The Malans

2010-05-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Last night my dad and mom came over. I told him that I was going to run a half marathon on Saturday. To much surprise, he told me that I was going to hurt myself and that I wasn't ready(he's so positive). I questioned the reasoning behind why he said that to me; I thought about it a lot. So, this is the answer that I came up with.

Here it is:

Ode to a half marathon:

Even though I signed up for you three times in a row and chickened out three times in a row,

I did it!

Even though I knew it would be hard to conquer this difficult task in my life, and you kept on telling me I couldn't.

I did it!

Even when I ran just one mile outside and couldn't run any more or else all of my insides would end up on the pavement(and they did).

I did it!

Even when I pulled my hamstring, and thought I couldn't participate in the half marathon because it hurt so bad to run.

I did it!

Even when I was exhausted from a hard days work and the last thing on my mind was to run, but knew I had to.

I did it!

All of those early mornings, running, puking, and sweating.

I did it!

To those many tears of pain, agony, hurt, and even happiness.

I did it!

Here's to you half marathon.

I DID IT!

My dad always taught me to love myself...to always reach for higher goals...and never forget where I came from.

Even when I was going through a hard time in my life, my dad took me aside and told me what his mother used to tell him. "Where's your faith?"

So, here I am less than a day away from a very big day in my life and I know that I can do it, I know that I will do it, and I know that whatever the outcome, I am proud of myself for coming this far.

I look forward to the future and what it holds. Hopefully many more half marathons and maybe even a full marathon, eventually.

Honestly, Dad, your were the person that has inspired me to set such a high goal and reach it. You were the one that taught me to have the courage to be able to run this half marathon.

And, you were the one that always told me to never give up.

So next time, when you wonder why I am doing such "horrific" thing and am worried that I might hurt myself; just remember, you were the one that taught the important steps on how to build a strong foundation.

In the words of your mother, "Where's your faith, Bobby."

Thanks, dad for all you do for me and all that you have taught me.

I love you forever!

Meredith

July 4th fun!!!

2009-08-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of fun this summer and it has flown by so fast. Here is the activities we did during the summer.

Rex participated in the ATV Derby in Plain City this year. This is the only pic I got of him because I was filming the rest of the time.

After we went to my Aunt Joy's house who lives in Plain City as well. She took all of the kids for a ride around the block on her lawnmower.

Who can resist a cute baby and BOB! Cormick, my nephew, was enjoying barbeque on the 4th of July.

Rex, well he enjoyed it and then took a nap. Got to love Lazy summer days.

Grace and Max are best of friends. They love each other. As you can see, "pyro Max" was ready to do the fireworks.

A Fairy Princess workin' Mechanic

2009-06-07T19:11:00.001-07:00

I love that Grace doesn't mind getting her hands dirty. Rex was working on our truck, and Grace was helping him. Actually, if her daddy is doing anything, then she is right there beside him. Even if it means wearing her princess dress while she is helping him.

Goodbye Harrison....

2009-06-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

You never know how much a dog is there for you until they are gone. Harrison, born 17 years ago, past away yesterday, and has gone to be up in doggy heaven. He was a very good dog and had a very spoiled life. He was our first dog growing up and was given to us by a friend when he was was first born. He will be missed very much. I Love you, Harrison! Thanks for all the unconditional love you gave to me.

2009-06-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

I think I forgot that I had a blog. I finally get to sit down and have some time to catch up and let the blog world know that we are alive and well. No, we have not done anything important. Well, sort of. I have just been too busy to keep this up to date. No excuses! Here are some pics. Mostly of my darling Grace of course. I don't what Grace likes about tractors, but she loves to help her daddy when he is driving them.

Rex and I ran the 5K in the Ogden Marathon. It was freeeeezing cold that morning. We made it through. I almost ran the whole thing, almost.

Grandma Malan turned 70 on May 7. We had a big family party and went to Maddox. Yum! It was sure fun to be with the family.

We were outside working in the garden, and Grace walked outside looking like this. I guess half of a shape sorter can be considered a hat. I love her creativity in everything she does.

The past month in review!

2009-03-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

Not much has happened this past month but here are a couple of pix that we did.
We went to Speedstreet with some of our old ward friends and had a blast. This is Grace and Porter playing on one of the arcade games.

My niece, Isabella turned 6 on March 10. They were in the middle of moving out of their house so I offered to make her birthday cake. So here is the masterpiece. Well sort of...Grace put her fingers in it so it's not so perfect.

It snowed a lot a couple of weeks ago, and Grace wanted to go outside to help shovel the snow with her dad. I had to get a picture of the cute snow angel.

Goodbye diapers...Hello Big Girl!!!

2009-02-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

I had to get a picture of the momentous occasion. I started potty training Grace yesterday. I am proud to say that she has gone 24 hours without an accident. She has done so well and I am so proud of my Gracie-bell. One of my clients at work told me about an eBook, 3daypottytraining.com. I have to say it works wonders. She tells me when she needs to go potty. More importantly she's excited to wear princess panties. I'm just excited not to have to buy diapers anymore, well at least until we have another one.

Pinching your pennies?

2009-02-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

So I just went to probably the coolest thing last night and am so excited to share it with my fellow bloggers. It was so interesting and very educational. It's a class that the Standard Examiner has twice a month. A lady from pinchingyourpennies.com comes to tell us about "couponing." I know it sounds like a hobby. In some ways it actually is.

The lady that taught the class last night says she has 5 children and only spends $300 a month on groceries. That sounds so unrealistic to me, but she does it and it works for her. You basically get the coupons from the newspaper every sunday and cut them out and wait for the item to go on sale. There is a lot more to it; she explains it all when you go to the class.

So I'm so excited about it, more importantly about saving money. I recommend going to the class. It is worth it! It sure has got me pumped to try it.

5 years...and more happy years to go!

2009-01-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2004

Yes it's true! Rex and I have officially been married for 5 years. We have made so many memories and shared so many things together. It has made us grow even closer to each other.

I can't wait to spend a lot more years with my wonderful husband. I am so lucky to have such an amazing person in my life.

We had such a wonderful day together. We went up to Logan (where we got married) to the temple and did sealings together. After that we went the Anniversary Inn only to find out that the room we booked had a toilet that backed up and did when we were there. So, they let us choose another room that was available. Of course I chose the Biker Roadhouse because it had a pool table in it. It was so much fun; we played pool all night. Here are some pictures of the cool room.

Overload of Posts!

2009-01-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

I did it again! I got busy and didn't have time to post. So, here are a whole lot of posts.

Happy Birthday Nana!

2009-01-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

Isabella and Grace played dress up.
Jon stole Max's pirate hat.

My mom's birthday is on January 2. We went over to there house and had chinese food. We were going to play games, but we ended up watching the sugar bowl(go utes!). It was too exciting to miss. That was fun too.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

We sure had a fun time celebrating the new year. We went over to Rex's brothers house. We played a lot of games. The funnest one was the bag game. You just try to pick up the bag with your mouth with one foot on the ground. The part that you touched gets cut off, so the bag gets smaller and smaller and it gets harder and harder to pick it up.
On the other hand, I don't know what got in to Grace, but she somehow got hyper starting at 11:00 at night. She probably was so tired she was wired. I don't think it helped that we gave her some Dr. Peppper at 9:00 either. She fell right asleep as soon as we put her in the car to go home though. It was an exciting night for her.

Santa Came!!!!

2009-01-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

We woke up to a fun filled morning. I was so excited to see how Grace would react to what Santa brought her. I don't know why, but she slept in pretty late that morning, and woke up to a messy diaper on top of it. So, after her bath she got to go and see what Santa brought he. It was fun to see Grace so happy. She probably played with her kitchen for at least 2 hours before she opened any more gifts.

Christmas Sunday

2009-01-09T08:10:00.001-08:00

Here is Grace in here cute Christmas dress.

Rex posing for a picture outside church. We were in a hurry, because we were late again.

Christmas eve...

2009-01-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

The nativity scene. Baby Jesus was not a happy camper.

Father Christmas!!! Can you guess who it is?

Grace just couldn't look at father christmas, Makelle came up with her so she wasn't so scared. He's not that scary.

Grace was excited to be one of the wisemen. Actually, the only wiseman. What a cutie!!

We go over to Rex's parents every Christmas eve. We always have nativity. We eat breakfast, yum, and the kids get to open a gift. It is fun and full of many memories. This year the adults went to a rest home and sang Christmas Carols to the residents there. I got to stay back and watch the kids.
Father Christmas came too. Grace was really scared of him. She did not want to sit on his lap. If she only knew it was her daddy.

Wedding Bells!!!

2009-01-09T07:48:00.001-08:00

Jessica and Rob cutting the cake.

One of my good friends from High School got married. I was so happy for her. I offered to make her wedding cake for her. After all, I'm a pro after doing my first wedding cake for my sisters wedding. :)
It was my first tiered wedding cake, and turned out to be a lot easier than my sisters. I was pretty proud of my accomplishment. I'm just grateful Rex didn't bite my head off while we were transporting the cake. I don't think I have ever felt that many bumps on the road. Maybe it was because I was trying to balance a wedding cake on my lap.
Anyway, here is my masterpiece. It turned out better than I thought. And, I'm glad they liked it.

Cousins, and more cousins...

2009-01-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

The cute little family. I wasn't as stressed in that picture.

It snowed the day before, so Rex, as willing as he was jumped on his 4-wheeler and plowed almost the whole neighborhood. Grace just had to come along for the ride.

When I was younger, we would have a family Christmas party(my mom's side of the family). All of us were very close growing up. When we all got to be married and at teenage years, we had a "cousin party" and left the old folks home. We always had fun, ate food and just talked.
So after a lot of years not having a cousin party, we finally had one this year. And, I was the host. It was exciting. I got to have all my family come over to my house. We had so much fun. Of course not everyone could make it because everyone is so spread out now, but it was sure nice to catch up on everyone's lives.

Lookin' Good!!

2008-12-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

Travis, Andy and Rex posing for a picture.

Andy Prince got married last Saturday and asked Rex to be one of the groomsmen. He got to look all handsome in a tux. He sure dresses up nice. It was a fun event and the food was really good.
After the wedding, we raced down to go to Rex's work party. That was so fun because Rex got to Break Dance in front of all the audience, in his Tux! I'm sure proud of him. All the years of practicing with his friends at Stomps and dances sure paid off.

Graces 2 year pictures!!

2008-12-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Time flies fast and before you know it, there is 2 weeks until Christmas and I haven't posted yet for the month of December. Grace just got her 2 year pictures taken. She was so cute(like always). It really seems like she just keeps on getting cuter and cuter. She is such a blessing in our lives. She keeps us on our feet though. Sometimes it's good to have a little push and shove from your 2 year old. I love you Gracie!!!

Ok, the penquin she is holding, is "Feet."(She says "Peet.") Ever since she watched "Happy Feet," she has been an absolute fan of penguins. I don't know what she sees in those wobbly arctic birds, but every time she sees one, she gets all giddy and excited.
I had a security blanket growing up, and Grace, she has "feet."

Halloween Spirit!

2008-11-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

My dad and Grace smiling on their birthday!!

Me holding Cormick. The newest addition to our family.

Grace waiting to open up her gifts. Wasn't she spoiled.

Grace, Bella and Max decorated their pumpkins. They were pretty excited to show off their masterpieces.

Bella and Grace posing for a picture with their cute costumes.

This year my family wanted to have a halloween party. It was close to Graces birthday, so I thought we should have it on her birthday. So we all dressed up except for my dad(party pooper) and had lots of fun. We also celebrated my dad's and Grace's birthday too. It's fun to have them share the same birthday. I think it makes my dad feel special.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Grace!

2008-11-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast time goes by. Grace turned 2 last Tuesday. She was just really excited to get presents.

Halloween Fun!!!

2008-10-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

The annual Malan family Halloween party was on Monday. We all dress up, eat soup and have a doughnut eating contest. It is full of fun and excitement. We look forward to it every year. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

The cousins posing for a picture. They all looked so good.

There she is again trying not to smile.

Brent and Linda were livin' it old school back in the 70's.

Brooke and Dustin followed the yellow brick road to the party.

Rex, Grace and I, well, we just thought of our happy thought and we magically appeared.

Family Pictures

2008-10-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. The leaves are beautiful and that means family pictures. My amazing and talented sister took our family pics. She is awesome. She did an amazing job on our pictures. Here are just a few.

It's "The Birds"

2008-10-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the movie, "The Birds." Well, I thought I was in the movie this morning. I was on the computer and heard a weird sound outside. I went and checked it out to find all of these birds in my back yard. I thought they were going to attack me. I'm kidding, but I did have a thought like that. It's kind of scary when they form a rain cloud like shape. I guess I can't put out bird food or else more will come back and maybe eat my house instead. :)

Pumpkinaze Fun

2008-10-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

There is Brooke and almost all of her class that wanted to slide down with her.

I don't think Grace likes me taking pictures of her. At least when she doesn't, she puts a lot of effort in trying not to smile(just like her father).

This is one of about 50 times she went down the slide all by herself. She is getting so big.

Brooke, my sister in law invited Grace and I to go to the Pumpkinaze with her preschool class last Thursday. So here is all of us havin' some fun on the slide. If you haven't gone down a slide that big, I recommend it. It really gives you a rush. You start to feel like you're falling off a cliff.

Go Tigers!!!

2008-10-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Like always, it has been a while since I have posted. So here are a lot of things for your enjoyment.

Last week was the last region football game for Ogden High. Of course they save the best for last. The Iron Horse, which is the game between two rivals, Ogden and Ben Lomand. I have to tell a little bit about the game because it was the most exciting game I have ever seen.
Rex's nephew, Mason, is a starting wide receiver, so that's why we were there. (No I'm not a super senior, I had a reason to be there.) The first half started with me carrying Grace down 30th street(you know the really steep hill) while she was still sleeping only to find out that Ben Lomand was ahead by 6. Then when I met Rex, and finally got to sit down, they scored another touchdown. So, after a lot of attempts of Ogden trying to score, they left the half empty handed and the score 0-12.
I knew they were down and the crowd was looking very down. Some people even left because they didn't want to see them lose again.
After the halftime show and a few words of encouragement by the coaches, Ogden came out with their heads high. Well after the third quarter when ben lomand scored another touchdown. putting the score 0-19, they scored and got some numbers on the board. It started getting hopeful. Then, Mason caught the ball running it into the endzone with the score ending up 14-19.
They only needed one more touchdown to win. They made it happen in the fourth quarter with only 7 minutes left. Mason was in the corner of the endzone ready to catch it and the quarterback threw it right to him. I was so proud of him and the team as well. They held them the last 7 minutes and won the Iron Horse. They all played with heart and it showed.
They are leaving today to go play Cedar City in the first round of the state playoffs.
Good Luck Tigers!!!!

We saw Andy at the end of the game. I had to get a picture of the good ol' friends.

Ogden fans rushing the field at the end of the game.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

It was a cold and windy day on Friday, but that didn't stop us from going to the pumpkin patch. We took a hay ride out to the patch and we got to pick our own pumpkin. We had so much fun. We couldn't believe how big the pumpkins were.

How sweet it is.....

2008-10-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you being a mom is challenging and extremely rewarding at the same time. And most all of you moms out there know that feeling. While I was getting ready for work one morning last week I looked at Grace and was so grateful for this beautiful amazing little person that I have raised(Oh, and with the great help of my hubby too.) She literally lights up my life everyday. Being overwhelmed with this joy and happiness I had to get a picture of Gracie-bell that morning.

2008-10-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

So here is the past couple of weeks in review. A lot has happened and it seems like there has been not enough time for everything I wanted to do. My nephew was born and that has been exciting ever since the day he was born. This is the day he was born. My mom had Max and Bella for the day and they came to my house to hang out and wait til' we needed to go to the hospital. So on a hot day, what do most little kids like to do, eat a popsicles. So here are the rugrats eating them on the front porch.

I think his tractor's sexy..

2008-09-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Rex had an opportunity to get a tractor for a weekend so he could get the grating leveled before winter comes. He had fun just haulin' dirt around all day. It was sure cold and rainy on Saturday though. He wasn't quite frozen but pretty close. Just for having it one day, he got a lot done. Great job on the dirt moving skills honey.

my dirt-eatin' daughter

2008-09-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

She especially had fun working on the tractor. Here she is struttin' her stuff on the front of the tractor.

canning 101

2008-09-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Before

After
Since I've had a little bit more time on my hands, I thought it would be nice to start canning. So I went crazy. I canned apricots, salsa, freezer jam, and my last and final were peaches. My aunt was talking to me one day and she told me that she used to can almost anything she could. She went on to say that she would go downstairs in her pantry and just stare at all of the different colors that she had.
I didn't know that something like that would inspire me, but it sure did. So here they are, my pride and joy. I sure underestimated the time and effort it takes to put into canning, but it sure pays off in the end.

Happy 27th birthday Rex.

2008-09-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Rex's birthday on September 12. He turned 27. Here's some pics of the big hunk on his special day.

We celebrated Rex's birthday on September 12. He turned 27. Here's some pics of the big hunk on his special day.

Our humble abode

2008-09-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot comments on the lovely deck that we have and that they wanted to see a pic of the front of our house instead. Rex picked the weeds yesterday so I felt like it was good enough for a picture. So here you go. This is our home for a while.

Night-Night....

2008-09-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Having Rex home this weekend from work has been so fun. I know Grace especially loved it. She was so excited yesterday that she did not want to take a nap. We tried to; for about a half hour she was in her crib crying. So, we decided to get her out and then she was fine. But at about 7:30 I was fixing dinner and she was next to me drinking her sippy and the next thing I knew she was out like a log on the rug in the kitchen. So here she is taking a nap at 7:30 at night on the kitchen rug. Of course we got her up and had her eat dinner then put her down for the night after that. Sweet dreams Gracie-bell.

Lagoon again!!!

2008-09-02T07:58:00.001-07:00

We went to Lagoon again. But, this time Rex came with us. It was so fun. We went to Lagoon-a-beach and then Grace rode some of the kiddy rides. This is Grace and Rex on Puff. It was pretty fun to see them together.
I love going to Lagoon because it makes Grace really tired but this time it made her so tired she didn't want to go on any of the rides(hence the sad face while riding the whale). I don't think she is used to the rides. I know she will; hopefully next year.

It's been a while..

2008-08-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

I finally posted. Yeah. Enjoy.
Make sure to click on Older Posts, because there is more.

Wedding Bells on June 21, 2008..

2008-08-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yes it's true. My sister did find her Prince Charming(a.k.a. Jon Kasper). They tied the knot. They are officially Mr. and Mrs. Kasper. I am so happy for both of them. They make a cute couple. Here are some pics of their happy day.

Moving Day

2008-08-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sister in laws came and helped clean the house with me the day before we closed on the house. I had to take a pic of the cousins sitting down eating some ice cream.

Grace 18 month pix

2008-08-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

We went up to the cabin in Island Park in June and when we turned off to go in to the cabin there were these fields of daisy looking flowers. They were absolutely beautiful. I had to take Grace's pictures there. So here they are. Well a few of them.

Here is Grace and Rex havin' fun in the kitchen in the main cabin while I'm slaving away making dinner. J/K... I was having fun too.

Happy 4th of July

2008-08-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

We went up to Huntsville and had breakfast in the park. The weather was amazing but the park was busy. We stayed and saw the parade. It was fun because they threw out candy. That was Grace's favorite part.

Annual Bear Lake vacation

2008-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

This has always been my favorite vacation every year. We have done it ever since I was born and have loved it more each year we go. Here are some fun pics of my family and hangin' out.

Grace just loved this Pepsi beach ball. It was windy enough to blow the ball away. She made sure it didn't blow away.

Our home for a month and a half...

2008-08-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

We moved into our cabin for about a month and a half while we were looking for a house. It was fun and cozy. It also was nice because Rex's parents were right next door.

Our new house

2008-08-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

We're finally in a house. We're in the country....Kind of. We're out in Plain City. It is just west of North Ogden. It is a beautiful home and a gorgeous view. I'm just glad we have a house. It's so nice to have the extra room and more bedrooms for more children in the distant future.
Here is a picture of the back view from the house.

Lagoon Day

2008-08-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

I went with Brooke(my sis in law) to Lagoon. Grace finally rode some of the kiddy rides with her cousins Dawson and Raiden. It was a proud mommy moment, that she could do this on her own. She thought it was fun.

First time camping.

2008-08-22T09:18:00.001-07:00

Jamie and Porter trying to stay warm by the fire

Well we took Grace camping for the first time. Our friends from the Terrace invited us. We went to Lava Hot Springs. It was very warm in the day, but freezing at night. It was especially cold for Rex though. We had our air mattress in the tent with Grace in the middle of us. She just didn't sleep too well and I think it was because it was so cold. I woke up around six in the morning to find Rex sitting upright. His shirt was soaking. He went on to say that Grace peed on him in the night. She filled up her diaper so much the rest of it went on Rex. I didn't want to laugh, because I didn't want him to feel bad, but it was pretty funny.

And here is the masterpiece.........

2008-08-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

After all of the time I put in to decorating this cake, I am sure glad it didn't fall or melt. I realized that decorating a wedding cake is tedious, frustrating, overwhelming, and time-consuming all in one. I'm glad it payed off though. They sure enjoyed it. And I have to be honest, I was pretty proud of how well it turned out. I just don't think I will stay up til' 3 in the morning then have to get up again at 4:30 to finish it. That's just the procrastinator in me.

Cakes and more cakes

2008-08-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

I finished my class 2 weeks before Kenzi's wedding. So I felt like I had enought time to practice and prepare even though I was terrified to do my first wedding cake, and the fact that it was my sisters. Here are a couple more cakes that I had to show you.

The first one I am pretty proud of. I didn't decorate it, so I can't take the credit. My talented husband decorated it. It was good timing because it was Mothers Day and we took it to a family party that night to show it off. I loved the gift.

The second one was my first cake I did using fondant. I was pretty surprised that it turned out so well and how easy is easy it was to do. Turns out that same night Kenzi was having a bar-b-que at her house for Jon's Birthday.

Happy Shower Days!!!

2008-08-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

We had two showers at my house before we moved. A friend and then a family one. It was sure busy but turned out to be successful. We had to start moving the next day though.

This was the family shower. It was cold outside and ended up getting warmer.
I was glad because we just found out that we sold our house a couple of days before and I didn't want to replace anything if it got broken.

Grace and Isabella were enjoying each others company and eating off of each others plate.

This is the friend shower. Thanks to all of you fellow bloggers who came. It was fun to visit and to catch up with everyone.

Nana gave Grace a glass of water. What do all children do on a hot day(no matter how cute they look in there new outfit)? They dump it on themselves. I know I can't have everything perfect. She still looked cute anyway. Even though she was all wet.

Goodbye House!!!

2008-08-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

We finally said goodbye to our first house on June 24. I hope that explains my blog not being updated. It was really hard to say goodbye, but great because we got what we wanted out of it. It was sure a fun house and we had so many wonderful memories in it, and we outgrew it so fast.
I want to post what has happened since April so it might be a big post.

Happy birthday to Mickey!!!

2008-04-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

I know that I am a sap for dogs and yes I do celebrate my dog's birthday. We don't do much, we just get him an Arby's sandwich and put candles in it. Then we sing happy birthday to him. He loves it. He is officially 3 now.

I decorate cakes now. Kind of...

2008-04-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some cakes that I decorated from the classes I have been taking. I know I am not the best, but I know I will get there soon. It all started when Mackenzie and I were at a Bridal show and found out the cost for a wedding cake. So, being the sweet person I am, I told her that I would do her wedding cake for her. I know it's a huge thing to pull off, but I feel confident in myself that I can do it. I am not too worried. I probably will be when I have to start making it though.

2008-04-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Rex and I are excited to announce that we have an a.t.v.
Here is us taking it out for the first time. Isn't Grace cute in her little helmet? Safety first. :)

Our sweet daughter, most of the time!

2008-04-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some cute pictures of Gracie-bell. She is growing up so fast.

We went to the Weber State Basketball game to see Makelle cheer. We got to go down on the court after the game to see her. Grace had to match her cousin with the outfits.

Yes, she sometimes drinks the water out of Mickey's bowl. I know it is absolutely discusting, but in a way it's kind of cute when she thinks that she is a dog. Wuff!!

Remodeling Time again. Now it's the bathroom.

2008-04-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Rex and I (well, Rex mostly) are remodeling our bathroom upstairs. We're excited to see it finished and finally use it again. I try to help as much as I can, but mainly my job is to watch Grace. As you can see, I'm not doing my job because just wants to help her dad. I know that Grace is going to be changing oil with her father when she gets older. She is attached to his hip when he gets home from work.

Easter fun!!! Here's what we did for Easter.

2008-04-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

Grace sure had fun decorating eggs.
Nana got an Elmo bubble blower. That sure was a hit!!!

Grace and I havin' fun at dinner. She loves mashed potatoes.

Back Again!!!

2008-04-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

No, we're not dead. We're still living. We have had a lot going on. So, for everyone who is wondering how we are doing, we wanted to let you know that we are alive and well.

Grace is growing up so fast. She's like a little toddler now. She somehow manages to keep our house looking dirty, and I somehow manage to keep it clean.

Rex is remodeling our bathroom, so he is pretty busy with that. Grace goes in to nursery this Sunday, and I can't wait. Those cute little old ladies in Relief Society are really excited too.
Life is full of excitement here at the Malan household.

Our wonderful dog, Mickey!!!!

2008-02-06T09:19:00.001-08:00

I just wanted everyone to see our amazing dog. No, he is not a big mouse, he is a mix of Siberian Husky and Mountain Cur. He will be turning 3 this April. He has been such a joy in our life. He is quite sensitive. Rex and I can't argue around him or he starts shaking. So, he's a marriage counselor and he love to play with Grace; he's also a best friend to Grace.
When we first brought Grace home, he was kind of unsure about having another person in the house, but since then, they have become the best of friends. When Grace is taking a nap in her crib, he will lay by her door until she wakes up, then he will come and get me letting me know that she is awake. We know that he cares for her a lot. We're glad he is in our family. He is our angel dog.

A Night in Salt Lake

2008-02-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

We just celebrated our 4 year anniversary. Rex surprised me with a night at the Hilton in Salt Lake, and that morning we went to the Gateway. I didn't know that he was that sentimental but, he was. Well his sister-in-law helped plan it with him. So, His brother and wife went with us. It made it even more fun. We played games and ate lots of candy. It was a lot of fun.
Thanks Rex and Brooke for a fun time!!!!

Utahns!

2008-02-06T08:59:00.001-08:00

One of my friends sent this to me. I thought it was pretty funny, so I thought that I would post it for all of the Utahns out there.

THIS IS WHAT JEFF FOXWORTHY HAD TO SAY ABOUT
UTAHNS!

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from
September to May, you live in Utah.
If someone in a Home Depot store offers you
assistance and they don't work there, you live in Utah.
If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same
time, you live in Utah.
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation
with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Utah.
If 'vacation' means going anywhere south of Salt
Lake City for the weekend, you live in Utah.
If you measure distance in hours, you live in
Utah.
If you know several people who have hit a deer
more than once, you live in Utah.
If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and
back again in the same day, you live in Utah.
If you install security lights on your house and
garage but leave both unlocked, you live in Utah.
If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow
during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Utah.
If you design your kid's Halloween costume to
fit over a snowsuit, you live in Utah.
If the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph --
you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you, you live in Utah.
If driving is better in the winter because the
potholes are filled with snow, you live in Utah.
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter,
winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Utah.
If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly' you
live in Utah.

Love, Dad

2008-01-15T14:09:00.001-08:00

We played outside after the big snow storm stopped on January 9. It was Graces first time in the snow. Rex made this awesome sculpture of a heart. He spent 3 hours making it. What a trooper, being outside in the cold for so long. It sure paid off though.

Better late than never!!!

2008-01-15T14:08:00.001-08:00

Well, here I am again. A lot has happened since I have last posted on the blog. Time sure flies when you're having fun. I have posted some pictures of Grace and our family on what has happened.
I hope everyone had a great holiday and on to the new year!

Christmas Day

2008-01-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Our cut little family on Christmas.

I love Nana

2008-01-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Nana is the world to Grace. I don't exist when she is around. I guess that's okay. Grace knows that she is loved.

The cookie Monster

2008-01-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

The cookie monster, santa's helper came during the progressive dinner on December 6. The grandkids posed for a picture with him.

2008-01-15T13:39:00.001-08:00

Trying to keep up on a one year old is work, but very rewarding.

2008-01-15T13:38:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun at Christmas. We had so many fun activities and wonderful family to share it with. Mackenzie loves to pose in her ugly sweater. Can you tell that she loves it?

Christmas Memories

2008-01-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

Dawson(one of the wise men) was catching flight as the kids performed the Nativity.

Grace Bailey is one!!!

2007-11-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of our little angel. These were her One year pictures. I can't believe she's already 1!!

We have a website!!!!!

2007-11-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

Well, lets hope this works. Almost everyone I know has a blog, so I thought I should too.
I think that it is so nice to look up and see what everyone has been up to. Here we go!!