The Skeen Family

It's been a while...

2011-04-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

So its been a while since I my last post. March was just a crazy month for our family and it has just started to slow down, only to start back up again. Anyway, Here are a few pictures of the boys! And if anyone wants an invite to the kid's blog just leave me your email address. I usually post on the kids blog more than on this blog.

Braden Blue Eyes!

Just plain cute

Look at that face!

I love this kid!

two sweet boys...

Motorcycle man

Spaghetti-O

Scottie Dog

Utah Man Sir...

Utah Man am I

Quick update:

March was Crazy! The first week the Prince family came to town and we went to Park City. The Next week we went down to St. George and hung out with them again while Nate went to Vegas for the Mountain West Basketball Tournament. The week after that I went on a girls trip to San Diego. Nate and the kids have been sick for the past two weeks so we weren't able to get anything done or really go anywhere. But the kids are better now. We are still working on getting Nate better. Darn cold! So things slowed down last week but now we have Braden's first Birthday this week to get ready for!

Warm FUzzy Jar

2011-01-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

We started this Warm Fuzzy Jar at our house. I got the idea from President Monson. Every time Jackson does something nice for someone he gets to put a warm fuzzy in his jar. When his jar is full he gets a prize. Today he filled up his warm fuzzy jar so we took him to Walmart and he picked out Woody. When he got home he would not put him down. He was even too busy watching Toy Story to even look at the camera for a picture. Don't worry, Woody is tucked in right next to Jackson when it was time for bed. He is such a good little boy!

Prince Family 2011

2011-01-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

Prince Family 2011

The Grandkids

Bailey(5) Cassidy(4) Jackson(2 1/2) McKenzie(2 1/2)

Boston(2) Braden(9 Months) Merrick(2 Months)

The Prince Family

The Girls

The Guys

Christmas!

2011-01-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! Santa really spoiled the kids this year! They got everything they ever wanted or needed!

This was Jackson on Christmas morning! He just found out that Santa brought him presents!

He got a candy cane in his stocking, and if you look carefully he is holding it the entire time he is opening all of his other presents!

Wow! Jackson has his very own motorcycle! Every day we would get in the car and Jackson would say, "Grandpa's Motorcycle, Daddy has a motorcycle too!" So now Jackson has a motorcycle too!

Braden got a Dino Walker! He is thinking "Duh Santa, speed crawling is way faster than walking!"

A Big Rig! Jackson has a book about trucks and tractors and he has been talking about santa bringing him a big rig for weeks! Santa sure delivered!

Braden has no idea what is going on!

What! A Barnyard shape sorter!

And Sippy Cups!

Jackson now has his very own Mickey Mouse Computer that he can push any buttons any time!

And of course, a lawn Molar (lawn mower)

After opening Christmas at our house we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Skeen's house to open up more presents! Then later that afternoon we went to Grandma and Grandpa Goosie's house for more Christmas!

We spend New Years weekend in Arizona this year! Besides the 12 hour drive each way, we had a lot of fun! My whole family was able to be there. We celebrated Christmas, Dani's birthday, and blessed baby Merrick!

Dani with baby Merrick! The stars of the weekend!

Bailey, Cassidy and McKenzie

Jackson playing with the Nativity

All the girls in their aprons! Mom made all of us aprons and I got mom an apron for Christmas!

It was a great Christmas! It's so nice to be able to celebrate our Saviors birth and be with family. Especially when all our family is spread out!

Fabulous 5

2010-10-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

This week Nate and I Celebrated our

five year wedding anniversary

I can't believe it has already been five years! So much has happened in the last five years! I am so glad that I have been able to share every moment with my very best friend! I Love you dear! Happy Anniversary!

Hogle Zoo

2010-10-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Hogle Zoo with my sister Wendi and her family. We had so much fun! Jackson actually enjoyed looking at the animals. Here are a few pictures to remember the day!

I don't know if Jackson realizes he is about to be eaten by a lion!

Me and my boys!

my sister Wendi and her cute family!

I love the elephants and so did Jackson! He just stood there and stared!

Braden was once again a good sport

We got to see the cute little baby elephant!

Rinos! How cool is that!

Bailey Boston and Jackson

Braden is as big as an infant gorilla! I'm not surprised!

We will never know if Jackson measures up to a Juvenile gorilla!

The kids squished in the gorilla's lap!

Jackson was afraid to go on this elephant slide at first, but then his aunt Wendi made him try it and he loved it. He didn't want to leave it. What a silly kid!

Cute little Bailey posing for the camera

Jackson watching the ducks! He would have stayed there all day if we let him!

The ducks!

The swan nipped at Bailey's finger when she was feeding it.

The kids playing in the water right before we took our train ride.

Jackson was soaking wet!

We had so much fun at the Zoo! Jackson loved playing with his cousins! We wish we lived closer so we could play with them all the time. What a great day!

Conference Weekend Cinnamon Rolls!

2010-10-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

We had such a great weekend spending time with our family watching conference and eating cinnamon rolls! It doesn't get better than that!

Oktoberfest

2010-09-18T21:48:00.001-07:00

The family took a little day trip up to snowbird today and enjoyed the oktoberfest activities! We ate bratwurst and apple strudel and even garlic cheese fries. Jackson had fun in the bounce house, even though he doesn't know how to jump. Then he went on the alpine slide with his daddy, which he loved! since he loved it so much Nate hiked back up the mountain with jackson so that he could ride down with his grandpa Skeen. He loved it! Grandpa Skeen said that when they finished their ride Jackson said, "again"! We had a very good time!

Jackson and Grandpa Skeen on the alpine slide

Jackson and Grandpa getting ready to ride

Jackson at the bottom of the slide

Jackson and Nate on the chair lift to the slide

Here is a video of Jackson on his Alpine Slide adventure.

My favorite part is when Jackson yells "Mamma"!

Jackson's 2 year pictures

2010-09-17T21:15:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of Jackson's 2 year pictures!

Enjoy!!!

Utah Fan Fest!

2010-09-07T21:58:00.001-07:00

Swoop

Go UTES!

Go Utes and Chargers!

2010-09-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Jackson is gearing up for football season! He is cheering for his two favorite teams, the Chargers and the Utes!

Family Night with the Skeens

2010-08-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Skeen family decided to have one last get together before everyone started school. So everyone drove up to Millcreek Canyon and we ate dinner, made smores and got a little crazy singing and dancing and racing sticks down the river! We sure had a lot of fun!

The Skeen crew!

Weird Kelsey

Weird Trent

Cute Jackson!

He loved wearing his daddy's hat! He also started the night wearing shorts until he managed to create and fall into a mud puddle! Good thing mommy brought a spare!

Crazy Grandma!

Singing and dancing!

People were starting to stare!

Jackson and Grandpa!

Daddy, Grandpa and the boys! Aren't they a good looking bunch!

Racing sticks down the river!

Swings!

2010-08-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I talked Nate into getting the kids a swing set for the backyard. He didn't want to because he thought it was too big and he didn't think the kids would ever play on it.

Well...

We love it!

Thanks Daddy!!!

Journal

2010-08-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to make some kind of a journal for my kids I have started another blog for the kids only. It's just about the same as this one only it has more of the fun and silly things that the kids do. I have made it a private blog, so if you would like an invite leave me your email address!

Braden's first taste of real food!

2010-08-09T13:00:00.001-07:00

Braden had his first taste of Rice Cereal today! I don't think he liked it very much!

California 2010

2010-07-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Warning: Extremely long post!

We just got back from San Diego last week! Now that things are starting to get back to normal and we are back to a schedule I have finally found time to blog about our vacation!
So we started off our trip by taking a very long drive! We were planning on splitting the drive up between two days, but we were having a little trouble with our car and the heat that we decided to drive through the night. We didn't hear one peep out of Jackson the whole drive. He just sat in the back and watched the same four episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba the entire time! Oh, and he watched them the entire way back!

So we finally made it to San Diego!

The first day we spent most of the day at the beach and the pool!
Jackson hated every second of the beach! He hated the sand that was everywhere! So he took a nap!

Later that night the boys went to the Padres baseball game! Jackson got a cool SD tattoo on his face!

We spent a few mornings at Sea World! Jackson didn't care much about the animals. He like the kids play place the very best! Here are just a few of the things we did at while we were there.

During some of our down time we just messed around at the condo.
Here is Jackson chasing Uncle Trent around saying "gonna get you"!

Jackson also spent most of his time at the condo turning the lights and the fan on and off and opening and shutting the screen door. and just being silly!

We also visited Disneyland for a day! We had a lot of fun! Here are more pictures of our adventure!
Jackson waited like the entire trip to meet Mickey Mouse and when he finally did he didn't even care! Kids!!!

So there is a story that goes with the dumbo ride... So to give you a little background before, Jackson had become VERY attached to his Dad on this trip and wanted nothing to do with his Mom most of the time. Anyway, Nate went to get fast passes and I took Jackson to stand in line for dumbo. Jackson was totally fine for about five minutes until he realized that his Dad was not there and that's when he started freaking out. He was totally out of control for like ten minutes he was screaming, yelling, hitting, and trying to run away. So I picked him up and tried to settle him down. So while everyone is already annoyed and staring at me like I'm a horrible mother, Jackson throws up all down the front of me! Ugh, can I just say SO GROSS!!! of course I have nothing to clean myself with. Luckily there was a nice lady in line that handed me a wad of Napkins. And of course, Nate showed up no later than a minute later. Oh, and did I mention that was like the second ride of the day! So I walked around with throw up down the front of me all day long! Lucky Me!!!

One of our favorite places to visit is Hotel Dell on Coronado Island!

So that brings our trip to an end!We had so much fun! It was so nice to take a week and just go! Now another long car ride home! I just want to thank Yo Gabba Gabba for what could have been a very long and terrible ride home!

Fireworks?

2010-07-12T13:35:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we decided to go up Millcreek Canyon with our friends Dusty and Melissa and their cute kids! We made a fire and Jackson kept saying "Fireworks, Fireworks"! He thought fire and fireworks were the same thing! Silly boy! anyway, we roasted hot dogs and made yummy smores!I think I ate my fair share! We had a lot of fun! We love that we live so close to the mountains!

Jackson wanted to jump in the creek!

Just having fun!

Jackson, Summer and Mandy kept running back and forth to this one step and they were just having a blast! They are so funny!

Jackson loved playing in the dirt with the sand toys!

Braden just hanging out in his car seat

Jackson is 2!!!

2010-07-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

Jackson just turned 2 years old! I don't know where all the time went. Jackson is so much fun to be around! He is so funny and smart and makes everyone laugh. He is a fantastic big brother! We are so glad he is a part of our family! We wouldn't trade him for the world!

Look at me... I'm 2

Safety first

Look at my cool new Trike!!!

Watermelon, my favorite!

Cupcake! YUMMY!

Jackson's CHEESE face! I don't know how many cheetos this kid ate!

Braden Just hangin' out! He was sick with a cough

Jackson at his slip and slide party

Pony Rides and the Petting Zoo

2010-06-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

This last week Jackson has gone on two pony rides. Nate had a BBQ with some people he works with and they were doing Pony rides for the kids. And then on Monday we went with our friends Sarah, Bevan and Maija to Gardner Village where he had another Pony ride, which he didn't seem to like as much as the other one. We also did the petting zoo. Jackson was a little bit shy with the animals. He didn't want to get too close. Then he wandered off and got trampled by 4 goats. I had to pull a little fat goat off of him! It was really sad. Needless to say that is when the petting zoo was no longer fun for anyone. After that we had a little picnic by the river and Jackson loved feeding the ducks!

Braden's blessing

2010-06-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

Nate blessed Braden on June 6th. It was such a great day! We loved spending the day with family and friends. It was so fun to have all of my family come this weekend. It's been about 10 months since we have all been together. Thanks so much for coming to Salt Lake!
We are so glad Braden is a part of our family! He is such a happy baby! We love him so much!

New Braden Pictures

2010-05-17T22:15:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few of my favorites...

Introducing...

2010-04-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

Braden Nathan Skeen

Born April 5th
6 lbs 15 oz
20 inches long

We had quite a surprise Easter evening. I had been having contractions earlier that day and just thought it was false labor. Well, i continued to have contractions and they seemed to be getting stronger but I still thought it was false labor because I was timing them and they weren't very regular. About 9 o'clock Nate's mom came over and I was telling her how it was weird that I was having these strong contractions and she suggested we go to the hospital just to make sure I wasn't in Labor. So we left Jackson with her and we headed to the hospital. Sure enough I was in labor! They started my epidural and we just waited. Monday morning at about 8 o'clock little baby Braden was born. We are so glad that he is here! He is such a good baby. He only cries when he is hungry and that's about all he does. Jackson isn't quite sure about his new little brother. He walks around saying baby, and occasionally grabs Bradens face or rips out his bink. So we will see how things go this week. I have been so lucky to have my mom stay with us for a few days helping out with Jackson and dinners and cleaning house and garden work and everything else. She is so amazing! Jackson is going to miss having sleepovers with his grandma. Well, here are a few pictures of our little guy.

Egg Hunt!

2010-03-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

Jackson had his first Easter egg hunt at play group! I was surprised he knew just what to do with all the eggs. He had fun picking then up and sticking them in his basket.

Runnin' Ute

2010-02-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Nate has been taking Jackson to the University of Utah basketball games lately. Jackson loves spending time with his dad. He sits on his dad's lap the whole time and claps when the band plays and the cheers when the crowd cheers. His favorite part is running through the halls and sharing dippin' dots and a chirro with his dad!

San Diego

2010-01-19T20:45:00.000-08:00

San Diego in January... Need I say more?

We decided to get out of Salt Lake's nasty inversion and head down to sunny San Diego. Nate and his dad went to the Charger's playoff game and his mom and I just relaxed while Jackson took his naps. We did a lot of eating. San Diego has so many good places to eat. It was hard to choose what we couldn't live without for another six months. We drove around to all the many places that keep reminding us of our years living there. It made me a little sad that we don't live there anymore. But, there are a few thing that I won't miss about living there. All in all it was a very much needed, great getaway!

Grandma and Grandpa

Bobbi and Jackson watching the waves

Nate and Jackson looking for turtles

look at those two

What a view

Jackson fascinated with the ocean

I love that face

Our little (growing) family at Torrey Pines Golf Course

Christmas!

2009-12-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

This Christmas has been so much fun. It has just been fun to spoil our little guy and spend time with our family. Here are just a few pictures of what we have been up to.

All the girls at the Egg Nog Knocker
The Boys at the Egg Nog Knocker
Jackson all bundled up at Temple Square to see the lights
Our little family at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building
The Temple and the lights
Jackson on Christmas morning
Opening his first present
Playing with his new toys
His new guitar
playing on his new slide

Hiya!

2009-12-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

One chop and he went down...

I think this is so cute! I could watch it over and over. Too bad the battery died on the camera.

Tis the Season...

2009-12-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

This past week had the Preston family Christmas party. We have missed it the last three years while we were in San Diego. So we were excited to go this year. Jackson had so much fun singing songs with all the little kids. He was so funny, when he heard them singing he would drop whatever he was doing and run in and listen. The second the music stopped he would leave to go play. He was so excited that he could shake the jungle bells during the Jingle Bell song. Then Santa came and gave all the little kids presents. Jackson wanted nothing to do with Santa, he just wanted to see what he brought. We all had a good time.

Oh Boy...

2009-11-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

We just found out today that we are having a little BOY!!! Jackson is going to have a little brother. The doctor wasn't 100% sure it was a boy he was about 90%. So I guess that's close enough. There is a chance though that we could be very surprised on delivery day.

Well, we are just excited to be having another healthy baby!

Four...

2009-11-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

This past week Nate and I celebrated our four year wedding anniversary!!! Where has the time gone. So much has happened in those four years. We got our little dog Scottie the first year we were married. We moved to San Diego California for the past 2 1/2 years. While living there we were blessed with our little baby Jackson. Now we are back in Utah, we have our own home and we have another little one on the way. It has been a very eventful four years and I can't think of anyone else I would have rather spent it with. Nate is my best friend and I love him so much. And Jackson will tell you he is the best Daddy in the whole world!

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!

2009-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun couple of weeks dressing Jackson and his cousins, Ben and Alex in their Halloween costumes. Although we never made it to a pumpkin patch, we still had a lot of fun. Jackson is the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man this year. We thought it was only fitting for our cute little chubs.

We took the boys to Gardner Village and took their pictures. They were so cute and GRUMPY! needless to say, our trip to Gardner Village didn't last long.

We had a Halloween party at Grandma and Grandpa Skeen's. We all ate yummy soup and chili in fun pumpkin bread bowls. We also carved pumpkins, decorated cookies and even attempted carmel apples. The kids had so much fun. They even loved that their silly grandpa dressed up too.

October is one of my favorite months! I love that it gets a little bit colder and the leaves change colors and Halloween is so much fun when you have little kids to dress up!

It's Official...

2009-10-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Nate is a member of the Utah State Bar! They had an admission Ceremony for all of the new Lawyers. We are so proud of Nate and all of his many accomplishments. We are so glad that we have finally reached that end goal. This was the finally step to a process that he started what seems like forever ago. I remember picking out law schools before we were even married. I am so proud of Nate and all the hard work that he has put into everything. Not only with school but he has been a wonderful husband and a loving Daddy and a great friend. We love you so much Nate! Congratulations!!!

Promised Pictures

2009-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures I promised you last month when I couldn't find the cord to my camera.

Jackson and Max with their awesome hair at Bear Lake

Our house in Sandy

and another picture of grandma and grandpa's souvenir from their trip to Ireland

He is so CUTE!!!

Bun in the Oven!

2009-09-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Little Baby Skeen is due to arrive on April 18th 2010!
Number two is just a little bit scary!

Excellent End of Summer!

2009-09-04T21:20:00.001-07:00

We have had such a busy busy month of August. I apologize in advance that I have no pictures to share. I have lost the cord that uploads my pictures from my camera to my computer. When I find it I will post some pics.
To start off the month of August we have moved into our home in Sandy. We have been so busy setting up house and taking care of odd jobs that seem to never end.
My little sister Danielle got married in August. She married a really great guy named Richie. They had their wedding in Arizona and other than the blistering heat it turned out to be a really nice wedding. My mom catered the whole thing from the food to flowers to flower girl dresses. The food was fantastic and the flowers were just gorgeous.
We had a weekend getaway with some of our good friends to Bear Lake. We had such a good time. There was tons of food and way more laughs. And Jackson and Max kept us entertained the whole time. It was such a great trip.
During the last few months Jackson has been saying a lot of new words. some of his favorites are:
Kaker- Cracker
Bop bop- Bottle
Dogn- Doggy
Dadn and Dada- Daddy
Mum- Mom
and of course, uh oh

Jackson Hole

2009-07-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Nate's family decided to go to Jackson Hole Wyoming last weekend. Since Nate was studying he stayed home while the rest of us played. We had a lot of fun just getting away for the weekend. Although the food and the service were terrible we still enjoyed going to the art fair, and riding the gondola in Teton Village where we stayed. We went white water rafting down the Snake River. That was such a blast! we did some shopping and drove around Teton National Park while it was raining. It was such a great vacation. I am just sad that Nate wasn't able to come with us. We will for sure go again.

Jackson in front of the Antler Arches in Jackson Hole

Bobbi, Jackson and Grandma Skeen

The Teton Mountains

Jenny Lake in Teton National Park

Family Photos 2009!

2009-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited to get family pictures. We have not has family pictures since Jackson was born. So we took the opportunity while we were doing his one year pictures. Here are a few of our favorites.

Fun "4th" Weekend!

2009-07-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

We have had so much fun this past weekend with all of our family in town. Last week we went to the aquarium with my sister Heidi and her two kids Cassidy and McKenzie and my friend Kellie and her to kids Stashia and Dallas.

On Friday we spent the evening at my Grandpa Vandertoolens house where we played games and ate dinner. Then later everyone pitches their tents or lays out their sleeping bags for a big camp out in the back yard. The next morning we all gather for a yummy breakfast and head off to the city parade. It was so much fun.

On Saturday we had a BBQ with Nates family. His Aunt and Uncle and their five kids drove down from Oregon for the week. This was the first time their whole family has been together in years. We had a blast. It was so fun to meet them and their darling kids. We also got together on Sunday for another family dinner with them.

This was such a fun weekend! I am so glad my whole family was able to come up for the weekend.

Birthday Boy!

2009-06-28T08:05:00.001-07:00

The pictures say it all! Jackson had the best birthday ever! I can't beleive my baby is ONE!!!

Birthday dinner at Leatherby's of course!

Spongebob square pants birthday cake!

Coolest birthday card ever from Uncle Dan!

Spongebob Everything!

Birthday Cake!!!!

Finishing all of his birthday cake!

Playing with all his cool new toys!

Birthday Bath!

Little Orange Reading Chair

2009-06-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

Nate's parents gave Jackson the cutest little orange reading chair. Jackson absolutely loves books! So the little reading chair was the perfect birthday gift. Here are a few of my favorite pictures. I love when he crosses his ankles. It is so cute!

Big Update!

2009-06-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been so crazy. I have sat down about six time intending to write this post but something always came up. So here is the past few busy weeks in a nut shell...

Nate Graduated from Law School!!!!

Three years ago I thought this day would never come. I hated moving away from my family and friends and getting a new job and being in a place where I knew not a single person. Now I can't believe how fast those three years went and I don't want to leave. I am so proud of Nate and his amazing accomplishment. He has worked so hard and sacrificed so much of his time. He is such an amazing Student and Husband and Father. I am just so grateful for all he does for our family. I am proud of you Babe!

We moved back to Salt Lake City

We are back in town for good! Nate has accepted a job at a law firm in Salt Lake. We are so excited that he has a job and that we are closer to family and friends. Nate is working and studying for the bar. We are just thrilled to start a new chapter in our lives.

Jackson can walk!!!

Jackson has finally worked up enough courage to walk all on his own. He keeps me on my toes!! If he isn't making a run for the stairs he is eating dog food or banging his fingers in the cupboards or throwing all the spices out of the spice cabinet or finding his way to the nearest door to open and close it till mommy gets tired. But no matter how many messes I have to clean up or boo boos I have to kiss I love that little boy more than words can say. He is so sweet and one of the happiest kids I know.

Movin'

2009-05-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

We are moving back to Salt Lake this week! We have lived in San Diego for almost 3 years while Nate attended law school and loved every minute of it. We are for sure going to miss San Diego. There are so many things we love about this place. But bigger and better things are waiting for us in Salt Lake. We are excited to move back and look forward to being closer to family and friends.

Take me out to the ball game...

2009-05-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Nate decided to take a little break from studying and we took Jackson to his first Padres baseball game. He had a great time! We stayed until the seventh inning stretch so Jackson could hear his favorite song. It was just a fun day with our little family!

Too excited to go to his first baseball game!

Jackson's new San Diego Padres baseball cap

Nate and Jackson (Look at those cute chunky legs)

Our family at the game

Tin Man

2009-05-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we went with some of Nate's family to visit his Great Uncle Dick. With all his energy you wouldn't think Uncle Dick is 94 years old. He goes to Disneyland every day just to walk around. He is a collector of many different things including belt buckles and eye glasses. But if there is one thing you know about Uncle Dick it's his famous Tin Man Show. He has made these tin men that are all over his house and hang along the fence in his backyard. They are all over and they are very fun and unique. He performed his Tin Man Show for us which he doesn't do very often. It was surprising and funny. When we were leaving, Uncle Dick decided to give Jackson the tin man of his choice. We were very surprised and excited and picked a good one. Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Fraidy Cat

2009-04-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

As of today Jackson has become terrified of the doorstop in our hall. He goes crazy and cries hysterically when he gets near it. What a funny thing to be afraid of, but that's why we love him. He is such a cute kid. Maybe one day he will overcome his fear of doorstops.

A Day at the Beach

2009-04-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here is just a little video I made about our day at the Beach. Enjoy!

Beach Fun!

2009-04-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

Today our family went to the beach. It was the first warm weekend in a while. We packed up and took Scottie and went to the beach. Kelsey and Trent took their dog Scooter too. We had fun watching the dogs play. Jackson giggled at them the whole time. He loved it. He even got to play in the sand. Scottie has become a brave dog and now plays in the water with scooter chasing tennis balls. He used to stay as far away from the water as possible. I think he saw how much fun Scooter has in it and gave it a try. After the beach we went to the pool and Jackson tried out his new turtle floaty. He had a blast. He tried to give the turtle kisses and loved to splash in the water. We had a fun day. We are going to miss living in San Diego. We are going to miss the nice weather and the beach. I guess we will just have to visit a lot.

Little Walker...

2009-04-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Jackson is growing up so fast. He has completely skipped crawling and went straight to walking. He holds on to this little walker and takes it everywhere. He parks it and plays and then grabs on and goes to his next adventure. Sometimes he gets a little bit too confident and thinks he can walk by himself but he quickly learns that he can't. He is such a happy little kid. He loves being mobile and I love it too. He will be running around in no time.

Spring break in Hawaii...

2009-03-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

Nate and I decided to have one last vacation before he finished up with school and started his new job in May. We started off our spring break in Salt Lake visiting friends and family and then headed back to San Diego where we would soon part with our little boy for a few days while we just Nate and I went to Hawaii. Jackson stayed home and had a fun filled time with his Grandma. I am surprised how well he did for her.
While in Oahu we mostly relaxed at our gorgeous Marriott resort in Ko Olina. They have four man made bays and they are so nice. The snorkeling there was amazing. It was nice to just relax in the sun and read a good book without any interruptions. We also had fun snorkeling at Haunamu Bay. There were so many fish and the water temperature was just perfect. It was a little bit windy while we were there but we didn't care too much. We also hiked to the top of Diamond Head Crater. That was so nice. The view was incredible. One morning it was pouring rain so we decided to take a drive. We drove to the North side of the Island. We were able to visit the Hawaii Temple and BYU Hawaii. We also stopped at the Dole Plantation along the way. The drive was absolutely gorgeous. Everything was so green. We also visited Pearl Harbor. It was cool to visit such a historical site.
We ate a few great places in Waikiki. Cha Cha Cha's was one of the favorites. They have an amazing Jerk Chicken and Pineapple salsa. Eggs n' Things was a great place for amazing omelets and hash browns. One of the best breakfasts of my life. Of course Duke's. I love the salad bar and you can't forget the hula pie. One of our favorite desserts were at Leonard's Bakery. They are called Malasadas. They are a Portuguese donut (like a scone) filled with custard or cream. Yummy!
We really had a great time but we missed our little boy Jackson too much.

Our little piano man

Jackson and Grandma Goosey in Salt Lake

The Incredible Hula Pie

Sunset...

Yummy Shave Ice

Hawaii Temple under construction

Our hotel across the Bay

Nate and I at the top of Diamond Head

Gorgeous view of Waikiki at the top of Diamond Head

My Boys...

2009-02-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

These are my boys and I love them to pieces. They make me laugh every single day. They are my best buds. I just wanted to share a few moments that I get to see every day.

Tag your it...

2009-02-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

The Rules: List 10 honest and INTERESTING things about yourself. Then tag 7 of your friends.

1. I have a secret love for cartoons and Baby Einstein. I sit and watch them all day with Jackson. Sometimes I get so distracted by them I forget that Jackson is whining for me.

2. Nate and I are die hard Utah fans. We watch BYU games just to cheer against them.

3. I don't like sweets very much. Nate and I are complete opposites when it comes to sweets. I hardly ever get in the mood to have a bowl of ice cream or eat cookies and cakes. Don't get me wrong I eat them, but they are not my favorite thing to eat. I don't fantasize about them all day. I do however have a weakness for Slurpee's and chocolate cake.

4. I love love love potato chips. If I didn't have self control I would at potato chips all day long. I just love salty snacks like pretzels, chips and crackers.

5. I love going to church on Sunday. Even though I spend half of time in the hall fighting an unhappy baby. I still love getting out of the daily routine. It's just something different and it's fun to socialize with friends.

6. I think Jackson is the cutest baby in the whole world. I wish everyone could watch him for a day and see the sweet, cute, goofy, snugly little guy that I see. If I had things my way I would snuggle Jackson up and watch cartoons with him all day long. It's too bad he can't sit still for 2 seconds.

7. I hate rodents. We lived with Nate's parents over the summer and his sisters had rats and Ginny pigs. They stick and they are so creepy and disgusting. I don't understand why you would want a rodent as a pet. They don't do anything. At least dogs and run and play fetch and be cute.

8. I love staying home all day. I like being able to move at my own pace with no deadlines. I just have my little buddy Jackson to worry about. I do look forward to the end of the day. I know it's sad. I just love when Nate gets home from school and the whole family can hang out together.

9. I have an addiction to Facebook and blogging. If you ask Nate he will tell you I spend all of my free time on my iphone looking on Facebook. I can't help it though. I am really interested in what other people are doing with their lives. And I like to keep up on the latest gossip.

10. I'm really not that INTERESTING. (I just couldn't think of 10 things about me)

I TAG: Heather, Michelle, Julie, Tori, McKenzie, Melissa and Lindsey

Getting so BIG!!!

2009-02-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

I just found these Mickey ears that I got for Jackson when he was 3 months old and I had to see how well they fit him now. The pediatritian said he had a big head...

Just Like Daddy!

2009-02-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

Nate's Grandma "Goosey" made these cute little outfits for nate when he was Jackson's age. Nate's mother saved them all and now Jackson gets to wear them. I can't believe how big Jackson is already.

This is Jackson at Seven months old.

This is Jackson at Three months old.

Cabrillo National Monument

2009-02-03T21:22:00.000-08:00

Last weekend our family visited the Cabrillo National Monument. It was such a cool place. The weather was perfect and the views were unbelievable. I can't beleive that I have lived in San Diego for two and a half years and never knew about this place. There is a lighthouse on top of this hill and while you are driving to get to the monument both sides of the street there are thousands of headstones. It is amazing. I haven't seen anything like it. What a gorgeous place. We will definatly visit again.

Weeeeeee!!!

2009-01-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

This week I have been taking Jackson to the park by our house. He just loves to swing in the swings. I absolutley love this picture because his hair is blowing in the wind. Isn't he so cute?

I just had to post this cute picture. Jackson does this all day long. I can't help but love him.

It's been a while

2009-01-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I last updated my blog. Our family has been so busy this last month. We have been traveling all over the place this last month. Now things are starting to settle down and I have time to blog.

Our vacation has been so amazing. The last few years I have had to cut my Christmas visit short to return to work. This year I brought my job with me. That's right that little handsome guy came along for the ride. We first drove up to St. George to stay with my family for a few days. We celebrated Christmas with them. It was so great just to see them and spend time as a family. Later that week we drove up to Salt Lake and celebrated Christmas with Nate's family. That was also a lot of fun. It's nice to just see everyone when you live so far away. After Christmas we went to Orlando to Walt Disney World with Nate's family. That was such a blast. We went to all the parks and had so much fun. Jackson even had fun, but he did get sick while we were there with a bad cold. It scared me because my nephew just got over RSV a few weeks before. We ended up taking him to a doctor and they gave him antibiotics and he as fine the next day. While we were in Florida Me, Nate, Jackson and Nate's parents took a mini side trip to New Orleans to attend the University of Utah Bowl game. What an amazing experience. The game was unbelievable! After the Utes won an amazing game we headed back to Florida to catch up with Mickey again. It was sad to end our trip with a long drive back to San Diego. It sure is good to be back home. We were definitely gone too long. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Jackson and his Grandpa at Blizard Beach

Nate with a sand bucket full of ice cream. YUM!!!

EPCOT! This was one of our favorite places we visited.

The UofU football game in New Orleans. GO UTES!!!

It's nice to be back home in San Diego where you can wear shorts to the beach in the middle of January.

Christmas Time!

2008-12-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving!

2008-12-05T21:14:00.001-08:00

Last week we went to St. George to spend thanksgiving with the Prince family. We went up a week before Thanksgiving and Jackson and I spent time with my family while Nate flew to Salt Lake to see the Utah vs. BYU game. Jackson and I hung out with Grandma and Grandpa and Wendi and Bailey took us swimming at the recreation center Wendi runs. It was such a nice place. The pool was amazing. They had a huge water slide and a lazy river. They had swings for the little kids that Jackson would have hung around in all day if I let him. We had a lot of fun splashing around. Later that week Nate came back and my sister Heidi and her family came in and we ate Thanksgiving dinner that my mom made. She is such an amazing cook. Heidi, Nate and I woke up early on Black Friday and went shopping at Kohls where Dani works and I ended up getting a whole bunch of stuff. We had such a great time in St. George it was sad to come home. But we will be back soon for Christmas!

Jackson meeting his new cousin Boston

All the grand kids together for the first time

Jackson hanging around in the swings at the pool

Twilight Train!

2008-11-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

I just jumped on the Twilight Train last week. I gave in and started reading the first book. Now I understand why everyone is so crazy about this Vampire business. I have to admit that when I started reading it I couldn't put the dang book down. I would read every second I had a chance. I was up all night reading so Jackson wouldn't interupt me. I finally finished the book and I can't wait to see the movie.

Three Great Years!

2008-11-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Nate and I celebrated our three year anniversary this last month. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on October 27th 2005. We dated for about a year and I knew he was "the one" for a while before Nate decided I was the one for him too. I remember the day he proposed. I was in Mesa Arizona with my family for my sisters Heidi's wedding open house. My parents told me we had to take pictures at the Mesa Temple. It was the middle of July and it was over 100 degrees outside. So of course I was upset but I went anyway. We got to the temple and I was so mad because me and my parents were there and I didn't see anyone else there to take pictures. Then out of nowhere I see a handsome man coming towards me. Thats when I realized it was Nate and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. It was so romantic. It was the biggest surprise of my life. Soon after we were married we got a dog and named him Scottie. We treated him like our baby. and we still do. Later the next year we moved to San Diego so Nate could attend Law School. I worked for an investment firm. After many adventures together we decided to add to our little family and had a little boy on June 26th 2008. Nate finishes law school this year and we plan to move back to Utah. I look forward for many more amazing adventures together with the man I love.

Real Food!

2008-11-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

Jackson had his 4 month docotor appointment this week. The docotor said that he looks great and that he can start eating rice cereal and work his way up to fruits and vegis. He wasn't sure how he felt about it at first, but I think he likes it. He sure makes a mess of him self by the time he is finished. He is such a good little boy. We sure love him!

Trunk or Treat!

2008-10-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Jackson went to his first "Trunk or Treat" tonight. Our ward had a Halloween party we had dinner and then everyone decorated their trunks in the church parking lot and all the kids in their cute costumes collected candy. We had a blast! The kids were so adorable. Especially Jackson in his Turtle outfit. Nate and I even got these goofy hats. I was a Lobster and Nate was an Alagator. Jackson had already fallen asleep by the time all the action started. But he had fun anyway. Here are a few pictures.

Vote YES on Prop 8

2008-10-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Proposition 8
*Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
*Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Proposition 8 has been all over the news these days here in California. As we draw nearer to election day it seems like every other commercial on TV has to do with voting yes or no on prop 8. The church has asked all ward members to help get the word out to vote Yes. It's amazing how much work our ward has put in to this. Some members were given phone lists to call and ask people which way they were voting on the proposition. Others volunteered to go door to door and talk to people. They have people standing on street corners holding signs. They are hosting all kinds of meeting and rallies for this. I guess you know it's a big deal when the Prophet of your church tells you to do all you can to pass this proposition.

Daddy's clothes

2008-10-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Nate's Grandma Skeen made him this cute duck outfit when we was small so we dressed Jackson up in his daddy's clothes. Isn't he just adorable.

All Smiles!

2008-10-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

I had to put this picture on our blog because Jackson is so cute. I love when he smiles really big. I just can't wait until he starts to giggle.

September!

2008-09-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened in the past month but I have totally neglected to update my blog. So here is the month of September all at once.

Jackson took his first trip to the beach! He slept the whole time but we decided to stick his little toes in the water and he screamed. So that is why he is crying in his picture.

Jackson and I went to Disneyland with Nate's family while his sisters and brother in law ran in the Disneyland Half Marathon. Nate was in Michigan with his dad watching the Michigan vs. Utah game. Disneyland is not as fun as it sounds with a three month old baby. But Jackson looked so cute with his Mickey ears.

Our family went to visit my sister Heidi and her family in Gilbert Arizona. She had her baby girl McKenzie three weeks after me. It was so hot there! We were glad when we got back to San Diego's perfect weather.

The day we left for Arizona my other sister Wendi had her little boy Boston. He is so darling. I can't wait to hold him. I am so excited that Jackson has two cousin's his same age. They will all have so much fun when they visit Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Jackson went to his first NFL Chargers football game. He was a little scared at first with all the noise. But he got used to it and actually slept through most of the game. I thought it was going to be a horrible mistake bringing him to the game but he did surprisingly well.

Our little family decided to have a picnic in Beautiful La Jolla Cove last week. We love to go for walks along the coast some times. We love living so close to the beach. It is so beautiful and at night it is nice and cool with the sea breeze. It doesn't get better than this.

We also decided to visit Hotel Del on Coronado Island. It is this gorgious hotel that is 120 years old. It is in the Movie "Some Like it Hot." with Marilyn Monroe, and it is haunted by Kate Morgan who checked in but never checked out. It is so amazing. If you ever come to San Diego you have to check out this hotel.

SAN DIEGO!!!

2008-08-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

We have moved back to San Diego! Horray!!! It's so nice to be back in our own home. We love San Diego. I am so glad that we have at least nine more months here. Nate's sister Kelsey and her husband Trent moved down here and they are living about two buildings away from us in the same complex. They have a little dog named Scooter and our dog Scottie loves to play with him. They are best friends. I think we will have a lot of fun this year. And please come and visit. We love when our friends and family come to visit us because we have so much to show them. San Diego is such a great place to live. The weather is perfect and we live close to the beach, which we promised ourselves we would visit alot more this year! Yahoo, we are back!!!

Our Little Golfer!

2008-08-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Nate took our little boy out golfing with his dad and grandpa, while I took a night off to go out with the girls. Jackson loved golfing! He slept the whole time. He lovd to ride around in the golf cart. Nate had a great time with him and would love to take him out again some time.

Jackson's Blessing

2008-08-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well, It's been a while since I last updated our blog. So here is an update on what has happened. Jackson was blessed on August 3rd by Nate. It was such an amazing day for our family. I was having a few struggles that week. I had Ecoli for about three weeks and I was given medicine to take care of eveything. The first anibiotic did not work and I was given another. That whole week before I was so sick I had a fever and I just did not feel good. I could barely take care of little Jackson. That weekend my fever go higher and I felt worse than ever. On Sunday moringing, the day of the blessing I broke out in a horrible rash all over my body. I was itching like crazy and I looked so grose. It looked like I had a bad sunburn and acne all over me. Anyway to make things worse, I wrote the wrong address on all of the invitations and my grandparents almost missed it. Other than my horrible day It all turned out great and Nate did such an amazing job. He is such a wonderful husband. He took care of both me and Jackson. I love him!

Jackson's One Month Pictures

2008-07-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Jackson had his One Month pictures taken this week. Nate's cousin Brittany Gray took them and they turned out so good.

Mount Timpanogos

2008-07-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Nate and I took a little break from the baby this weekend. We woke up really early and drove to Mount Timpanogos. We hiked up hill one and a half miles to the Timpanogos Caves and took a tour. The caves were incredible. I have never seen the caves before. I couldn't believe how water could make these amazing rock formations. We saw the Heart of the cave and a we even saw "rocky" a rock that looks like a dog. I highly recommend going on a tour through the Timpanogos Caves if you havn't already. The hike wan't that bad, I thought the worst part was walking down the mountain.

Grandpa Skeens 80th Birthday

2008-07-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Grandpa Skeens 80th Birthday party. It was fun to get together and eat and talk with everyone. We took lots of pictures. I love this one with four generations of skeens.

Adorable!

2008-07-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this picure because I think it is so cute. I love how he is sticking his little tongue out!

First Bath!

2008-07-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Little Jackson had his first bath this week. He absolutly loved it!

Baby Jackson

2008-07-09T08:55:00.001-07:00

Jackson has been home for about a week and a half. He is full of surprises. I never know if it's going to be a good night for him where he sleeps through most of it, or if it will be a bad night where he doesn't go to sleep and cries all night. He absolutly loves his bottles. He must be ours because we love to eat!

His new favorite thing is swinging in his swing. That thing is life saver. It puts him right to sleep. I finally had a chance to eat breakfast this morning for the first time in a week.

He also loves to ride in the car and the stroller.

By the end of the day, we are both pooped!

Jackson Randall Skeen

2008-07-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Jackson was born on June 26th, 2008. He weighed in at 6 lbs. 13 oz and was 20.5 inches long. His little hat is covering up his cone shaped head after he was lodged in the birth canal for way too long, just ask Bobbi. His hobbies are eating, sleeping, sucking on his vanilla flavored binky, and sun bathing (check out the last picture). He came home on June 29th, after having spent his entire life in the NICU at St. Marks Hospital. Jackson, welcome to the world and stop peeing on your dad!

Little Cottonwood Canyon

2008-06-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend Nate and I decided to take a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon. It was so nice. We drove all the way to the top and there was a ton of snow. We even saw people skiing down the mountain. It's the middle of June! As we made our way back down the mountain it kept getting more green. When we got to the bottom we walked on a little trail by the Salt Lake Temple Quarry. It was a perfect day for a nature walk.

Pictures from Maui

2008-05-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Maui 2008

2008-05-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

Nate and I just got back from our vacation to Maui. We stayed at the Marriott in Wailea. They have the most amazing pool where we watched the sunset every night. The weather was perfect. We couldn't have chosen a better time to go. Nate went scuba diving with his parents while I sat at the pool and read a book. We also went snorkling and saw about ten turrtles swimming around. It was so cute! We also decided to drive to Hana and it was the most amazing drive of my life. It was like driving through a jungle. We also stopped at the Seven Sacred Pools and it was really beautiful. We can't wait to go back again.