The Logan Duffy's

Christine's surgery

2010-02-02T17:56:00.002-07:00

I'm sure EVERYONE knows about this by now, but for those of my family/friends who don't do facebook but DO look on my blog, i will update everyone. Christine has been getting increasingly tight the past 4 or 5 months and when we took her in in September, they decreased the amount of her medicine to see if her pump was even making a difference and within two weeks, her right leg was bent up like a pelican and she was almost curled into a little ball from being so tight. They took some samples of her spinal fluid to see if there was any medicine in there and found that there wasn't. So, on January 27, they took her in for surgery and replaced her medicine pump and put a new catheter in her spine. The surgery went really well and we got back to her room. We met with her rehab doctor on Wednesday afternoon and made a game plan for increasing the dosage in her pump. Well, the next morning while I was asleep, another rehab doctor came in and FREAKED basically because she was still so tight and increased the dosage WAY up. By about 11am, her heart rate dropped from 100 to in the 40's. She went into a deep sleep and when Aaron got there about 1 or 2 in the afternoon, she was as loose as a rag doll. Aaron was getting sick and so when they decided to transfer her to the PICU, he had to leave. My dad was with me and we sat with her. The PICU got slammed on Thursday night, so there was nowhere to sleep, so I slept in a recliner! She spent all day Friday in there and finally about 4:30-5:00, the medicine wore off and she was back to herself. So, it took about 34 hours for her to get it out of her system. On Friday night, they moved us back to the Neuroscience Trauma Unit(NTU). On Saturday morning, the doctor who overdosed her came in and apologized profusely and gradually started the increase process again. This time went MUCH BETTER and she is handling it well. She seems to be much happier and is looser. The looser part is what excites me because I can change her diaper a lot easier. We came home on Sunday, January 31. I have to keep her home from school for this week and she has to wear a waist band for about 6 weeks, but other than that, everything looks good. I just want to say thank you again to everyone for all their good thoughts and well wishes. It helped us TONS!!

New Year's and Goals

2010-01-02T14:14:00.002-07:00

We had TONS of fun for New Year's Eve. We had my friend Melanie and her boyfriend, Ryan over and ate, played games and laughed hysterically. One of my goals for this year is to REALLY TRY to keep up on my blog. We have family all over the place and I would really like this to be an update for them and a place where they can see what's going on with us. So, don't get mad if I don't keep up, but I'm going to try REALLY hard to do it! By the way, Happy New Year's to all of our friends and family. We wish you a happy year.

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-02T14:12:00.001-07:00

We had a great, but laid back Christmas. My dad came up Christmas day and we got a Wii from Santa and all of us played it all day long. We sat around, ate and played the Wii, what more could you ask for? I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Aaron's Birthday!

2010-01-02T14:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my husband! We went out to dinner to have some Indian Food and then he got some new clothes and some homemade chili from my mom.

Wonderful Visit with Mom and Stepdad!

2009-12-23T14:56:00.004-07:00

It was WAY too short, but hey, at least I got to see my mom and stepdad during the holiday season! They arrived on the 9th and stayed until the 15th. They came up and we went Christmas shopping and out to eat. They stayed with my aunt and uncle down in Syracuse, so they had to drive back and forth. They watched the kids while Aaron and I went out to dinner for a birthday dinner for Aaron. Over the weekend, it "womped" us with snow, as the weather man likes to say! But, they drove through the canyon anyway and my mom made Aaron some homemade chili for his birthday dinner from her! He LOVED it. On the 14th, I took Connor and Carson down to Syracuse/Layton and visited with my family down there and then on the 15th, my mom came up here in the morning. We went to Callan"s school so she could say good bye and he proved to be just like his dad! His teacher brought him in from recess to say goodbye to her and told us that he could take as long as he needed, well, as soon as he saw his class mates were in the room, he turns to my mom and says "I've got to go, my teacher will get mad because I'm not in class." When we tried to tell him that she said it was ok, he wouldn't listen. So, he gave my mom a hug and then ran back into the class room! Anyway, the visit was WAY TOO SHORT, but like I said before, I'm VERY THANKFUL I got to see them at all.

Yay, A surprise!!

2009-12-11T22:36:00.001-07:00

My mom and stepdad decided to give us an early Christmas present and come out from Georgia and visit us!!!! I am soooooo happy they are here. We have been REALLY busy getting Christmas stuff done, but hopefully tomorrow{Saturday} we will be able to visit a little bit. I'll update more later and add pics too.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-05T23:30:00.002-07:00

We had a really nice, laid back Thanksgiving. My dad came up and Aaron and I cooked the whole big shabang. My dad brought the pies. We had a really nice time and watched "A Christmas Story". That's kind of becoming tradition is to watch that movie after we eat dinner. Anyway, we had a lot of leftovers, which I personally love! My dad enjoyed feeding Carson mashed potatoes! Callan is LOVING learning all of the stuff he does in school and explained to us all day why we celebrate Thanksgiving. I love watching his mind works and seeing his facial expressions while he explains things to you or other people. I hope you all had a very nice, memorable holiday.

Aaron passed his Comps!!!!! Yay!!!

2009-11-15T14:13:00.002-07:00

Well, most of you already know this, but the past two weeks have been EXTREMELY stressful for Aaron. He had to do comps. They are written and oral tests that the people on his committee give him. The questions can be ANYTHING about his thesis topic. For the first time since Aaron and I have met, he came home a week ago yesterday{Saturday} and said that the written part made him feel like a complete idiot. Needless to say, he had his oral test on Thursday and found out that he had passed it all. So, many of you may be asking "Okay, where does that put him in graduate school?" The answer is instead of being a PHD student, he is now a PHD candidate. And for those about ready to ask how much longer he has? One of my good friends asked him that the other day and he replied that asking him that is like asking a woman how old she is? He TECHNICALLY has 2 more years left with this program here at USU, but that kind of doesn't mean anything!!!!!! He does have most of the people in his lab graduating and moving on next year and I think that's giving him an incentive to hurry and get through so we can move on too!!!!

Our kids!

2009-08-27T12:02:00.002-06:00

We had to take some pictures this weekend of the kids all dressed up. Aaron took them just outside in the back of our condo. I personally think he did an AWESOME job! Anyway, here are some updated pictures of all the kids.

Happy Birthday Connor!

2009-08-26T09:17:00.002-06:00

Four years ago, Connor was born. Callan picked out his name. I was working at a daycare and there was a little boy there named Connor and Callan called him "Baby Connor" and when we told him that we were going to have a baby, he asked if we could name him "Baby Connor", so we said yes.
Connor is my pay back for all the stuff I put my parents through! He is VERY STRONG WILLED. He is stubborn and can make you want to SCREAM and then he will turn around and give you this sweet, angelic smile and you know you should throddle the kid, but you just can't! He makes us laugh all the time and he is his older brother's shadow. I always tell people he is going to be our child that is hiking with friends and is on the edge of a mountain and thinks "Hmmm, what would happen if I jump off this mountain, and half way down realizes it was a BAD idea!" I love him and am excited and interested in seeing what the future holds for him and what he brings to our family. I know for sure laughter and adventure! Happy Birthday my little Conman! I love you.

Life

2009-08-26T08:50:00.002-06:00

We went to Lagoon a couple weeks ago with family and most of the time I stayed with my sister in law, Alison and my neice, Kinley in Kiddieland and watched Kinley and Connor ride the rides. Aaron and I did a few of the roller coasters, but mostly he went on them with Callan. Okay, when I was in high school and even college back when, all the rides seemed fun, or I'm starting to realize that the particular boyfriend that I had when I went there, and that does include Aaron. I was just enjoying his company and didn't really pay attention to the rides. Now, before any of you start thinking, "Well, Aaron must not be that enjoyable", stop right there, Aaron and I rode on rides, but we had kids with us and being the parents, we were not about to make out in front of our sons. And, I know all of you are gasping because I said "make out" on my blog. But when you go to an amusement park with a boyfriend, you hold hands and kiss quite frequently, so ya, Aaron and I paid more attention to our kids. Anyway, it was noisy, dirty, and just annoying because you are around other people that you don't know that are even more annoying. We got off the water ride called Rattlesnake Rapids and we were all DRENCHED and as we were exiting the ride, I overheard some girl say "Oh my gosh is my hair going to get wet, because I will die if it does, my hair is my life." Okay, I'm sorry, but you are at Lagoon in 90-100 degree weather and you are sweating and then you are in line for a water ride, really, how stupid are people that they think they are going to stay pretty! I had my hair in a ponytail, and by the time we left, my clothes were sticking to me from a combination of sweat and water and my hair was FRIZZED out all over! Anyway, I want to clarify that I had a very enjoyable time with the family, but either I'm too old to go to Lagoon anymore or I just need to go with Aaron alone or with other adults. I am not asking anyone for their opinion on this latter question. lol
Now, to speed up to yesterday. I went to an Elementary School, a Middle School and a College and basically got to see my whole life flash before my eyes! I always try to have the attitude that I am young at heart, but it was a interesting realization to me that life happens and you just go with it, whether you like it or not and whether you are thinking about it or not!

Updates!

2009-08-04T20:30:00.001-06:00

Yes, we are still alive! Life is just so crazy for us. Time is flying by and I always tell myself I will post when I can post pictures, well, someday, when I actually do the pictures, you will see them, but for now, I'm just going to write everyone our update.

Aaron just spent 4 days up at Snowbird at a Botany Conference and did a presentation that he felt REALLY good about. In past years, he has waited until a couple of days before he has to leave and hurried and got his presentations ready. This time he KNEW exactly what he was doing. He always loves hanging out with other scientists who actually understand what he is doing and can carry on a conversation with him!
He also had a manuscript published for the first time. He is THRILLED about that. I am still TRYING to read through it. I would offer to send anyone a paper copy, but I can guarantee you you wouldn't understand a word!! Even his parents, who get pretty much everything he explains to them, didn't understand it. So overall, everything is going pretty well for him.

I am doing good. I am back to belly dancing and getting my butt kicked by it! But, I love it. I am busy running kids to their stuff. I am trying to lose weight from having Carson and trying to walk as much as I can during the week. I still have quite a tummy from Carson, so if you see me, I'm just fat!! Sorry, I'm tired of being asked if I"m expecting or when I'm due. I am working on it! I'm finding that when women say that each baby takes a little of their brain away, they're not lying!!

Christine is doing good. My dad has been kind enough to take her a couple times this summer, so we can go do some stuff with the boys. We are EXTREMELY grateful to him. She will go into the 8th grade this year! I think Aaron and I go into shock mode when her life comes up, because she will always be our baby!

Callan is now 8. He was baptized last April. He is getting so big and so smart! He is literally a MINI version of Aaron! He is always creating new inventions and drawing things and coming up with new ideas. He gets very frustrated if he can't figure something out and make something work. He is doing a sports camp this summer, but unfortunately, we have had a lot of stomach bugs going on and he hasn't been able to go a whole lot. He is excited to start the 3rd grade.

Connor is all boy. He challenges me everyday and is so stubborn, sometimes I just want to scream! Then, he shows me his smile and somehow, he gets out of trouble! He goes outside and copies Callan and runs all over and I can always tell where he is, he makes this motor sound really loud.

Carson is now 4 months old. He is rolling over and is trying to crawl and sit up! He also tries to stick both fists in his mouth at the same time! He is adorable and the other boys and Christine love him to death.

Well, that is our update. I will try to do better on blogging!

Updates!

2009-05-20T13:05:00.002-06:00

I thought I would let everyone know what we have been up to lately.
First of all, Carson is doing well. He is getting big and starting to smile and coo!!
For Mother's Day, we went to Promintory Point to see the re-enactment of the Golden Spike. It was cool to see the people dressed in the old time clothes. Grandpa Neil went with us. ALL the boys {young and older} had a blast. They got to climb on the trains and look around! It was a fun day to spend with my family.
We went to the Mountain Man Rendezvous up Blacksmith Canyon this last weekend and got to see everyone dressed up in Mountain Man outfits! It made me feel hot, dirty and sticky! After that, we took Callan and Connor to a nice, sit down restaurant for lunch, which we NEVER do and we had a lot of fun. We went to Cafe Sabore and they thought it was cool that we were eating in an old train station!!
Today, Callan had his end of the year Spring Concert and I was so proud of him. He actually did the hand movements this time and looked like he was having fun! Connor could only see if he was standing in my lap, so he did the clapping for both of us!!
Well, that is the update as far as I remember!! If Aaron reminds me of anything else, I will post later! We are just trying to adjust to having four kids to take care of!

Spring Hike

2009-04-19T16:50:00.001-06:00

To take advantage of a break between snowstorms, Aaron took Connor and Callan for a short hike along the Bonneville Shoreline trail Saturday.

Callan's baptism

2009-04-19T16:48:00.002-06:00

Thanks to everyone who came to town for Callan's baptism this month. It was a nice day and everything went smoothly- even if the water was a bit shallow.

Finally some baby pics!

2009-04-19T16:42:00.005-06:00

Ok, so it only took 3 weeks for us to get some photos posted here...
Carson Aaron
8lb 5oz
19 inches long
cute as a button!

Baby Update

2009-03-11T17:22:00.002-06:00

We had another doctor's appointment today and we are scheduled for the c-section on March 30th at 7:30am. The doctor says everything is looking good. So, unless this baby decides to make an early appearance, we will post that week and let you know how we are all doing.

Baby Update

2009-02-18T18:15:00.002-07:00

Okay, I don't know if it's an update, but we went to another's doctor's appointment yesterday and everything seems to be going along smoothly. I have been having mild contractions, but after I explained them to the doctor, he said they were just braxton hicks. We are still scheduled for a c-section on the 30th of March. I can tell that he has dropped, and I am now hitting my stomache with my knees when I go upstairs!!! Anyhow, that's where we are. We have one more 2 week appointment and then it will be one week appointments until he comes.

Baby update!

2009-01-15T17:28:00.003-07:00

I had a doctor's appointment last week and he measured me and found that instead of measuring me at 28 weeks, which I was last week, I was measuring at 32 weeks. So, just in case things start before my scheduled c-section date of March 30th, he is having me meet with all his partners so if one of them need to do the surgery, I will be comfortable. I also had my glucose test done this week, and it came back normal, YEAH!!! With Callan I had gestational diabetes and with Connor, my first test came back and bad and then my second test came back fine. Fortunately, this one came back just fine the first time. So, we will keep you posted. Now, don't get me wrong, I have had some people ask me if he was going to take me early? No, he is hoping I can wait until my surgery date, but if I do go into labor, he will take me.

Dance Night for Belly Dancing!

2009-01-11T17:15:00.002-07:00

Last night we had a BLAST!!! We had what our instructor's call Dance Night where all the dancers perform if they want too and families and friends come and we eat and party! It was lots of fun. My friend Melanie was GREAT! I chose not to dance because I'm getting huge and didn't want people to get sick eating and looking at my stomach! I hopefully will be back in May to perform. I still go to practices because it is great exercise and works my body. Anyway, it was too dark in the restaurant to take any pictures but all the girls were sexy and beautiful!!! Great Job Ladies!!

Catching Up!

2009-01-11T17:02:00.002-07:00

I thought I would take the time to catch up and let everyone know how our holidays were. We had the most relaxing Christmas and New Year's we have had since we got married. We stayed home and because of the "white christmas" that we got, my dad, who lives about one hour away, couldn't come up. Aaron and the boys made cookies Christmas Eve and Aaron helped Callan deliver them to his friends. We had a nice dinner and then packed everyone up in the car and went and looked at the lights in different neighborhoods. We came back home and got all the kids to bed and then stayed up watching Christmas movies and being cozy in bed.
Christmas morning was mellow. The boys woke up and we opened gifts. Then we just lounged all day which was so nice! Then, Aaron made some cornish hens and stuffing and potatoes. My dad still wasn't able to come up, so we had a huge meal and leftovers which was nice.
New Year's Eve and New Year's was mellow too. We stayed up and watched the ball drop on tv. Callan wanted to stay up, but he only made it until about 11:30. We got to bed about 12:30. New Year's day we took down all the Christmas decorations and cleaned and rearranged furniture. All in all we had a really nice holiday! Now, everyone is back in school and the next big occasion will be the new baby! We are scheduled for a c-section on the 30th of March, but I'm measuring a little big, so we will see if anything happens before then!

Happy Birthday Alison!

2008-12-15T21:53:00.001-07:00

Today is my sister in law's birthday and I have to say that I love her to death! She has been there for me through soooo many things and is a great friend. I love you Alison and hope today was awesome for you.

I've been Tagged!

2008-12-14T18:35:00.003-07:00

I'm not posting any pictures, but I was tagged by my friend Randa, so here goes how our little family started!

1. Where did you two meet?
We met in the lobby of Valley View Towers up here at USU. We were both sitting in the lobby watching the "Old" Beverly Hills, 90210, and Aaron was making rude comments about it and so i turned around and according to him told him to come sit up by me so I could yell at him easier. I don't recall saying I wanted to yell at him, I recall telling him to "Shut up"!

2. What was the first thought that went through your head when you met?
Boy, he is such a jerk and nerd!

3. Do you remember what he was wearing?
I don't remember the clothes, but he had a bright yellow jacket on that he wore everywhere.

4. Where was the first time you kissed this person?
In my dorm room.

5. Where did you go for your first date?
To the Miss USU Homecoming pageant.

6. How long did you know this person before you became a couple?
A week.

7. How did he ask you out?
We were sitting in the lobby again and he pretended that a friend of his wanted to ask me out to homecoming. First, I told him to explain to me what his friend looked like and after about 5 descriptions, I realized it was him and then he admitted that he wanted to take me himself.

8. Has this person ever proposed to you?
Yes.

9. Do you and this person have any kids together?
We have a beautiful daughter and two rowdy sons and another son on the way.

10. Have you ever broken the law with this person?
The statute of limitations hasn't run out on that one yet!

11. When was the first time you realized that you liked this person?
Probably within a couple of months.

12. Do you trust this person?
Yes.

13. Do you see him as your partner in your future?
Yes.

14. What is the best gift he gave you?
In all honesty, I would have to say the gift of marriage and our children.

15. What is one thing he does that gets n your nerves?
When I ask him to do something and he doesn't just do it, he waits until it is a good time for him. He is always getting after our son for not responding right when we ask him to do stuff.

16. Where do you see each other in 15 years?
Life is so unpredictable, I can't even imagine.

17. What causes the most arguments?
Household chores.

18. How long have you been together?
15 years.

19. Are you married?
Yes.

20. Who do you tag?
Alison, Erin, Melanie, Doreen. Ardis, Karin.

Happy Birthday Aaron!

2008-12-14T01:29:00.002-07:00

So, this past week was my sweetheart's birthday. I won't tell you how old he is now because he is still trying to come to terms with it himself! We kept it low key. He had TONS of schoolwork to do the night of his birthday, so I had the kids make him home made cards and I made him a steak and potatoes dinner. Now, for those of you who know me, know that he does the cooking in our house and that I burn or ruin everything I cook, but I attempted and successfully made steak and then sauteed onions and mushrooms to go with the steak and then made mashed potatoes. So, that was my gift to him, a meal that turned out!! I also made him a cake and that turned out yummy! So, he is now another year older but still the man I feel in love with.

Happy Thanksgiving Late!!

2008-12-09T00:13:00.002-07:00

I know that Thanksgiving is over but I have kept forgetting to post about ours. We had a very nice, relaxing holiday. We went to Amy's dad's house and shared a delicious, but simple meal with him. We TRIED to go see the lights down at Temple Square, but we drove around for a half hour looking for parking and finally gave up. We could've parked at the Gateway Center but Aaron asked me if I wanted to walk the 8 blocks to Temple Square and I immediately said no! So, we came back home that night. We forgot the camera, so sorry, no pics!

Baby Name Game

2008-11-17T21:48:00.002-07:00

Okay, time for another game. We are looking for good boy names. Since we have names starting with C and A going, that is preferable. But, we're open to any suggestions that people have. We think it will be interesting to see how creative people can get.

And the baby is a.....

2008-11-17T13:44:00.002-07:00

We are happy to announce that we are having another boy! We had to go to a specialist at the hospital for the ultrasound since the history with Christine and because of my age when the baby is born. The doctor says everything looks great. Everything is measuring on time. So, thanks for playing our guessing game.

My Niece's Birthday!

2008-11-16T21:04:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday you beautiful little girl. We went to spend time with my brother and sister-in-law in October and help celebrate my niece's birthday. She is so big and so sweet. We had a lot of fun and the kids had a blast playing together.

Halloween

2008-11-16T20:53:00.002-07:00

Everyone has been bugging me about updating my blog and since I did say on Facebook that I would TRY to do it this weekend, I thought I had better keep my word. We did our church's trunk-or-treating on Thursday, October 30 and then trick-or-treating. They collected so much candy that I'm going to start throwing it away! Christine we dressed up as a Tiger. Callan was a motorcross driver and Connor was Indiana Jones, although most people mistook him for a cowboy, since his hat was so big on him! The kids had a really good time and ALL of us were halloweened out by the time the end of the weekend came!

Baby Games

2008-09-28T17:18:00.003-06:00

It's no fun placing bets on when the baby will be born, since we get to set the date for the C-section, but to keep this pregnancy interesting, let's play Guess That Gender!

We kept it easy for you by making it multiple choice. You have a 50-50 chance of getting it right (though your odds go way up if you pick GIRL). If you vote BOY and end up being right, Aaron will hold you personally responsible.

In case you haven't figured it out, Aaron is hoping for a girl. Amy reluctantly admits that she also wants a girl (but mutters something about not jinxing things). Callan wants a boy (that's it- he's grounded!). Connor doesn't care. He just wants to stay youngest forever.

So, prizes! If you guess GIRL and you are right, you win the chance to provide a cute girly or tomboyish outfit for her to wear. If you guess BOY and you are right, you win the chance to babysit for a weekend- for FREE!

It's OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL!!!!

2008-09-16T13:20:00.002-06:00

We are happy to announce today that we are expecting another baby!!! I am 11 weeks. We were surprised at first, but now that I have seen the ultrasound and see the baby kicking, I am very excited now. I am EXTREMELY sick. Anyway, hope everyone is doing well.

4th of July

2008-07-22T14:29:00.002-06:00

We had my dad up the Saturday after the holiday and did some fireworks out in front of our house. Aaron even got into the action a little bit!! Both boys liked the sparklers and Callan LOVED the poppers!!

Ogden's Dinosaur Park

2008-06-17T10:15:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we took the boy's down to Ogden to go see the Dinosaur Park. They had a great time and Connor just kept yelling"SNAKE" because all the tails reminded him of snakes, I guess! Anyway, here are the pictures that Aaron took. There are two that Aaron and I especially like. There is one where Connor is standing by one and he's pointing up to it. The light is shining on him in just the right way. Then there is one with both boys folding their arms and trying to look "TOUGH" standing next to one of the dinosaurs!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T11:58:00.003-06:00

We forgot to take pictures AGAIN! I have to say that my husband, Aaron is a GREAT dad. We started life out with a disabled daughter. Most guys his age would have gone running. But, he knew how special this little girl was and has taken her to many doctor's appointments and sat by my side in waiting rooms while she went through surgeries. He has helped me recover from 3 c-sections and has done an AWESOME job helping to raise our two boys. He has been a great example to our boys by making goals and working VERY HARD to accomplish them. And most of all he shows our children how important family is every single day. I love you Aaron and cherish watching you with our children. Happy Father's Day!

A tribute for Father's Day!

2008-06-16T11:36:00.003-06:00

This year we couldn't seem to find cards that were the right ones for our father's. So, I wanted to share with all of you how special 3 men are in my life.

My own father- He and my mother adopted me, so I always consider how lucky I was to be given to such an awesome dad. He is the most caring guy I know. He will do anything for you and has the BIGGEST heart I know. We had him up for a barbeque yesterday and my kids LOVE him and worship the ground he walks on! He is always there for us to help out in any way he can. Thank you dad for EVERYTHING! We love you.

My Second Dad- My second dad, Tom is the most wonderful guy. He has been in my life since I was in 5th or 6th grade. He has helped me through SO many trials in life. I have to HONESTLY say that he has been my rock. He also has the BIGGEST heart. He makes sure that all of us kids are living life the way WE want to and doing the best at what we are doing. He has always taught us with strictness, but also shown us COMPLETE love along with it. He is also a grandpa with a big heart. The best thing I love about him, is he treats my mother like a QUEEN! I have had a rough year and haven't treated people the way I should and I hope he knows that I love him and will always cherish him as a dad. Thank you for helping me to be the person I am today. We love you.

My father-in-law- He has to be one of the strongest people I know. He has gone through some EXTREMELY emotionally and physically demanding circumstances the past two years and has been a GREAT example of turning to his faith and depending on that. He loves my kids and is another man that treats my mother-in-law like a QUEEN! I love him for all the help he has been when it comes to my daughter. He has given countless blessings and been there when Aaron and I were trying to be the rock for our daughter, but about ready to collapse from emotions. The best thing he has done is raise a TERRIFIC son whom I was lucky enough to marry and share a life with. Thank you for the great spiritual example you have been to us. We love you.

In Memory

2008-06-16T11:24:00.004-06:00

I don't know how many of you watched Meet the Press with Tim Russert on Sunday mornings, but I would flip to see who he had on his show and if it was someone that I was interested in, I would watch. He was always on the Today show talking politics. Anyway, he passed away suddenly of a heart attack on Friday. Throughout the weekend, I watched the different news shows and they all paid tribute to him and talked about what an awesome man he was. I know that everyone who knows me knows that I went through a loss a year and a half ago when I lost one of my best friend's from college from a sudden heart attack. The death of Tim Russert brings back the pain and sorrow that I still go through time to time. One thing I have learned is that you should NEVER put things off when it comes to ANYONE you know. If you get the inspiration to call someone or go see someone, there is a reason why you are getting that inspiration. My friend, Tonja, and this journalist, Tim have been remembered as being EXTREMELY nice people. ALWAYS with a smile on their faces and nothing bad said about them. How many of us can look at how we treat people and how we conduct our lives and know that when we pass on, people will say that about us? I know that being the nicest person and never being mean would not be something someone could say about me and that makes me sad. I know I can't change overnight, but I think we should ALWAYS try to live everyday and be as nice as we can and treat people with respect and kindness. I know I didn't know him personally, but I say Heaven has received two AWESOME people in the past 2 years, We'll miss you Tonja and Tim.

No, we're not dead!!

2008-06-03T13:35:00.003-06:00

Hey Everyone,
I will be posting some new pictures soon. We have done some pretty cool things lately, but Aaron has the pictures on his iphone and since he has it with him 24/7, I have to wait until we can both sit down and do it. Anyway, I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up to date like I was. I have been having some health things going on. NO, NOT HEALTH PROBLEMS, just health things, dealing with those wonderful things us ladies like to call HORMONES!! Anyway, somedays I feel like crap and others I feel okay. So, if you call me and I'm crying, raunchy or just all around not being nice, just know I'm probably having a bad day, IT'S NOT YOU!! So, give me some time and hopefully, the old cheerful, social Amy will be back!!

Connor's Basketball Hoop

2008-04-26T17:19:00.003-06:00

Well, Connor is finally showing interest in something, and that is Basketball!! Aaron and I went to a sporting goods store the other day and Connor saw the basketballs and the hoops and just started screaming with DELIGHT "Baball, baball"!! Aaron thinks it's kind of funny because Callan is turning out to look like he might take after Aaron and be the tall one and he LOVES to sing. And then there's Connor who looks like he might be short like me, and yet he LOVES basketball, how ironic!! Anyway, Aaron went and bought him his very own little basketball and hoop and needless to say, Connor is in HEAVEN!! Here are some pictures of him trying it out.

My Bellydance photos

2008-04-26T17:11:00.002-06:00

Well, it took me a week, but here you go. The one shot, I'm in the back row in the middle and the other picture, I'm in the front row in the middle. My hair is cut up to my chin for those of you who haven't seen me in a while. Again, I had a blast and can't wait to do it again.

THE PERFORMANCE!!!

2008-04-21T11:27:00.002-06:00

I want to thank everyone who wrote words of encouragement. I had a BLAST!! It was one of the best times of my life. Hearing the audience cheering and showing the attitude of the music and the dance is my favorite. Aaron makes fun of me because I supposedly have a "dance face" and it came on glowing and shining. Anyway, I'm going to be working my way up in this bellydancing company to be in the groups performing. I"m soooo excited!! Aaron took pictures, and hopefully by next weekend I will get them posted, but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone again.

My BIG week

2008-04-16T13:20:00.002-06:00

Well, I will be fulfilling a HUGE dream come true this Friday night. When I was a child and through high school, I DANCED. It is my PASSION. I was on my dance team in high school and took ballet all through childhood. When I would work on a dance combo of any type and get ready to perform it in front of people, the RUSH would start coming. And yes, EVERYONE knows that I"m the social one between Aaron and me!! But, I love getting attention through performing a dance combo. Because it's not just me, but I know people are watching me and I can COMPLETELY feel the music in my soul. So, after getting out of high school, going to college, meeting and marrying Aaron and having 3 kids, my PASSION IS BACK, BABY!! I have been doing bellydancing for about 2 1/2 months and this Friday, I will get up and perform in front of my husband and tons of other people. I cry as I write this because THIS IS WHO I AM. Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE my family, but I do have to have something that's ALL MINE and that I can lose myself in and this is it. But, I do want to say thank you to a couple of people. First, Aaron because he could choose not to help me with the kids while I go practice, but he is COMPLETELY supportive of me. Second, my mom because she has know since I was a little girl that I was born to dance. And she always has supported me and been there for me for this. And third, my friend Kristal because since we moved here and I met her she has talked about it. She has never been pushy about it or tried to force it on me, but she knows how I feel about dance and just would bring it up around me and at a time that I knew was right, I decided to give it a try and now, I'M AMY. So, cross your fingers for me and think happy thoughts!

Baby Animal Days

2008-04-13T21:27:00.002-06:00

We took the boys to Baby Animal Days this weekend. It was a lot of fun. They got to pet a whole bunch of baby animals and play games. Callan and Aaron led us on a treasure hunt that taught us about the history of Cache Valley. We stayed for about 2-3 hours.

Callan's Birthday at the Fun Park

2008-04-13T21:22:00.002-06:00

After all the boys went home, our brother and sister-in-law came up to get our nephew and brought their two daughters and we packed up our kids and went to a place called the Fun Park. It's like a big jungle gym inside a building, plus they have games like Chuck E. Cheese's did. We had a REALLY good time there. We wore all the kids out, I think!!

Callan' Birthday Slumber Party

2008-04-13T21:12:00.002-06:00

We gave Callan a choice this year between having a party with 7 kids because that's how old he turned or having a slumber party with 3 other boys and he chose the slumber party. The boys had fun, Aaron helped them make their own pizza's and then they ate a Transformer's Cake that we ordered for him. He opened gifts after that and got TONS of Transformer toys! The boys stayed up until about 11:30-12:00 and then woke up at 6:30 am, so it was a short night! We woke up and Aaron made a pancake breakfast for them.

Family birthday party!

2008-04-01T09:11:00.003-06:00

Okay, so Aaron makes fun of me when it comes to birthdays, especially Christine's, mine and Callan's because they all fall within a two week period. So, I usually do two birthday parties for everyone. One family one and when I say family I mean aunts, uncles, grandparents that are around and one party either with friends or our own little family meaning me, Aaron and the kids. The funny thing is I do the same for him for his birthday and he doesn't seem to make fun of me at that time!! Anyway, we had a combined family party Sunday and Aaron's brother Thomas and his wife, Alison came up with their three kids and Grandpa Neil. We had cake and ice cream and got all sorts of cool stuff for our birthdays. Now, keep in mind, you have already seen Christine's birthday posts and then this Friday, Callan is having a friend's party. So, yes I may go a little extreme, but you only get one birthday a year, so why not go ALL OUT!!

Christine's 12th Birthday!

2008-03-28T17:57:00.002-06:00

Our daughter, Christine, celebrated her 12th birthday this past Wednesday. For our family, this is always a good and happy day for us. She was born with severe mental and physical disabilities and we were told she wouldn't live past the ages of 2-3. So, for her to turn 12 is pretty amazing to us, our family and friends. We had our friends Josh, Kristal and Cora over for cake and ice cream. It was funny because usually when she gets home, she falls right to sleep, so we put her in bed. This night, I think she knew it was a special day because she stayed bright eyed and happy and smiley all evening. It was a GREAT night! Mommy and Daddy and your brothers love you Christine and we hope this year brings you more smiles and happy times.

Ice Cave

2008-03-28T17:43:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday we went into an ice cave. It's kind of weird, you see a sign for it and turn and then you stop at a big whole in the ground. We went down into it and Aaron looked for samples for his lab work and the boys ran around and climbed on the rocks inside. Later that day, we went to some hot springs with our friend's and had a really nice, relaxing time.

Happenings in Family

2008-03-08T19:36:00.002-07:00

Okay, so we totally forgot to take pictures, but our niece, Hailey, was baptized on the 1st of March. That was a beautiful time to spend with family and to see her growing up. Later that night, Aaron and I had a BLAST at a bellydancing festival in Salt Lake. I don't think I have mentioned yet, but I'm taking a bellydancing class and I LOVE IT!! When I met Aaron, I was going to school to be a dance teacher, but a few years back, I had the chance to teach dance and learned that my passion is learning a routine and then performing. One of Aaron's and my friends was already in the group and finally talked me into taking the beginning class last month and "oh baby", I have found my passion again. Anyway, at this festival, we got to see many different groups perform and Aaron got to see the body move in ways he didn't know was possible!! So, we were with our good friends, Josh and Kristal and she later performed.
The next day, Sunday, we threw a birthday party for my mother in law. We invited some of her close friends and my two brother in laws that live out of town sent birthday email messages to her. It was a another nice time spent with friends and family. We hope you had a wonderful birthday, Karen.

Callan's Science Fair

2008-02-12T22:55:00.002-07:00

Last Wednesday and Thursday Callan's school did their first science fair since 2002. He was completely fascinated when we stopped by Mt. St. Helens in Washington at Christmas time. So, he and Aaron made a volcano out of a set that Granny Linda and Grandpa Tom gave him and explained how it works. He had a BLAST making it go off!! He did receive a ribbon, but between last week and now, he has lost it somewhere in his room. So, when we do find it, I will take a picture of him with it and post it. He's already looking forward to doing another project next year!! Good Job Calman!!

Aaron's Costa Rica Trip cont.

2008-02-12T22:40:00.004-07:00

Here are the rest of the photos from his trip.

Aaron's Costa Rica Trip

2008-02-12T22:31:00.003-07:00

Aaron and Josh had a Costa Rican party last night and they made the food that they ate there and also did a slide show. Well, since Aaron got home, he's been working on the slide show and finally got it done on Sunday night. So, he was nice enough to choose 10 photos that share the BASICS of the trip. There are a couple of pictures of the entire group that was there. There is a picture of one of the first dinners they had. In one picture, he's in his full "Fern Finding Attire"!! There is a picture of him walking with some people in one of the groups he was in. There is a picture of a red sign that is warning about CROCODILES, which he never saw!! There is a picture of a Sloth. Anyway, these kind of give you an idea of where he was and what they were studying. Enjoy!

Aaron's Costa Rica Trip

2008-02-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Well, since Aaron won't sit down and decide which pictures he wants on here, I"m just going to write and let everyone know that he survived! He had a really good time meeting new people and learning TONS about his favorite plant, THE FERN!! He came back craving a beans and rice dish that we have yet to experience! It's kind of funny, he came back with THOUSANDS of photos, and no, I"m not joking about it being a THOUSAND! Anyway, I think I have seen more fern pictures than anybody who DOESN'T study ferns! But, he took some beautiful pictures of a lot of flowers and I think I might have an interest in flowers. Anyway, we are all back under one roof again and for those of you who will get this, my heart rate is back to normal!! I do know one thing, I missed him a lot and don't EVER want to be a single mom.

The "TWINS" and my HOMEMADE PURSE!!

2008-01-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well, they were at it again tonight! Callan and Connor love to take these snow hats that Aaron and I got in Alaska and some matching shirts they got from our neighbor and go around acting like TWINS! And then for everyone who knows me, I didn't get the "MOLLY MORMON HOMEMAKER" jean!! My mom and dad are both great cooks, but I am proud if macaroni and cheese turns out!! Anyway, one of my good friends Utonya took me to a purse making class on Thursday. We had to do everything and I did it!! Anyway, I hope Aaron is impressed. Actually, I hope all of you are impressed!!

Winter Finally Came!!

2008-01-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well Aaron, you left and we got pounded! We got 8" of snow just yesterday, and it has been snowing continuously since you two left. I hope you are having fun, because I can tell you, we are snowbound right now!! I have been emailing Kristal and she commented last night that Josh owes her one for leaving her to shovel the snow, and I share that comment! Remember, we love you and miss you already!

Pacific Science Center cont.

2007-12-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

They have a butterfly area and there were some beautiful butterflies. Aaron also took a picture of some flowers that look like butterflies.

Pacific Science Center

2007-12-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

While we were in Seattle, we all went to the museum and let the kids explore EVERYTHING! They had a BLAST!!

Christmas 2007 cont.

2007-12-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the last pictures of Christmas day.

Christmas 2007 cont.

2007-12-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Christmas morning.

Christmas 2007 cont.

2007-12-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

This section is Christmas Eve. We had a visit from Santa Claus. We also had Aaron's grandma Trask over for Christmas Eve dinner along with Aunt Kathy.

Christmas in Seattle, 2007

2007-12-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

We went to Seattle to be with Oldma and Oldpa Duffy for Christmas. We had a lot of fun. We took a lot of pictures, so there will be a couple of different sections. We hope ALL of our friends and family had a wonderful Christmas and wish everyone good things to come in 2008.

School Christmas Program part 2

2007-12-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of Callan. Enjoy!!

Callan's school Christmas Program part 1

2007-12-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Callan had a Christmas program at school and gramps Neil came up and took some AWESOME shots. As usual, Callan is showing his personality through and through and completely getting into the music!! Anyway, gramps took a lot of pictures, so I will be doing this through a couple of posts.

Alison's Birthday Party!!

2007-12-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

We went down to Thomas and Alison's to join the celebration of her birthday. Aaron and I thought it was really fun, especially since we haven't seen the Zaugg's for a while. All the grandkids are growing like weeds. It is funny, I have a hard time grasping the idea that Hailey, Kaden and Kinley are growing up, so to see all their cousins and EVERYONE growing up, it was one of those "Oh my gosh!" moments!! Anyway, we had a great time and it was nice to be able to visit with Alison's parents and hear how happy they are to be back home with their family. I love you Alison and hope you had a ROCKIN' birthday!

Callan's Motorcycle

2007-12-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

Callan had his end of year Christmas choir concert on Tuesday night and Gramps took us out to dinner afterwards. Callan got a toy motorcycle with his meal and asked me to take a picture of him with it and put it on our blog, so here it is!

Twins!!

2007-12-09T16:17:00.001-07:00

Connor has to do everything just like Callan, so our neighbor gave them some shirts from her company and they have matching snow hats. So, one day when they were sitting up at the counter, I decided to take a picture of them looking like twins. Aren't they so cute!!!

Gramps and the boys build trains!

2007-12-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

While Gramps was up here on Saturday to watch the kids, they got creative and built a huge train track with the boy's toy Thomas trains and also their lego's. It was really cool.

Aaron's B-day Pizza Party!

2007-12-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

Aaron decided that he wanted to have a pizza making party this year for his birthday. So, we invited our brother and sister-in-law and their kids and some of Aaron's biology friends over on Friday night. We had a great turn out and got to taste some different types of pizzas. The birthday boy had lots of fun. We found out that we can heat our entire house with just the oven. Aaron's actual birthday is on Monday the 10th, so it has kind of been a weekend celebration. I took him out for a dinner of Indian food on Saturday night and we thought the different plates of food we ordered were good. Gramps came up to watch the kids for us and when we got back, we had birthday cake with him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!

Callan's First Christmas Choir Concert

2007-12-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

"Tis the season". Callan had his first Christmas Choir Concert at the American West Heritage Center, here in Logan, today. I was soooo proud of him. He actually sang this time. Last year, he would just stand there and look around. He was very animated too. We have the end of the season concert on December 11th, so watch for more pictures of my big guy!!

Thanksgiving Day!!

2007-11-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we had Gramps Adams up for Thanksgiving dinner. We just had a nice, relaxing holiday. We had invited Aaron's brother and his wife and family up, but we all decided that since we all had big events happening for Christmas, we would have mellow, relaxing Thanksgivings. We did however cook enough to feed an army!! Callan made some pilgrim attire to wear and Aaron took pictures of both he can Connor wearing them. Anyway, this holiday was especially nice because it gave me a chance to reflect on the things that I am most thankful for. I'm extremely thankful for EVERYONE in my family. I have made great lifetime friends since we moved to Logan. I've learned the past year how very important the gospel is in your life. I don't know where our family would be if we didn't have the church. I cherish ALL the blessings I have witnessed. Anyway, I want all my friends and family to know that I love all of you and hope you all had a very thankful Thankgiving.

Callan's tooth loss!!

2007-11-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Well all you grandparents, Callan was eating lunch and his first tooth fell out. We put the tooth in a baggy, but you can't really tell it's in there, because there is a glare. He saying to me right now that it didn't even hurt when it fell out. We are trying to get him to smile as big as he can, so it is the bottom right tooth.

Grandpa Tom's Birthday!!

2007-11-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we tried Grandpa Tom! You can't really see the signs, but they are saying "Happy Birthday Grandpa". We had fun trying to get Connor to hold his sign. I don't know if mom told you, but Christine is under the weather, so I took a picture of her so you can at least see her. We love you and hope you have a great birthday. We miss you and can't wait to see you at Christmas.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA TOM!!!

Oldma's and Olda's visit

2007-10-25T23:58:00.000-06:00

After Oldma and Oldpa visited with Thomas' family, they came up to Logan and stayed the night with us. They tried out the Jack-o-latern pizza's with us too. We had a fun visit and wore our kids out!!

North Logan Pumpkin Walk #2

2007-10-20T23:50:00.000-06:00

When we got home and looked at the pictures, we just laughed at the ones of Callan and Connor in the Yoda cutout and knew we had to post them for grandparents to see! Hey Oldma, we think Christine is our princess, but when Aaron held her up to the cutout, she didn't enjoy it at all. Aaron says she looks like the stuck up princess!! Since I took all the pictures, Aaron insisted that I sit down with the LITTLE men in my life! When we got home, Connor took off his snow hat and his hair was ALL OVER!

Our new home

2007-10-20T21:20:00.000-06:00

For those of you who read my emails, we moved from Family Housing into a new house in August. My mom asked for pictures back when we moved in and now that I know how to do this blog and post photos, I took some pictures. We are truly blessed to have such a nice home.

North Logan Pumpkin Walk #1

2007-10-20T21:09:00.001-06:00

Since we had a break in the bad weather, we decided to take the kids to the pumpkin walk. Hey Ry if you see this, when I said they would create anything with the pumpkins, they did the Brady Bunch! Tom, in the picture, the guy on the right is supposed to be John Wayne and the guy on the left Clint Eastwood.

Aaron's Aggie Day

2007-10-20T21:02:00.000-06:00

Aaron and some of the Biology grad students joined in on Aggie Day and Aaron showed off some samples he collected this summer in Chicago. Papa Neil came up and joined us. We introduced him to Aggie Ice Cream. He also danced with Callan and Connor with the USU band and cheerleading squad!

Jumping on the bandwagon

2007-10-19T16:21:00.000-06:00

Everybody else is doing it so let's start blogging, DUFFY'S!

Now that's tired!

2007-10-19T16:15:00.000-06:00

I don't know how Connor can sleep like that, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Christine

2007-10-19T14:04:00.000-06:00

People haven't seen Christine for a while so...