My Grandpa

My Grandpa was the most amazing man I've ever known. Honest to a fault and more loving and accepting than I ever realized people could be. He was never to busy for his family and enjoyed every moment of his life. I can't say enough about the man who had such a profound hand in who I am today and who my children will become. He never forgot who he was or the humble upbringing in that tiny house in Magna where he came from. I will miss him deeply, but am so grateful for the 28 years I got to have with him.

Even though it was only for a short time I know that he had a profound impact on my children and will continue to through the stories of his life which will continue to be shared with them. Him and Myles were the best of friends. Spending afternoons taking naps in the recliner when Myles was just a baby and at McDonalds as he got older. Grandpa's little Spunker Doo.

He never hesitated to accept Chris and Logan into the family. From the day they met he was the same Grandpa to them that he had always been to me. Chris would sit for hours watching and talking sports with him. Something that they both loved and bonded over. (Even if the never did agree on the same team.) There's not enough that I could say about my grandpa. I still can't believe he's gone, but I also know that he is now home and at peace. No more worry and no more suffering.

It's hard for us left behind, but I also know that he is in a place where I can see him again and where he can take care of our 2 angel babies that we never got the chance to meet. Now it's their turn to have the most caring, wonderful, loving Great Grandpa that anyone could ever ask for.

I love you Grandpa. Thank you for everything you taught me over the years. Watch over us and We'll see you soon.

Rex Carl Conradsen 1926 ~ 2011 Judge Rex Carl Conradsen, age 85, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2011. He was born March 8, 1926 in Magna, Utah to Carl Christian Conradsen and Rhoda Mariah Beckstead. He was proud of his Danish and pioneer heritage. An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Graduated from Cyprus High School. He married his sweetheart Gustie Ruth Thompson in the Salt Lake Temple on August 14, 1951. He served his country with great passion as a member of the Merchant Marines and the U.S. Air Force during World War II and Korea. He worked for and retired from Kennecott Copper. He loved his community and served as a Justice Court Judge for more than 27 years. While serving on the bench, his decisions were always based on the facts of the case. He was highly respected for his compassion and understanding of those who passed through his courtroom. Rex and Gustie were very active in the Good Sam Utah Salt Shakers Club where they made great friends and had many memorable adventures. Rex enjoyed golf, BYU Cougars, and taking naps in the garden that he loved. During breakfasts with old buddies, he shared memories of a simple childhood growing up in Magna and they won "The War" again. He loved serving as a Scout Master and was a great influence in the lives of many young scouts. Bear Lake was his favorite place for making family memories. He is survived by his wife, Gustie; children, Colby (Mark) Heddlesten, Tina (Karl) Green and Kent Conradsen. 10 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren; sister, Catherine Simpson and many adoring nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by parents, sisters, Louise Pulley Williams, Karen Jones, and Florence Thomas; brother, Donald. Rex was a man that has left a legacy that will be hard to match. He lived modestly, but never missed a moment of enjoying life. People that knew him will be forever influenced by his family dedication, willingness to do what is right and the ability to always speak with sincerity and truth. Funeral Services for Rex will be held Tuesday, July 26th at 11:00 a.m. at the Spencer 4th Ward Chapel, 8181 Breeze Drive, Magna, Utah. The family will receive friends at a visitation Monday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Valley View Funeral Home, 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City; and one hour prior to the service on Tuesday at the Ward. Interment: Valley View Memorial Park.

My Awesome Dad

I don't talk about my dad on here much. He tends to be quiet at times and kind of keeps to himself, but he really is the most amazing guy. He always knows when one of us needs something and is more than willing, in his own way, to provide for us. He knows when we should figure it out for ourselves or when he can step in and help out. And although he doesn't say it much I've always know that he love me and my family just by the little things that he does. Things like always showing up to my softball games and teaching me how to "do it the right way" after all of my practices. Even when I quit and started playing soccer he told me "I don't understand the rules, but if that's what you want to do then I'll be to every game I can." And he was.

Over the last few years he's shown me his love by the way that he treats my family. He's opened his arms to Chris and Logan and completely accepted them. He loves Myles more than I thought possible. He's always playing with him and doing everything that Myles asks. They are attached at the hip most times they're together. And Myles is learning so much from him. Like how to mow the lawn and most recently how to plant tomatoes. My dad even bought Myles his own tomato growing kit, which after we grew them in the living room for a few weeks they planted together in the backyard.

In short my dad is a great guy and I'm so blessed that he is in my life.

Grammpy and Myles planting tomatoes

Tracy Bird-a-tory

They day of Myles graduation I decided to take off and spend it with my little man. I wasn't sure how the weather would work out so I wanted to stay close to home just in case we got rained out.
We went to the Tracy Aviary, or as Myles calls is the Bird-a-tory. Myles had never been and he loved it. They are doing A LOT of construction, but they still had quite a bit to see. Myles had a great time seeing all of the different birds. His favorite by far was the peacock. They have 4 or 5 just walking around and every so often they would show off their plumes. It was petty cool.

We also took the time to feed the Sun Conure's. They're these yellow and red squawky/screechy birds, but they let you right in the cage with them and give you a slice of apple. They will come land on your arm and hand and eat the apple as you hold it. It's really neat. I was concerned that Myles wouldn't like it since he's not a huge fan of loud noises and I though he might get scared, but he loved it. There was a huge smile on his face the whole time.

I'm really glad that I took the day to spend just with my little guy. It was nice to have a whole day with just the two of us.

This duck was huge, maybe it wasn't a duck, but still the things feet were ginormous. It came right up to the fence when Myles crouched down. I though it might try and bite his nose...

Preschool Grad Year 1

My baby graduated from his first year of Preschool on May 26th. I'm such a proud mom! Because of his age and the school deadline and how the Granite School District works their preschool program he was in the "Young 3's" class so he actually gets to go for 2 more years, but since his birthday is at the beginning of the school year he had been in the class since the beginning. He had such a great time and was always SO excited to go to school. I think he really liked that his class was in a real school. He goes to Pleasant Green Elementary and loved to let everyone know.

His graduation was really cute. The teachers had all the kids sing the Slippery Fish song. They were all so shy that no one really sang, but a few of them did the actions. Myles not so much. He was super shy since there were so many people. I also think a big part of it was that Chris and I, my grandparents, mom, and mother-in-law were there. After the song they showed a slide show with pictures from throughout the year. All of the kids were so cute and you could see the changes they all made during the year. After the slide show they called all the kids up one by one and gave them their graduation certificate, a new book, and their folders from the year.
I know he still has a while before he starts preschool, but it's still bitter sweet to see my baby grow up. He's so smart and I know that this last year in school has played a huge role in that. Thank You to all of his awesome teachers. Mrs Payne, Miss Rivkind, Mrs. Stoddard and Mrs. Munos. We'll see you again in the fall.

I wanted to make something special for his teachers and got this great idea from my blog friend Jen who made these adorable, and super easy, coasters for teacher Christmas gifts. Myles helped cut the paper and then my mom and I did the rest. Myles also did a dot-to-dot, his favorite thing, for each of them and my Grandma, who was such an integral part of his school year gave them a little something as well. They all loved it and were so glad to have them.


Sets of 4


Wrapped up and ready to go

Tee Ball

Well Conner Man started Tee Ball last week. We decided that since his collar bone didn't seem to be bothering him that bad we'd take him and see how much he could participate. He's on a team with his cousin Chase and a friends nephew Michael. He ended up being able to do just about everything. Since it's his throwing hand that he can't use he "catches" the ball with his left hand then takes off his glove and throws with his left hand as well. He can kind of swing the bat on handed too. It's pretty cute.

His team name is the Blue Jays and his coach is awesome. He understands that the kids are still little and tries to teach them the basic fundamentals. They play for an hour, the first 30 min is just the kids and the coach, kind of like a practice and then the last 30 min is the "game" One team bats and the other fields and then once they've gone through all the kids then they switch sides.

Since all of the kids are 3-5 years old they need a lot of parental assistance out on the field to show them where to throw the ball and which base to run too, so Chris is able to be out on the field with Myles and the team. It eases my anxiety a little knowing that he's out there and can keep Myles slightly corralled and mellow while he finished healing.

It's really cute to watch them all play and they have such a great time. I'm glad we decided to let him give it a shot.

These pictures aren't that great, but they're all I've got. Myles is the on in the bright blue shirt and the sling



Running to first base after his first at bat


"Fielding" the ball

Chase and Myles are the two standing in the middle of the picture waiting for the ball. Chris is on the left helping out.

Easter 2011

The last posts have been a little out of order, but at least they're getting done... lol

Easter was great this year. We went to a few egg hunts and ate tons of candy! Chris was able to have the Saturday before off so he actually got to go to the annual hunt in my sisters neighborhood with us. It was really great to have him there. He even took over the camera so that I could enjoy watching Myles. Seems a little backward, but he said that since I always had to take him alone that I should be able to enjoy just watching this year. (He's such a sweetheart.)
Everything went really well. Myles had a great time coloring eggs as well as searching from them after the Easter Bunny came. He was so involved in the egg finding Easter morning, the he saw his basket and just walked away from it so find more.
We had Easter dinner at my grandma and grandpa's house. Chris' mom and nephew Chase came over and we had a great time sitting, talking, eating and playing with the boys. We put together a small hunt in the backyard and the boys of course had a ball.
Logan was in St. George this year. We defiantly missed him, but know that he had a good time at the sand dunes with his family. He got his basket when he came up the following weekend and was pretty stoked that the Easter Bunny didn't forget him.
I'm so thankful for the Easter holiday and what it truly means. I've tried to teach both of the boys the real meaning and I really hope that it sticks. The Atonment is so important to me and what it means for my family. I'm so blessed to have them and the Savior in my life.

Broken Bones

It's been an eventful week at the Macceo house. On Wednesday the 18th Myles man fell while climbing out of a play pen and broke his right collar bone. (At least this is the story we've gotten from the 2 3year olds in the room. No one actually saw it happen.)

We took him to the urgent care for the x-ray and to see what had actually happened. He wasn't very fond of the x-ray machine and kept asking to put his shirt back on. While the nurse was getting everything ready he also told us a few times "I'm gettin out of here." We tried to get him excited by telling him that when he was done we'd get to see all of his fossil bones, but he didn't seem to care until he saw the actual x-ray, after that he was pretty stoked that he could see all of his "big chomping teeth" It ended up not being broken all the way through but it's still a pretty decent crack.

To me it looks horribly painful and from what I've heard it's not fun at all, however we have quite the trooper of a kid and so far he's acted like it's not phasing him at all.
From what the doc told us it can take 4-6 weeks to heal. (Quite the way to start the summer.)

For the first week we've had to have him in a sling plus use an ace bandage to secure his right arm to his body so there is no movement. After the first week we can take the ace bandage off and have his are just in the sling. I was instructed to "let his pain be his guide." I'm nervous about this since he seems to be in no pain at all. If I ask him he always tells me that he's good, or that it fells fine. I've hardly given him any medicine at all. I guess it's good that it's not bugging him, but at the same time, I'd feel a lot better if he at least acted like it was broken even a little. So far he's been running around the house, jumping on the beds, climbing up the slide and at one point he was trying to ride his scooter, although he just kept going around in circles, which was pretty funny.

I'm glad he's doing so well and that he's barley complained. He really is such a great kid. Now I just need to get through the next 3-4 weeks. We are praying that it heals fine and that there are no lasting effects. That's really our biggest concern now.



Always our little tough guy. Giving daddy the thumbs up after getting the news.

This is how he's been for the last 5 days. All wrapped up and huge smiles. What a trooper!

ABC'S the Myles Way

ABCDEFGH R JKMMMMP QRSTUVWXYZ Next time won't you sing with me.

Miller Motor Sports

The last weekend that Logan was here we were able to get tickets to one of the car races at Miller Motor Sportsway out here in Tooele. We had enough tickets to take My Mom and Dad as well as Chris' Mom and nephew Chase. The kids had a great time. They loved the speeding cars and all of the fun things they had. All three of the boys got to play in this huge bubble thing that splashed around in a pool. Logan and Chase loved it, Myles not so much, he lasted all of 5 seconds. It was hilarious to watch them try and stand up. They just kept slipping and falling.



Logan and my mom took a ride on the zip line. It's 150 feet up in the air, sitting in a two passenger car. It takes you up backward and then down you slide. Looked freaky to me and my mom didn't care for it to much, but Logan loved it. He said that he didn't even get scared and wishes it would have gone faster. Crazy kid!




Myles favorite part by far was being able to walk through the pits and see all of the race cars. He had picked out a favorite during one of the races, a bright green mustang, and as we were walking around we saw it. The driver was outside and let all of the kids walk around and look at it and even sit in the drivers seat. It was pretty cool.


They are having the speed bike races the first weekend of the summer and we're hoping to take the boys again. Fun fun times.

Dino Nest

Myles and Chris made a Pteranodon, nest out of pillows the other day. My child is obsessed, and it's adorable!

Walk for the Cure

For the last 2 years I've, thanks to my work, have participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It's been an amazing experience both times and I definatly plan on doing it every year that I can. This year I was able to have Chris, my mom and my sister there with me. We took Myles and I was glad that he did such a great job. He went last year but he was young enough to sit in the stroller the whole time. This year he switched between the stroller, walking and riding on Daddy's shoulders. It was a good time and even better that I was able to share it with my family.
I'm so blessed that I have never really be closley effected by this horible diseas. There are so many people out there that have been effected multiple times and I am definatly lucky that I haven't been close to or lost anyone.

Splish Splash

Myles LOVES to splash in puddles, what 3 year old doesn't? Since we've had so much rain lately I decided to take advantage of it and let him have some fun instead of being stuck inside. I got him all decked out in his rain gear and we headed outside in search of puddles. Following are the pictures I got of him having a great time. He raced his cars in the gutter and splashed until he was soaked. It was a lot of fun to watch him enjoying himself so much. He had a huge smile on his face the entire time.

Spunker Doo

That's what my grandpa calls Myles. He's the only one who does and the only one who can call him by that name. This has nothing to do with my little story though...

This morning Chris was talking to Myles and asked him "What are we going to do with a little girl in the house?" "We've never had one of those around." Myles looked at him with a huge smile and said "I'm going to catch her in my bug net." "And then she can sleep in my bug catcher." When Chris told him that she'll probably be to big to fit in the bug cage, he very seriously said no she's bitty teeny right now. (picture this with him using his fingers to show just how small he thinks she is.)

It was so stinking cute. I know he's going to be such a great big brother!

The Big News That Most People Know

Back in January Chris and I found out that we are expecting again!! Yay!! We kept it pretty quiet for the first few months, but now the word is out and we're both, along with our families, SO excited. So far this pregnancy has been a lot like my one with Myles. No morning sickness and over all I've felt great. The only things I've really had to deal with is some minor acid reflux and some major migraines. Nothing to serious. I will complain a little about the heightened sense of smell though. I work around a bunch of cross country truck drivers and it can get pretty smelly at times. Not such a great thing when everything smells 10 times stronger. lol Now onto the best part! We found out April 5th that we're having a little girl!!! We're both way excited for this part too since we already have 2 boys. Admittedly however Chris and I have NO clue what to do with a girl... but I'm sure we'll figure it out. Hopefully she turns out a little more girly than I did, but who knows. I know she'll be beautiful and perfect no matter what. I'm so blessed to have this little bundle growing inside me right now. I can already feel her moving around and from the ultrasound and all the doctors appointments we know that she is growing strong and healthy. My due date is for September 5th. Only 5 days before Myles birthday... we sure know how to plan... I'm going to see if my doctor will let me deliver a little early, but whatever happens I know it will be what's best for both her and me. She was laying on her tummy for the whole ultrasound so the pictures didn't turn out fabulous, but you can still see here pretty well. This is actually 2 pictures. The one on the right I think is fingers and the one on the left is her little foot

This is one basically her whole body. You can see the spine at the top leading into the back of the head, with her face at the bottom right.

I have one showing that she's a girl, but it's pretty hard to tell what it is. These 2 are the best.

So there's our "announcement" Yay for babies!! I'm so excited. I can't wait to see what new challenges and adventures this little bundle of girly-ness brings to our lives.

2011

So since the holidays not a whole lot has happened. We moved out of Kearns, back to Stansbury, which I love. I've moved around so much in the last 9 years and not one time did I feel like I was home, like I actually belonged, now, even though we're not in our on place, I feel like we're home and that it's where we belong. It's a nice feeling to finally have. Well since not much has gone on I thought I'd just put up some pictures of the boys that I found. They've grown so much so fast that I haven't even realised the differences but they are defiantly there once I look back through the years of pictures.

Logan had just turned 3 when Myles was born. Here is one of them together when Myles was just a few months old.

Logan's 3rd birthday. July 2007

Playing at the beach Summer 2008

Logan in early summer 2010

I loved watching Myles sleep, in fact I have about 1000 pictures of it. Here he is at just a few months old.

Myles on the morning of his first birthday. Sept. 2008

Here's Myles on Easter of last year.

It's amazing how fast they grow up. I sure do LOVE my Boys!!

December

Let's wrap all of December in to one post as well shall we?? We had a good Christmas season. Trips to the Temple to see the lights, a visit or 2 to see Santa. Family Christmas parties and of course SHOPPING!! I'm sure there's a ton more that I can't remember too. I really need to stay on top of this more... The pictures are a little out of order from how the month actually went, but that shouldn't matter much. We were lucky to have Logan with us on Christmas morning this year. It's so nice now that Myles is older and enjoying holidays more to have him around for them. A few days before Christmas Chris took them both to Gardner Village to pick out their yearly ornament. He also got one for himself and me. Chris picked out a S'more... why I'm not quite sure. He got me a momma marshmallow holding a little baby to signify our 2 angel babies. I wasn't going to get one but when he saw it he said that he had to get it for not only be but both of us. (he's so thoughtful.) Logan picked out a cruise ship to remember the trip he went on with his family in St. George just after Thanksgiving. And Myles picked out a guitar. (Always trying to be like Daddy.) We spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma Heddlesten's with my sister and her family. We don't get over there as much as we should so it was nice to spend the time. I know she loves having us over. All of the kids opened their traditional Christmas Jammies. Logan got Star Wars: Clone Wars and Myles got dinosaurs. Chris even got a Ninja Turtle's Shirt and some sweats. I had gotten my self some too, but I failed to check the tag and they ended up being 2 sizes to small. Once we got home we made sure to leave the cookies and Strawberry milk out for Santa. Of course we left some carrots for the reindeer as well. Christmas morning was a lot of fun. Of course the kids got way to much stuff, but they loved it all. Some of it even gets played with still. One of my favorite things that they got was their baseball hats. Well the boys got baseball. Logan the Red Sox and Myles got White Sox. (I'm training him young.) Chris couldn't decide on an Angles hat that he wanted and since he's picky and I wanted to make sure he wore it he got the new Bears hat that he had been wanting. It was so cute to see them all open the same thing and be so excited about it.

One of my favorite things to do is go to Temple Square and see the lights. This year it was just the three of us. We took Trax, which Myles thought was pretty cool, and then we spent some time walking around the Temple grounds. Myles got bored pretty quickly so after we went to the Gateway to get some ice cream.

Like every year we had our family Christmas party at Grammie and Grandpie's. It's so great to get everyone together. With 5 brothers and sisters plus all of their kids, ranging from 3-15 years old, it gets pretty wild, but it's always fun and it's a great time to catch up and for all the cousins to hang out and have a good time.

December was such a fun month, like most months around here. snowmen, Christmas, family, and shopping. I couldn't have asked for anything more.