HamelwrightFamily

Valley Couple Loses More Than 500 Pounds

2012-01-04T12:55:00.001-07:00

Valley Couple Loses More Than 500 Pounds

Valley Couple Loses More Than 500 Pounds: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

Valley Couple Loses More Than 500 Pounds

Weight loss led to birth of daughter

Updated: Wednesday, 04 Jan 2012, 12:52 PM MST
Published : Wednesday, 04 Jan 2012, 9:19 AM MST

PHOENIX - This is a weight loss story that will inspire you in the New Year. Meet a valley couple who lost more than 500 pounds.

There was no magic pill and no surgery, but it took a major wakeup call to change their life.

Past pictures of Charles and Carly Hutchison show Charles when he tipped the scale at 590 pounds, while Carly weighed 291.

Their weight loss story ends well, but it started with a food obsession that spiraled out of control.

“I went to two different fast food restaurants, and I ordered a lot of food -- three different hamburgers, two different sides of fries that were large fries, chicken nuggets -- and then I went to another place and ordered tacos and bean burritos and -- two tacos, two bean burritos and two nacho bell grandes. I went home, and I ate all of that,” Charles said.

That night, Charles went to bed and noticed he couldn't feel his legs -- they were numb -- and his heart was pounding.

“And the realization that I was going to die hit me,” Charles said. "And I said, 'I have to do something. I have to lose weight. And I need you to do it with me.'”

“He gave me kind of like an ultimatum -- I need to do something, or I'm not going to live past 30 probably,” Carly said.

That restless night was the wake-up call.

Together, Charles and Carly changed their life dramatically by starting a weight loss program with a few simple principles. They joined Weight Watchers.

“Counting calories, and eating a balanced diet, and getting your activity in - your exercise,” Carly said. “In the beginning, he was so big and me as well, not being in that much shape, we literally just walked around our 2-bedroom apartment. And then we grew from there by walking around the complex, and then maybe two times. And eventually, six months down the road from our starting our weight loss journey, we got a trainer.”

“It's amazing to think about that time when I could only walk the 2-bedroom apartment and how hard that really was and walking to my car just from my apartment seemed like an astronomical feat,” Charles said.

After dropping a few pounds, they got a big surprise when they added weight of a different kind.

After trying for years -- miscarrying once and failing to conceive again because of what doctors said were "weight-related issues," Charles and Carly got a big gift around Christmas time -- a healthy baby girl they named Charley.

“It's interesting to look back at that picture, because I remember being that size and how I felt that size,” Charles said. “I didn't feel like a successful person. I wouldn't even buy a house because I was so afraid I was going to break it.”

Now, subtract 381 pounds for Charles and 132 pounds for Carly.

“Now that we've lost so much weight, it's almost like a new life. We go hiking, we do spin classes, we always go to the gym ... We're going to be doing a half-marathon in January, which I would've never imagined being that girl,” Carly said.

“I see a different woman. And it's crazy because sometimes it catches my breath how beautiful -- she's always been beautiful to me, but sometimes I just go – wow. Or someone sends me a picture, and I'm like, ‘How did I get so lucky to have such a beautiful wife?!’” Charles said.

sNoW dAy!!

2011-12-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

We went to the snow on Christmas Eve. Kaylin really wanted to make a snowman. That didn't work out, but we had fun anyway.

Goal Weight for Charles!!!

2011-12-13T12:56:00.001-07:00

Hey Guys,

I have commented on this before, but it is official. Charles has reached his Goal weight. He Started at 590 lbs and has lost 380 lbs (Just about 3 1/2 Loriann's to give some perspective) down to 210 lbs!!!! It is an amazing accomplishment, all done from March 29, 2010 until December 12, 2011. He had a neat meeting at Weight Watchers where he discussed all the struggles and motivations to keep the new lifestyle. He worked really hard and is now working toward always maintaining the weight and getting the skin surgery in the future. See the pics below.

BEFORE

AFTER

A Gift to the World

2011-12-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is a Great new video depicting the Christmas Nativity. Enjoy.

Kaylin and the Churro!!!

2011-12-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

This isn't the highest quality picture, but last night we got some treats for the kids. We gave Zack a churro and he ate right up as fast as he could.

Kaylin on the other hand took the churro in her hand. Before even taking a bite, she fell asleep. She held onto the churro until we made it home and went to bed. I guess she was saving it for the morning.

The Muppets: "Are You A Man Or A Muppet?"

2011-11-29T14:56:00.001-07:00

Kaylin and Tyler took some time to go see The Muppets movie. I thought that this nine second clip was so funny, I just had to share it. See below for the Song as well.

The Muppets: "Man Or Muppet"

2011-11-29T14:54:00.001-07:00

This is the Song "Man Or Muppet." This is a question many of us need to ask ourselves each day:-) See the movie and you'll just crack up.

Birthday Dinner - Ladies Night Out

2011-11-14T19:35:00.002-07:00

Thanks for all the ladies who joined me for Ladies Night Out for my birthday last Tuesday.

Trip to Cali and the Rose Bowl!!

2011-11-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Chance and I took a Man Cation (as Julia would call it) to California. We started on Friday afternoon and evening by doing some work with Trailer manufacturers. We made our way to Pasadena later that night.

In the Morning, we took some time to go to Downtown Hollywood, including Pink's Hot Dog Stand. If you haven't been here, just google it and find the reviews. It's one of the best around. The store has plenty of signed pics from movie stars, since it's just around the corner from Paramount Studios.

Picture of me and the Hollywood Sign, way back there.

The Main reason for the Trip was to see ASU vs. UCLA in the Rose Bowl. The Stadium and Tailgating was amazing. You actually park on a Golf Course, so it's nice to throw the football and run around on nice green grass, surrounded by a Valley of Trees, rather than smog, cars, freeways, parking lots and traffic. The stadium is gorgeous, but unfortunately, ASU couldn't pull it out and lost by one point. This made for a long trip home. We did have some good times in Downtown Pasadena drowning our sorrows in a late night dinner. I had plenty junk by then, so oddly enough, I had a big bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup, but it was amazing nonetheless.

Charles Hutchison and weight Loss

2011-10-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that our Brother In Law Charles has had an incredible change in his life from a year and a Half ago. Below is an article from the AZ Republic about his journey so far. I would imagine Charles has now lost at least 360 pounds from his highest weight. Really inspiring to all of us.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2011/09/09/20110909chandler-weight-loss-charles-hutchison0909.html

BEFORE!!!

AFTER!!!

Pics from Halloween Party and Mud Bowl!!

2011-10-28T00:10:00.000-07:00

Kaylin Dressed as a Ballerina, Zack as a Football Player, Grandma Sheffy as an Angel.

The only thing the kids ate from dinner is the Frito's and Cookies.

Lori the Witch and Tyler the BYU Med Student

Kaylin had her face painted

She is just a bit smaller than a real horse jockey!!

So I was told by our Ward to go to a Softball field near our new house. I had my cleats, Softballs, and glove. When arriving on time at 6:30, there was one person there who said he was playing football with a different ward. I drove around to look on another field, but found no one. Eventually, I just became a ringer for the other ward. Before the game started, the sprinklers were on, creating quite a mess. I slipped a few times, but the bulk of the mud came on a dive to catch a ball in end zone. I wish I could say I scored, but I just came up a Muddy Mess. Had one of the best times in awhile. I definitely gotta get more football with the boys.

Jaimie and Daniel Latimer Wedding

2011-08-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

This past weekend, My little Sister and Daniel Latimer got married. We had a blast, especially seeing lots of family. The best thing is Jaimie and Daniel were married for time and all eternity. Enjoy the video below

Cute Pic of Kaylin and New Baby Cousin Charly

2011-08-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

New House!!!!

2011-07-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

Those who have not heard, we just purchased a new home. This YouTube Video has the layout. Please note that there have been a lot of painting and other improvements to the home before we move in. Enjoy for now.

Trip to Texas!!!

2011-07-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, Our family went to visit Texas and Carlsbad Caverns. We left on Friday, July 1 and took the 10 hour drive to Carlsbad. We stayed the night there and went to the caves in the late morning. We'll have more pics of the cave experience to come. The kids were very scared during the first part, but ended up enjoying the neat formations and ponds. It's amazing to me that God created these amazing caves and remembered to include the little mites and maggats at the bottom. Almost the entire Sheffield clan was with us. Rick drove from Austin, Anita came with us from AZ, and Ben came from Albuquerque.

After the caves, we drove from Carlsbad to Austin. The Speed Limit was 80 mph on the road, so we were flying. A cop came over a hill and clocked me at about 86mph. Luckily we got off with a warning.

Above are some pictures of Bevo the Longhorn at the Univ. of Texas at Austin. The joke we kept talking about was Tyler running on the Field in Football glory. We saw some good views, but couldn't find a gate open to get in the stadium. We also saw the capitol, the downtown music district, and other parts of Austin.

On July 4th, we saw the Alamo, River Walk, and other Missions and old buildings in San Antonio. The River Walk is real pretty, but difficult with Stairs and Strollers. We ate at the County Line BBQ. We finished the night with Swimming at the Condo Pool. Zack found out that he can jump out of his crib/pack and play this night, so sleeping has been at a minimum lately.

Sea World was next on the list. We Saw Shamu, the Dolphins, Sharks, Penguins, Sea Lions, Road some Coasters, and ate lots of food. More Pictures to come.

Wednesday was spent by Lori, Tyler, and kids only. We did the Children's Museum, which I call a glorified play land for 3-6 year olds. We also took a drive to a nearby forest called Natural Bridge. There were Caves and a Zoo, but very costly, so we took the free stroller ride in the forest. This lasted about 15 mins due to the heat.

Thursday was the fun drive home for 15 hrs. Kids did really good in the car the whole time, thanks to Disney DVD's. Just a great time to get out and really relax.

CPA Certified!!!!!

2011-05-28T09:29:00.001-07:00

I forgot to mention this, but I did get all my paperwork done. I am officially a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) as of March 21, 2011. It has been a great achievement with many hours of work. It is one of those goals that I have been striving for since the longest time. It's kind of weird having all this free time to tell you the truth.

I appreciate the help of my friends and family in whatever fashion it came. An extra thanks especially to my kids and Loriann for sticking by me on each study hour in school and for the test.

Now, we can just sail into the Sunset and live happily ever after :-)

Family Pictures with the Sheffy's

2011-05-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

I think Lori is laughing at me!!!

Just on the Bench at the Temple

Everybody's Smiling

Is Kaylin Singing?

We Make em with Blue Eyes

CHEESE!!!!!

I'm not sure if this is Frowning or not

My lips are chapped

Trust me, This is the Best one of the group

Easter 2011

2011-05-05T21:57:00.001-07:00

See below for pics from Easter 2011

Zack was busy eating all of the candy out of his basket.

Kaylin checks out her new book.

I got some!

I'm on the hunt for eggs.

Check out my loot.

It's early.

Kaylin's Birthday Dress

2011-05-05T21:44:00.003-07:00

Kaylin's Friend Birthday Party

2011-03-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we had Kaylin's first friend birthday party, which was mostly a success, despite a few rough patches. See below for some fun pics.

Kaylin wearing her Minnie ears

Most of the partygoers- minus a couple cousins

Trying to stick the flower on Minnie

Mickey Mouse cake instead of Minnie this time

I told her to show me her new jewelry and this was the pose she chose.

Toro's are State Champs!!!

2011-03-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

Tyler and Ryan had a blast on Friday night when we went to see the Mountain View Toros win the State Championship in Boys Basketball. They played amazing Defense the whole game. To give you an idea, they played Brophy, who the night before scored 96 points. On Friday, the Toros held them to 29 points. After the game, we had a quick bite at Uno Chicagos, meeting up with Jon Hardy. Then, at the request of Lori, we need to buy a Mickey Balloon from the local Fry's at 11:55pm. Two guys, walking with a Mickey Balloon. Nothing better on a Friday Night. GO TOROS.

Kaylin's 4th Birthday

2011-03-02T21:06:00.001-07:00

Check out some pics from Kaylin's family birthday party yesterday (Tuesday).

Opening Gifts

Her Minnie Mouse birthday cake

Checking out her cake

After blowing out the candle with cousin Robby - her face says it all

Posing in her cooking apron (earlier in the day)

Earlier in the day

With cousin Maddie at the party

Opening Gifts with Grandpa Hamelwright and other family

A Few Pics from Julia's Baby Shower

2011-02-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

For those of you who couldn't make it, see below for a few pics from Julia's baby shower.

Working hard at "naming" Julia's baby

Julia with her baby clothesline and diaper baby

Many of "The Girls" or should I say "The Ladies?"

Suns First Row!!!!!

2011-02-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

In Case you didn't know, I am a Suns Fan!!! On Thurs, 2/10/11, My dad and I used some Upgrade Vouchers that we got from the Suns to get some real nice seats. My dad got to the arena at 4:30, for a 7pm game, but the Suns had just one Courtside and one Toyota Club Seat, so it was worth the early arrival. We decided to split it up, and we saw the game as close as you could be. Starting at the beginning of the game, we just sat next to each other, on the front row, dead center court. Nobody ever came to kick us out of the seats, so we just sat there the whole game. With the Courtside and the Toyota Club (First Six Rows in the Center) you get all the Food, Gourmet style, desserts, and drinks you want. So let's see, I ate 2 stromboli's, Some Meatballs, breadsticks, Pasta Penne, Tri-Tip, Turkey, Scalped Potatoes, Chicken, Hot Dog, Popcorn, Brownie, & 2 Cookies. I was so full, I didn't eat until dinner the next day. I also got to go under the tunnel. Gave Steve Nash a high five and said Happy Birthday! He needed it because only J-Dub gave him any presents, so he felt lonely. See the pics below for our view of the game.

ASU Games, etc.

2011-02-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

A week or so ago, Zack and I went down to the ASU vs. UCLA Basketball Game. We had a blast, even though ASU lost in Overtime. They Fought hard and made an amazing comeback just to get that close. Zack also got fairly restless by the end, so he was ready to go.

During the Game, Zack took a ride on a John Deere Cart outside. Also, there was a guy who brought Mickey Mouse Gloves. He was dancing, shaking his head, and moving his hands like he was leading some kind of crazy choir or something. It actually was very entertaining and he got his picture on the jumbo tron a few times. I took a few pictures, which give you only a small glimpse.

Tax Seminar

2011-02-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

This is a little Business Advertising, but a few weeks ago, Tyler was able to provide a Tax Seminar to the ADOBE community association (about 50 or so people) in Gold Canyon. I thought I would copy the handout down to discuss a few of the points. Give me a call at the office (480-288-6855) if you want more info on this or anything for Taxes this year.

THE TOP 8 TAX QUESTIONS FROM A GOLD CANYON MAN OR WOMAN

1. Some of my friends have taken the RMD’s from their retirement accounts, and others have told me that there is no need to take them this year. Should I be taking the RMD’s this year?

a. Yes; If you are over 70 1/2 years old as of April 1, 2010, all employer sponsored retirement plans, including profit-sharing plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, and 457(b) plans , as well as traditional IRAs and IRA-based plans such as SEPs, SARSEPs, and SIMPLE IRAs have an RMD for 2010. A RMD is not required to be taken for 2009. If an individual attained age 70 ½ in 2009 no distribution will be required to be made by April 1, 2010; however, the RMD for 2010 will be required to be made by December 31, 2010.

2. Will the IRS pay for me to play Golf?

a. Yes, well some of it; starting in 2009, the IRS has a special credit available for Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicles on form 8936. The credit ranges from $2500 to $7500 depending on the type of golf cart you buy. Please check with the golf cart dealer and your tax accountant for more information on qualifying vehicles.

3. Will the IRS pay for my home improvements?

a. Yes, if the improvements qualify; there are many residential energy efficient improvements, such as A/C units, Windows, Doors, Water Heaters, etc that have credits up to $1500 on primary residences. In addition, certain home improvements, like ramps, railings, even pools may be deductible as medical expenses.

4. How can I receive tax free money from the equity in my home?

a. You’ll need to set up a Reverse Mortgage, which is a way of tapping into home equity without creating monthly payments. Instead of making payments, the cash flow is reversed and you receive payments from the bank. This money is Tax Free, creating ways to decrease other income items, such as Social Security Income, Pensions, etc., which in turn creates a huge tax savings.

5. I heard many times that the tax rates are increasing, but what can we expect for 2010-12?

a. On Dec 17, 2010, President Barack Obama extended the Bush Tax Cuts through 12/31/12. This means that the long-term capital gains & qualified dividend tax rate will be 0% & 15%, which is the same as in the last few years.

6. Are the Real Estate & New Car Sales Taxes still deductible in excess of the standard deduction?

a. In 2008 & 2009, certain taxes paid added to the Standard Deduction. So a married person was able to claim the new car sales tax and up to $1000 of RE taxes paid in 2009. However, this will not continue in 2010, but amendments can be made to recoup the tax savings from prior years.

7. My grandson needs a new car so he can drive to school and impress his friends. How do I give him a car and not suffer taxes on it?

a. The annual gift tax exclusion for 2010 & 2011 is $13,000, so make sure you buy him a Sentra.

8. How do I tell Arizona how to spend my taxes and earn interest as well?

a. Arizona Residents can donate money to certain charities & schools for an AZ credit. Plus, they can also use the deduction if they itemize their deductions. For example, a married person with a 15% Federal Tax Rate makes a $400 donation to AJ High. AZ gives the client a $400 tax credit, plus he has a $60 savings on his Federal Return (i.e. he donates $400, and receives $460 back).

A Few of the Family Pics from the Fall

2011-01-08T09:44:00.009-07:00

Aww! Sibling rivalry at its finest.

and Kaylin is victorious.

Trip to Saint George Utah!!!!

2011-01-03T15:58:00.006-07:00

We just spent NEW YEARS WEEKEND in St George Utah. This is where Tyler's Grandparents live. We were able to have all 8 grand kids, Uncle's, Aunt's, and our two great grand kids. This is pretty difficult considering Taylor is Olympic Luge-er? (If that's the spelling), Uncle Brian and cousin AJ are in Moscow ID going to school, Carolyn is at Utah State, Aunt Keri, Tyler, Lori, Carly, Chuck, & Mark work, etc.

We went on New Year's Eve to St George's Twilight to Midnight. It was very cold, but Tyler managed to have a reporter interview him about the event. The story is at the following link.

m.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110101/NEWS01/101010330/1002&template=wapart

Enjoy the Pics below

Pictures from the Balcony of Grandparent's House. It really is beautiful, although, we only thought about how cold it was.
This might be the BEST smile that I have seen on Kaylin.

All eight Grand kids Top: Tyler, Shawn (Brother), AJ, Taylor, & Tanner Morris (Cousins)
Middle: Carly & Jaimie (Sisters), Carolyn Morris (Cousin) Bottom: Jeniene & Gale Hamelwright

Aunt Keri, Mark, Grandma & Pa
Grandma and Grandpa Holding Strong for around 60 years

Morris Family, AJ, Uncle Brian, Tanner, Taylor, Aunt Keri, Carolyn

Mark Hamelwright's Family. Charles (who has lost basically 200 lbs!!!!), Carly (Also lost 100+ lbs), Foxy Roxy, Marky, Tyler holding Zack, Jaimie, Shawn, & Lori holding Kaylin

Crazy Photo with everyone

The Whole Gang

I Passed!!!!!

2010-12-28T16:11:00.002-07:00

Hey All

Just wanted to send a quick post about me passing all four CPA Exams FINALLY!!!!!

It took just a little longer than I would have liked, but it's over with. Now it's time to get all the paperwork together and become a CPA, hopefully by March 1st due to the processing time.

I wanted to send my thanks because I know there was a lot of Prayers, Phone calls, Hopes, and Dreams that went with me.

Sketch Pad with Channing Frye

2010-12-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

This video gave me some good laughs. Hope you enjoy!

HaLLoWeeN and the StaTe FaiR

2010-11-07T11:19:00.004-07:00

State Fair

Lori and the kids
Tyler and Zack
Look at Zack go!
Like mother....
like Daughter

We didn't get great pics from Halloween since we waited till the end of the night to take them.

Tyler, Zack, Lori, and Kaylin

Football player, Jailbird, Cleopatra, and Cinderella

Disneyland 2010

2010-11-07T10:40:00.005-07:00

We were able to take a trip to Disneyland with our kids and our dads mid-October. It was fun to see all the Halloween decor and experience the Haunted Mansion holiday. Kaylin was also so excited to have her two "Papas" (Grandpas) go with us.

Hamelwright Family

We met Mickey.Kaylin with Grandpa Sheffield on the "Its a Small World" ride

Grandpa Hamelwright, Kaylin, Zack and Tyler on the Teacups

Playing on the cars in ToonTown

On the Riverboat
On the Casey Train ride

The Quatro's

2010-10-17T12:05:00.003-07:00

Hey All,

Friday Night, me and the guys got all together for the first time in awhile. Back in High School, we named ourselves the Quatro's. It seemed to work. Well hey, the Three Amigos was already taken, and the Cinco's doesn't sound right either.

We were able to talk about old times for hours, like how we harassed some kids, how others harassed us, and how we harassed each other. We watch some College Football, NBA Preseason, etc. We had all the babies there, and they had a blast. I can't even remember one kid crying the whole night. I like to chalk it up to our perfect parenting. Here's a quick pick of how we looked now.

Random Fun Pics from the Last Few Months

2010-09-14T21:09:00.007-07:00

I know, I know. We finally have a new blog post. I am posting some random pictures of things that have happened within the last couple months. Take a look.

Kaylin with her balloon baby. Yep, the "baby" is wearing a diaper.

Kaylin with her prized squirt gun.

We've had a few squirt gun wars as of late.

Zack climbed into his Bumbo chair and sat under the table.

His grin says it all.

There was a crowd when Tyler's sister Jaimie opened her mission call. She is going to Columbus, Ohio, reporting in November.

Tyler at Bryce Canyon. We visited Utah in August for my family reunion.

I just had to get a picture of this. Kaylin gave Zack the whole loaf of bread and of course he tried to stuff it all in his mouth.

Kaylin, my little cooking helper, pictured here in her apron.

Lindsey Stirling America's Got Talent 2010

2010-08-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

You need to watch America's Got Talent Tuesday, 8/3/10 8pm AZ Time, and vote for Lindsey Stirling playing the HIP HOP VIOLIN. She is one of the last 48 finalists and is competing in the quarter finals. If you can follow this, this is how our family knows her. Jaron Fletcher, one of Tyler's best friends, married Jen Stirling. Lindsey is Jen's younger sister. She is about as fun as they come, at least from what we remember from Jaron's wedding in 2004. Enjoy the audition below.

The Kids are Growing Up Fast!!!!!

2010-07-23T15:44:00.008-07:00

Here are some Random Pictures taken from Tyler's Phone.

Kaylin at the Sea Life Aquarium

Tyler on the edge of a Cliff in Happy Jack, AZ

During the Past few days, I have noticed that the Kids are getting too old, too quickly. I have a few examples of this with the babies.

First, while in the woods (next to Chance Tyler's cabin), Kaylin, Zack, and Tyler were playing on a small kids swing. When it was Zack's turn, Kaylin decided to run around with Bo, Chance's dog. After a few minutes, I noticed that Kaylin was about 1/3 mile through the woods. Although I could see her, I thought I should go get her and bring her closer to me. When I got to her, to my surprise, she was not in the least bit scared or worried that she was so far away from her parents or guardian. Those of you who know her, know that she is premature for her age and still getting over certain fears. Definitely a new thing for her.

Along this same thinking, this week, while Mom decided to make a quick trash run outside, Kaylin locked Mommy out of the house. Since Dad was at work, which is about 30 mins away, it took a considerable amount of time to open the door for Mommy. During that time, Kaylin played peacefully in the house until Dad got home to open the door. She again had no worries for that extended time by herself. Luckily, Zack slept through the whole thing as well.

Zack, on the other hand, just keeps getting stronger and more athletic. First, he made a great leap out of his crib for the first time in the middle of the night. Don't worry, any time he falls or you think he should be hurt, he gets right back up with hardly any cries. Second, he has now figured out how to open the baby gate and get upstairs, without any help. The next day, he just broke through the baby gate, which is now without a stopper and of no use. FYI, the baby gate was put on the bottom of the stairs with extreme force, including 4-5 hours of installation.

Zack is going to be He-Man!!!!

ZACK TuRns ONE!

2010-06-28T15:03:00.008-07:00

We had a birthday celebration and family dinner yesterday in honor of Zack's first birthday (June 25). I can't believe my baby is one and already walking. Check out the pictures below.

Zack and his two Grandmas

Zack with his no-frills cake - I actually bought a number 2 candle on accident but didn't use it.

Uncle Ben and Zack - playing a duet

Zack enjoying his cake

Kaylin was getting tired at the end - and yep, she is wearing her ASU shirt over her Sunday dress

Zack playing with one of his presents

Cousin Eli - we're going to be best buds!

Aunt Carly and Uncle Shawn playing fooseball

Grandpa Sheffield and Daddy grilling the kabobs (yum!) and other meat

Zack playing in the yard

Steve Nash Heads to South Africa

2010-06-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Steve Nash, doing his funny videos again!

Steve Nash shouts Goal! at 2010 FIFA World Cup

2010-06-15T09:04:00.001-07:00

Check out this funny video of Steve Nash. This is about as much as I can get into Soccer

Kaylin Pictures

2010-06-08T12:26:00.002-07:00

Glowing in the Dark

Crazy Hats

Pool Fun and Zoo Antics

2010-05-11T21:58:00.005-07:00

Today the kids tried out the new pool. Kaylin was kind of in and out of the pool, but Zack loved it, splashing like crazy almost the whole time he was in.

I went to the Zoo with my friend, Carrine and her two kids on a recent Saturday. Check out the pics below.

Zack's Helmet Pics

2010-05-11T21:49:00.005-07:00

Zack's been wearing his helmet now for about 2 1/2 months. He will be getting his helmet off either this week or in about 2 weeks and I am just now getting around to posting pics of it. Go figure. Notice the football on the back.

Father & Suns!!!!!

2010-05-10T09:05:00.004-07:00

Hey guys,

Just a quick post with some pictures of Zach and I at the Father and Sons outing. That is a straw that he is chewing. Also, for those of you who don't know, Zach is wearing an orthopedic helmet to help round out the back of his head. It also helps when he falls on his head, like yesterday at church when he nose dived off the pews and took only three quick cries. We drove up Saturday morning after the Magic "Dragin" tore up the Spurs. Go SUNS and SONS!!!

Our Brother Charles, Suns, Etc

2010-05-03T11:06:00.004-07:00

Hi All,

I just wanted to place a quick post on some updates over the last few months. Tax Season is now over which means more time with the family and time to study for some more CPA Exams. My new goal to have them all passed by the end of August. Definitely possible if I study hard all summer.

Chance Tyler and I went to Portland for Game 3 of the First Round of the Playoffs. We stayed across the street from the Rose Garden and walked all day. Portland was a pretty town and very green. Go Suns as we Beat the Spurs. Below are pictures of Steve Kerr getting on the bus and a neat bridge in Portland.

Lastly, Charles, our Brother has started his Journey on losing weight with Weight Watchers. This should be great for him and our whole family. Check out his blog at the following link.

http://weightwatchermember.blogspot.com/

Tyler

My Budding Pianists

2010-01-29T15:36:00.003-07:00

My two kids, Zack and Kaylin, seem to take after Mommy in the music department, at least for now. Check out my budding pianists!

All smiles.

Look at Zack go!

Kaylin "reading" music.

Play Date

2010-01-29T15:11:00.009-07:00

My friend, Julia, was down from Utah, so we held a playdate with our kids.
Zack, Karsten, and Kaylin

Zack, Karsten, and Kaylin - she had her own camera on hand to take pictures.

Zack and Karsten

Suns @ Courtside, Baby Pics from Sheffield Family Party

2009-12-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

Nash in the background!

The Cheerleaders are way too close!

How did the Light get like that?

I'm a BABY!

WEEEEE!!!!!

Singin' at the Post Office!!!

2009-12-18T09:34:00.004-07:00

One of the new traditions in the Hamelwright family is Singing in the Post Office for the Hustle and Bustle among the crowds and lines. We had very gracious comments and it is one small way to bring the light of Jesus Christ to people, even in a Govt building. Here is a pic of us in action!!

A couple Pics during the Past Weeks

2009-12-16T17:17:00.002-07:00

LORIs 10 Year HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

2009-11-15T14:51:00.007-07:00

Lori & Tyler

Last weekend was My (Lori's) 10 year high school reunion. Yes, shocking, I know. There was a family potluck at Freestone Park during the day. We went but didn't take any pics. We should have though. The night Adult's Only event was held at Dave and Busters. We all wore badges with our high shool senior pics on them. All of our pics are from the night event.

Our table at Dave and Busters - Carrine & Adam Hyman, Kristen Keck, Christine Morrison, and Me (Tyler took the pic)

Carrine Stevens Hyman, Rhona Mitchell Henry & Me

This table was wearing matching shirts to memorialize classmate Dan Brown who died of a brain tumor this year

Kayson Rohner

Halloween Pics!

2009-11-04T22:52:00.007-07:00

Kaylin "Snow White" and Zack "Pea in a Pod"

Zacky

Kaylin and Daddy "the Ref"

Tyler the Referee and Loriann the Maid

Tyler's 110 Mile Bike Trip

2009-09-29T15:35:00.007-07:00

Last Friday, Tyler went on a 110-mile bike trip. I am so impressed that he made it, since I would have needed a ride home at some point. Despite a few popped tires, he made it home safely, albeit a little tired. One of the guys from church, went biking across the country this summer, with his family following along in an RV. He inspired some of the Elder’s Quorum to take on the 110-mile bike ride challenge.

110 miles and feeling good!

I made it!!

Tyler and all his gear.

The borrowed bike.

Tyler and his fellow bikers.

Only 2 months & holding a bottle

2009-09-05T07:44:00.002-07:00

Cardinals PreSeason Game

2009-08-23T09:59:00.002-07:00

Tyler Speaking,

Since I try to stay away from games on Sundays, My Dad and I, along with his friend Doug and his son Brian, went to the Cardinals game Saturday night. The team didn't really look that good, except for the 1st team Defense and Special Teams.

The highlight of the game was the camera work before the end of the 3rd quarter when they caught My Dad and I in the stands cheering on the team. The game is tape delayed on FoxSports (Sunday, 8/23/09, 3:30 PM Start time) if you want to see us as celebrities.

RISE UP RED SEA!!!

D-Back Play Ball!

2009-08-18T09:20:00.004-07:00

This past Saturday, our little family of four attended the D-Backs game. We all went wearing our D-Backs gear (my shirt has the D-Backs rattlesnake on it). We had a great time witnessing what was probably the best game of the season thus far. They were down in the 9th inning, when Mark Reynolds and another guy both hit home runs to tie the game! The D-Backs won the game by one run in the 10th inning. The only downside was when the Dodger pitcher got hit in the head with the ball. Luckily, his CT brain scan was negative at the hospital. It wasn't the best idea to take the picture at the end. Oh well.

Zachary's Baby Blessing

2009-08-10T15:04:00.010-07:00

Zack was blessed about a week ago on Sunday, August 1 by his dad, Tyler. Many friends and family attended and afterwords we indulged in hawaiian haystacks at Tyler's Parents' house.

Family Portrait - nothing formal of course

Great-Grandma West with Zack

Lori, My sister, Tiffany and her son, Eli

Brother-in-law, Jesse and Tyler

Our friends, Chance and Kristal

Ana from Tyler's work, her kids, and Zack

Grandma Sheffield and Uncle Ben

Grandma and Grandpa Hamelwright

311, 3-311!!!

2009-07-11T16:27:00.003-07:00

Tyler Speaking,
Last night was the infamous 311 Concert here in AZ. I haven't been in a few years, and I gotta say that it was spectacular! John Hardy and I went with our PIT tickets. A fight ensued in front of us and Beer was flying. Luckily it just landed on John. They played just about the whole new CD, titled Uplifter. That is their ninth album and they still rock the Party.

More Kid Pics

2009-07-08T14:12:00.008-07:00

BABY ZACK

So I'm not really being too creative on this post. I just wanted to post a few more pics of the kids cause people have been asking for them. Kaylin is so funny, always wanting to hold Baby Zack. She's actually getting pretty good at it now, with proper supervision of course.

Kaylin holding Zack - he almost looks like he's smiling.

Kaylin and Zack - What a sweet big sis!

Cutest pic of them ever, thus far, at least in my opinion.

Home from the Hospital

2009-07-05T14:47:00.003-07:00

I thought I'd better make a post and let everyone know that I have been home from the hospital since last Sunday. Despite having another C-section, I am doing well, probably because I knew what to expect this time around with the recovery.

Also for those of you that didn't hear, I had quite an eventful last few weeks of pregnancy. I went to the hospital on Saturday, June 13 but ended up being sent home after most of the day in false labor. Three days later, I was in a car accident on my way to work. And finally, the day before I had Zack, a lady at work, tripped and fell into me, landing me on my back. When I went to get checked out at the hospital, I was admitted and ended up having Zack the next morning. I don't know what it is about me, but trouble only seems to find me when I am pregnant. I have never broken a bone in my life and have only been to the hospital with pregnancy-related issues.

I will post more pics of the kids soon.

Zachary Tyler Hamelwright Pictures

2009-06-27T22:16:00.004-07:00

Here are the Pictures you all wanted to see. Loriann is still recovering from the birth of Zacky, but might be able to come home Sunday or Monday at the Latest. Enjoy!!

Zachary Tyler Hamelwright

2009-06-25T10:37:00.003-07:00

Hey Guys,

Just a quick post to let you know Zachary Tyler Hamelwright was born Thursday, June 25, 2009 @ 7:08AM. He weighed a whopping (at least for our babies) 7 lbs. 11 ounces. He is 19 inches long. Loriann and Baby are now recovering in the hospital together. We'll have pictures and videos to follow.

BABY

2009-06-21T08:57:00.002-07:00

So there are no pictures this time, but I had to post something regarding our baby. So my countdown ticker is officially wrong now. We didn't have the baby yesterday, but I guess the ticker isn't built to handle the possiblity that you are overdue. I thought it was pretty funny, so I am going to leave the ticker up today just for fun. It will be gone tomorrow.

Our Trip to SAN DIEGO

2009-06-05T14:21:00.025-07:00

The next day after Tyler's graduation we took a trip to San Diego. We visited Sea World, the beach, and the Wild Animal Park. We were sure missing the cooler temperatures once we returned.

The whole group, well almost...... Charles, Carly, Lori, Kaylin, Jaimie at Sea World (Tyler took the pic)

Kaylin & Uncle Charles at Sea World

Daddy & Kaylin feeding the Sea Otters

Kaylin and Aunt Jaimie on the "Flying Fish" ride

Tyler & Kaylin on the slide at the Sicilian Festival

At the Wild Animal Park

"Pooped Out" on the tram at the Wild Animal Park

Tyler's Graduation & Afterparty Pics

2009-05-30T16:50:00.013-07:00

Tyler graduated with his Bachelor's in Accounting from ASU on May 14. After his W.P. Carey Graduation we all headed to Amazing Jakes for dinner and fun. Check out the pictures below.

Tyler, Lori, and Kaylin w/Tyler's parents, brother-in-law Chuck, and sister Jaimie

Tyler, Lori, and Kaylin w/Lori's parents, brother Ben, sister Tiffany and her kids Maddy and Eli

Tyler and his friend, Joe

AFTERPARTY at AMAZING JAKE's

Daddy and Kaylin on the Teacups

Grandma Sheffield, Mommy & Kaylin on the Carousel

Kaylin & Maddy in the Flintstone's car w/Grandpa Sheffield looking on

Kaylin and Cousin Maddy

This picture of Kaylin is so funny, I just had to include it.

Baby Shower!

2009-05-14T21:55:00.005-07:00

We cannot wait to meet little Zachary!

Graduation Videos

2009-05-14T10:23:00.020-07:00

Hey All,

Tyler Speaking. Here are some fun videos from Graduation in ASU Stadium with President Obama. There are a lot of videos, so watch the ones that you want to

Me Entering the Security

Entering the Field @ 3PM

I Love Los Betos!!

"Hip.. Hip Hop.... Hiphopinnonomous... You get all the Easy Ones" Rob Schneider in Big Daddy

Check out the Girl with the Red Hair. She is way, way into it!

Here's the Crowd as Obama Started the Speech.

Some fun pictures from March!!

2009-04-17T20:20:00.006-07:00

At Aunt Tiffany's birthday party!
(sorry Lori, I couldn't resist throwing this sweet pic up of Miss M :)

a typical Sunday at Grandma and Grandpa Sheffield's house, complete with the grandkids throwing toys all over the place

Kaylin, Lori, cousin Eli, and Melanie

Grandma and one of her favorite buddies: Kaylin

Holding the newest grandkid Eli (already quite the chubber)

Kaylin's Birthday Pics, Part 2

2009-03-31T19:12:00.008-07:00

I have had computer difficulties and haven't been able to post these pics till now.

Kaylin, Aunt Tiffany, Grandma Ham and Uncle Shawn

Mom (Lori), Uncle Ben, and Grandma Sheff

Mom & Grandpa Ham - I promise I look more pregnant than this in real life.

Kaylin and cousin Maddy

Kaylin and cousin Eli (in the carseat)

Kaylin and her princess cake

Kaylin diggin' in!

'
Kaylin and her gifts

Daddy (Tyler) at the grill

Come on Suns!! I still got Hope!

2009-03-28T21:14:00.005-07:00

Tyler Speaking,

I know it's been a hard year, but the loss tonight to the Jazz really hurt. Those who know our family real well know that we are great Suns fans. This year hasn't turned out so good, but with ten games left, you never know what could happen. We'll see what happens, but either way, the Suns are our team and we still love em.

Today was fun for me as I got to play in an ASU Golf Tournament and actually tied for 1st place in a 4-man scrabble. I got to see some good people in the Accounting Program and in the firms in the valley. Also, Lori and I and Kaylin had a great time at Adam Hyman's Birthday party. Lots of good Ice Cream and VolleyBall!!!

Happy BiRtHDaY, Kaylin!

2009-03-12T16:06:00.007-07:00

So I admit that it takes me forever to get around to posting things. It just takes too long for me to post everything with all the pictures and video. It's been almost two weeks since Kaylin's 2ND birthday but here are some of the pics and video. I will post more pictures (the better ones) when I get them from my Dad.

Kaylin Opening Presents

Modeling her birthday shoes and necklace a day or two later

More Presents! Watch the video.

All-Star Weekend

2009-02-18T20:41:00.011-07:00

Tyler, Kaylin, and I just had to check out the Basketball NBA All-Star Jam Session that happened in Phoenix this past weekend. Check out our pics and videos from the event below.

Kaylin in the kids' play zone. It's the "Kaylin Dunk!"

Measuring Up

Lori by the Hall of Fame Wall

Kaylin and Mommy Short Video (22 sec)

Tyler playing SlamBall (21 sec)

Cute Kaylin Pictures

2009-02-06T14:34:00.009-07:00

At the annual Sheffield Family Christmas Party: Christmas Day:

Grandma's House:

At cousin Eli's baby blessing brunch:

Cousin Robby's 2nd Birthday Party:

Every once in a great while these two cousins are friends; most of the time Kaylin runs the other way when Robby comes near to avoid bodily harm.

She was such a good helper with opening Robby's presents and even better with playing with all the new toys!

It's a BOY!

2009-01-28T13:42:00.002-07:00

We found out last Monday that we are having a boy. I attempted to get some of the ultrsound pictures on the blog, but it didn't work. Guess I'm still a little technologically challenged.

Let's go Devils!!

2009-01-21T08:09:00.005-07:00

This past weekend, Tyler and Chance Tyler (his buddy) went to the promised land of Los Angeles. They spent lots of time doing fun stuff while they delivered a Trailer to a Customer 3 hours north of LA on Friday.

Thursday night, we stayed in what we called the Tiki Hut. This hotel room had a tissue dispenser out of "Easter Island" doll head. The tissues came out of the Dolls nose.

Friday, we droppped off the Trailer and then went through Downtown Hollywood. We saw "The Unborn" in the Mann's Chinese Theatre. Not Recommended for Pregnancy, but the sound and picture were amazing in the Historic Theatre. We also drove by the LA Temple; a glimmer of hope among Sodom and Gomorah.
Saturday, we walked up and down Rodeo Drive just to see how expensive things can get. We saw a Kangaroo at an Australia Exhibit which was neat. We then went to Pauley Pavillion where the Devils beat UCLA 61-58. It was an upset for sure. Rick, my Dad, said that he heard me yell on CBS during a free throw in Overtime. The Arena was quiet for UCLA players shooting, so I yelled Daren during that Silence. Shown to the left is John Wooden, one of my personal heroes. He was the coach at UCLA in the 60's and 70's. He taught his Players with the "Pyramaid of Success," which I applied on my LDS mission. He is 98 years old and eating a Hot Dog at the Game. Amazing.

We left the game Rejoicing & made it home at 2:30am from victory.
Thank you Chance for the Trailer Delivery at a perfect time.

BABY

2008-12-24T16:04:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to throw in a quick post and let everyone know that we are expecting our second child. We are due in June.

Dancing Daddy, Reposted

2008-12-22T16:15:00.001-07:00

You've been asking for it....Here it is!!! Tyler's Dancing Dad Contest Video I know it was a while ago but we were finally able to figure out how to upload the video. Enjoy!!

Used Razor Blades

2008-12-06T10:46:00.002-07:00

I was on a flight last week and just had to take a picture of this for you. The bathroom has a spot for razor blades! I immediately thought of Jerry Seinfeld and one of his best routines:

“I'll tell you what place I like in the plane: It's that little bathroom. I go in there, even if I don't have to go. I like it in there, that's like your own little apartment on the plane. You go in there, you close the door, the light comes on after a second, it's always like a little surprise party. I feel good in there. I feel like I look good in that mirror, too. Is it me, am I crazy ? I think that's a flattering mirror, in the airplane bathroom. I don't know, it's something with the lighting or something. Tiny toilet, tiny light, tiny sink, tiny soap dispenser. Tiny slot for “used razor blades." That's always there. Who is shaving on the plane? And shaving so much, they're using up razor blades? What have you got? The Wolfman flying here?”

Cruise to the Bahamas!!!!! Part Two

2008-11-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

We weren't able to get all our stories and pictures into one blog, so here it goes again.

To the Right, is our Picture Frame photo. The sun is in our eyes, so it was hard to focus well. Left in the Picture is the 14 story Carnival Imagination. The Ship was a lot of fun, but we both agreed that Royal Caribean is a better cruise line for service, food, and Ship Rockiness. Tyler was brave enough to enter the hairy chest man competition. Loriann was the biggest fan, though he lost to the Hairy Old Man named Angel.

Here is the wonderful shot of Loriann and the Blue and Green Water. The water was so clear, that the Seaweed would change the colors throughout the Beaches. That is the same Lighthouse in the background as other pictures.

Tyler is swimming in the warm water. He found many neat looking fish and a few beer bottles at the sea bottom. Those swimming goggles came in handy. He was also able to find this ten foot ledge that was lots of fun to jump off into the water. The soft white sand cushioned the falls. The local people showed him the way.

This is our formal night. Our Dinner group had lots of great ideas about strategies in Gambling. Our great strategy is to never do it. We have never lost a dime to any gambling money so far, which is better than most people can say. Each couple were so nice and we had lots of great dinner conversations.

Cruise to the Bahamas!!!!!

2008-11-23T10:49:00.001-07:00

Last Weekend, we took an amazing adventure to the Bahamas!!!
We had so much fun and were able to celebrate right before our 3rd Anniversary. Each Picture has a great story behind it as well.

Before getting on the Boat, we needed to get to Miami, Florida. Trying to save the money, we decided to take 3 connecting overnight flights. The first one started at about 1am Phoenix time. We got to Atlanta, GA at 6am. We then left from there to Jacksonville, Florida. Atlanta was real foggy coming into town, so we had some delays departing to Jacksonville. Delta had some neat monitors above the Tray Tables that let you know arrival times. When we finally took off from Atlanta, the estimated arrival time for the connecting flight was 20 minutes after Jacksonville's Departure. We both said prayers in our heart to speed up the plane. Someone was looking out for us luckily, because we arrived about 15 minutes before the connecting flight took off. We tried to get off the plane as quick as we could and ran across the small airport to make our connecting flight just in time. This picture is the Third plane from Jacksonville to Miami, which had very loud propellers. We got to the Boat in time and had some great times from there that were much more relaxing.

This picture is regarding our Karokee experience. The people all around us didn't get up very quickly, so Tyler was the first one. He sang "Our Song" by Elton John. Lori got up soon after and sang "What I think about you." Interestingly, this song had a 26 MEASURE break in the middle. Tyler joked to the people next to him that she could have ran around the boat and got back in time to finish the song. Instead, she shook some good moves on the Dance Floor to impress the BOYS, mostly Tyler though.

As we sailed into the Harbor, We took this Beautiful picture with the small Lighthouse in the Background. It was about 9am, so we were just waking up for breakfast as well.

This picture was taken at one of the Forts with much of the Downtown Nassau area in the Background. We took a Historical Sites tour and learned much about the economy. Their Gas Prices are still around $4.50/gallon. I'm glad that's over for now in Mesa.

Also in the Background is the Atlantis Hotel and Casino. There is a small arch in the Hotels. Those rooms in the Arch cost around $25,000 per night with a 7 night minimum vacation. Too expensive for us.

Tyler fit his head into a Cannon. Some others were looking for gun powder to shoot him back to America.

TAGGED by my cousin NaTaLie

2008-11-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

So I'm a novice at the tagging thing, but here goes nothing:

7 RANDOM/WEIRD FACTS ABOUT ME

#1 I claim two hometowns - AZ and UT no particular cities

#2 I have never seen the movie Titanic

#3 I love dressing up in costumes for anything and everything

#4 After this Saturday, I will have helped all three of my best friends move this year- one to Utah, one to Phoenix, and one to Gilbert - but at least one stayed close!

#5 I drive the speed limit, hoping to save a few extra bucks on gas

#6 I am allergic to the juice found on crab legs, but can still eat the legs if someone else cracks them open for me.

#7 My daughter, Kaylin, and I have almost identical nicknames - mine is Rae-Ray and hers is Kay-Rae. These were bestowed on us by my brother-in-law Jesse and yes there is a story behind them. Ask me sometime.

Allright I'm done ---NOW I TAG:

1. Kamarah

2. Julia

3. Alissa

4. Tiffany

5. Claudia

6. Lisa

7. Amber

Halloween Pics

2008-11-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here's our little family all decked out for Halloween. Lori is a pink lady from the movie Grease, Tyler is Tiger Woods and Kaylin is Superbaby. You can see Kaylin chowing down on Candy.

Kaylin is showing off her "super" moves in these pictures. We fondly called these moves "the superbaby."

Here you can see her costume up close and personal.

This last picture is of Lori's parents. They are dressed as Gandolf from Lord of the Rings and Gandolf's wife that was never mentioned.

StAtE FAiR

2008-10-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

TyLer, KAylin, and I went to the State Fair yesterday with Tyler's Dad.

KaYliN had fun feeding the aNiMaLs at the Petting Zoo.

KaYLin was a little scared, but she and DaDdy made it down the Big SLide safely.

Here she is in the KId ZoNe. She had a blast riding that kid bike. I had to help at times so she didn't get run over by the older kids.

On DadDy's shoulders waiting for the "HuMaN SpEeD BuMp" demonstration. The guy doing it was trying to break his record by being run over by 8 trucks. He broke his record, but also got injured. The trucks were supposed to run over his stomach and the last one ran over his legs. They had to take him to the hospital.

We also saw the FiGUre 8 RaCIng in the Grandstand. KAYlin wasn't even scared by all the noise.

All TiRed OUt!

It's GAUDY day!

2008-10-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, my work likes to celebrate strange

"holidays." Friday, was 'Wear Something Gaudy Day.' So here I am with my over the top hair, lots of jewelry and mismatched clothes.

Happy 18 Months

2008-10-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

These are our most recent pictures of our daughter, Kaylin. She was 18 mths in September.

PoTaTo PaL

2008-09-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

So my work is kinda crazy and we celebrate all kinds of Holidays like "Tooth Fairy Day" "Jump for Jellybeans Day" etc. The latest is Potato Day, so my boss had us all decorate a potato for the contest tomorrow. Here's my creation.

THUMB SUCKING AAAHH!!

2008-09-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

So Kaylin is now 18 months and we have decided to try and wean her from thumb sucking, a tall order, I know. So the doctor gave us "Mavala Stop" to use. You basically put it on like nail polish on her thumbs. The doctor said to do it while she's sleeping. Yesterday she had fallen asleep in her car seat on the way home, so I decided to put the Mavala Stop on before I put her in bed. That was a TERRIBLE IDEA cause she kinda woke up, put her thumb in her mouth and started screaming and crying. The taste must be Horrible since she threw up three times and wouldn't take a nap. She did suck her thumb less, but hopefully we won't have to use it very long.

Missing Purse Dilemma

2008-09-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hey all again!! Tyler has been doing the posting for the last little while, so I thought it was time for me to write again.

A few Thursdays ago I had a nightmare when my purse went missing. I took my car to the shop and somehow between my time at the shop and my next stop, McDonalds, my purse went missing. My mom had picked me up from the car repair shop and we had my sister's two kids and my daughter, Kaylin, with us. I noticed I didn't have my purse when we were going into McDonald's, but figured it was in the car. It wasn't in the car when we came out and it wasn't at the car place either (we called and Tyler went and checked my car and the shop). I was also watching my friend's son, Shane, a little later on, so at one point my mom and I were taking care of four kids and trying to get things straightened out. Tyler and I had tons of fun changing accounts and ordering new cards of just about everything. Luckily, no money was taken.

Sleepwalking like a pro!!!

2008-08-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Lately, Kaylin has been feeling just a bit under the weather. It always happens when I get a little bit busy too. I was doing the Grant Thorton Footsteps Experience. That 3 day event was a real introduction to the company and helped a few of us college students see what was available in the future. It went 3 days and consisted of some dinners and such too.

Anyway, Kaylin couldn't go to sleep very well, so I held her in the bean bag. Those of you who have been to our house know that the bean bag is down stairs. Well, I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up in the bed next to my wife. I asked Lori where the baby was in the first few minutes. I guess I sleptwalked by carrying the baby there. That would have consisted of getting out of the bag, openning the baby gate, walking two small flights of stairs, putting her in the crib, and getting in bed next to my wife with no tripping or loud sounds.

It's a mystery I can't explain.

The Greatest Swim Race Ever!!!

2008-08-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably saw the Men's 4X100 Meter Relay on Sunday Night. I felt as if this was the greatest Race I have seen. When America came back to win it in the last couple meters, I shouted so loud. I'm surprised the baby didn't wake up. That showed lots of heart, and American Pride. This will be one of the greatest Olympic moments That I'll Remember for sure.

In case you missed it, here's a link to the NBC broadcast. It's Fabulous.

Enjoy!!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_HD_SWB_HL_L0194

The Office All Nighter

2008-08-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

Tyler Speaking. You know how people can't put down a good book. I dont read to many books, so putting down a good TV Show was hard for me. Thursday, I went to buy The Office, Season 3 around 10PM at Target, along with some Strawberry Milk. That Milk must of had some strong caffine or something because I almost watched the whole season all night. Around 6:30AM, I decided to take a small 2 hour nap and watch a bit more episodes before getting to work at my usual start time of 11:00 AM. The next night was some good sleeping to say the least.

Here is the Gorilla Baby

2008-07-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

So we have these monkees that can wrap around things, so we thought, why not the baby. Enjoy the pics and go Suns!!!

Swim, Swim, Swim

2008-07-07T14:24:00.001-07:00

Kaylin and I have been doing Mom/Tot swim lessons on Saturdays this summer. I finally convinced Tyler to come this last time so that I could get some pictures. Kaylin can get crabby at lessons, but she didn't fuss as much this last time. So far she has learned to put her head under water, float on her back (with her legs in the air much of the time) and move from back to tummy and vice versa. She can hold onto the side by herself and can climb out of the pool using the stairs (and a little assistance). She hasn't quite got the hang of blowing bubbles and kicking her arms and legs yet, but I'm sure she'll manage it later on.

California...Here we go again!!

2008-06-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yep, yet another Cali vacation. Tyler and I went to Six Flags and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. These pictures are in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theater along the walk of fame. We watched "Get Smart" at this theater. I was asleep part of the movie, since it started at 10:30pm, my normal bedtime. Kaylin had fun with both sets of grandparents in Arizona, while we were gone.

PARTY On and GOLF's the Thing

2008-06-17T13:40:00.001-07:00

Kaylin and I got our party on this last Saturday at my work mid-year party. It was held at Kiwanis Park and though hot, was a lot of fun. Kaylin is just learning to walk in shoes and had fun exploring.

Meanwhile, Tyler and his Dad were at the US Open Golf Tournament at Torrey Pines in California. He followed Phil Mickelson around a bit and also watched Tiger Woods eagle the 18th hole. As Tyler puts it, [this was] "A once in a lifetime chance."

~ Our Trip to Cali ~

2008-05-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have been chastised for not updating our blog enough, so ...

Tyler had such fun doing the dancing dad thing that we are hoping to be able to post the video here for everyone to see. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of it to post.

Tyler, Kaylin, and I went on a trip to the San Jose area of California last week (May 17-20). We visited some of the people he knew on his mission, but we also did a lot of sightseeing as well. We have trouble with our camera eating batteries so we didn't get as many pics as we would have liked. Check out some of the pics we did get below. The pics under our names on the right are also from this trip.

Kaylin and Lori in front of the Giant Artichoke

Kaylin and Lori at the Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co.

Tyler and Kaylin doing Superbaby. Kaylin loves this! This picture is at Alcatraz.

At the Santa Cruz Wharf

Tyler in Muir Woods - such a pretty place

Tyler and Kaylin at the Santa Cruz Beach

With the Heshmatpours from Tyler's mission - Yep we were burned to a crisp

Kaylin's First Birthday

2008-04-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

These are pics from Kaylin's first birthday about a month and a half ago. We used a snowman Pez dispenser as the birthday candle because we didn't have any real candles for the cake. As you can see, she REALLY enjoyed the cake!

New Bloggers on Board

2008-04-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

We tried to set up a blog previously without luck. Now we've decided to try again, so here we are the New Bloggers on Board. We have one awesome child, Kaylin, for now. Tyler has been interning in Accounting and will be graduating within a year. I am still working, but recently changed to part time. We are a happy, little family at the moment and would like to share our family adventures with you!