Welcome Home

Scott made us a welcome home banner. How sweet is he?
(It says 'Welcome Home Guys', not sure why the rest of the picture is missing.)

Tayden and I got back from Texas yesterday. It was such a fun trip. My brother and his family surprised us with the new home they recently purchased and we basically hung out there most the time. Who could ask for a better vacation? We did a little shopping, watched Coda play t-play, went to the biggest ever outdoor 'Saturday Market' and enjoyed each others company. It was so wonderful. Tayden loved playing with this cousins and they were great with him. I can't wait for him little brother to come so he has some company other than mom and dad. Although, since we have been home, he can't get enough of daddy. Since we only packed on a carry on, I wasn't able to pack our camera. I really need to invest in a smaller camera I can stick in my purse. So the only pictures I have are the ones I texted to Scott while we were there...so they are all of little Mister. Thanks Justin, Echo, Coda and Gracie for an awesome time. We miss you already.

Taydens new family.

He kept putting his sunglasses on his forehead. He thinks he's funny.

Loved the doll stroller. Maybe a little too much.

Riding through the airport in style.

We have an ultrasound to check on Baby Packard tomorrow. I can't wait to see him! Hopefully I will have some good pictures to post.

4th of July

I love the fourth of July. It is my favorite holiday of the year. This Independence Day was especially wonderful for two reasons. First, we got to participate in festivities both on Saturday and Sunday. Second, because we had a sweet little boy to share it with.

On Saturday we went to Inkom for our traditional breakfast in the park, parade, BBQ and fireworks. Tayden loved loved loved the parade. He likes big trucks, so seeing the floats was exciting...but not near as exciting as the candy. He would stomp his little feet in excitement when the candy landed in front of him and then would promptly pick it up and put it in his bucket. We seriously got about 5 lbs of candy. It was so much fun.

Sunday, we went to church were I truly took in the freedom to worship. How lucky we are. Then, we went to my parents for dinner and waited for it to get dark so we could watch the Pocatello fireworks. Thanks to my sister, we got to park behind Lowes to watch the show, and it was awesome. Tayden sat in his little camp chair with his blanket on his lamp in complete awe. It was the cutest thing.

This year was great and I am already looking forward to next year. We forgot our camera, but caught a few pictures on Scotts phone. Enjoy.

Our little family playing on Packards new toy. Mostly, I just love this picture because it shows how much Tayden loves his dog.

It was a little chilly, but we put on a jacket and survived.

It wasn't the greatest time to take a picture, but the moment truly was priceless.

Oh, and Tayden 'caught' his first fish... The first one of many I'm sure. Love it!

Texas 911

Well, we made it back from Dallas in one piece. Though, there were many times I thought for sure we wouldn't. The trip to get there horrendous, but the reward (my family) was SO sweet and well worth the hassle. Let me take you through the adventure...in form of a list. (Haha...I love lists and they make it so much easier for me to think.)

• 1st-It was pouring. Scott was convinced it was a monsoon. We passed a semi truck at the exact time it hit a water puddle/lake and it covered our trailblazer completely in water. We couldn't see a thing and had to gun in blind to get out of the mess. Needless to say, the weather was not on our side and it put us behind schedule a bit.
• 2nd-As we were making our way to the SLC airport, we were following a trailer of trees. Well, not really following, it was a few lanes over and a few cars up. Anyway, a rock/boulder flew off the back and hit our windshield leaving a 6-8 inch break in the windshield. Scariest thing.
• 3rd-Not ten minutes later, we went to get off at the airport exit and the road was closed. Awesome, even more behind schedule.
• 4th-Made it to the airport just in time to board the plane. Like seriously...just in time.
• 5th-Scott and I were watching the few minutes of free TV on the plane when we noticed Tornado warnings in Colorado, which is where we were to connect for Dallas. He laughed it off and said we would be fine. We weren't. We had to 'hold' as the pilot called it in the air for about an hour due to weather. So basically, we flew in circles Denver waiting for the tornado's to go away.
• 6th-The tornado's went away. For about 30 minutes, long enough for us to land. Within 10 minutes of being at the Denver airport the skies went black, sirens went off and everyone was rushed to the bathrooms, AKA-tornado shelter. And there we sat. For 3 hours. At 10 PM. With a screaming child. More awesomeness.
• 7th-They finally got us out of Denver onto a very bumpy flight that took us into Dallas. It was about 2:00 AM when we settled into the hotel, broke open the luggage, only to find it was soaking wet. Everything was soaking wet. We knew the outside of the suitcase was wet, but what we didn't realize is that they never brought in our luggage during the tornado warnings. We had zero dry clothes. Luckily, the housekeeping was able to throw it in the dryer so Scott would have dry clothes for his conference and Tayden and I wouldn't have to wear the same clothes.

So there you have it, the adventure to Dallas. Once we got there, things were great! The minute I saw my family, everything was perfect. We had such a great time. I forgot my camera, naturally, so I only caught a few pictures with my phone.

Echo and I took the kids to the Zoo on Wednesday. It was so fun! We spent a few hours there and saw alot of cool animals. The Fort Worth Zoo is seriously worth going to see. It was a blast. I think I enjoyed it as much as the kids. Unfortunately, this was the only day Tayden decided to cooperate. He was a major pain the whole trip. I think he was either crying or whining 95% of the time. And if he wasn't doing either of those, we was flailing on the ground. My five year old nephew, Coda, said, "There he goes again" about 167 times, in regards to the behavior. I actually considered leaving him there...haha. (obviously just kidding.) But in all honestly, it was weird. I am not used to having a kid like that. I felt bad that Justin and Echo didn't have the chance to see my hilarious, good natured, sweet little boy. All they saw was a little monster. Boo. Anyway, here is a picture of the drive home from the zoo. It must have been fun!

My all time favorite picture. Tayden looking out the window of our hotel for birds in the nude. Isn't he something else?

Okay, so one more little story and this post will be over. I love this picture. Not because of the quality, but because of the story behind it.

My sister in law is an amazing mom. And when I say amazing, she is phenomenal. She limits the amount of TV in the morning and then helps the kids find something else fun to do. This particular morning it was playing games with Mom. How fun is she? And you will never guess what is they were listening to on the CD player....primary songs. For real. And not for a show for me...because that is what they do. The kids knew the songs and were singing along playing a board game with their mom. I had to hold back the tears as I watched. And on top of that, she cooks, she cleans, she solves problems, she listens, she disciplines, she gives herself to her family. She is my inspiration and I truly aspire to be like her.

So after the zoo, being lazy, Joe's Crab Shack, the blistering heat, countless laughs, a banana cream pie shake, a bucket of golf balls and some good quality time with my family....we headed home. Even after the airport called and told us our flight home had been canceled and had to reroute us...we made it.

Thanks Justin, Echo, Coda and Princess Gracie for the wonderful time. It went by to fast and I miss you everyday.

Dallas Dallas Dallas

We made it home.
Tired.
But in one piece.

And let me tell you, it was fun!

I'm still tired from the trip, it is 12:30ish, but I was dying to post about our roadtrip. So I hope that this makes sense....

The total trip was about 3200 miles or about 40 hours in the car. Tayden was a champ during the whole thing. He had his moments of frustration, but for the most part was amazing. He is such a good little traveler.

We had so much fun in Texas with my family. I haven't seen them for a few months, so it was really great being able to spend the week with them. We went to Sea World, The Alamo, The River Walk, The Children's Museum, and spent loads of time just hanging out with each other. I seriously couldn't have asked for a better time.

Thank you to Justin and Echo for your amazing hospitality. I always leave feeling guilty because you guys wait on us hand and foot! You guys rock. Thank you to my mom, dad, and sister for all your help with Tayden. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Thanks to Scott for taking off school and flying down for a few days to spend time with us.

Here a few pictures...and by few I mean a ton! Seriously... a ton.

One of my favorite memories. Coda and I decided to stay in the car while everyone went to a golf store. We were getting kind of bored and decided to take funny pictures. I laughed so hard I cried. I love my nephew.

This one is for Coda. What a silly boy.

Making funny faces.

Gracie Girl- Have you ever seen a prettier smile? She is a beauty.

Tayden finally crawled through a tunnel! He doesn't like the ones at the mall, so we had to take a picture of this moment. I was one proud mama.

Fast Asleep.

Can't leave Texas without a cowboy hat.

Echo doing all the work while Justin has all the fun.

The whole family at Sea World.

Our little family with Shamu. (Not the real one! Haha)

Okay, so we got Tayden a backpack harness because 1.) He loves to walk whenever possible. 2.) I thought Sea World was going to be super busy and didn't want him to get stolen.

Well, as you can see. I was wrong. There was plenty of room for him to walk around and not get lost in the crowd. My brother laughed and told me I was a zookeeper. Not going to lie, sometimes I feel like it!

Sleeping again.

Just the three of us.

We had so much fun in Dallas, and are lucky enough get to go again in May. I can't wait!! Thanks again to my awesome family. It was the best vacation ever!!!

Christmas

Christmas was awesome this year. We were very spoiled and blessed. We gave some great gifts and received even better ones. However, the older I get the more my focus changes. I look forward to a day full of family. There is nothing...NOTHING, better than hanging out with people you love. This year was bittersweet for me. It was my first Christmas without my big brother. (Minus his mission) It was difficult to not have him and his family with us. We thought about them all day, and Scott even made a Santa call to my nephew, which was awesome. The sweet part was having our baby boy with us. Having a child during Christmas is a special thing. I can't help but think of Mary this time of year and everything she went through. I can't help but look at Tayden and see the greatest gift from God. Christmas in my love of Christ and his love for my family. With that said, here are a few pictures of the day:

Tanner got a new 'Polly' for Christmas. It just so happens to be Taydens favorite toy too!

Scott got me this beautiful chair for our room. He did such a good job!

Me sitting on my new chair from my parents. Yes, a table came too!

Scott opening a gift from his sister. Funny thing, it was our video, she was just returning it!

The perfect table! We love it!

It's back! Taydens hair is finally long enough for a mohawk again! Woo Hoo!

*Side note: Any other Glee fans out there? I got the soundtracks, AMAZING!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. I can't wait to read about all your wonderful new memories and see your timeless pictures!

Karlson Reunion Top 15

We had a blast at our family reunion this year. It was Taydens first time camping and he did great. Here are the 'top 15' Karlson memories for 2009 (in no particular order).
*I decided to try a new format for the pictures. It didn't work out so well, sorry. I hope you can read the post without going crazy! Next time, I'll stick to what I know. Like they say, don't fix whats not broken. Sorry!

#1- Putt Putt: It just wouldn't be the Karlson reunion without a game of mini golf. And this year...Scott and I TIED!




#2-Slides with Scott: My mom and dad were so nice and took Tayden for a couple of hours while Scott and I got to ride some water slides together. It was awesome to play with my hubby!



#3- Tayden In A Front Facing Stroller: This was so nice this year! We could push him around and he was totally fine. Previously Tayden would freak out a little and think he was alone. It made the trip great!




#4-Condo Tent: Scott and I borrowed a tent from some friends in the ward. It was huge and it was AWESOME!



#5- Sleepy Baby: A tired Tayden sleeping on daddy's lap. Love it!


#6-Wind Storm:There was an awful wind storm the night we camped. The winds were gusting, it was raining, and my air mattress was depleted. Gotta love camping.

#7-My boys: Look at this picture! Seriously, do I need to say anything more? I love watching Tayden and his daddy play together. This was the first time Scott really got to see how much Tayden loves the water, so he had lots of fun with it.



#8-Scott Rock Climbing: Cherry Hills has a rock wall. Scott 'climbed' it. I couldn't keep my eyes off him.

#9-Keeping Tayden Hydrated:It was so hot, so it was a chore keeping the babe hydrated. I'm sure he would beg to differ. He loves to share water!

#10-Fireworks:The night we drove home there were fireworks. We literally drove right underneath them. It was beautiful.

#11-Scott Picking Up Trash: He was actually picking up trash! Why don't I get this at home? haha! All joking aside, I am really impressed my dear sweet husband. He is always willing to help, and I can't help but think how blessed I am.

#12-Vacation: A much needed break.


#13-Pine Wood Derby: We had a pine wood derby contest this year. Scott won (of course), but I definitely had the most enthusiasm. See me cheering on my car?


#14-Taydens Hat:He had the funniest/cutest little hat. We did the chin strap up to keep in on, and he looked like a little English Soldier. You know the ones that guard the palace? So stinking cute.

#15-Family: I loved seeing everyone. It was really a great time to catch up. I don't have a picture of the whole gang, I'll have to get one from my cousin, (Thanks Dev for doing that). I am so grateful families are forever... it will be like one big reunion!

*Thanks to my mom and dad for lettting me steal all their pictures. LOVE YA!

Dallas

Last week my mom, Tayden and I had the opportunity to go to Dallas, TX for a week. My brother and his family moved there about 2 months ago, so we went down for a little visit. It was the greatest trip ever! My super sweet sister in law was the greatest hostess, cooking for us and waiting on us hand and foot. I have never felt so guilty. My brother was the best uncle I could ask for my son. He took him during the night so I could get some sleep and let me actually enjoy a relief society lesson! And the kids...well they are 100% perfect! They are the funniest kids I have ever met, I don't think I ever quit laughing.

Tayden was a little trouper. About 1/2 way through the trip he started acting not quite right. I took him to the doctor in Dallas and he ended up having an ear infection. Poor little guy. That explained the complaining and whining. We had to take 6 different flights. 3 there and 3 back. He was a great on all of them. Even coming home with an ear infection. I was so proud of him.Thanks to Scott's awesome cousins for their expert flying advice!

Texas was so so hot. I don't think it was ever cooler than 100 degrees with a heat index of like 104. We spent most of the time in the water, mall or anywhere with AC. Let me tell you though, I am not cut out for Texas. The mall in Dallas is super high class. It was a designer mall with stores like BeBe, Lacost, and Giorgio Armani. It was nuts. Half the stores had their own security guards. I had to laugh at our cut offs and flip flops compared to everyone else's bouffant hair and Couch bags. We were a little out of place...but it had AC, so I wasn't complaining too much!

We found this fun little Harbor with little shops and a water park for the kids. The park was just a cement playground with water that shot out of the ground. It was so fun! The kids had a blast playing and it kept us all cool. I was having so much fun in Texas I didn't take too many pictures, but I got alot from this park. I couldn't miss this memory!

I had an awesome time with my family. They truly are the best and huge examples in my life. I know that sometimes it is hard to change, but they are doing awesome. I miss them everyday, but have no doubt they are doing what is right for them. Thanks for an outstanding time! Love you guys!

I couldn't decide on what pictures to post, so I made a slide show! My mom has yet to email me the pictures she took with her camera, but maybe that is a blessing. Then I would have had way too many to pick from.

* Sorry I didn't get the pictures all turned the right way. That drives Scott nuts, but at this point I am happy I even had time to post! Sorry!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Just a random picture of Tayden in his new PJ's! My friend got them for us and I absolutely love them. They are my favorites so I had to post a picture!


P.S- I am not going to say much about this...but this was my last couponing trip.

• 30 bottles of Sobe Life
• 3 boxes of General Mills Cereal
• 1 mini delights brownies
• 1 kraft ranch dressing
• 1 darigold cottage cheese
• 10 kraft BBQ sauces
• 2 stain sprays
• 1 bag of marshmellows
  

All this, less than $20.00

Our CRAZY 4th!

Wow! Did we have a crazy fourth of July of what? Its started off like any other fourth... We always go to Inkom as a tradition (my very favorite one). We have breakfast at the park, attend the Inkom "Candy" Parade, and have a BBQ at Scotts grandparents. We had an awesome morning. I only had to remind Scott to quite fighting with the little kids twice. You see, he has some what of an obsession with candy and nobody stands in the way of his parade day. Not even the little ones. I'm just glad I didn't see any elbow throwing this year! Just kidding, he is not that bad...but is always upfront with the little ones grabbing as much as he can. Man, I love him. :) As for Tayden enjoying his first parade, he just slept right through it with Grandpa Packard.

Since this was Taydens first Fourth, we decided to take some pictures. First, let me tell you one exciting thing that happened! Tayden got his first tooth!!!! I was so happy to see it after Aunt Ashley pointed it out. He has been kind of cranky the past week or two and the tooth gave him a little bit of justice. He is doing much better since it has finally broke the surface. I just hope it stays that way. Anyway, that explains the tongue in most of this pictures.

Just loving the grass. Cute little guy.

Just mom laughing at her baby boy and his tongue. Notice the new hair! I love it. I probably would have spent a little more time on it had I know we were taking loads of pictures!

Love these guys!

Posing in the Tree!

My Handsome Family!

After the BBQ, it started raining. No big deal...or so we thought. Then the hail came. It was so big and strong it punched holes into my in-laws fiber glass covered porch. Yikes! After it was over, we were sitting at Scotts parents house when the phone rang. It was Scotts Grandma telling us the river was flooding and to get over there quick. This is what we found... (thanks for letting me copy the pics of facebook Sharlee!)

Scotts dad and a neighbor checking out the flood.

It got pretty close to the house, but lucky not too close. Some water came in the basement...it could have been a lot worse.

The neighbors trucks.

The start of the hail storm.

The size of the hail. The one on the far right is next to a quarter! Crazy!

Scott spent the rest of the day engaging in cleanup and sandbagging. I was so proud seeing him work so hard for people in need. He really stepped up to the plate. So needless to say this was one memorable day! As crazy as it was, it was amazing seeing how family can be stronger than the raging water tearing everything else apart. It touched my heart to see everyone working so diligently to help those around them! I am so grateful for the freedoms of this country, and even more grateful for the people in it!