The Walkers

The Walkers

Monday, May 20, 2013

SUMMER!!!

I can't begin to tell you how excited I have been for summer!  We had such a LONG, cold, horrible winter this year, it felt like it was never going to end!  (I will neither confirm nor deny whether I lived in an oversized hoodie and did nothing but watch Netflix for all of January ;))  I am looking forward to lots of swimming, playing outside,  going on walks, BBQ's, getting the yard fixed up, etc!

Another thing that I've been looking forward to for months is the new splash pad that just opened in downtown Springville.  We'll be spending lots of our summer days there, I'm sure!

This was the day of Grand Opening.  It was only 70-ish degrees that day, but that didn't stop us!  Poor Isaac was so cold but he kept going in for more!



 My mom and step-dad met us down there (Rick works for Springville City and helped get the grounds looking nice for the opening!)


This picture of Malea makes me laugh, she was waiting for the water to spray up and make the ball float up (she was getting frustrated, lol)


She got it finally!


Another trip to the splash pad on a different day.....Malea taking a break to eat some yummy Costa Vida (LOVE that they just opened one in Spanish Fork) 



Isaac & me (it was hard to get a good picture with him actually looking, this was the best I could get!)


Such cuties!


Isaac taking Iron Man for a dip


This is the first summer we have had our own house with a yard, so I'm pretty excited to plant some flowers!  We have SO much work to do in both the front and backyard. Sometimes it is overwhelming, but I know it will be worth it in the long run. I guess that's what we get for buying a fixer-upper!  I've been amazed at how much better the front yard looks compared to when we first moved in last fall. The grass was yellow and looked dead but with some watering and fertilizing it has come back nicely!  Now we just have to tackle the backyard :P  

Here's some pictures of the kiddos helping me plant flowers in our pots :)




Isaac helping me weed :)


Keith mowing the lawn


We are loving our new deck!



Kiddos having a little picnic lunch on a nice day


This is pretty much what Isaac will be living in this summer, I'm sure!  Our neighbors probably think we're white trash, lol!


Blowing bubbles (love that Malea was randomly wearing a helmet)




Getting ready to go on a walk :)


We'll also be heading out to Colorado again in a couple of weeks for my second summer of Intensives for my graduate program (see THIS post from last summer).  Keith and the kids are coming with me again, which should be fun!  I start summer semester today, which I'm not excited about because we only got about a week off after spring semester ended and I'm SO burned out, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm almost there!  Just three more semesters and I'll be DONE!!! 

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Mother's Day

I am so grateful for my amazing Mom!  She is always there for me and is one of my best friends.  She is so supportive, loving, genuine, and shows me unconditional love.  She sacrifices so much of herself to be there for everyone else.  I don't think I have truly come to appreciate all that my Mom did for me (and continues to do for me) until I became a mother myself.  Because let's face it, being a mommy is freakin' HARD sometimes!!!  I don't know what I would do without her!!

(Mom with the kiddos - Halloween 2012)


I am also grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mother.  I have never had so much love in my heart than when I became a mother.  I remember being worried when I was pregnant with Isaac that I wouldn't be able to love another child as much as I loved Malea....and then I realized that your love just multiplies with each child!  It really is amazing.

Mother's Day 2013

Pictures with my little sweeties (wearing the new dress I picked out for my gift from Keith :))



Here are some of the fun little trinkets I got for Mother's Day this year :)
(Sorry it's sideways!  Blogger is so annoying sometimes, grrr)


The day I became a Mommy!
Malea Mary Walker
February 12, 2008


The day my heart doubled in size!
(And my face apparently, LOL!)
Isaac Asay Walker
September 7, 2010


(Can't believe how much water I retained with Isaac! Wow, ugh lol!)

I love my kiddos so much and can't imagine life without them!  Even though being a mom is one of the most difficult, frustrating, exhausting things I've ever done, it is also the most rewarding experience I have ever had and I would never trade it for anything in the world!

Happy Mother's Day!!! 

Monday, May 6, 2013

Birthday Month

February is Birthday month at our house!  Not only is it Malea's (12th) and Keith's (14th) birthdays, but my brother Sam's (19th), Keith's sister Jenn's (4th), Jenn's daughter Lily's (21st), and Keith's brother David's (21st) birthdays, and I think there are even more I'm forgetting! Then add Valentine's Day in there and it's like sugar overload!

On Sunday the 10th we had some family and friends over to celebrate Malea's 5th birthday and Keith's 30th birthday for a little combined shin-dig.  I wanted to make Keith's 30th birthday a bigger deal but he is not a big fan of parties so we settled on a combined party with Malea :)  





Blowing out the candles :)



Isaac was all about that cupcake, lol!  Love his smile (he was saying "cheeeese!")


I surprised Keith with some BYU basketball tickets for his birthday :)  He ended up taking Malea for a little daddy-daughter date, which was fun for them


Me holding my cute little baby nephew Marshall, only a few weeks old here 


Happy 5th Birthday Malea!

Malea on the morning of her actual birthday.  I made pancakes and tried to make them special by putting strawberries on it in the form of a "5" (not super creative, I know, but I had just worked the night shift so that was the best I could do, lol!)



Malea's birthday countdown, we took off the last chain! 


That afternoon/evening we took Malea out for a special birthday date.  We ate dinner at Smash Burger and then took her to Build-a-Bear for the first time!


Birthday kisses from Mommy XOXO



She picked out a kitty :)



Birthdays at our house are more of a week-long celebration, so the Saturday after her birthday we had her "friend" party at the house.  She wanted a Hello Kitty theme so we went all out!






Some of Malea's buddies :)


Eating some pizza


All the girls loved playing with my friend Alisse's cute little baby Maizy!


Opening presents!





Malea doing the pinata, Keith was brave enough to hold it up by a stick, lol


The kiddos getting the loot from the pinata


I can't believe my baby girl is 5!!!  Where has the time gone?!