Once Upon A Bean!

Another year has gone by so fast and my little nephew Ryker is ready for another birthday. I had to take the time to dedicate a small blog entry to honor this sweet boy. Ryker will be turning three years old in the next few days and I cannot believe how fast he has grown. I can remember the day he was born and the first time I saw him as his "Great" Aunt Steph. I remember when I first held him that he was wide awake and looking around, like he was wondering "What is this strange place?" To this day he still looks around and tries to figure things out, how they work, and how they are built. He had always been a very curious boy since the very first.

The second thing I noticed when he was born was his adorable dimples. There is something about that smile of his combined with the dimples that prevent me from saying no to him or not smiling myself. They are seriously irresistable.

The third thing I remember about him when he was first born was his bright blue eyes. They are so blue and you can see his emotions in his eyes at all times. He has "Smiley" eyes.

The fourth thing I remember about him was that the first time I held him I knew I loved him. I may only be his auntie but I adore this kid and will do anything for him (any time, any place, any where). He will grow up knowing he his adored and loved very much.

Ryker has the best parents in the world! I think it is so great knowing he is growing up in a home where he is so loved and cared for. I don't think Candace & Brett could have had a better kid. I know that Candace's life revolves around this boy and she is constantly teaching him, reading to him, singing with him, and playing with him. He is so lucky!!! He is the light of his parents life and a soon-to-be Big Brother.

Ryker is a typical boy. He loves trucks, cars, tractors, planes, helicopters, motorcycles, and anything with wheels. He loves dirt, sand, jumping, swimming, and playing. He loves his shows on tv: Super Y, Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, Dragon Tales, Curious George and don't forget the movie Cars. He loves his "blankie", his golf set, and his stuffed animals. He loves playing with his cousin Halle and they laugh and run around together. He has the sweetest voice and likes to sing Sunshine, ABC Song, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Wheels on the Bus. Ryker loves cookies, brownies, ice cream, popcorn, cereal, ravioli, and pretzels. This kid has great taste!! He loves all his grandma's & grandpa's because they all spoil him so much. He adores his mom & dad.

Ryker has had many nicknames since he was born. We started calling him Bean while still in his mommy's belly. From that came Beanie-Boy & Beans. He is also called Stinkin' & Baby.

Since Ryker started talking he has been trying to say my name. It started out as "Seppie" and has since evolved to "Steppie". My favorite thing to hear is when he says my name and then goes "Hi, Steppie!" We have this little game where I go "Ryker.........HeBeeJeeBees" and he laughs at me and does it back. Ryker's favorite thing about me is my truck. He calls it "MY Steppie's green truck". He has adopted it as his own and loves when he get to ride in it. Sometimes I think he tolerates me for my truck and cries when IT leaves. That's ok though. It makes me happy to make him happy and if riding in my truck does that....then so be it!

I am so lucky to be an Aunt to such a great kid!!! I hope he grows up knowing I will always be there for him, to spoil him, teach him, and listen to him. And to give him "goodie" bags to take home, and ride in my truck, and make tents with. He is a sweet, silly, smart, awesome boy and I love him. Happy Birthday Bean!

LeT FrEEdOm RiNg!!!

I can't believe it already the 4th of July. My how times fly!!!! Like we do every year we head up to my sister Gayla's house for BBQ and fireworks...the best combo in the world!!! I was especially excited this year because my friend and niece Sarah was in town with her 4 cute kiddies. I hadn't seen her in forever. We had Torie and Josh show up, Kelly plus his kids, The Long's and friends, most of Gayla's kids (minus Chris), Tracy, me, and Grandma & Grandpa.

We ate yummy BBQ of steak and chicken, salads, chips, fruit, rolls. We broke into the desserts!!! Can you say YUM!!!!! Donuts, fruit pizza, cookies, and "Bird Seed" ( its a Haacke thing). After that feast some decided to work out by playing football.......or tossing the ball around a little. Cass and Josh just had more fun seeing who could catch or toss it the weirdest or most creative way. There were many other pictures I could have posted (aka blackmail) but I decided to be semi-nice.....this time!!!!

I hadn't seen Sarah and Chris' kids in forever, and I have never seen baby Davis. He was so stinkin' adorable. I just kept taking pictures of him smiling. So enjoy the photo montage of little man Davis.....

My favorite pic is when he totally crashed on Aunt Chelsea (with butt sticking out and all).

Then Steve, Rick, Tucker, and Hunter started on the fireworks. It was really fun this year because there may or may not have been some questionable firework action going on. There were two other families in the Cul-de-Sac (which we have aptly named "Cul-De-Sac of FIRE!!!!") who were also letting off fireworks. It kind of turned into a war, back & forth between them all. Who could let off the loudest, the longest, the highest fireworks. It was way fun! Tucker kept yelling "WHAT!" like a thug to them. It was hilarious! Then Davis Highschool's fireworks began. We couldn't hear the music this year so Sarah serenaded us with her version of "Proud to be an American" and I attempted to be Neil Diamond and sing ""We're coming to America". I probably sing it better if you ask me. Ha Ha!

Fun times + Great Friends & Family + Yummy Eats + Fireworks = Happy 4th of July!

MeMoRiAl DaY wEEkeNd!!

Over Memorial Day weekend I had the pleasure of entertaining two of my friends: Cassidy & Tucker. Their parents went to their cabin for the weekend and the kids chose to stay with me. Because of the holiday plans, I made them come along with me as I drove Grandma & Grandpa around to the different cemeteries. It may not have been the funnest of times, but I think the kids got a kick out of finding all their ancestors. I think Cass found that there are atleast 4 or 5 generations of her grandparents in one cemetery. We also had fun trying to find the oldest headstone in the cemetery. I think the oldest we found was around 1829. When we got to the cemetery up by the temple (to see Kyler's grave) they had a bagpiper there playing music. It was so peaceful. Then the kids and I got silly......

And Grandma & Grandpa got silly too....

What made it the most fun was to be together.

To get the grandparents & their grandkids together, spending time, and being silly.

After the kids went home I hear this knock on my door and its my mom telling me to come downstairs. When I get there my dad showed me a box full of all his old stuff. The first thing I pull out is a pair of old red basketball shorts. They were my dads from when he was in highschool (around 1950). I decided to try them on to see if they would fit....and they did!!! So I pranced around modeling them for my parents as they laughed at me. Then I pulled out my dads old Air Force uniform and hat. I was musky and starchy, but I tried it on anyway for fun. I can't believe my dad used to be so small or so young. I even found sand in the hat from when he was stationed in New Mexico. It was fun that my parents came & got me so I could be a part of their walk down memory lane. And I found out so much more about my dad too.

WhAt hAppENs iN vEGas BAbY!

I wrote a little of our adventure to Las Vegas in my previous post. But I feel my blog needed more "visual aid" to portray how much fun we really had. Whenever you get a few girls together in a new city...watch out! Since Cassidy is only 16 we had to keep the trip PG-13 rated, which was fun because besides the drunks, weirdos, and smokers.....Vegas is a blast!

There are so many things to do........

Guess who we ran into, of all people? That's right...Elvis" (plural). They took the time to take their picture with the coolest people on earth! (It only cost Julie like $2-what a great sister!) Julie and I started a tradition of trying on silly glasses everywhere we go. This year I got my 2010 glasses and I have a pic from our last trip with my 2005 glasses on.

We spent one night of our trip in the arcade at the Excalibur. We played racing games (I won), skee-ball, and Cass played Guitar hero. Julie & I just had fun trying to mess her up.

We went to the outlet mall just down the strip.

We found this great hat shop where we went wild.

We tried on everything....and bought nothing!

When we were planning Cassidy's birthday vacation we went through many different ideas. We wanted to go to San Diego, possibly Texas, or New York City to see a Broadway show. Since we couldn't afford that we stayed in the New York New York Hotel & Casino and went to see Lion King. I couldn't believe the puppeteers and the effects. And their voices were amazing!
I thought it was amazing and I loved it!
Our hotel may not have been in the original city but it was pretty darn close.....

except when you walk outside its warm and people are nice.

On another night of our trip we went back to the Excalibur to see the Tournament of Kings. Its just like Medieval Times, minus the drunk guys (who were hilarious). We were assigned to sit in the "dragon" section which meant we had to cheer for the bad guys and boo the good guys. Our guy lost but we were the coolest one out there so I say we win! Afterwards we took a taxi to the Bellagio to see the fountain and the strip at night.

We ended up spending half a day by the pool, which I loved! I think that is one of my favorite things to do, sit by a pool in the warm sun with a cold drink. I could have sat there all day, but we were in Vegas and had things to do!!!! One of the main things I wanted to see was the Venetian Hotel. I think it is so beautiful! I love the architecture and the details. I want to live there in that palace amongst the naked people on the ceiling & the gondoliers (jk).

Besides running into our friendly Elvis' we also saw Michael Jackson, Captain Jack Sparrow, Superman, Wonderwoman, Spongebob, and Blue Man Group.

Last time we were in Vegas we took out pics with these statues outside of the Monte Carlo Hotel. We're keeping the tradition alive.

I could go on and on about all the little things we did & saw in Las Vegas, all the different people we saw, and different accents. It truly is the most diverse place on earth. It can also be extremely entertaining to us country folk (ha ha). Best part of my trip....spending time with my sis and my niece. They are two of my best friends and I will always say yes to any adventure they invite me along to. What happens in Vegas.....a really great time!!!

ThE dAY cAssIdY hAd A biRtHDaY!!

It's that time of year again to brag about my cute niece Cassidy Jade Long.....its her birthday (or was....I'm a few days late). This year she hit a milestone....she turned 16!!!!!! Not only is she getting older and more mature but now she can drive (watch out drivers of the world--jk). To celebrate this grand event we went to Las Vegas over spring break for some Fun in the Sun!

There are so many things that I love about Cass!! I love her smile, her laugh, her silliness, her personality, her fashion sense, and the great girl that she is. She always makes me laugh and I love spending time with her whenever I can. She's always ready to pose for a picture, dance, burst into song, and be a great friend . She truly is a beautiful soul!!!

When we headed for the airport we all happened to be wearing our Aeropostale hoodies. So we decided that out gang name would be "Wenches in Hoodies". So world....beware of us!!! I love that I got to spend these few days with two of my favorite people. My sister Julie and my awesome niece Cassidy. I think we make a fantastic trio!

Cass and I decided to go on the roller coaster at our hotel. It was so much fun!!!!! We put our arms up and screamed our heads off the whole ride. I loved getting the chance to do that with her. So of course we had to have a picture to prove to people.

One of the things I loved about our trip was seeing Julie and Cass spend some time together having fun. I think it is so great that Cass has a mom that loves her so much. There aren't many moms that would take their daughter on a vacation for their birthday. I loved being witness to the awesome relationship that they have. I hope that Cass always knows how much she is loved, cherished.....and spoiled (jk).

I love my sweet & funny Sass-A-Cass! Or Cass-A-Daquiri.

Or Cassi-Wassi-Doodle All The Day. Or Cass-A-Dilla.

(Some of my pet names for her)

I love that she's not only my niece but my friend! Every year I write that I hope she never outgrows hanging with her old aunt. I truly hope that it never happens. I hope she always lets me be part of her life. That she'll always talk to me. I have loved all the years I have had the privilege of watching her grow and getting to be a part of it. Here's to many more years (I hope) of watching her grow into a young lady and a great person.

Luv Ya Babe!!!

EaSTeR EgG FuN!!

Its Easter time again at our household, and you know that means.......The Easter Egg Contest! This year we all got our ideas rolling a few weeks back. I think the competitive factor was high this year and everyone wanted to win. We had a small "smackdown of words" via facebook. We all wanted to win add we all had some great ideas.

But before the competition could begin we started off with dinner and treats. Of course, we had potato salad (its not Easter unless dad gets his potato salad). Whenever we get together it turns into a photo session and here are some pics of a few of my buds:

We have also been cleaning out my mom basement and we decided that Easter was the perfect opportunity to get rid of a few "treasures". So we loaded up the garage and had a "sale" and let people take what they wanted. I think people had more fun playing with all the old clothes and hats. Jamie is a character and such a good sport to try a few things on and model them for us.

So it begins.....we didn't have as many entries this year as in the past but everyone tried to bring their A-Game. Candace and I teamed up again this year to try and reclaim our title. We had planned to do Michael Jackson (in all colors). But I had accidentally thrown away a key piece to our design. So we kind of got messed up and didn't do our best. The idea was still funny though. Grandma did a cute frog. Joni, Kara, and Jannette did Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Captain Hook. So creative!!! And Josh did a silly Stewie from Family Guy. What a creative bunch!!!

Rick, Julie, Cass, and Tucker did the band KISS. They came prepared with a stage and everything. They raised the standard for next years contest.

All in all, it was a great day (but very cold).

Everyone had fun and that's all that matters at Grandma's house right?

The Celebration of Tucker "T-Man"!!

Another year has gone by and my friend/nephew Tucker is another year older. I can't believe how old this kid is getting and how fast he is growing. Pretty soon he will be taller than me and a teenager. He turned 12 years old and I wish I could go back in time to when he was my little buddy. At the same time I love that he is getting older. He is truly one of the best people that I know in my life. And that is why he gets a birthday "Tribute". (Plus he asked me if I was going to)

He loves his guitar lessons & guitar and his I-Pod Touch.

He loves facebook and his friends.

He loves Dr. Pepper.

He loves Spanky's and Firehouse Pizza.

And he loves Hollister.

And I'd like to think he loves hanging with me. (Ha Ha)

Tucker truly is the funniest kid to be around! He constantly makes me laugh and says the darndest things. Whether he's dancing around, telling me something silly or dressing like a "gangsta" he makes my life an adventure. I went over to his house one day and he opened the door dressed like a thug and says, "Welcome to my crib." It's things like that that make me love him more.

Tucker is also a great son and brother. He has a family that loves him so much. A father to take him to Nascar and a mom who is his #1!!!! They spend a lot of time together, whether on vacation, hunting, or goofing off. There is constant laughter in their household. They are all truly great and he gets to be part of that. What a lucky kid!!!

Tucker is a pretty cool brother. Like all siblings they have their times of bickering, but for all those times there are twice as many times of laughter and love. I love spending time with both Tucker and Cassidy because they are 2 great kids. And when there are 2 of them it means twice as much fun! These are two silly kids!

He is also the sweetest kid. If I am ever feeling bad or sad he always has a kind word. He always tells me: " Stop putting yourself down!" He's my personal life motivator. If I have a choice I never turn down an opportunity to spend time with him. I feel like a better person being around him and his family. I feel like I'm part of something.

Some of my favorite times are when him & I are in the car and we sing to Linkin Park or to the radio. Then we make up names for people or words to the songs. Or we play "mini-van" flick (our game). There is never a dull moment.

Tucker is the best kid! His parents should be so proud for raising such a sweet, silly, fun kid. I hope he will always stay close to me. But as he gets older I know my days as his friend will dwindle as he becomes a teenager. So I'm just going to cherish the time I have and hope that he will always know that his Aunt Steph will be there for him. And that I love him. And I love when I can fill in as a "2nd mom" whenever needed. He's the BEST!!!!!! Love ya, kid!!!