima Family Photos

2010-09-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

I am so sad this family is leaving! They are moving far away. I must say, they are the cutest family ever. And the most well-behaved children!

Bathroom Redo-- a Preview

2010-09-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

When we bought our house Jan 2006, our master bath looked like this:

Notice the teeny tiny vanity and mini mini mirror & medicine cabinet.

We replaced those two things, and also put in a new toilet. And we FINALLY painted!!! We still have lots more to do, but check out the difference:

Still to do:

Install tile on floor.
Install beadboard on bottom half of the wall.
Install new light fixture.
Install new window (by bath/shower).
Install tile in the bath surround.

Yakima Bears Game

2010-08-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

Jon got tickets at work, so Monday night for Family Home Evening we took Grandma Sharon to the Yakima Bears Game!
Dallin loved rooting for the team!

Front Landscaping - Before & After

2010-08-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

In between painting the living room, we have been working on transforming the front flower beds.

BEFORE:

This is what our yard looked like when we moved in. We reseeded some of the front lawn so it's not so patchy, and we removed the weird bushes and things in the flower bed next to the foundation.

Last summer we rototilled the bed and made the front flower beds about 3x as big.

AFTER:

After much weeding, adding extra soil, planting things, putting down lawn fabric, adding bark mulch and large rocks, here is the result! I can't wait to see it as the plants get bigger.

Side view with the stone path. (Also so Tori can see the patriotic bunting from another angle!)

Next outdoor project: Pressure wash the house and repaint. Yikes.

Living Room Painting is DONE!

2010-08-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

This sure has been an epic project. Warning: do not attempt during the first half of your pregnancy like I did.

It started in June with a trip to the paint store and some test painting, and it finally ended just a few days ago. With a lot of breaks in between.

My cute little helpers. I didn't even ask! They probably just felt sorry for my poor, tired body. Dallin is sanding some trim and Justin is wiping the windows with a sponge.

The results! White trim (good riddance old tired wood trim!) with light beige walls and ceiling. I LOVE it. It's so crisp and clean and 1930s.

Ahhhh.

The door to the master bedroom opposite the front door. You can see some carpet peaking out underneath the door. Oh how it taunts me! Next project: finish repairing plaster in master bedroom, paint trim and walls, then rip out Ye Old Nasty Carpet to expose the hardwood.

Of course, we still need to refinish the hardwood. All in good time.

Before of a window (I know it's August, but we're patriotic ok? Not really-- just too lazy to take down the bunting.)

Much better with white!

And now the before of front door! Boo hisss! "Paint me, paint me!"

After much sanding and priming.

One coat of trim paint. And maybe a long break (break = nap).

Another coat of trim paint. Tah dah! I still don't like the blinds, and I may put some sort of hazy film stuff on the window. Eventually.

You like?

Cheap but Cute - Bulletin Board

2010-08-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting an erasable To Do and Menu board for a while now. My sister Vanessa had a cute one in her house made of an old picture frame and glass. So I hopped over to Goodwill and found this beauty (with an ugly boat scene) and just put some stickers and paper inside. Perfect!

Boy or Girl?

2010-08-13T15:41:00.001-07:00

Baby #3... what will it be?

The ultrasound is set for Aug. 24th.

Any guesses?

Farm Visit

2010-08-10T21:16:00.001-07:00

The boys and I went to Oregon for a quick visit with Grandma & Grandpa.

Here is what you do at the farm:

Ride with grandpa on his four-wheeler.

Learn the facial positions for "fish-motorcycle-fish-motorcycle."

Go for a walk on a dirt road and collect rocks.

Check out the beautiful scenery.

Find wildlife and/or what they leave behind.

Fly a kite.

Navigate a pasture with Grandma.

Act silly in the yard.

Dump a bucket of water on yourself or shoot your brother with a water gun.

Throw rocks in the canal.

Marvel at the sunsets.

Family Photos

2010-07-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

Meet Jon's cousin and family! Our boys have known their boys since they were born. They are a funny bunch! All were such good subjects. :)

Family Photos

2010-07-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

We love this family! They were in our old Spanish Branch, and every Sunday Jon would say, "She is the cutest baby ever!" Now the kids have grown up a little, but they are still darling.

Preview.....

2010-07-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

This is me FINALLY going to the paint store and buying three gallons of "whatever your most popular light beige is" paint and putting it up on our living room walls. And I loved it.

This is me deciding that I have always hated the dark wood trim, and so I use some of my leftover "white trim" paint I used to paint the interior doors to go ahead and paint the trim white. And I loved it.

This is me not stopping "test painting" yet because I'm really liking where this is all going. Note:
"Whatever your most popular light beige is" ... is actually called Pita Bread.

This is me going nuts and painting the rest of the trim around the door. And this is me calming down about painting our ceiling something other than white. Because we sorta have to continue the beige onto the ceiling, since our ceilings are curved. And suddenly I felt very circa 1930s. And I loved it.

Note: These photos were taken a long time ago. We have since "finished" painting, though I need to touch up a few spots and finish the trim on the other side of the room. I pretty much got tired of painting. It was a long, tedious process, since I am pregnant and get easily tired after about an hour or so. Heaven help me.

Lurking Around Every Corner.....

2010-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

.... is a silly boy or two.

Six Years Later...

2010-07-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

On July 23, 2004, in the Boise Idaho Temple.... we got hitched. :)

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband.
It still amazes me how we got together,
and how many things have happened in six short years.

Baby Baby

2010-07-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

One really awesome thing about photography is that you get to share special events with people.

I knew Katie from when I first moved to Yakima; then I got to do her engagement photos and then her wedding!

Now she and her wonderful husband have a sweet baby girl. Emphasis on sweet. Enjoy. :)

Summer Days

2010-07-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Lots of sprinkler action.

Altogether now.

Hannah loves to get Dallin with the water.

Phew! Time for an ice cream break.

Blueberry Picking - play by play

2010-07-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

Dallin: Wow! Look at all the blueberries! Mommy, what are the nets for?
Mom: To keep the birds out, dear.

Dallin: Yum!!! Blueberries!
Mom: Quit eating them and put them in the bucket.

Dallin: Look mommy! I'm picking them!
Mom: Great job Dallin!

Dallin: I'm tired. It's hot. Wahhh.
Mom: Just a few more. We're almost done.

Dallin: I don't like picking blueberries. I want a drink. I need to go potty.
Mom: Hang on. Just a fewwwww mooooreeee.

Dallin: Can I eat some more?
Mom: Maybe, when I make a pie. Get in the car!

A Very Bavarian Get Away...

2010-07-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

Hey Casey and Katie! We went to Germany and didn't stop by....

Just kidding. We went to Leavenworth, WA. It's a cute little Bavarian-themed town north of Yakima.

My parents came to visit and we spent a day walking around Leavenworth (and mom had fun buying many Danish sweets).

Dad was in charge of making sure Dallin didn't break anything. We even got to hear a yodeler in the middle of town.

Then we had lunch. I had a wonderful sausage sandwich.

It's such a cute town, with beautiful mountains all around. Almost makes me want to start singing, "The hills are alive!!!!"

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

We went with Grandma Sharon to the fairgrounds for the Fourth of July. We found our friends the Morenos and staked out a spot to watch the fireworks... only to find out later a big tree was in the way!! We quickly moved to see the show. We also spent time walking around and chatting. Jon's cousins came by later and joined us.

Maria's Pozole

2010-07-11T09:20:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had pozole?

It's a wonderful Mexican soup made with hominy. And lots of other yummy stuff.

We were recently released from serving in our local LDS Spanish Branch (we're in our regular English ward now). We miss it, but we still see our friends from time to time. Another thing I miss is all the wonderful food!

So I'm on a quest to gather some of their recipes. Starting with Maria's Pozole. She was and still is my wonderful, amazing friend. Plus she's a great cook. This is one of her best dishes.

Be prepared--- the recipe below makes enough soup to feed an army. My batch from last week is still going strong and it keeps well. My kids love it, and I lost count as to how many bowls Jon has consumed.

Enjoy!

Maria’s Pozole

3-4 lbs chicken/pork
1 large can hominy
garlic
onion
4 California pods (dried chili)
2 tomatoes
cumin
salt or chicken bullion
cabbage
limes

Boil meat, 2-3 garlic cloves, and half the onion in a large stock pot of water. When meat is almost tender (about 1 hr) drain and add hominy.

*At some point after the meat it cooked, remove meat and shred or cut into bit sized pieces, then return to pot.*

In another small pot, boil 4 deseeded California pods (these are found in the Mexican spice section of a grocery store in the clear bags), and two tomatoes. When tender, pour in blender. Add 2 garlic cloves, the other half of the onion, cumin, and salt or chicken bullion and blend until smooth. Add mixture to large pot with meat. Let cook another 30-40 minutes. Salt or spice to taste.

Serve in bowls and top with chopped cabbage and fresh squeezed lime.

Wedding Photos

2010-07-11T00:32:00.001-07:00

I photographed a wedding at Le Jardin in Zillah today. The venue was absolutely stunning. The weather was quite hot during the ceremony, but the rest of the evening was cool, breezy, and very pleasant. I had a lot of fun. The whole party was beautiful, fun, silly, relaxed, and happy. They are a wonderful couple. Congrats!!!

Dallin Digs

2010-07-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

As soon as I give the all clear for the boys to play outside, I open the door and they run straight towards...... the dirt pile.

Of course.

Dallin especially loves to dig and pour and generally move dirt around.

Jon's Little Detour

2010-07-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Jon's gotten lost a few times over the years.

But never for 27 hours.

A few weeks ago Jon went to a multi-stake encampment (Scout Camp). He and three other leaders, along with 19 scouts (including 3 from our Spanish Branch we served in until recently), set out to go on a day hike. It was supposed to take just a few hours and cover a few miles.

Unfortunately, even with a map and GPS, they got off track. At one of the forks in the road, one of the signs is not marked correctly, and so they took the wrong path. By the time they knew where they were, they were too far out to make it safely back. Turning around would have meant hiking in the dark (no flashlights). They had also crossed a river, and some boys had lost their shoes (leaders shared their shoes). So they decided to stay the night near a lake. They started a fire and gathered enough firewood to stoke the fire all night. They had water, but no food, but thankfully they all had each other and prayers for safety.

It was cold. They slept close to the fire, and some of the embers popped out and singed Jon's hiking boots.

Other leaders back at camp sent out search parties, but they didn't find them that night. Thankfully they decided not to call and tell a pregnant wife (me) that Jon was missing. The search party met up with them all the next morning. Besides being hungry and tired, they were fine. Those boys definitely earned a few merit badges!

Jon came home that afternoon, looking quite dirty and run-down. His toes looked like a car ran over them (they had walked around 20 miles on their detour). It was quite an ordeal, but everyone made it home safely.

Here is the story in the Yakima Herald-Republic: http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/6/26/scouts-hike-turns-into-overnight-in-the-woods.

It's funny to think that I never had to worry about him because I had no knowledge of the incident until it was over. But the entire time Jon was gone at Scout Camp, we prayed at every meal and bedtime that daddy would come home safely. And he did.

My Little Spackle Helper

2010-07-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

I've been patching a few spots on the living room wall to prep it for painting (pics soon to come when I finish the trim!). So I had a bucket of spackle in the kitchen. My first mistake.

In all of about two minutes, Justin opened the lid and touched up many key areas of the kitchen.... including the little crevices on the floor. A bath, much scrubbing and at least 30 minutes later, mommy learned her lesson.

Father's Day Tie

2010-07-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'm finally having more good prego days than bad... time to catch up on Ye Old Blogge!

A few weeks before Father's Day we went to the primary activity in our new ward. We each brought a tie to decorate. It was pretty funny seeing the creations. The dads wore the ties to church on Father's Day.

Lovely Lily

2010-06-29T14:59:00.001-07:00

My yard is blooming. I love my orange lilies. Stay tuned to see what color most of my other flowers are! (not orange)

Quinceañera Photos - Yakima, WA

2010-06-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

You may remember this young lady's Quinceañera Portraits I took at the end of April. Her Quinceañera was in May, which incidentally was the day after I took a pregnancy test and found out we were expecting our third. Needless to say, it's been a crazy month and I finally edited the photos! It was a great party and she is a beautiful girl.

Baby #3

2010-06-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard already, we are expecting baby #3 in January 2011!

Mom and dad couldn't be more excited.

The boys don't really know what's going on (this is normal).

Mom is feeling sick off and on most of the time, which unfortunately is normal until about the third month or so. Which is why this blog will continue to be neglected until that time.

Happy Graduation Photos!

2010-05-23T23:41:00.001-07:00

My former newspaper editor's son is graduating!

Congrats and good luck at college. I'm sure your dad won't worry about you at all. :)

Right-shoed Joe Justin

2010-05-13T22:39:00.001-07:00

Justin has discovered shoes.

Other people's(mostly Dallin's) shoes.

But only the right shoe.

Check out the following five photos. All of which were taken TODAY.

Dallin's brown shoe tucked lovingly in his footie pj's.

Dallin's sandal again over his footies.

Finally dressed for the day, he goes for Dallin's tennis shoe.

But then goes back to the brown.

Finally, after much deliberation, he tries on one of his own black shoes.

Engagement Photos

2010-05-12T12:56:00.001-07:00

It is so fun when an old friend gets engaged.

It's even more fun to find out that this rather silly friend found someone who appreciates (and joins in) his silliness.

Congrats you two!

Happiness Is....

2010-05-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Dirty Boys!

Dirty boys who love to entertain themselves in the yard while mommy plants things.

WA -> OR -> ID -> UT and Back Again

2010-05-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

In April we took a week-long road trip to visit some of my family. It was so fun! We spent several days at my sister's house in Utah. They had just bought an awesome new house. Thanks again for hosting us! Here is a pic of her kids Carter, Spencer, and Amber, then Dallin and Justin.

We spent General Conference weekend there, but the cousins got some play, er lounging time in, too. :)

A little Wii.

View from outside their front door. One of the perks of living in Utah. I ran a few miles one morning, but the elevation got to me! I was struggling!

I liked so many things about their house, and I really liked the kitchen. The stove area was cool.

Food! Of course Justin had fun eating and climbing on things.

Amber also blew bubbles for him.

For some reason Dallin loved dressing up like this--what is he? Guesses?

I also went thrifting with Vanessa, went to lunch with some friends, we stopped by the houses of two families from Ecuador Jon knew from his mission, and many other fun things.

On our way back, we stopped in Boise. I got to see my childhood friend Julia (why didn't I get a pic???) and her darling daughter. We also went to my aunt's house. Here is my cousin Emily and her sweet little Lucy with crazy hair.

Justin in boots chasing chickens around my aunt's yard.

Then we headed over to Tuscanos for dinner with my brother Conrad and his family. YUM! The men went out to Clash of the Titans while we put the kids to bed and hung around. The next morning we played around outside with the kids. Here is Sarah and little Carson.

Athena is so cute!!

Athena really wanted a picnic. And then Dallin and Athena had to boss each other around. :)

Athena found a frozen bug.

Justin wasn't quite sure how this worked.

Picnic cookies!

Of course we spent time at my parents' house by the farm in Oregon. It was really sunny and nice!

Every visit must include a ride on grandpa's motorcycle (he traded in for a four-wheeler!).

Justin visiting with great-grandpa William Hugh Kennington. Justin's middle name is also Hugh.

Dallin sharing Yoda-isms with great-grandpa K.

The boys liked getting dirty and looking at the cows.

And of course reading with my mom,"flashlight" Grandma.

It was such a nice trip! It was so relaxing. We didn't have a strict schedule, just people we wanted to see (though there were MORE people just not enough time to see them all). Mostly it was nice to leave Yakima and not have regular responsibilities. The boys were so great on the trip, and Jon especially got some much deserved time off.

Carol Nelson Kennington

2010-05-06T20:29:00.001-07:00

When we were in Utah last month, we stopped and visited my grandmother's grave. She had been diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas in early 2004, but through treatment she was able to live another two years. She died just a few days after Dallin was born in February 2006.

At the time, Dallin came 6 weeks early; I had pre-eclampsia and had to be induced to protect my health. I had last seen my grandmother over Christmas, and now she was on morphine and not very responsive. But then right after Dallin was born, my dad told her several times he had been born, and he even showed her a picture of him we had sent via email. We like to think that she understood what happened and realized a new great-grandchild had entered the world; it would be so close to when she was leaving.

Because he was born so early, his lungs weren't quite developed properly, he couldn't maintain his body temperature very well, and he had really bad jaundice. So he spent 10 days in the NICU. Needless to say, we weren't able to leave Washington to travel to Oregon for the funeral. It was heart-breaking, coming home from the hospital and leaving my baby behind, only to find that my grandma had passed away--and not really being able to say good-bye.

So I never felt closure. Every time I'd go see her house after that, it was so odd for her not to be there. So I decided I should see her grave at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. She was buried there next to her mother and father.

Finally we set aside some time on our trip to Utah in April. We drove up past downtown, a little to the northeast, and found the cemetery. It took a few minutes, and a call to my parents, but we finally found the headstones. Of course, right then it started raining, we had somewhere else we needed to be, so I was just able to snap a few quick pictures.

Her mother, my great-grandma Cleo who died when I was 10.

William, her father, my great-grandfather. I never met him. He died when Carol was only about 2 1/2 years old.

Their headstones are right in a row between two trees.

I suppose in some ways she's not really gone to me, just on the "other side" waiting. I am sure she is able to check in from time to time, to see how all of us are doing. I miss her a lot, even four years later. Seeing her grave made it a little more real that she's gone, but I'll always feel close to her.

Here is her obituary:

Carol Bowker Nelson Kennington

June 6, 1927 - Feb. 3, 2006

Ontario,, Oregon

Carol Bowker Nelson Kennington, 78, Ontario passed away Friday, Feb. 3, 2006, following an illness at her home. Funeral services are at 11 a.m., Friday, Feb. 10, 2006 at Ontario 3rd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Bishop Randy Jensen officiating. The family will receive friends at 10 a.m. one hour prior to the service for viewing in the Relief Society Room. A public viewing is also scheduled at 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006, at Haren-Wood Funeral Chapel. Burial will be private at a later date in Salt Lake City, Utah the following week. Arrangements are under the direction of Haren-Wood Funeral Chapel.

Carol Bowker Nelson Kennington was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 6, 1927 to Cleo Arvilla Bowker and William Edward Nelson. She spent her early years in Salt Lake City, where her father was killed in a shop railroad accident when she was 2 1/2 years old. Carol and her mother moved to San Francisco, where her mother worked and Carol attended school. She spent her summers on her grandfather's farm in Blackfoot.

When she was 15, Carol graduated from Lowell High School and attended San Francisco State University. After one year she transferred to the University of California at Berkeley, majoring in chemistry. At a church function in Berkeley, Carol met her future husband, William Hugh Kennington, who was serving in the Marine Corps during World War II and was stationed on Treasure Island. Following their courtship and marriage in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple in September of 1946, Carol finished her last semester of college, graduating with a degree in chemistry at age 19 from Berkeley. Hugh and Carol then moved to Logan, Utah, where Hugh attended Utah State Agriculture College, now Utah State University. Their first two children, Catherine and Clinton, were born in Logan. Hugh graduated from Utah State University with a degree in animal husbandry. Following graduation, the Kenningtons decided to try farming in Oregon's Willamette Valley, but after passing through the Treasure Valley on the way there, they decided instead to stay in Ontario. In 1950 they bought a farm on Morgan Avenue, some still in sagebrush under the Owyhee dam project, and began leveling land and dairying. The farm has been improved and expanded ever since. Five more children were born to them in Ontario: Wendy, Brad, Jenny, Heidi and Charlotte. During this time Carol not only kept the farm books, but also helped design the tare lab at the Nyssa Amalgamated Sugar Factory as head chemist.

Carol has been a lifelong and active member of the Church of Jesus Church of Latter-day Saints. She has served as a primary teacher, Nyssa Stake magazine representative, in the Stake Young Women's organization, for 15 years in the Ontario Stake Name Extraction Program, and as Ontario 3rd Ward Relief Society president. She has been long known for her brilliance and perception interesting conversations, her wisdom and patience, her great faith and testimony, and her love for her family. She is loved by all those who have had the privilege to know her.

Carol Kennington was preceded in death by her parents, William and Cleo Nelson; son-in-law, John Wagstaff. Carol is survived by her husband, William Hugh, Ontario; Cathy and Tom Dayley, Boise; Clinton and Patty Kennington, Ontario; Wendy Garner, Tualatin; Brad and Susan Kennington, Ontario; Jenny and Mike Hallenberger, Boise; Heidi and Dick Cameron, Caldwell; Charlotte and Jorge Pulleiro, John Day; 30 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers the family would like to request that donations be made to the Perpetual Education Fund at any Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Jon and Carrie Love Story, part 26

2010-05-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Now it was my grandma's turn to start dying.

My mother's father had recently died, but now my father's mother was about to be diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. This it the grandma I had grown up living 1/4 a mile away from-- I saw her almost daily, in between feeding cows on the farm. She loved our visits, and she was very special to me.

Being so far away, hearing how she wasn't doing well, was extremely hard. I couldn't be there for her. And she couldn't share in my current joy. I just hoped that she would be well enough to come to the wedding.

The wedding! We needed to pick a date. My sister was due with her third baby at the end of May. So we needed to get married in early April or July or later. Jon wanted April, I wanted July. It was already March, and I simply wasn't ready for marriage so quickly. So Jon let me have July. We decided on the Boise Idaho Temple, since most of my family lived around there and it's fairly customary for the bride to choose the temple. We called and they were going to be closed for two weeks in early July. Somehow we picked July 23. It was a Friday, and it was as good a date as any. In the end, it would mean we would be engaged for six months.

If you know many Mormons, you know that sometimes dating/engagement/weddings happen quickly. Sometimes weeks or just a few months. For us to be engaged for an entire six months was probably longer than is typical. But I needed that time. I was still learning about Jon, I was old and set in my ways, and I wanted to have time to adjust before we were man and wife. Looking back, that time was wonderful, fun, and a growing experience for both of us.

My mom always said there were two things you should experience with a potential spouse before getting married-- 1. go on a long road trip and 2. see each other sick. In the weeks to come, I would experience both of those things with Jon.

Wedding Photos - Olympia

2010-05-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Jon's beautiful cousin got married a few weeks ago! I was very excited when she asked me to be her photographer. They were married at a beautiful spot not too far from the capital building.

Happy groom! Welcome to the family!

I love capturing the details of weddings.

Our little Justin was pooped!

Her dress was beautiful!

The groom is a lucky guy!

My favorite shot of the day. It had been raining off and on, so the light was tricky. But right here the haze made for a romantic setting.