The Spaulding Way: 2014

Thursday, December 11, 2014

CJ and Mommy's Summer Adventures

CJ and I had such a fun summer together. We made so many precious memories during a time in his life where he was exploring and learning new things everyday.

I loved our front yard with it's white picket fence. It was so cute but also so very helpful when it came to CJ and the dogs. CJ and the dogs loved to be in the front yard and preffered it over the backyard. So the fact that I could lock them all in so I didn't have to worry about they running into the street or anything was so wonderful. We spent many days in the front yard.

One of the many things we enjoyed in the front yard was fingerpainting. CJ loved it and quickly discovered how to paint his whole body. We usually hosed off afterwards which is another thing he loved to do, play with the hose.

Ice-cream for Family Home Evening!

"It's ggggooooood!" A classic phrase from CJ after eating just about anything.

I found this "McQueen" car at Goodwill for $5 and I think you can tell how CJ felt about it in the picture.


Some adventures were messier than others :-)

I had put gel in his hair only minutes before and I went to get my purse and shoes on to leave and as I went back to get CJ I apparrently had not screwed the lid on tight enough because this is how I found him.

Lots of time was spent playing cars on the counter, his favorite counter top was the bathroom counter because it was just his height to see the cars.

Despite the smile on his face CJ is actually sick in this picture. This particular time it was a nasty sore throat and the only thing he would eat was a popsicle. CJ spent most of July sick. He had a nasty bug that lasted a month. It was a few days of him barfing and then he would be all better for few days and then it would happen again. It went on for a whole month. Very peculiar. I found out near the end of the month that a little girl in the ward his age had the exact same thing for a month. So weird and NOT fun!

We made LOTS of cookies :-)

Bass Pro Shop! He loves that store! He spent 20 minutes just looking and sitting on the four wheelers!

This is the front yard of my best friend Becky Smith. We spent lots of time at her house!

Despite CJ being sick a lot we had an amazing summer in Virginia Beach and I will never forget the memories we made there!

A Beachy 4th of July

We had a fantastic 4th of July this year and I was looking forward to many more 4th of Julys on the beach....unfortunately life took a turn for us and now I just have one, but at least I have one, great memory of 4th of July on the beach.

We enjoyed a VERY crowded, but worth it, day at the beach with many friends. The water was wonderfully warm and did I mention the wonderful friends yet!? :-) This was the first time Daddy was able to come with us to the beach this summer. It ended up being the only time he was able to come with us when we got in the water.

We then went home and changed for an evening in downtown Norfolk for music and fireworks! We went with the Smith family. Becky and Michael became our closest friends in Virginia Beach. We stayed late and tired CJ out so much he screamed the whole train ride home. Thanks for sacrificing your sleep CJ so we could all have a great 4th of July! I promise you had fun too CJ. :-)

Happy 4th of July

Tuckered out after the beach, but still more partying to be done!

Riding the Tide Train to Norfolk.

CJ loved the train and CJ loves Allie!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Girls Camp 2014

I was called into the Young Womens in June and a little over a week before girls camp they asked if I wanted to go, in other words they needed one more cabin mom/driver. I told them I would love to but I have a two year old. Apparently that wasn't going to stop Pam. She found someone to watch CJ for two and a half days (Thanks to the most amazing, patience and sweet lady ever) and I went to girls camp for a few days! I hadn't had so much fun in a long time. It was the first time I had been away from CJ for more than a few hours since he was born and I really needed this vacation. For the first time in a long time I was able to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Of course I was there for the girls and help out but I was happy to. I didn't care what happened there I was determined to have a blast and I did. Not even the ginormous snake that I almost fell on my head couldn't stop me from having fun.
It was two and a half days with little to no sleep (partially because the beds were hard as rock and partially because we stayed up til 2 am pranking other wards. Wow we had some good laughs!) We partied hard and it was just the boost I needed to lift my spirits. I got to know the girls better, which is good now that I am in the yws, and I got to know so many amazing sisters in the ward who I am great friends with now. You really get to know someone on a different level when you are camping.

Some of our girls performing their skit

This is my friend or rather the snake that really like me and our wards cabins. It showed itself three times. I wasn't around for the first sighting but the second time it showed up as I was about to open the door to our cabin when I noticed it was hanging along the top of the door (the screen door was partially open). I scampered back and screamed. If I had opened the door it would have fallen on me...Eeeekk! The third time I heard two girls talking in front of the cabin, I go over there and find the same snake in the window of their cabin. The window was cracked open as you can see above and was trying to get in. We got it out and Bishop kindly took it far far away.


You can see how big it was in this picture. It wasn't poisionous but that doesn't mean it doesn	't bite or look scary.

This is Becky Smith, my BS sister. She makes me laugh on a daily basis! Love her to death!

Some of the girls before our 3 mile hike!

We were a crazy bunch!

The hike was beautiful and I plan to do much more hiking before the summer and fall are over

Canoeing! You bet we were soaked at the end and you can bet we got all the other girls wet too! Canoe battles!


Love these ladies!! Debbie, Becky, Me, Pam

We took the scenic route home through Jamestown and we rode the ferry across. That use to be the only way to get to Virginia Beach before they built the tunnels under the water. I didn't know there was such a thing as a ferry to carry cars across a river until we came upon this. So cool!!

Until next year, when I will go all week!

Friday, August 1, 2014

One More Trip to Florida

CJ and I got to go visit the Reese's one more time in Florida before they moved to Minnesota. Jeremy and Janessa needed to go house hunting in Minnesota so they flew CJ and I out there to watch there kids. We stayed two weeks and had a great time. Well....minus CJ and I having a horrible cold for almost the entire time. It was still great. Their kids were a piece of cake to babysit and we had a good time visiting.

Our flight was delayed 2 hours! This meant I got to chase CJ around the airport for 2 hours. Which then meant CJ was exhausted, and it was past his bedtime, by the time we got on the airplane so he was Mr. Cranky pants and was not happy about having to stay in his seat for the first half hour and by this I mean he was screaming. :) I finally got him to sleep by walking the aisle for 45 minutes. We have flown lots and this was the worst experience with CJ so far.

watching the airplanes take off. He is so tired.... :)

Cousin bath time!

Preston and CJ

A bunch of friends of Janessa's get together monthly for Bunko. We got to go for Janessa's last time and bunko is so much fun! It is also a small world. A girl I was on dance company with in high school was there. Suzana Frisby Garret. She was in her ward. Crazy!