Lunds

Christmas Lund Style

2012-01-01T09:51:00.001-08:00

Lexi and her "very special favorite" cousin Kameron.
Angels from the nativity.
Shepherd's from the nativity.
We had a lot of fun playing "Pass the Pickle"! It is just like hot potato, only with a pickle.

We did a lot of fun crafts as well.Despite everyone getting sick, we still had a great time.

Halloween

2011-11-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun this past Halloween. We went to the pumpkin patch where they had a kids corn maze, a tractor ride, and a petting zoo. We dressed the kids up and they had a lot of fun. Lexi was a black cat, Mara was a pirate, and Logan was Super Man.

Two Months Old and the Terrible Two's

2011-10-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

We took Logan to his two month check up and he passed with flying colors. He was 14lbs and 2 ft and 5 inches long; putting him in the 90th%. So far Mara is the runt with only getting in the 75% to 80% at best! I would post a picture of him, but I can't get the darn pictures to download. He looks a lot like Lexi did when she was a baby. He has very fare skin, blond hair and his eyes are getting more blue each day. We are lucky because he sleeps through the night already; now if his older sisters would follow his example that would be great!

We are getting ready to experience our first Minnesota winter. I bought the girls winter coats yesterday and they were excited. Lexi keeps asking when the snow is coming so she can build a snow man. For a girl that hates the cold I don't know if she really knows what she is asking for.

Mara is talking more and more each day and manifesting that she is turning two more and more each day. She loves to color and paint. The problem is she painted our house with Lexi's water colors and drew pictures with markers on the furniture. Luckily they come off easily. She also loves to take away toys from Lexi and run off with them laughing. She is a ham and a tease! Hopefully Nate will help me with the darn pictures so I can post some of Logan and of the girls in their Halloween costumes.

Logan Nathaniel Lund

2011-08-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Logan Nathaniel Lund was born 8/26 at 8:57 A.M. He was 9 pounds and 10 oz. We ended up doing a scheduled C-Section because he was breech. So far he is a laid back baby that loves to be swaddled and loves his pacifier. The girls are really enjoying their baby brother and helping any chance they can to make sure he is happy.

Here is a song from Lexi and a kiss from Mara to you!

One Month in Minnesota

2011-06-25T18:05:00.001-07:00

Minnesota is wonderful! The move went as good as any move could go. I am 30 weeks pregnant now, and would not recommend moving while pregnant to anyone! ( This is the second time we have moved when I have been pregnant. ) The picture above was taken at the Como Zoo. It is a free Zoo. We took everyone there and went on a picnic after seeing the animals.

The girls are starting to interact a lot more and play together which has been a lot of fun to watch. The top picture we were watching Mara's favorite movie, "Tangled" and they sat so nicely together. The bottom picture; Lexi told us Mara was crying, but we brushed it off. Before we went to bed we checked on them and Lexi had her arm around Mara to comfort her. It was very sweet.

One of my goals is to teach Lexi a few things before Kindergarten. So we counted and pasted beans to the piece of paper. (Unfortunately she reminds me of me when it comes to learning. She is very stubborn and opinionated.) After she had completed the activity she wanted to share her completed work with everyone.

For Graduation and Father's Day Nate was given a bike and trailer to pull the girls in. The girls need to wear helmets, so Mara inherited Lexi's old helmet. It's a little big, but will work for now.

We bought the girls bunk beds and they both have really loved them. Lexi refers to it as her "ladder". Mara has adjusted very well to sleeping in a real bed. She reminds us more and more each day of her cousin Kameron. He has a blanket he is attached to, Mara has followed in his footsteps. She pulls some of the same faces he does. Its been a lot of fun to see her personality come out more and more.

Our ward and neighbors have been very kind and welcoming. It has rained quite a bit and been fairly cool, but we are still having fun with all of the different trails, lakes and parks. The humidity has not been too bad, but there have been days when it has been pretty high. For example the picture above is how Lexi woke up one morning. Her hair might remind you of the orphan Annie.

On the move to Minnesota!

2011-05-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

Nate is graduating from grad school on the 14th and 4 days later we are moving to Minneapolis Minnesota! We are very excited and very busy trying to get everything ready. Luckily my mother in law has been watching the girls so I can pack up the house and get everything ready in a timely manner. I owe her big time! A lot of changes and a lot of fun at the same time. Everyone is doing great!

On a disappointing note, I broke our new camera! We went to the zoo and the water bottle leaked all over it. One day we will have a camera again and I will post pictures.

We are still here...

2011-03-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

I can't figure out how to download the pictures from our new camera, which is why it has taken me so long to do a new post. Here are a few things that have been happening in our little family...

Nate...is almost done with Grad school!!! That is very exciting and I can hardly wait until May when he has his diploma!

Dre...pregnant with baby #3 due on September 3rd. I am having a hard time keeping up with everything, but I just keep telling myself everything will work out and be alright.

Lexi...finished her first round of swimming lessons and made huge progress. She was able to float on her back all by herself. The next step is for her to put her head under water longer than 1/10 of a second. It was a lot of fun to watch her learn and feel so accomplished.

Mara...walking everywhere and is a ham! She has three bottom teeth and will stick them out, scrunch up her nose and grin. She can say; backpack, mama, dada, Lexi and tata (cracker).

Things are going great here. Hopefully I will post some pictures soon.

Anderson Farm

2010-10-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

We went on a family outing to Anderson Farm last Saturday. We met up with Nate's family and had a great time. Lexi keeps asking if she can go back to the "pumpkin patch". We dressed up the girls in their costumes. Mara was a bear and Lexi decided she wanted to be Snow White. She informed me she had chosen Snow White because, "She is so beautiful".

Pictures

2010-10-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

Our computer crashed so I lost a lot of pictures, but will be posting pictures that I do have shortly.

General Conference

2010-10-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

I have officially lost our camera. So we are in the process of getting a new one, hopefully I won't lose.
Mara is growing so fast and is very curious about anything left on the floor. We have been enduring Lexi potty training...need I say more. We have had success, and hopefully the training will end soon and she will go on the potty all of the time.
We really enjoyed General Conference, well everything we actually heard. Lexi looked up at President Ewring and exclaimed, "It's Nephi!". At the end of conference during the closing prayer we told Lexi to be reverent because it was time for prayers. She was so reverent and quiet, after we said Amen we realized why, she fell asleep during the prayer. Before we went to bed everyone said what their favorite part about General Conference was Lexi said, "Jesus".

Six Months Later...

2010-08-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Nate is the all time best husband and father. He is so busy with school and work, yet he always finds time to help with the girls and help with chores around the house. I don't know if I will ever figure out how I was so blessed with such a wonderful husband.

I couldn't ask for better daughters! Getting to know Mara has been an adventure. She is very curious and loves moving all of the time. She hates taking naps and playing quietly on the floor. She does love to play with her sister, read books and sing songs. She has an adorable smile and her laugh is more of a grunt than a giggle. She rolls all over the place and is crawling every where. Mara is a fish out of the water! Anytime we go swimming she splashes, kicks and tries to crawl into the deep area with the big kids.
Lexi is a big time "mama's" girl. She loves to help me cook, clean, and take care of Mara. We have had a lot of fun this summer. We love to go to the zoo, swimming, the park, dance to music and watch movies. Lexi loves all of the Disney princesses and Pixar movies. For Father's Day Lexi took her dad to see Toy Story 3. They had a lot of fun and both still talk about the movie. Lexi loves to sing and dance to Sleeping Beauty, Kiss the Girl from the Little Mermaid, Darius Rucker's "Alright" and Taylor Swift's "Picture to Burn." We were driving in the car and I turned on Huey Lewis and the News. Lexi exclaimed in a very disgusted voice, "No Mama, not this!" So I turned on Taylor Swift and she said, "O-kay." Lexi no longer takes naps. A few nights of her staying up past mid night or getting up at 2 AM and staying up for the rest of the day ended nap time. Lexi loves to read her books to Mara. And it is a lot of fun to listen!

Lexi singing and dancing to "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty

Mara Sandra Lund

2010-01-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Mara arrived January 15th at 5:41 PM. She was 8 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches long. Nate's family and some of our friends came and saw us up at the hospital which was a lot of fun. Both girls were spoiled with gifts. Lexi received an Elmo doll which she quickly shared with Mara. She also tried feeding her some of her bread. We are so blessed to be surrounded with people who love and care for our family.

Happy 2nd Birthday Alexandria Marie

2010-01-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

Two years have come since Lexi was born. She is such a joy to have around. We had a great time with Nate's family for dinner to celebrate. Lexi's Grandma Lund made her a beautiful dress. My mom and sister were also able to come out which is always fun. We had a birthday breakfast with them. In the past two years from getting to know Lexi's personality one word to describe her would be love. She loves to help, give hugs and kisses, and is usually happy and has a very contagious laugh. We are very blessed to be her parents.

Christmas at the Lunds

2010-01-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Christmas. Unfortunately I had a cold which would have been fine except when you are pregnant you can't really take any medicine. So...we watched a movie Christmas Eve and went to bed early. Luckily, I felt a lot better Christmas day. Lexi loved her new toys. Our neighbors asked us if we wanted their toys that they were giving away, so I saved them to give to Lexi for Christmas. She LOVED the door. The best part about Christmas is taking a day to simply be together and celebrate the birth of Christ.

Celebration of Thanksgiving

2010-01-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

We had a very Merry Christmas. We had a great Thanksgiving with Nate's sister Julia and her family coming out to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is always fun when they come out. The highlight for me personally is we usually have a girls afternoon or something with no kids. Nate's parents set up their Christmas decorations which includes a train around the tree. The grand kids absolutely love the train. Lexi was sitting next to her cousin Kameron while watching the train and spontaneously decided to give him a kiss! It was very sweet.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. The best part was spending time with each other. Lexi has loved her new toys which has been a great help to have her busy while we are making preparations for Mara to come. Lexi's Aunt Kristin gave her a toy that sings the alphabet and Lexi sings right along. She doesn't get the the correct letters, but it is really cute to listen to her.

Molegone-ites

2009-11-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

Nate's nickname to his brother Matt is Molegone. Nate had a mole removed a while back and his brother started calling him Molegone. After we were married Matt decided to call us Molegone-ites. When Lexi put the headband on; the first thought I had was she looked like a Nephite from the Book of Mormon. Then I thought Molegone-ites!!!

Mother Daughter Hike

2009-11-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

The weather has been remarkably beautiful (especially since we were snowed in last week). Lexi and I decided to go out for a hike. Lexi walked the entire time until the end when her hands started bleeding from being overly scraped from falling on the rocks repeatedly. That was the only time she let me hold her. It was SO much fun to watch her discover things and hear her ramble the entire way. She was wiped out when we came home.

Putt-Putt and Special Visitors

2009-11-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Halloween day did not go as exactly planned. My mom and sister were driving in and the roads closed putting them back two days! They were remarkable and still came for a quick forty hour visit on Halloween day. Knowing they wouldn't arrive until dinner time I wasn't sure if we would have time to eat and take Lexi trick or treating; so I decided to take Lexi to a trick or treat street at Mr. Biggs before they arrived. She quickly caught on to the whole concept of getting candy and would stick her bucket out. One booth we went to was handing out free admission tickets to play in their facility. I decided that mini golf would be fun for both of us and we had a great time. Our play was cut short because Lexi decided to throw her ball in the water on hole 14. It was a very fun day and a great visit with my family. We are very blessed to have such a wonderful family!

Halloween

2009-11-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Lexi dressed up as a witch this year for Halloween. It took one hour to convince her to wear her costume and dress her. I had to keep telling her how cute she looked and that she was so pretty. After I had her dressed it took another twenty minutes to persuade her to get her picture taken.

This year our HOA had a party for kids 3 and under so I decided to take Lexi. Luckily Nate came too which was a lot of fun! They had crafts, games, and candy for the kids. Lexi was a little timid at first, but warmed right up.

Her favorite activity was definitely the parachute and was quite distraught when they put it away. She also enjoyed the bean bag toss and was very good taking turns with the other kids. Bowling was quite a sight and she struggled a little bit more taking turn with that one.

Lexi's Favorite Things

2009-10-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Lexi, like all kids, has her favorite things. Here are the top 5...

5. Elmo, Monsters Inc. and Pooh Bear - Lexi loves Elmo's world, but doesn't understand why I can't just turn on the TV at any given time to watch Elmo. Or why Sesame Street isn't constantly playing clips with Elmo in them. Monsters Inc and Winnie the Pooh are her favorite movies to watch. She thinks Sully is so silly and thinks any teddy bear's name is Pooh.

4. Clothes and shoes - Lexi is very particular about what clothes she will wear. For example; if we do not tell her how cute she looks in the morning she will undress herself and pick out a new outfit. My sister Natalie bought her some pajamas and she would give them loves. She also loves to carry her clothes around the house. They have ended up in her potty, the sink and the garbage can. We went to the shoe store last week and Lexi was in heaven. She insisted that we buy some Disney Princess sandals, but I said no considering it is approaching winter. Everywhere we have gone this week she has shown people her new Dora shoes.

3. Music - When I was pregnant with Lexi anytime an upbeat song would come on she would move around a lot. Things haven't changed. Both Grandma's have pianos and she loves to put music out, sit down and play. She also loves to sing! She will sing as she falls asleep, while she plays, and (my favorite) at church with the congregation. I almost forgot to mention she LOVES rock band! She grabs the mic and won't let anyone else sing. And she sings very loudly.

2. Books - I take Lexi to story time usually once a week (if things are going smoothly that week). She loves to look at all the books she can. At home she will grab a bunch of her books and carry them around in her back pack, or she will sit on the couch and read them to her dolls. She can be entertained with them for a very long time.

1. Mom and Dad - I don't mean to boast, but I do think her most favorite things are her parents. All day she will ask where Daddy is. She will also grab his shoes and say, "Daddy's shoes?" And will keep asking me until I say "Yes, those are Daddy's." This will happen a dozen times through out the day. When Nate gets home she gets very excited, but likes him to chase her. She will greet him at the door then book it giggling the entire way. She is a big time mama's girl and loves to be where ever I am. She has recently started calling me "Ma". If she can't find me she goes through out the house yelling, "Ma! Ma!"

I do hope she grows out her clothes and shoes passion, but if not, I will pray for understanding and tolerance. I have never been that into fashion (obviously), but maybe she will be able to give me a few pointers. She is a lot of fun to have around!

Business Trip

2009-10-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Lexi and I took a business trip out to Utah to do some canning with my mom. We had a lot of fun. My mom and I canned 120 quarts of applesauce and 30 quarts of apple pie slices in 4 days. Needless to say we were both pretty tired at the end. Lexi watched a lot of movies, but was a trooper to let us work very hard. She loved getting Grandpa's lunchbox and the toy keys to pretend that she was going to work.

The New Addition to Our Family

2009-09-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to mention in my last post that we found out we are going to be blessed with another baby girl. We had a name picked out for a girl, but not for a boy so that made things easier. Also, because this baby is due in January and Lexi's birthday is in January we are already fully stocked with clothes. The name we decided is Mara Sandra Lund. I've always really liked the name Mara. Sandra is after Nate's mom. Nate's mom is the closet thing you will come to meeting an angel. She is a very special woman who we both deeply admire. We are teaching Lexi to say Mara and she will point to her belly and say her version of the word Mara. I am pretty sure she is going to love having a baby around the house...sharing her mom will be a different story :)

Elmo, Mail and Rain

2009-09-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

This afternoon was very memorable for me. This morning Lexi and I went to story time, but arrived too late so I decided we could check out some Elmo's World DVD's and to watch in the afternoon. We had a great day together. We went to the park, ate lunch, then Lexi slept for two and half hours which meant I slept for an hour which was GREAT!!! After she woke up, I needed to get some chores done, so I decided to put in the Elmo's World DVD. I took out the trash and grabbed the mail keys. After getting the mail I went to open up our front door and it was locked!!! I started knocking on the door and looking at Lexi to let me in. She wouldn't move because Elmo was on and she LOVES Elmo's world. After the DVD was over I kept trying to convince her to unlock the door and let me in. She had decided to grab the phone and one of my books; which are both off limits to her and play with them. I started praying she would stay out of the kitchen and bathroom and basement. I ran over to my neighbors house to use her phone to call Nate to come home ASAP to let me in the house. I went back to our house to keep an eye on Lexi through the windows and continued to try to break in and/or convince Lexi to unlock the door. Keep in mind it was about 45 degrees and I didn't bring a coat because I was only taking out the trash and getting the mail. My hands and feet were freezing and then it started to rain. After an hour and twenty minutes Nate came home and let me in!!! As soon as he got out of the car I said, "If you could just laugh about this that would be great!" He simply replied, "How could I not laugh about something this funny?" I am so thankful Lexi wasn't hurt or didn't hurt anything and I only was wet and cold.

Downs Derby

2009-08-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Each year my side of the family gets together for a reunion. I named it the "Downs Derby", pretty clever, nobody else seems to think of it that way so they call it a family reunion. We decided to pull an all nighter and left Colorado at 7PM and arrived in Utah at 3:30 AM. Lexi did great!!! She was so quiet and slept. Her Grandpa Downs was so nice and set up the little pool for her in their backyard and she had a great time swimming! I think her favorite part was her cousin Talon. He was so cute with her and would hold her hand and give her loves and kisses. She would get so excited each time he came by her.

During the Derby we went to a Pioneer Park up in Logan. We had a great time. We threw tomahawks, went to a tea party and Lexi rode on a pony. The following day we went bowling. Lexi loved cheering for everyone and giving them high five after they bowled. I can't believe summer is almost over!!

Cinderella

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

It is no secret that Nate and I are huge Disney fans. We both love the movies and love to play Disney Scene It. We decided that when Lexi was born she would become Princess Cinderella. She is the oldest, which means she will have the roughest road of rules, the least amount of money, and the most chores. She seems to be a natural at chores. She loves to find a rag and start washing the walls, or a swiffer sweeper and sweep, or the swiffer duster and dust. She gets very angry when cleaning time is over.

The Real Riley

2009-07-08T11:50:00.001-07:00

Lexi loves her cousin Riley. It would be safe to say that he is her best friend at this point in her life. She loves him so much she has decided to name all of her dolls Riley. The real Riley is on the top and her other favorite Riley is on the bottom. They are a lot of fun to watch interact together. Lexi is about 4 months older than Riley, but she thinks he is her baby. The bottle she is holding, she loves to feed to him. Riley usually accepts willingly. When I change Riley's diapers Lexi loves to help in any way, which means she is in the way. If Riley isn't drinking a drink and Lexi finds a sippy cup she will chase him around the house attempting to feed him. She loves to brush his hair and try to dress him in her doll clothes. They get a long so well for two one year olds. My favorite is when they start making each other laugh by falling down or chasing each other. We adore Riley and love having him come over.

Fun Summer!

2009-07-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to take many pictures lately, Lexi doesn't want to pose for me. Whenever I get the camera out she always wants to play with it, I say no and then she cries. We have a few from the 4th I will post later. We had a BBQ with Nate's family and played rock band. Lexi LOVES rock band. She takes the microphone, sits on Nate's sister Kristin's lap and sings very loudly. Everyone is patient to let her have her fun. My sister Natalie drove out and we went up to Devils Head. It was so pretty from all of the rain that we have been receiving. We were planning on going to the city festivities that evening, but it rained. We had a good time inside with pizza and movies. This summer Lexi has enjoyed swimming, parks and mostly rocks. She could play with rocks for hours. The best news we received this summer was right after we got back from California. I kept feeling the motion sickness from the plane two days after we got home. Sure enough I was pregnant!!! Our new arrival is due January 21st, ten days after Lexi's birthday. I am going to go VBAC at this point. Call me crazy, but I do want to experience child birth and not have another C-Section unless it is necessary. I will post some pictures soon.

2009-06-25T11:00:00.001-07:00

Because of her blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, Nate gets a lot of the credit. But thanks to my friend Celeste for posting the look a like meter on her blog I now know Lexi looks more like me by 3%!

Sweet Mischa

2009-05-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

My niece Mischa is too cute with Lexi. We were able to get together with the family for Mothers Day and this is what I found in my mother in laws living room! She is so sweet with Lexi and always makes a special effort with all of her cousins to make sure they know she loves them.

Disney Land Trip

2009-05-24T18:48:00.001-07:00

Nate and I took a trip for two to California and spent the time at Disney Land. My sister was so sweet to come and stay with Lexi while we went on our trip. We saw some famous people...

My brother in law hooked us up with an exclusive Club 33 lunch reservations. It was a fun experience to eat there. Now we are back and facing reality. We are very thankful to be able to spend time with each other.

Just an Ordinary Day

2009-05-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Nothing too exciting has happened recently.
Lexi's personality of silliness and independence is
becoming more and more prevalent each day.
After we came home from church we changed her diaper and left her tights off. She decided to use them as a scarf. If they fell off from around her neck she would pick them up and put them back on.

She loves ravioli! And made a big mess, but it was pretty funny. She has graduated from high chair to booster seat. She loves being able to sit at the table with us. It is so nice that she can eat
anything that we are eating. She eats most of it, the only things she won't eat are chicken, beef and fish.

Like any child she loves doing what ever I am doing. One day after dusting I realized I left the swiffer out. Lexi decided to use it to dust! Teach when they're young right?!?

We are thankful to have so many wonderful friends and a great family!

Visit with Grandma Downs and Company

2009-03-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

Lexi and I drove out to Utah to visit our family out here and had a blast!!! The drive out was surprsingly quiet. I didn't know what to expect from Lexi considering she was diagoned with the flu and croup two days before our trip. She slept most of the way and was very happy to arrive at Grandma's. This is a four generation photo. My dad, me, Lexi and Lexi's great grandma, my dad's mother.

During the trip we were able to relax and have a few surprises. My mom and I wanted to go shopping so we went to Kohl's. They had the Easter ducks and my mom was showing them to Lexi. She kept repeating the word duck the rest of the day. Before we left for Utah we took a drive down to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs with Nate. At this time Lexi was taking a few steps by herself, but always wanted assistance walking. Today we went to the park and she didn't want any help and walked around the entire park all by herself. She did face plant in the molch, but dusted herself off and kept going.

My older brother Trent and his family live a ways out from my mom, so we took a drive to have dinner with them. Lexi was ready with sunglasses and all! Trent made delicious hamburgers and potatoe salad. Talon and Lexi enjoyed their milk. After the gathering we dropped off my little brother Jake and Lexi waved bye bye and said , "Bye Jake." She kept waving her hand until we reached the freeway.

My mom and I took Lexi to dinosaur park and we all had a great time. The weather was beautiful and Lexi loved the dinosaurs and sitting on the rocks. We have one very exciting visit left to make and then we are headed back home. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.

Happy Birthday

2009-01-20T08:57:00.001-08:00

We had a little birthday party for Lexi with Nate's family. His sister and her kids were still in town from Christmas so they were able to come as well. Lexi loves anytime she can spend with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and her cousins.

Lexi was given some adorable clothes, books and toys from her Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Lexi absolutely adores her older cousins and loves it anytime that they give her any attention. It was a lot of fun having Nate's sister Julia and her family in Colorado for a while.

Lexi didn't know what to think about the candle and everyone singing to her...
but really enjoyed the frosting and cup cake.

Christmas

2009-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

We had a very fun Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning as a family. We went over to Nate's parents house for a delicious Christmas dinner on Christmas night. I made a gingerbread house earlier in the week so we decorated that on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning Lexi had a lot of fun with the toys she was given.

Good Times

2008-12-22T08:01:00.000-08:00

Last night was the first Sunday night in a while that we didn't need to go anywhere or do anything and it was so fun! We had a quiet dinner and enjoyed each others company. We turned on the fire place and the Christmas tree lights and then I beat Nate in Disney Scene It.

Nate and my sister Natalie taught Lexi to pretend she finds food from the ground and eat it. She has taken this a step further and loves to pretend to feed the chair, the wall, and as in the picture above her baby.

Preparations for Christmas

2008-12-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday our family headed over to Nate's sisters house to make Christmas cookies with some of his family members. We had so much fun. Lexi loves any minute she can spend with her cousins Riley and Conner. Lexi and Riley get a long really well and played most of the morning together; while Conner and I made chocolate covered pretzels, a first for both of us. While we were eating lunch Conner started falling asleep in his chair and asked if he could take a nap. While he was napping we finished up and headed out. We later found out as we were walking to our cars he was looking out his window crying and asked his mom if we were going to come back.

Let It Snow!

2008-12-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

We received about 5 inches of snow last night, which made it the perfect time for Lexi to experience playing in the snow. My sister in law was kind enough to pass on a snow suit that doesn't fit her son. I dressed up Lexi in the snow suit and couldn't stop laughing. She reminded me of the little boy in "A Christmas Story"; especially when she fell over and couldn't move.

Once we were outside there was a patch of fresh snow in the shade. I sat Lexi down and she immediately laid down and held perfectly still. I decided maybe she would like the snow that was in the sunlight. We moved over and then she just sat there and kept staring at the snow. It was a wonderful ten minutes of our afternoon!

Lexi's Favorite Past Time

2008-12-05T06:22:00.000-08:00

In our guest room there is a bookshelf full of books. Lexi's favorite past time is to crawl in there and take all of the books off the shelves. After she takes all of the books off she will stay in there for sometimes up to a half hour looking at all the different books. My favorite part is when she starts looking at a book, points her little finger at a picture then begins laughing.

Our First Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

My parents and two sisters decided to drive out for Thanksgiving dinner. This was our little families first time ever cooking a huge meal. We had a lot of fun. Nate did a great job cooking the turkey. Everyone helped out a little bit, but my mom helped out a lot and in the end it was all very delicious.

My brother Trent gave Lexi a bunch of their kids old toys which were a huge hit with Lexi. Lexi's cousin Addison gave Lexi her old doll. Lexi loves giving the baby kisses. Thanks Trent and Stacie!!!

Two Year Anniversary

2008-11-23T08:11:00.001-08:00

Nate and I celebrated our two year anniversary this past weekend. We went to the temple and out to lunch while his sister babysat Lexi. It was a great afternoon. We came home and set up our Christmas decorations, which Lexi has loved looking at. After we set up our decorations we made dinner together and watched a movie. We had a great day together. We are very lucky and blessed to be sealed for time and all eternity.

Halloween and Natalie

2008-11-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween was a lot of fun! The Monday before Halloween I took Lexi to a neighborhood Halloween party dressed up as a bear. She enjoyed seeing all of the other kids dressed up and the sugar cookies.

The bright side to Halloween was my sister Natalie decided the day before Halloween she would like to visit us. So she drove up and stayed a week. To celebrate Halloween we carved pumpkins, ate homemade pizza, and watched the Nightmare Before Christmas. Unfortunately the day of Halloween Lexi wasn't feeling too great and had a fever of 101, threw up once, was sneezing like crazy and and had a runny nose. She warmed right up to Natalie and wanted to cuddle with her.

2008-10-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Lexi had her nine month wellness check up and to nobody's surprise she was above the 95% in every area; 22 lbs 13 oz and 30" long. She has been so much fun to watch grow these last few months. Her personality is shining through more each day. She is such a little goof ball and loves to make herself laugh, which is really fun to listen to throughout the day. She has the ability to stand, but hasn't mustered up the courage to do it on her own yet. If I tell her no, she will point her finger back at me and start telling me something in baby talk. The other day Lexi crawled over to a basketball and a volleyball that were side by side. She made her mother very proud and picked the volleyball over the basketball. She has her priorities right.

I love Weddings!!!

2008-10-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last week we took a trip to Utah for my little brother's wedding. He did a great job of selecting an awesome girl. Just for the record I told him back in High School that he should date Bre. I have no pictures of the wedding, but some are on the way courtesy of my sister in law Tiff. I will post them when they come. Before the wedding we did our traditional Thanksgiving pie night a month early. My mom made over twenty different kinds of pie, yum!!! Every Christmas Eve when I was at home we would have a pinata, so I wanted Lexi so experience her first pinata. It was fun!

Nate's sister Julia lives in Utah and a bunch of his family went out to visit for our nephew Kenner's birthday. We also had a birthday celebration for Nate's mom. This was a fun picture!!

After the wedding we stayed for a few more days and enjoyed Temple Square. It was so fun to visit with family and see old friends! Lexi did much better this time around with letting other people hold her which was very nice.

8 Things

2008-10-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my friend Karen...

Here it goes:

8 T.V. shows I love to watch:

1. Reba
2. Today Show
3. NBC Nightly News
4. Full House
5. Cosby Shows
6. Old Movies on Turner Classic Movies
7. American Idol
8. ABC Family Movies

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Maggiono's
2. Mimi's Cafe
3. Cheesecake Factory
4. Burger Bar
5. Subway
6. IHOP
7. Pickle Barrel
8. Texas Roadhouse

8 things that happened yesterday:

1. Slept in until 9:30 (it felt great)
2. Went to church
3. Made Homeade Chili
4. Ate dinner with Nate
5. Wrote in my Journal
6. Read things on line about Young Women's
7. Beat Nate at Disney Scene It
8. Watched a Bugs Life

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. Halloween
2. Thanksgiving
3. Christmas
4. Organizing the desk
5. Lexi's 1st Birthday
6. When I am in heaven and never have to fold and put away laundry
7. Spending time with family
8. Having a house full of kids!

8 things I love about fall:

1. Leaves turning colors
2. Getting Colder
3. Decorating for Fall and halloween
4. Pie
5. Pumpkin Carving
6. Decorating Halloween Sugar Cookies
7. Halloween Costumes
8. Hot Chocolate

8 things on my wish list:

1. Trip to Disney World
2. Visit Brazil with Nate
3. Trip to Boston with Nate
4. Go to the Washington DC temple
5. My mother in laws cancer to be healed
6. Have a very organized/clean house
7. To have all of our food storage/ 72 hr. kits taken care of
8. Have a small digital camera

To Kansas and Back Again

2008-09-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to drive out to Kansas to visit my oldest brother and be a part his daughter Courtney's baptism. We left at about 5:30 AM and Lexi did great until 7:30 AM. Until we arrived at about 3:30 PM the drive was filled with twenty minute intervals of not crying, but screaming. Luckily we had Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on CD to tune her out with. It was so great to visit with Mike and his adorable family. The kids loved having Lexi around and she loved all of the attention. Mike has a fun filled basement plus he owns some horses. He was nice enough to let Lexi and Nate ride them. I don't really care for horses, honestly because I am afraid of them. The barn we are standing in front of in the picture above is almost over 100 years old!

Courtney and Mike at the baptism

Lexi and Mike on the horse

Lexi and Grandma Downs at the Farm

Lexi petting Frosty, she loved being around the horses

Lexi with Troy and Kenzie

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T06:47:00.001-07:00

We had a fun filled weekend. We started by going to some good friends of mine from CSU daughters birthday party. Of course I forgot the camera, so we have no pictures, but it was a lot of fun. It's always fun to see old friends to reminisce and catch up with their lives.
On Monday we went over to Tanya's house and played games and ate wonderful food. The Jenkins family is always so nice to host family functions. Lexi really enjoyed her cousins toys, but most of all her cousin Conner. Anytime he walks by her, her eyes light up and she watches him until he is out of sight. I think in a couple of years Conner is going to have a shadow he won't be able to get rid of.
This is a picture of Lexi with her cousins Riley and Conner about a month ago when we babysat. It looks like a prison photo, but they were having a lot of fun together.

Ugly Brown Outfit

2008-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

Nate and his sister Julia inherited an ugly brown outfit from their brother Micheal. Rumor has it that our nephew Micah (Micheal's son) would wear this brown outfit and Nate thought it was the funniest thing to see him wearing, so it was given to him to dress his posterity. When Kenner (Julia's oldest son) was a baby they dressed him in this outfit. In June while Julia was visiting they dressed Kameron (Julia's youngest son) in the outfit. I don't think it matters what this kid wears he is so cute!!! I love his smile.

For some reason I assumed because Lexi is a girl she would not be dressed in this revolting thing. I was very wrong. The other day I went to take some pictures of her and to my surprise I found lots of pictures of her dressed wearing this hideous brown outfit. It doesn't stop there. I asked Nate to print off some pictures for one of the frames we have in the front room. He decided to print off a 4x6 picture of Lexi dressed in this ugly brown outfit. The poor girl. Now anyone that comes over will see Lexi dressed like a boy. Luckily there are plenty of other cute girly pictures of her. I am thankful my husband never provides a dull moment.

Happy Camper

2008-08-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

My family gets together every year for a Downs Reunion. This year we went up to Estes Park to camp. Being a first time mother and naive I figured this would be a lot of fun for Lexi. Lexi had major separation anxiety issues plus she would not take a nap unless someone was holding her. She cried a lot, I felt it was more than a lot. I kept feeling sorry for everyone around us that had to hear her crying. My cute 8 year old niece Courtney said, "She is really cute, but she hurts my ears when she cries."
To calm Lexi down I will sing Primary songs or nursery rhymes. Lexi once again was crying for who knows why and all of my cute nieces came to the rescue to sing to her. It was very precious. My adorable niece Addison who is 5requested we sing I Love to See the Temple and she knew every single word. It was very sweet. My family was very patient with our screaming dramatic baby and we did have a great time now looking back. Some of the major highlights were my sister in law Stacie's brother and his family that live in CO were able to come up for a night. They have a twelve month old who was a super camper! We played jump rope and I was still able to double dutch, which was way exciting. We took a beautiful drive up to the timberline that was filled with all kinds of amazing scenery. I am so thankful we have these reunions with everyone split up. Through all of the tears we were able to get some pictures of a happy babe.

A Day at the Zoo

2008-08-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Lexi had her first experience at the Zoo with Grandma Lund, Aunt Kristin, and her cousins Mischa, Conner and Riley. Everyone in Denver must have decided to go to the zoo that day because we had to park about a mile away from the entrance, but we still had a lot of fun. Lexi's favorite things were the Zebra's and the carousel ride. She didn't nap all afternoon and as soon as we headed out she fell right to sleep.

Picnic

2008-07-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Lexi and I invited Nate's mom up for a picnic at the park. It was a great day and we enjoyed each others company. Lexi and I have really enjoyed our first summer together. Last weekend we went and did a 5K walk with the Relief Society and that was a lot of fun. We have been going swimming usually once a week which results in a long nap for Lexi and a lot of peace and quiet for me. One of Lexi's new favorite past times is going on the front porch at night and blowing bubbles. We love our new home and feel very blessed to be in such a great community!

Swimming

2008-07-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

We took Lexi to the swimming pool for her first time on Saturday. We live pretty close to the swimming pool so we walked there. When we got there this is what Lexi looked like.

Lexi didn't know what to think at first about the swimming pool, but luckily after a few minutes decided she liked the splashing and the little water falls she could put her hands in.

So Big So Fast!!

2008-07-05T16:36:00.001-07:00

4th of July Celebration

2008-07-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic 4th of July. We started off the morning with a nice hike up Devil's Head with our friends Nicole and Zach. After the hike we went over to Nate's sisters house for a barbecue and fireworks. The best part was being with people we loved.

Happy Fathers Day

2008-06-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun Fathers Day! I started out by making Nate biscuits and gravy with a side a fruit for breakfast. He then opened up his presents. I bought him the X Men trilogy, mostly because X3 was the movie we saw on our first date and he was given frames for the front room and for his desk at work. We attended church then went over to Nate's parents house to celebrate Fathers Day with everyone. Lexi is having social issues and doesn't want to be with anyone but me lately, so we are working on breaking her of that. Any suggestions would be wonderful! Even through the busy times of school and work Nate always makes time for his girls. He is so wonderful! Last week Lexi caught a virus and had a cough, runny nose and a fever. Of course we had made plans to go to the zoo, a play date with Shyler Miller, a play date with people from our ward, and a church party. But the important thing is she is feeling much better. As sad as it was to see her not feel good, she was so cute when she coughed. Sorry there are no pictures our computer is being darn and won't let me transfer them from the camera :( .

5 Months Old

2008-06-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Lexi is 5 months old today! She has developed a little bit of an attitude. For example, last night Nate put her to bed and she cried and cried so he went and got her. After he picked her up, she avoided eye contact at all costs because she was so mad at him. Lexi is a very happy baby and has an adorable laugh. She has began rolling around and is loving all her new toys from the baby shower.

Utah Trip

2008-06-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Our Family drove out to visit my side of the family a couple of weeks ago and had a very good time. This was the first time most family members were able to meet Lexi. We started out with a baby shower that was a lot of fun and Lexi was given a lot of cute summer clothes and fun toys. My niece Addison is a huge helper and loved helping give our presents and passing out napkins. My mother in law and wonderful sister in laws Juila and Kristin came, and of course as always Lexi fell asleep in her Grandma's arms.

After the shower we went to mine and Nate's favorite burger stop, Burger Bar. Nate said that was one of the high lights of his trip. The burgers there are amazing.
One of the main events of the trip was going to see our new nephew Kameron James Lund blessed. However I thought that Nate grabbed the camera and I assumed he did, so needless to say we have no pictures. But just imagine a very happy baby with a huge smile. He is adorable! We had a lot of fun at the Bartlett's playing settlers. On Monday we went to visit my Grandpa and Grandma Cheever. My Grandma suffers from dementia and is currently in a nursing home right now. She loved seeing Lexi! She has only met Nate one time, our wedding day, and we asked her if she remembered who he was and she simply said, "He looks like he belongs." My favorite part was that Lexi was able to meet a hero. Through all of my Grandma's physical and mental suffering if you ask her how she is she will simply say,"Happy! Is there any other way to be?"
After the wonderful visit we headed over the the Hill Air Force Base Museum. Nate had never been there before and I loved going there as a kid. We had a great time looking and all the different planes and learning more about the Air Force.

Our favorite times were spending time with family. Nate left a week earlier than Lexi and me. After he left my sister Natalie from California drove up. We went over to my brother Trent's in Salt Lake for dinner and games. While we were eating I noticed Talon had something shiny on his finger and was going to give it to Lexi. Trent jumped from his chair and discovered Talon was attempting to share his bugers with Lexi. Talon and Addison loved helping out the baby.

At the conclusion of our trip we had a barbecue out in the back yard with my sisters, parents, little brother and his awesome finance Bre. We had a lot of fun and we are so thankful to be part of such a wonderful family.

4 Month Check Up

2008-05-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Lexi is growing so fast and learning new things each day. Today her and I took a visit to the outlet mall to pick up presents for her new cousins. I tried building them diaper cakes, but they self destructed so we went and picked them up some fun presents that I couldn't destroy. After we were done shopping we headed over to the doctor's for the four month check up and shots. I also had to get a physical because Nate made me. Anyway...
Lexi cried a lot during her visit. Mostly because she was tired, but also because she hates being naked. She did give the doctor some really cute smiles, but other than that it was tears of agony. She was in the 20% (12 lbs) for her weight and 75% (25") for her height. The doctor confirmed we have a healthy beautiful baby girl! It's hard to believe come Sunday she will be 4 months old.

Big Day

2008-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Lexi had a very exciting day on Tuesday. She had her first play date with Shyler Miller and of course I forgot my camera so I couldn't take any pictures. Lexi enjoyed Shyler's play mat, but most of all loved playing with Shyler's mom, (my friend) Amanda. After we got back from the Millers we hurried and made dinner so we could go and visit Lexi's new cousin at the hospital downtown.

Nate's sister Tanya had her second baby on Tuesday morning. They named him Riley Elliott Jenkins. He was 9lbs 7 oz and 21 inches long. So far out of the three new babies born on the Lund side of the family Lexi has been the smallest. It will be fun to so them all grow together, I have a feeling she will probably be the tallest. :)

Power Naps and Late Mornings

2008-04-20T13:13:00.001-07:00

Lexi has started taking power naps that last no longer than 30 minutes during the day, unless Grandma Lund is holding her, then she will sleep forever. She takes about three or four power naps during the day, but has been sleeping for about twelve hours at night. The past two mornings she has slept past 8 am. I won't mind if this continues for a very long time.

Three Months Old!

2008-04-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Lexi is three months old today! We have been getting to know each other better, and we have discovered a few things about Lexi. She is very dramatic about taking a bath, she hates being naked and will scream the entire time until she gets clothes or a towel on. She loves to talk and laugh even if nobody is around which is very funny to listen to! She defiantly has been a joy to have around and we are so excited so have her in our family.

Tagged...

2008-03-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sarah tagged me so here I go with our answers…
Where did you go on your first date? We went to Mimi’s Café and went and saw X3. ( I didn’t know it was a date at first, until he paid for dinner)

How long have you been together? A little less than two years and we already have a baby!
Who eats more? Depends on what we are eating, but usually Nate does.

Who said I love you first? I told Nate that I loved him first.
Who is taller? Nate
Who sings better? Nate, although I probably sing more often.
Who does the laundry? I do it eventually, unless Nate beats me to it.

Who pays the bills? I pay them, but he makes the money for them.
Who mows the lawn? We don’t have a lawn.

Who cooks dinner? I love to fix dinner.
Who drives when you are together? He does, unless he is sick, then I do.
Who is more stubborn? I win that hands down.

Whose parents do you see the most? His, definitely!
Who kissed who first? He kissed me, if you ask him he says that I kissed him first. But I know for a fact he kissed me. Anyone that knows me knows I would never make that kind of move.
Who proposed? He did at Joey’s condo (where he was living at the time)
Who is more sensitive? We are both sensitive, but I cry more.
Who has more friends? He has a lot of friends, but I talk to mine a lot more.
Who has more siblings? Nate has one more than I do.
Who wears the pants in the family? That depends on the issue.

Interesting Conversations

2008-03-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Lexi has started babbling a lot! Last night she had a very entertaining conversation with her dad, and we both couldn't stop laughing.

Special Day

2008-03-26T20:48:00.001-07:00

Lexi had her blessing on March 9th and it was very special. Close friends and family were able to attend. Lexi looked adorable and it was so great to have so many wonderful people around. I told my mom life just keeps getting better and better!

First Smile On Camera!

2008-03-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Lexi has been smiling a lot more lately; the trick is to get a picture. Yesterday while I was getting Nate's birthday dinner ready she started being adorable and the only camera I had was my cell phone. Lucky for me I captured one of her toothless grins!

Saturday Mornings

2008-02-16T21:25:00.001-08:00

Each morning between 6 AM and 7 AM Lexi knows that the day has begun and she wants to be held and loved. A half hour after you pick her up she falls asleep in your arms and takes a nap. Nate has been so sweet that each Saturday morning he gets up with her. It's nice because I get a good two hours of solid sleep until she wants to eat again, and Nate really enjoys holding her.

Huge Helper!!

2008-02-16T21:21:00.001-08:00

Nate is a great dad!! He adores Lexi and spoils her with love. He is always willing to help change diapers and hold Lexi. I told Nate that Lexi requested he get up at night each time she does. He told me this is where tough love comes in.

Visit from Grandma!!

2008-02-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

My mom aka Grandma Downs was able to come up for a visit after Lexi was born. It was a lot of fun and we all really enjoyed spending time together! Needless to say that Lexi wasn't feeling neglected with both Grandma's in the same house.

Tummy Time!

2008-02-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

One of Lexi's favorite things to do is tummy time. Actually it is one of her parent's and grand parent's favorite things to watch. Her legs start kicking really fast and she makes all kinds of funny noises as she tries to figure out how to move around.

First Night in the Crib!

2008-02-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

Lexi slept in her crib for the first time and loved it! We are very excited that she now has her own room.

Alexandria Marie

2008-02-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

Alexandria Marie Lund was born on January 11, 2008 at 8:29 AM. She was 7lbs 12.5 oz and 20.5 inches long. We call her Lexi for short. She has very long fingers which will be great for the piano, but even better for a future setting career in volleyball.