Blah blah blog...

rollin' rollin' rollin'

2011-12-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

I'm a little slow lately with blogging, and even if Hazel rolled over for the first time over a month ago (on November 1st to be exact) I am so excited to finally post these pictures! It was funny watching her get the hang of rolling from her tummy to her back. Once she caught on she wasted not time, as soon as I placed her on her tummy, she would automatically tilt her head to the side. Once she was back on her back she would give us the biggest smile. I would say she was almost just as pleased with herself as I was! :)

As for Gracie, here she was having so much fun frosting cupcakes with her cousins.

This has got to be my FAVORITE picture to date of this silly girl. She put my mom's glasses on and was going around the house making sure she get a laugh out of everyone! I must admit, her messy hair doesn't hurt the 'look' either :)

Gracie's 2nd Birthday today!

2011-09-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

Gracie’s 2^ndBirthday!!

This year we thought it would be fun to get Gracie a cake and have her blow out the candles. Her expressions were priceless, as usual, and she had a blast getting the fire out. The only hard part was teaching her not to put the candles out with her fingers!

At first she was pretty scared when we put the cake in front of her…

…but she caught on pretty quick!

That was easier than I thought...

Now can I eat my cake!?!

Here she is having fun eating all that Chocolate!!!

It just wouldn't be Grace if she didn't give some of the classic Gracie facial expressions…

Get your own!

“LAY OFF MAN I’M STARVING!!”

Sugar makes me HAPPY!!!

BYE BYE!!

Getting ready for TERRIBLE TWO's!!

2011-09-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Last night Tamra's youngest sister, Christine, walked into the bathroom but then walked right out again and seemed upset. My first thought... 'did I leave the toilet seat up?' She looked at me and asked "Did you leave the water running in the bathroom?"

I simply answered "no" and didn't think much of it. Then today I caught the perpetrator wet-handed! Until I saw it for myself I wouldn't have believed that 'sweet little Gracie' could even reach the water to play in it, and especially not be able to turn it on by herself. She proved me wrong, and showed me how smart she is becoming...

First she grabbed the stool and put it up to the wall to turn the light on...

Then, she casually moved the stool over to the toilet, closed the lid, and proceeded to climb right up like she had done this a thousand times!

Clearly, she was loving EVERY minute of this, and probably loving it even more seeing that daddy was enjoying water play-time with her instead of quickly putting an end to it like she's used to. :)

Then, like every other kid, she proceeded to take drinks from the seemingly never-ending fountain of goodness and at a great length too! See her on her tippee toes?

After the many, many drinks from the fountain, it started to get her hair wet!! She realized that the fountain was out to get her so of course she beat it at its own game. What a smartie. :)

The End.

Family Reunion

2011-08-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Finally.....Here are a few pictures from our Householder Family reunion in Utah. Wish I would've gotten more pictures but I guess it's a good sign of all the fun we were busy having catching up. Can't wait to see you all again!

A group of the cousins taking a break to re-charge. The movie 'Tangled' was a hit.

Eden was so gentle holding baby Hazel for the first time. I think we have an excellent future baby sitter in the making!

Grace showing off her technical skills to Grandma Householder.

Tender

Can I just kiss her now please!

We all LOVE Auntie Stacy

Kelly's oldest Brother with his family - You can tell those kids are A LOT of FUN!!!

Ethan... growing up so fast!

Watercolors

2011-08-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Watercolors really are a wonderful thing. Even though I wasn't worried about it, Grace's face sure looks concerned. She seemed to have more on her face then the paper or her paint brush (fingers are the way to go!)

If our little g could have it her way we would be playing outside with bubbles until it was time to get ready for bed.... she got her way :)

As my sister Shaunna would say, 'yummy.'

This morning we found this baby fawn in our backyard. Never gets old I tell you!

Cutie Pies

2011-08-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

Gracie is the funniest little 2 year old! She is always making funny sounds, faces and crazy actions that get us laughing. She LOVES being the comedian and we sure love the free entertainment!

Oh yeah, and did I mention she has a bit of an attitude at times.. :)

Somebody pinch me. My baby cannot already be 3 months old. She is such a charmer with those cheeks and that HAIR!! Grace was pretty much hair-less until she was 1, so Hazel's hair is such a treat!

I really need to take and post some pictures of the beautiful scenery here in Woodland Park! We love all the trees and especially the deer! We all go a little crazy and run outside to greet our neighborhood mother deer and her 2 babies that are regular visitors. I walked right up to this adorable fawn in our front yard. The sibling was walking away while this one stayed behind and let Grace say 'heLLLo' (she really likes to emphasis her L's.) Hope you like the picture Kelly shot of the event, We sure loved it!

Utah Family Fun

2011-07-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a fabulous time with family in Utah. Don't these video's just say it all! We are already looking forward to our next visit! :)

Gracie kept herself entertained during the car ride with some pretty impressive tricks!

Grace loves playing with her cousins, even when they spray her in the face with water. She loved every minute!

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We were able to stay with my Aunt Diane and Uncle Blaine (look at how fun my Aunt is, rolling down the hill with all the grandkids! I love it!) Gracie had a blast with all the attention and fun she had playing with my cousin Chrissy's kids (they are so sweet!)

2 Months

2011-07-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Hazel is already 2 months old. She is such a sweet baby, I feel so lucky to be her mommy! Even though we blessed her when she was only 2 weeks old, I am sad to say I accidently deleted ALL the pictures from her blessing day off my camera. After getting over my tears, I decided to try her dress on her and was SO HAPPY to find it still fit! So I took a few pictures. My sweet Aunt Karen made Grace's blessing dress which turned out BEAUTIFUL, so I was a little nervous when I decided to make Hazel's. I must say I am really happy with the way it turned out! I couldn't have done it with out the help of my Mom (some of those instructions can be pretty confusing for someone like me who hasn't done much sewing.) After re-doing the sleeves once and the collar twice wallah... we have hazel looking darling as ever. I'm glad I was able to take these pictures when I did because I'm pretty sure if this would have happened any later, this dress would not be fitting her with how fast she is growing!!

Grace gets so excited any time she is even close to Hazel. It is very comical at time :)

Hazelnut

2011-06-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

June and Potting Training

2011-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hazel is growing so fast, I can't believe June is almost gone! She sure is a sweet baby and We all agree she looks A LOT like Daddy!

Grace has been learning to use the potty for about 2 weeks now and we are SO PROUD of her! After doing a lot of research on different methods we found one we wanted to try and so far so good! We have so much fun with this little girl. She is always trying to make us laugh and has been having fun playing color games with Mom and loves singing songs (although it sounds more like she is translating them into German.)

This is the beautiful view from our back deck. We LOVE getting the chance to spot some deer roaming around! There is an elementary school you can kind of see behind us and I love when school is in and I can hear the kids playing on the playground during recess.

What's in those Green Smoothies

2011-06-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

I've had a few people asking me what's in the green smoothies we drink so I thought I would share a video and website that first introduced me to the concept. Something I like to add that's not in the video is some fresh lemon. I also like to keep our green smoothies green! We aren't afraid of the color :) If you are interested you can also get more information at greensmoothiegirl.com

I'm so glad when daddy comes home...

2011-06-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, Kelly here. I've been spending quite a bit of time with Gracie when I get home from work every day. Tamra is doing a great job with Hazel and still giving Gracie enough attention to keep her happy. I love coming home and hearing Gracie get so excited that Daddy is home and she won't let me out of her sight until she goes to bed each night. She is definitely daddy's little girl and I love it!

c

Today is Hazel's 1 month birthday! It is hard to believe she is already a month old. She is the sweetest baby and we are loving every moment! Today when I was holding Hazel I was trying to snap a picture of her with Tam's iPod. I guess I looked pretty awkward trying to balance Hazel's head and body on my chest while holding the iPod at the perfect angle to snap the picture. Tam started laughing at me and to my surprise Hazel jumped right in! Hazel cracked the biggest smile and I caught it just in time!! :)

We will be sending more soon so until then, as Gracie would say "BYYYYEEEEEE!!!!" [picture us waving both hands]

P.S.~ wanted to share a quick little fun video Gracie and I made today with an application on the iPod called Talking Tomcat: (see if you can translate!)

Updates

2011-06-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little crazy with a newborn and the unpacking/transitioning that comes with moving to a new place. We love living in the mountains though, Woodland Park Colorado is a BEAUTIFUL place! I still need to get around to hooking up our big camera to the computer and downloading some pics but until that happens, here's what I've taken recently on my ipod. I must say Life is good!

I kind of got the feeling Hazel was telling me: "It's past noon Mom, you really needs to shower and do something with your hair!"

Grace sleeps just like her mommy, all sprawled out. Makes me laugh every time I see it!

Can you guess who got her dressed?? That's right... Daddy :)

My sister Shaunna and her kiddos came to help me out for almost a week and it went by way too fast! This is a picture I got of her youngest, Addison, who couldn't get enough of the green smoothies! Now if only Grace would stop bitting her, I think they would totally be bff's!

The Green Mustache

2011-05-26T13:36:00.001-07:00

Green Smoothie's are our breakfast of choice. Quick, easy, healthy and (no joke) it actually tastes good too. This picture just cracks me up!

Hazel Elizabeth Householder

2011-05-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Introducing the newest addition to our family. Born on May 12th weighing 7lbs 6oz and 20 inches long. Some pictures capture her blond hair better then others. We are in love!

The Aunties (Julean, Jessica and Christine) brought Grace to meet Hazel.

Hazel with her Aunt Shaunna

Hazel's birth was so different compared to Grace's. I started going into labor during the evening with both, but with Hazel, I was able to catch little naps between contractions and they didn't feel very intense. When I checked into the hospital I was dilated to 4.5cm and 100% effaced. I arrived at the hospital at 7:30am and labored un-medicated. They broke my water around 10:30am and I had Hazel at 11:16am (with Grace I arrived at the hospital around 3:30am and had her just after 4pm). I spent more time pushing with Hazel then I did with Grace; her head is seriously huge compared to Grace's!! :) Kelly has been working down in Southern Colorado and staying there during the week, so when he got the phone call that it was time he drove up and made it to the hospital only 1 hour before Hazel arrived. My Mom was able to be there with me while I labored and gave birth. My sister Heather was also able to be there arrive only 10 min before the birth..now thats cutting it close! :) Birth always feels like such a miracle, and we are so grateful Hazel is here healthy and strong! Life is good!

I love being an Aunt!

2011-04-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

I feel so lucky to not only be expecting our second baby (due the end of May) but also for the addition of 2 nephews and 1 niece all born within a few months of each other! Unfortunately we won't be meeting Trina's little girl (Elizabeth Ann) until this summer. Can't wait!

I realized what a procrastinator I've been in posting these pictures of Julean's beautiful little boy James Gene (born on my Dad's birthday and named after him as well) He is adorable, and looks so much like a 'Chantry' baby with Juleans lips and beautiful eyes (wish I would've gotten a picture with his eyes open, but check out that smile, too cute!)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- Fort Collins, CO Temple Announcement!

2011-04-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

There are few words that can describe our excitement upon hearing the announcement this weekend, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will be building a Temple in the town we currently live in; Fort Collins, Colorado!!! It has left me reflecting on why Temples hold so much value in my heart and that of other church members.

Attending the Temple has provided great blessings in my life for which I treasure. The peace and love of our Lord, found in it's sacred walls, has given me comfort in times of sorrow, strength in times of trial, and joy in times of gratitude and celebration. It is a place were we can learn and feel the love of our Savior.

Here is a walk down memory lane from when Kelly and I were married a little over 2 years ago!

The purpose, work and need for Temples (vs a traditional church chapel) is explained well in this quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley:

"The designation of certain buildings for special ordinances, as distinguished from regular places of worship, is not new. This was the practice in ancient Israel, where the people worshipped regularly in the synagogues. Their more sacred place was, first, the tabernacle in the wilderness with its Holy of Holies, and then a succession of temples, where special ordinances were performed and where only those who met the required qualifications could participate in these ordinances.

So it is today. Prior to the dedication of a temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites the public to go through the building and inspect its various facilities. But when it is dedicated it becomes the house of the Lord, vested with a character so sacred that only members of the Church in good standing are permitted to enter. It is not a matter of secrecy. It is a matter of sanctity."

I hope our friends in and around the area will take the opportunity to come and tour the temple when it is open for the public before the dedication. Click here to learn more.

Flowers and Bows in Felt

2011-03-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

I just have to begin by saying I am not the most crafty person. But seriously, the best part of making these was the fact that I could complete them and be all cleaned up by the time nap-time was over!!! They are that easy which is huge for me since I hate not being able to finish something once I start it, and that tends to lead to major neglect in all other areas of my life until it's finished!

So, here's the end result.
The felt flower that I attached to a clip so it can be put in Graces hair or clipped on a head band.

The bow has room in the back to slide a bobby pin through. The bobby pin makes it easy to slide in her hair no matter how little there may be and stays in nicely. I love how small they are. I know it's hard to see much detail with the white felt. They were so easy I'm looking forward to making more!

This is the best I could get of the bows in Grace's hair that isn't blurry from her running around playing.

Here is the one big smile I got after I said, "smile for Daddy!" She loves her Daddy!

A video for Grandma and Grandpa Householder

2011-03-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

little g is taking a nap

2011-02-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

With Kelly gone during the week for work, I have made a goal to be better at taking pictures of Grace and posting on our blog. Usually, by the time I go get my camera to record whatever silly, cute or funny thing she is doing, she is so over it by the time I get back. This was not the case today.

I came up to check on Grace during her nap and found her sound asleep in the most uncomfortable position. I think she was stuck because I had a little trouble getting those chubby legs out. Don't you just want to squeeze those legs of hers! Maybe she wasn't that uncomfortable because she's so use to me squeezing her legs any chance I get :) Love them!

The best part is, not only did she sleep through my camera noise and flash, she didn't even wake up when I maneuvered her legs out of the crib railing. AWESOME!

Introducing Porter Jacob Harry

2011-02-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

This is the beautiful baby boy of my sister Heather. Heather and Jacob are excited to welcome their second child and first son. I have to just say this little guy is always going to hold a very special place in my heart. This was the first time I had the privilege of being present for a birth (well other then my own, or having Grace that is). It is such a beautiful miracle to be present for and my sister was amazing!

Jacob asked the doctor if he could "catch" the baby and we were all a little surprised when the doctor said, "we'll see." After a few minutes, (this baby boy came fast) and with no gloves on or anything the doctor says, "are you ready?" Jake didn't waste a moment. Before we knew it, Jake was right there next to the doctor lifting his little boy into the world. So cool!

Love you Porter!

Happy Valentines Day Kelly

2011-02-14T21:44:00.002-08:00

Kelly has a new job that he started the beginning of January! While this job is an amazing opportunity and he loves it, it's been a hard adjustment as he works 3.5 hours away (outside of Colorado Springs). We hope to move down there soon but until then, we will do our best to get through the long weeks when he is gone and the short weekends when he is home. Seeing that it's Valentine's Day and he's away, I thought I would take a moment to tell him a few of the reason I love him and miss him terribly when he is gone!

He's so much fun!

Takes me snowboarding with him and has even taught 2 of my sisters how to snowboard. He's pretty good if I do say so :D Again lots of fun

His photoshop abilities amaze and scare me. I'm sure my sister was a little confused when he cut 2 of her friends out to add us in one of her prom picture.

He loves teasing me with edited pictures.....No, I do not like cat's especially ones that are bigger then me... **makes me laugh though**

Wakeboarding - Does he love it? I think this picture says it all.

He is handsome!

I sure have fun goofing around with him.

He is a great uncle.

He loves pizza and his Mom!

He spoils me and my love for basketball.

He is the most amazing Daddy... Our Gracie is wrapped around his finger and she knows it!

Thank you Kelly for all the laughs and fun times! You are a wonderful husband and I LOVE YOU!

Christmas Day

2010-12-29T07:30:00.001-08:00

Out Christmas day is best summed up with this picture. We gave Gracie a doll that Tamra made and spent the rest of the day with family doing what we do best: playing hard and then crashing to sleep!

Family Traditions

2010-12-28T19:09:00.001-08:00

For Christmas Eve, the Chantry family has a tradition (3 years in the making) of gathering for an evening of fondue, reading the story of our Saviors birth from the Bible while the grandkids dress up in the different roles, music/talent time, and then opening one present, pj's. It was the first time Kelly, Gracie and I were able to attend and we had a great time enjoying this new and LOVED tradition. Who doesn't love an excuse to fondue!!! :)

Once Papa began to read, the children were so reverent as they listened to the store of Baby Jesus. It's a miracle considering 5 of the 7 kids are under the age of 2!

Jammie Time

Music/Talent Time

"The Christmas season is wonderful in many ways. It is a season of charitable acts of kindness and brotherly love. It is a season of being more reflective about our own lives and about the many blessings that are ours. It is a season of forgiving and being forgiven. It is a season to enjoy the music and lights, parties and presents. But the glitter of the season should never dim our sight and prevent us from truly seeing the Prince of Peace in His majesty.

Let us all make this year’s Christmas season a time of rejoicing and celebration, a time when we acknowledge the miracle that our Almighty God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world!"
-PRESIDENT DIETER F. UCHTDORF

“There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ.”
—PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON

Our Neglected Blog

2010-11-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a LONG over due update to our blog! Highlights of the last 9months.. (wow I can't believe it's been that long!)

Easter with the Chantry Family

This summer we celebrated Kelly's birthday by taking a trip to Craig Colorado (that's about 45 min past Steamboat Springs) We spent a few days with one of my friends since middle school, Rachel Strickling Herring and her fam. We had a blast doing one of Kelly's favorite hobbies WAKEBOARDING!

Rachel with Grace and all her kiddos... Grace had SO much fun playing with the kids!

I love this birthday boy!

Date Night... destination Estes Park! A mountain city 30 min from our house. We loved walking around and visiting all the little shops. Next time we plan to make it a full day event with a good hike included!

Here is the hotel were the movie "The Shinning" was filmed. We met up with our friend from AZ (Karen Kempton) at the hotel were she was attending a wedding reception.

Trip to AZ: We spent a week and a half visiting the Householder family and a few friends. We had a great time but sadly I can't seem to find any pictures to prove it. I'll have to ask Kelly to help me find those!!

Grace turned ONE Sept 29th and I must say she did an amazing job on her cupcake, it was rather comical (Thank you Karen for the cake and pictures!)

Halloween: Kelly's Mom owns Funcity Costumes in Mesa and picked out this rainbow chicken costume for Grace. It was entertainment for sure watching her walk around in that costume even if she didn't like to keep the headpiece on!

And last but not least.....

due May 25th

Baby #2!

Grace is starting to talk!

2010-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

Grace has been 'baby' talking for a few days, maybe a week, but today she has been the sweetest little chatterbox and we were so excited to finally get a short video of it! We hope you enjoy her as we have! She is just over 4 months old.

2009-11-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

We are loving our sweet little gift from Heaven! She is now just over 1 month old.

There's just something about little toes

I was really excited when Kelly was taking pictures of this cute hat Grace's Aunt Stacy made and at the same time got this fantastic shot of her "pirate" eye. This is our favorite expression that she makes a lot!

Grace's 1st Halloween!

2009-11-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

Due to Grace being born premature and with the terrible flu season going around, her doctor has requested that she not be taken out of the home and that we do not have visitors. So our Halloween this year consisted of a low key evening at home were we dressed up Grace and took a few pictures. Her legs weren't even close to fitting into the pumpkin outfit but it was still fun to put her in!

Baby Grace Julieann

2009-10-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

It all began Monday 9/28/09 First contraction:
5pm I'm driving home with a crib I just purchased in the bed of the truck talking on the phone to my friend Randa. All of the sudden I said...."hmm... I think I'm having a contraction, oh... maybe I should pull over." Soon after pulling over it was gone and I figured it was braxton-hicks.

I didn't know it then, but these contractions were going to increase all night long and lead to the birth of our baby girl that next day.

I must admit we were still pretty unprepared for what was about to happen, after all we were only at 35 weeks and here I am just now bringing home a crib.

By 3am my contractions were 3 minutes apart lasting about 1 minute. I first went to the computer to put in for a substitute (the joys and added stress of being a teacher.. with no sub plans.. ugh! oh well.. Planet Earth it is ;) I knew my students wouldn't mind)

I woke up Kelly at 3:30AM. He didn't believe me when I said I needed to go to the hospital (I think he was caught off guard and thought it was just a false alarm, after all it seemed too early and I had not had any signs of early labor) Well, he was a little reluctant and after I called the hospital and they said to come in he still thought they would just be sending us home. I started to get ready and quickly put a bag together. We grabbed the car seat and were off.

We arrived at the hospital and checked in around 4am. A nurse checked me and said I was dilated 4cm and 100% effaced. I was having this baby. Kelly called my mom letting her know what was going on so she could get on the next available flight from Denver. The nurse called the doctor who said she wanted to try and stop the labor since I was so early. The drugs they gave me caused my heart to race and my body to shake. My heart rate wouldn't go down enough for them to give me any more doses of the medication so there was no stopping the labor, she was coming! I had an ultra sound to make sure she was head down and once they got that all finished they took me down to our room.

My contractions had slowed down due to the attempts to stop the labor. I was crossing fingers that my Mom would be able to make it in time as her plane wasn't landing until 1pm. Once I was situated in our room and appeared pretty comfortable, Kelly asked if he could go home to shower and get his laptop. He thought I would want to nap since I had been up all night. When I let him know there was NO WAY I was napping in my un-medicated state, he realized he wasn't going anywhere. A down side to being unprepared was the fact that Kelly was pretty bored for the next few hours except for when they would let me unhook from the monitors and walk around.

I will spare the laboring details except to say showers were my best friend as they really helped relax my body in order to better deal with the contractions.

My Mom arrived and at 2pm I was feeling really close to the final moments. I was dilated to 9 but my water hadn't broke. I asked if any doctor at the hospital could come and break my water since my doctor wasn't there and we weren't sure when she would be arriving. They said there wasn't a doctor here who could do that. My nurse was convinced that after my water broke the baby would come out right away. I was starting to worry as the nurse tried to assure me that if the doctor isn't here at that point then the nurses would deliver the baby. Are you kidding me!?! Yeah that was definitely not comforting at all.

After 1.5 hours of contractions right on top of each other and constant vomiting from the pain it was really difficult that nothing was progressing because my dumb water wouldn't break!!! I felt like I was dealing with a stubborn water balloon that wouldn't break no matter how many times it gets tossed. With still no idea when the doctor was showing up I was getting pretty upset (to say the least).. after all what in the world is this doctor getting paid for?

In preparing to give birth, I had decided to make every attempt to birth naturally with no epidural, but at this point, I was fed up feeling there was no end in sight... a little bit of drama queen kicked in and everyone was a little surprised when I said "give me a c-section!"... sounds funny now but with my doctor still not showing up, I was sick of waiting and I was beyond ready to have this baby!

When the doctor decided to make her grand appearance I was both happy and mad. Happy she was finally HERE to break my water and mad that she was FINALLY here to break my water. She quickly broke my water which gave her a nice water bath (serves her right for making me wait so long!) I was then ready to push. After 3 pushes the head was out. She asked if I wanted to feel the head and I declined, I was so focused in finishing this process that I just wanted to be done. After one more push and another big gush of water that sprayed not only the doctor but also Kelly and my Mom who were supporting my legs, she was here!!! Grace Julieann Householder born at 4:05pm weighing 5lbs 9.5 ounces and 19.5 inches long. Kelly cut the umbilical cord which he was not interested in doing before, but in the moment he really got into it all and enjoyed being a part of encouraging me on as I pushed and taking pictures after she was born.

This is a favorite!

Both Kelly and I are so grateful for our wonderful mothers! Thanks to my Mom for coming out for the birth and staying a full 2 weeks to help with the transitioning of learning to be a new mom and thanks to Kelly's Mom for the delicious meals and help in transporting my Mom around. Love you both!

Grace is so lucky to have such loving Grandmothers! Grandma Householder is on the left and Nanna Chantry is on the right.

Kelly and I feel deeply blessed to have our family grow and to become parents.

Trip to San Diego

2009-09-13T10:47:00.001-07:00

My sister Shaunna and her husband Bryan flew into Phoenix from Colorado and the four of us took a road trip to San Diego. We had a blast in a quick weekend get away. So I haven't posted any pregnant pictures yet so here I am at 30 weeks.

Saturday was a long eventful day were we started off that morning at the LDS temple in San Diego to watch our sweet friend Elissa marry her perfect match Everett! What a beautiful temple and such a special day!

Next stop: Torrey Pines. It was quick and the boys were bummed they didn't get to golf... maybe next time!

On to the beach. We couldn't wait to get some sand in our toes! Kelly turned 30 about a week before our trip and I was turning 30 a week after... Man, he makes thirty look gooooood! (that probably embarrassed him.. lol)

I know these are pretty blurry but I couldn't help but add them.. the looks on their faces is priceless!

We ended our evening with a mini cousin reunion! We lucked out when Britney read my facebook update on friday that said we were heading to San Diego for the weekend. Her family is living with Chantel's just outside of San Diego and Courtney was visiting from Utah that same weekend. It has been YEARS since we have all had the chance to get together and it was such a wonderful time bonding with family we love dearly! This was defiantly the highlight of our trip for me!

Chantel's two boys, Crew and Jax and Britney's son Dax are too much fun! They are pictured hamming it up for the camera. I loved meeting these little guys and totally fell head over heal for these faces! Crew and Jax were glued to Kelly most of the evening crawling all over him. I wish I would've snapped some pictures of that. He is going to make such a great Daddy!

Cousin's enjoy some photos (courtesy of our husbands) and such a good time laughing.. laughing.. oh and I did I mention we did some laughing!

Courtney is exactly one week farther along then I am and is expecting her first little girl as well. She is so adorable and I have loved our emailing conversations about our first pregnancy!

Time to go shopping, we are having a baby GIRL!

2009-06-11T18:30:00.001-07:00

We couldn't be happier to finally know we are having a baby girl!

(This is my first time attempting a post since Kelly is gone at work all day and I am enjoying my summer break from teaching... so here goes...)

I do have to share this funny story: So when the doctor was telling us the sex of the baby Kelly's first comment was:

"So how sure is it?" (reminds me of when I took the pregnancy test)

The doctor replied "Well, what we are looking at is girl parts and if it comes out a boy with girl parts, we will have some serious concerns."

hahaha ... :) Love being first time parents, it's all new, exciting and entertaining along the way!

I feel her moving around so much that I love how the ultrasound shows all her energy and I'm not just crazy making it up.

This video is my favorite. I have been sneezing A LOT lately and it was so funny when we got video of a good sneeze. Seeing her flop around in there I am a little concerned about possible whiplash. (love seeing that little foot and leg too.. so cute!)

Its official!!! We are pregnant!

2009-04-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

Ok its official!! We're pregnant and we're EXCITED beyond belief!

Today, Thursday at 5pm, Tammy had an ultrasound machine take pictures of our little one and it is clearly the BEST looking baby I've ever seen through an ultrasound. hehehe

We got to see our baby and were happy to find out that it is alive and kicking! Oh, and when I say kicking, what I really mean is that he/she is bouncing around like a jumping bean! Really its the size of a plum by now, but see the activity for yourself below.

The Ab workout...

Nervous baby... watch the heart pump and bounce the ambilical cord on its stomach.

Last but not least, watch baby roll over and bounce like a jumping bean!

Stay tuned to find out more and keep up to date with this perfect new life and beautiful addition to the householder/chantry family!

Kelly & Tammy

because I love my wife...

2008-11-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

So today I had the day off work and Tamra thinks I am working on my golf cart. Well, I was definitely working, but the truth is, I'm not working on my golf cart. She's been complaining of the lack of space and how we don't have anywhere to put our year supply and I completely agree with her. Our year supply is stuffed in every nook and cranny throughout our little 500 something square foot house. Under the bed, under the couch, in the living room, bedroom, and piled as neatly (and as high) as possible in every corner.

...so yeah, about that day off, I set out to take care of the situation. I called two of my good friends who owed me a favor and they came to help me out today. Ok, here are some pictures. This blog is mostly for Tamra who has not seen them yet. She is home in Colorado visiting her family this week for spring break. As for the rest of you all, I highly recommend building your own shelves because these cost about $30 each for the wood and screws.

And an FYI, that is not my pink corvette behind the shelf in one of the pics outside. haha.

UPDATE! more pictures posted. I built an 8ft wide by 2ft deep and 7ft tall storage shelf for behind the house. its AWESOME.

Twas the night before Halloween...

2008-10-30T20:21:00.001-07:00

Twas the night before halloween, and all through the streets,

not one goblin was hunting for those sweet festive treats,

The strobe lights were off and the house lights were dim,

for tomorrow is the day we let the trick-or-treating begin.

Kelly has no costume and hasn't given much thought,

Tamra looked for a broom but she found a cot,

of all the ideas running through her head,

she promised she'd find something before she went to bed.

Here it is now, just before 9,

FunCity Costumes almost closed,

but she made it, just in time.

She's glad she found something that makes her look crazy,

just one day she doesn't have to be a pretty young lady.

Now that she's set she turns to her love,

"get your tool belt, your boots, and some gloves!"

As the pre-rehearsal continues with expressions of glee,

they realize they're losers and know of NO party!

The story of my 3 P's: Planning, Preparing, and Proposal!

2008-10-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

So really I meant to do this a long time ago... and when I say I meant to do "this", what I mean is I meant to propose a long time ago! Many of you have been waiting for the story for quite some time now so to all of you, we appreciate your patience!

Tamra and I have been shopping for that perfect shiny ring for quite some time now... ok so maybe I shouldn't say "Tamra and I", more like SHE has been shopping for THE ring for her left ring finger constantly since about 3 months ago. She has spent hours, days, weeks, and yes, even months researching Moissanite stones due to the fact that she knew she did not want a diamond because of where they come from. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, and if you're curious, do a google search for "blood diamond.") Anyway, luckily I didn't have enough money saved up yet, so we had plenty of time to shop around. We toured the city malls for Jewelry stores and learned all we could about her precious Moissanite stone ring. As my brother Shawn would say, "to make a long story short" I'll cut to the chase. (thats the point but how can you tell a short story about getting engaged!!??!! :o)

Was I nervous to pop the question? Let me illustrate the answer to that question with a video...

September 21st, 2008 we parted ways as I hopped on a plane headed to California for an 8 day seminar (PSI Seminars; Principia) just days after I ordered her ring...So before taking the trip to California where I rode that zipline, I had decided to be as creative as my little peanut sized brain could muster and put together a fun little idea to prepare Tamra for that day when I would ask her to marry me. I just knew she would love it and by the time I got home she'd be raring to say YES! So here's what I did:

Sunday morning I left bright and early (she dropped me off at the airport at 5AM!!) The night before my departure I left a letter with each of her good friends and some of my family. Their assignment was that on the day of their letter, they would call or text message Tamra and tell her they had a "package" that she needed to come pick up. So essentially she had one letter for each day I was out of town. I just knew she would LOVE that, but I wanted this to be BIG, about as big as the rock she picked out... So I remembered we had a "birthday photo album" that we had started this year for our birthdays (which are 2 weeks apart) but had not yet completed. I printed off all of the pictures that I could find for our birthdays, inserted restaurant menus, and other items that would make it meaningful. I decided to give that to her towards the beginning of the week so she could remember what I looked like while I was gone and just hoped that would work in my favor! ;o) To top that off I purchased a full size, leather-bound, 6 picture per page photo album and printed every good picture we had taken together that I could find from the 2 1/2 years we have dated! I'll mind you thats a lot of pictures.

So the letters went exCEPtionally well, the birthday photo album on tuesday went even better, but the full 2 1/2 years of memories on Friday melted her to the core. Needless to say we were SO excited to see each other Sunday night when I got home the next week. Unfortunatley however, the ring had not yet arrived. I emailed the company who was supposed to ship it and they told me it wouldn't come until the following Monday, so thats what I told her. But guess what!?! It came the very next day.

I knew she wouldn't be expecting it so I devised the perfect plan:

Friday morning, October 3rd, 2008 was going to be the day we remember for the rest of our lives, and I really wanted to make it count. I purchased 5 dozen roses, some were white with red tips, some were white with orange tips, and a dozen of them were in a beautifuly placed wedding boquet. I had pre-arranged to plan a date with Tamra for Friday night because she's been so busy I hadn't been able to see her for 2-3 days! I was so excited!

9am: Friday 10-3-08.
She gets a call saying she had a package and needed to come pick it up right away! The funny thing was that it wasn't the office conveniently located near her classroom (she's a high school teacher), she had to walk outside about 100 yards to get there. You may be able to imagine her surprise when she sees 2 dozen beautiful long stem white roses with red tips sitting behind the counter. So after all the compliments from the office staff, she walks outside and starts walking towards her classroom hefting this heavy glass vase thats almost as big as she is! Of course, just her luck (or mine...he he he) the busses start to roll in! Cat calls, shouts, and praises fill the air from the bus drivers and the kids in the bus. She said she was SOO beet red and embarrased because she still had about 96 yards to go before she reached her classroom. So she's about to round the corner and nest in her safe empty classroom when all the office ladies, teachers, and a few students run out to see the roses and ask her tons of questions. I'll let her tell you more of those details later...

6pm I get home from running my errands for the day in preparation for that night's date, and she's there waiting for me. We chilled at home for a while and had planned on going to the temple to watch a movie (budget=free stuff only) and I didn't really tell her what else I had planned. I tried to not make a big deal about it because I wanted her to be completely surprised. So before we left, we dipped some chips in my mom's amazingly tastey home-made chili bean dip, and then headed out the door. I made sure to remember to bring my picnic blanket and of course, THE RING!

So we drive to the Mesa Temple, go on a new tour they have for families, and then I mention just wanting to spend some time with her on the grass. I took her to the very spot we met in April of 2006 and spread the blanket out. As we sat there talking, we were approached by this guy that was about our age, carrying a wedding boquet of flowers, and called Tamra by name. He said "Uh... I have a delivery for a 'Tamra Chantry', is that you?" She was like "ok this is weird, yeah thats me." He gave her the roses and went on his way. As she is admiring the boquet of white roses, a white carnation, and other white flowers with lots of greenery, I reach under the blanket and pull out this card. As I gave it to her I asked her if she would please read it out loud. As she's reading the card and all the reasons I love her (and still knowing that she would be distracted) I grab a tinfoil wrapped object about the size of a red brick. I slowly unwrap it and get on one knee. As she finishes the card there is a white piece of paper taped over the last two words of it, upon removal of this white piece of paper she reads "marry me!" and looks at me completely stunned! (her mind is so analytical that all she can think about is that I don't have the ring yet, and how could I be proposing, although that is what this looks like....) So she's done reading the card, she looks up at me, I'm down on one knee and holding this cheezy beanie baby stuffed FROG! I think at first she thought it was a joke and was getting upset at me, but then she noticed the ring around the frog's neck on a shiney gold ribbon.

Without hesitation, I asked the words neither of us will ever forget: "Tamra, will you make me a prince and marry me?" She was so amazed that I had the ring, just then she heard a camera click from behind the bushes, she started to look around and noticed that we weren't alone!

Among the confusion and distraction, I didn't hear her answer and started to worry, so I had to ask again! haha, she said "yes" and we stood up for some pictures. Then my friends left (thanks Jacqui and Josh) and we took a moment to just enjoy each other.

12am Friday night (or Saturday morning, depending on how you look at it) I am walking her to her door. She tells me "today I have felt so much love from you, more than ever, I have never gotten so many roses in all my life, and I love you so much!" I tell her I'm glad because she made me the happiest man in the world today and as soon as she opened the door I started walking back to my truck. She stopped me and was like "Kelly, did you do this?" and I said "do what?" and she said "you mean you don't know about this?" and I said "know about what?" Haha she told me to look inside the door and I did. This is what I saw:

A steady path of white roses with orange tips, layed perfectly on the floor, sprinkled with hershey kisses, in a path to her room. So just when she thought it wouldn't get any better, it did. She was floored by the amount of love she felt from me that day and I was overwhelmed with gratitude from all of my friends and family that helped make it happen as smoothly as it did. I love her and I can not wait to marry her and spend the rest of Eternity with her in my arms.

January 10th, 2009 can't come soon enough! Love you babe, see ya real soon!

Kelly "kBlock" Householder

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