O'Leary Family

Remember us?

2012-01-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've updated the ol' blog. I was thinking I wanted to fill in all the blanks since the last post, but I'm just going to have to start somewhere, so I'm starting with now. Here is the Christmas post from the O'Leary family:

Here is the Sunday before we left for Montana - Ahh - we love our new home!

Esme's birthday is right before Christmas, so we got to have an ESMAZING birthday party. We were able to hire these clever characters for the event, at a pretty good price.

Caroline knows how to make everything cute and we made these cute Ham cake pops (there was no ham in them - just the character)-

Esme's birthday wouldn't be complete without a tribute to her Mom.

Who thought of the mustache contest!? This time of the year is supposed to be joyful - not scary!

Thanks to Christmas break, we were able to spend some quality time with the O'Learys.

There was just enough snow one day to pull the kids around the yard in the tube. We couldn't get Olive out! She loved it!

We love our Montana Christmases, although they are crazy busy! Shawn was relieved to go back to law school where things are calm again :\
Arizona welcomed us back with nice warm weather.
We look forward to 2012! Happy New Year!

Summer 2011

2011-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

We are having a lot of fun enjoying our Montana summer! I have to update the blog and there is a lot to update. Here's what we were up to in June - we got to have Sweet Esme join us for 2 weeks. We loved it!

We made some flip flops. They took longer to make then it took for them to fall apart, but we were able to pull out a picture.

Sweet Esme with flowers for her momma~

We have also done some 4-Wheeling. Here is what your side looks like when you fall off the 4-Wheeler:

More to come!

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day has always been a fun 3 day weekend to go camping, or hang out at the pool or just be with family. This year was the first year we really experienced what Memorial Day is about. I preferred taking it for granted, but it was a nice day to be together and remember Paige.

The kids can make anything fun!

Memorial Day Weekend Campout

2011-06-01T14:18:00.001-07:00

"Why did the O'Learys use pictures from January for their Memorial Day Campout post??"

Well - This was May in Montana this year! SNOW over Memorial Day weekend! Delicious Snow!

This was the inside of our tent.

Notice Shawn's fishing hat - courtesy of James. All the MEN still went fishing on the Firehole. They caught TONS of fish and taught Shawn how to do it too!

There was snow in the mornings, but it would usually melt by the middle of the day - followed by a little more snow at night.

We did manage to get some sun and some good pictures. All the "Stovalls" except Caroline's family (boo) were able to make it. Here are James and Sweet Esme:

It took everything I had to get Olive in at least a sweatshirt. She does not like layering clothes.
Here she is with Shelby having some appetizers before dinner a la Jesse and Tricia:

Love cousin time!!

Olive decided to take Gunner on a little walk.

All in all it was a great weekend. I'm bummed I didn't get everyone in a picture, you'll have to surf through the rest of the family to see more pics!

Easter

2011-05-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

There was a lot going on this year for Easter. Gramma and Grampa Brown and Uncle Brandon and Aunt Jessie were in town. We celebrated Olive's birthday. Kathy was in the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple. And we went to the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Betty Fairfax School.

Here is Joss with one of the guards from the pageant.

Jackson thought they were pretty cool too.

We were glad we got there to get a picture with Kathy in her costume. She did an amazing job and worked so hard. The kids got so excited trying to find her in the multitude. It was also so fun having Gramma and Grampa Brown.

I went in early to sign the kids up for the hunt. Shawn brought all the kids in himself.

Here is what Jackson got at the Easter Egg Hunt at the school. Can you tell what his favorite color is? He didn't even consider any egg unless it was orange.

Here's their loot:

They got their faces painted at the hunt too.

I think this guy was a little scared of Olive. This was a friendly as she looked the whole time he was painting her face - no wonder he painted the heart so small!

We did dye some eggs. Jackson thought it was pretty fun!

Catch up!

2011-05-03T13:12:00.001-07:00

We've had some fun, but you wouldn't know, because we haven't been very good bloggers lately. Here is a hodge-podge of fun and friends and family over the last few months:

This was the first time we went to the splash pad this year. It was nice and warm and the kids had a lot of fun!

Church goes from 11-2, right in the middle of Olive's nap time. When we get home we usually eat. Olive, trying to be efficient, decided to combine her meal with her nap.

We got to have Auntie Kelli visit for a few days. We went to the zoo and played in the pool and hit the town and loved every minute! We can't wait for her to come back!

We got to have some good days with Sweet Esme! We can't wait to have her stay with us this summer!!

We went to the zoo with our good friends the Gardners. I didn't get a picture with everyone, but this was close!

Joss - Escape 2 Africa

2011-02-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

(Go to the bottom of this page and click the triangle to turn off the music for this video)

At the Zoo

2011-02-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

We took Mom and Dad to one of our favorite spots - the ZOO!

Here is Jackson with a foxy dragon:

We have never ridden the camels at the zoo before, but it never was the Life's Too Short Tour before:

This guy reminded us of Uncle Jesse:

One of our favorite exhibits:

More with Mom and Dad, Golf, Bowling

2011-02-21T11:49:00.001-08:00

We had a little Amazing Race - Bowling Night. It took a couple tries to find a bowling alley that would take us, but once they did - they were stuck with us!

Joss getting some tips from her daddy:

Jackson's favorite thing about bowling - Juice!

Final scores on the final game. Mom got the 216! There are some other pretty great scores on there as well. Shawn's at the 188, and Dad has the not too shabby 154:

My friend Kelli watched Olive and the rest of us played some golf.

Life's Too Short Tour 2011: Disneyland

2011-02-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad had planned on coming to Arizona for awhile. I tried to find some fun things to do while they were here and Saturday morning we just decided that nothing was better than Disneyland. We were off early that morning and were in Disneyland that afternoon. I dubbed it our Life's Too Short Tour 2011.

Because I still can't figure out the way the pictures go up on the blog they are really out of order, but it doesn't really matter. There's a ton of pictures on this post, so ENJOY!

It was very fun to be so spontaneous and it was awesome to be with my parents and my family in the Happiest Place on Earth. We did have one incident with Olive that required her wearing only Shawn's t-shirt under a newly purchased sweatshirt, but she didn't seem to mind (although all the other mothers there were giving us looks!).

Christmas 2010

2011-02-09T15:38:00.001-08:00

We are figuring out our new life and realizing there's a lot to catch up on the blog.
Our Christmas was nice. We spent it together - just the 5 of us.
We went to the Christmas lights in Glendale on Christmas Eve. We hadn't done that before and it was a beautiful Christmas Eve.

In preschool, Joss made some reindeer food with oats and glitter so the reindeer could find us and have something to eat. It was fun to watch them sprinkle it on the lawn.

Shawn and I were so excited for them to come down Christmas morning, but they were MORE excited. Joss was the first one up and she sat patiently at the top of the stairs for Jackson to wake up so they could go down together.

At the drive in.

Merry Christmas to all, and to Olive... well...

They made out pretty well this year~

Of course the holiday wouldn't be complete without an incident. Olive fell off the top of her Cozy Coupe and landed on a Lego. You can see the Lego circle on her head.

Paige Cahoon August 23, 1976 - December 7, 2010

2010-12-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

We now have a very special angel watching over us.
I'm not sure how to do this post. I know the picture above alone will make it so at least my dad can't look at my blog, but it's the perfect picture of her.

6 years ago, Paige was diagnosed with breast cancer. 3 weeks ago, she lost her battle with it. It was something I NEVER thought would happen. Never. She was a warrior - and I don't use that word lightly.
Breast cancer has a 95% survival rate, especially when caught as early as hers was. At one point she was in remission, and there was a 2% chance of it returning - it did. There are many people that are considered one in a million - I'm not exactly sure how the math works, but I'm pretty sure these odds actually PROVE she is one in a million. I always knew I was lucky to have her as a sister. Even more, I always knew I was even luckier to have a friend like her.
She was my ultimate go to girl. I can't count the number of times in the last 3 weeks that I've had something come up that I needed to tell her about, or get her perspective on, or just hear her laugh. I don't have any idea how I'm supposed to live my life without her, but I'll learn, we all will.
All I wanted for Christmas was Paige. I got her perfume (thanks, babe), I wear her clothes as hugs every day. Our camera broke earlier this year and she had the foresight to get us one for Christmas. I wish I had the foresight to have taken more pictures of us together. In the future, I want to take more pictures. She continues to inspire me.
I know the faithful are not called home before their time. I keep thinking I could have handled her being a little less great if it meant she could stay with us longer. She was the best aunt, she was the best friend, she was the best big sister, she was the best wife, she was the best daughter, she was the best missionary - I think that's why she was called home.
Everything she did was right.

I love these pictures of her - she looks so healthy, and bright, and fun. That's who she was.
It's getting to the point where I can be happy again and soak up the splendor of my family every day. I know I'll never be OK with the way things happened, but I know it's not up to me. I know the difficulty I face and she wasn't my wife or my mother. I know as the prayers fade it will be harder for all of us and my heart goes out to James and Esme whose world has completely changed.
It is my challenge now to make the best of this life here, keeping in mind her legacy. It will be interesting to find the balance in remembering her, remembering my family and doing what is in their best interest. Sweet, sweet Esme has quickly jumped to the top of my priorities. She will know how wonderful her mother was. More than anything else out of this situation, she unknowingly has become a major target of my love.
I look forward to the challenge.
I wasn't totally convinced that the "better place" was really all that much better than here. I know it is now - because she is there. In our family prayers at night we ask Heavenly Father to tell her that we love her. I know she knows, but I just want her to be reminded.

To all those who have sent me and my family love and support - I thank you, I truly thank you. I haven't been able to respond as I feel I should, but I want you to know, it is appreciated more than I can express, and more than you can ever know. I also recognize it's not just me and my family who have suffered a great loss - and my heart goes out to all of you whose life she has touched, which I know is a great many.

Breast cancer - you picked the wrong family to mess with. You are going down.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-03T12:11:00.001-07:00

Between the 4 visits to Urgent Care (2 with Bronchitis, one sinus infection and one topple off the back of the high chair and landing on tile floor) we still managed to pull out a pretty great Halloween. We went to the Holman's Trunk or Treat where Aunt Debra was dressed up like my mom and then we were able to go Trick or Treating with Shawn.

Jackson and Olive were the cutest, most fierce pirates ever:

Joss was a beautiful bird.

Laveen Soccer

2010-09-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Joss has started playing soccer! It took her awhile to figure out how to NOT use her hands, but thanks to good coaching and a little practice, she's doing pretty well!
Here are some action shots at her first game:

Two-Hand overhead pass:

Get the Ball!!

SWEET! Joss and her friend, Blake

BIG THANKS to the Lignells for not only coaching, but also being the official photographers and making sure everyone gets their memories! Just our luck - our camera died after one - not very good picture!

Summer in Montana

2010-07-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

We were so lucky be able to spend time in Montana this summer. It's so nice to be out of the Phoenix heat and with our family up north! As is the tradition with Stovalls, we were busy busy busy.

We roasted marshmallows on many occasions. I love this picture of Jackson's dirty face with a nice white marshmallow in his mouth:

We were able to visit Gramma and Ann at the cabin. My battery went dead, but we did manage to get a few pictures.

Here is us at the beginning of the Gates of the Mountain Tour - when we were still able to smile~

I think every family has a different version of this picture:

This was FHE - Jesse was entertaining the kids with stories.
You gotta love the Happy New Year crown in July!

We spent some time at Canyon Ferry with the O'Leary's. There wasn't a lot of sun, but we were able to get some time on the boat.

Belgrade has an awesome splash park. Jackson was going to get his money's worth, he got soaked!

We celebrated Jackson's birthday while we were there. He wanted a balloon cake, so we made that the theme and they spent the night throwing water balloons at each other.

I was able to run a sprint triathlon while we were there. I was proud of myself for finishing, even if it wasn't pretty:

We love having the chance to be with family - it was great to see Reid and Mishel as Montanans again. We really have an amazing family!

Joss the Photographer

2010-07-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

Joss has taken it upon herself to further her skills as a photographer. She likes to set things up around the house and take pictures of them. She also like self-portraits and capturing our family at its finest.
Enjoy!

Jesse couldn't have taken a better picture if he stole the camera himself:

Classic- Picture of pictures:

Joss at her finest:

Blackmail supplies:

Summer has Begun!

2010-06-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

Summer has officially began in Phoenix - it is HOT HOT HOT! Here are some pictures of what we have been up to. We have mostly been just eating pizza and hanging out at the pool!

Here is Olive chowing down on pizza and making goofy faces - definitely an O'Leary:

Shawn and the kids at the pool - this is pretty much what our summer is going to be like:

The kids got new sunglasses-

Is this cute or what?! I can not get enough of my kids in the pool!

We picked up Kathy from the airport and decided to go to the Visitor's Center at the Temple. Kathy is amazingly strong and I love this picture of us.

ASU Bound!

2010-06-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

Our life has been one crazy rollercoaster for about the last 2 years! We think we know what we're doing and then circumstances change and we start the decision process over.
One thing has worked out in our favor and that is that Shawn was accepted to ASU College of Law! It was one of the best days of my life and we are excited about what that means for our family.

We were able to visit some of the law schools we were considering, but interestingly, we had never visited the ASU Law campus, so we decided to take a day and go check it out.

This is the very important ASU College of Law golf cart:

Shawn with Joss and Jackson in front of the library:

Here they are again walking up to the campus. It was the first time he had been here and it was very exciting!

We are looking forward to this summer and getting to spend some quality time with Shawn before he starts law school. We are so proud of him and are so grateful for the Lord's hand in this. Shawn is more than qualified, but we know we had some extra help!
ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!ASU!

Seattle

2010-04-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Since it has been MONTHS since I have seen my sweet niece, Esme, I decided it was time to go to Seattle and visit her - and Paige and James! It was just me and Olive traveling this time and it was fun to have some one-on-one time with her - that just doesn't happen very often these days!

On the last day - actually on the way to the airport we went to Pikes Market. It's one of my favorite places. Here are Olive and I with the crabs.

Here we are next to the famous pig - Jesse and Tricia just got their picture here a few weeks before.

Olive and Esme got matchy-matchy "I love my Auntie" shirts - they had to show them off:

We spent a day at the Tulip festival. James' company walked in the Tulip Festival Parade in La Connor - then we went to Tulip Town to get some pictures with the beautiful flowers - Olive and Esme got to be matchy-matchy again!

Shawn got to spend some QT with Joss and Jackson in Phoenix. I got updates daily on the goings-ons. They took 5 PM naps and stayed up till 1 AM, they slept under tables, they got to see How to Train Your Dragon, and spend some time with Little Gramma. I didn't ask a lot about what they were eating (although I did notice about the same amount of fruits and vegetables were still in the fridge when I got back), but when I came back, they were happy and healthy - with the exception of Jackson's eye - apparently no one knows what happened to cause this! When the momma's away...

Thanks to everyone who helped in getting me there. Thanks to Paige and James for taking good care of me while I was there. Thanks to Shawn for being an awesome husband and daddy to be 100% willing to take on this challenge. It was a breeze for him!
I'm so lucky to have this AMAZING family of mine!

Roller Derby

2010-03-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went with Rod and Kathy to the Roller Derby. The Brawlerinas vs the Surly Gurlies. I thought it was amazing. It took awhile to figure out the rules and how to score points, but once we figured it out it was very exciting and fun to watch.

There wasn't a bad seat in the house (unless you got smashed into by a Brawlerina).

This blurry guy in the green was one of the mens Roller Derby-ers, Quadzilla. He was definitely the best! When he was the jammer, the other team didn't stand a chance. During half time of the girls bout, he had people lay in the lane and he'd jump over them. He kept adding more and more - I couldn't believe he cleared all these people, and I couldn't believe how stupid these people were to lay down there!

Towards the end, Joss informed us that she had finished watching - so we left a little early - but it was fun - something we haven't done before!

Renaissance Festival

2010-03-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

Every year for about 8 weekends the Renaissance Fesitval comes to Phoenix. We decided that we should finally go! They have this midevil town set up with jugglers and magicians and they have an amazing jousting show. It was a fun family day.

Here are the knights at the beginning of the jousting tournament. Our knight was the guy in red and he died right away - BOO!

Here are Joss and Jackson next to one of the buildings. They were all so cute!

Joss and Jackson's favorite part was this huge rocking horse. They loved it!

Jack(son) Spratt could eat no fat...

His wife could eat no lean...

And so between the both, you see, they had a great time at the Festival!!

Why did Shawn have to get new socks?

2010-03-06T09:41:00.001-08:00

BECAUSE HE GOT A HOLE IN ONE!!
That is right - Shawn and I played golf yesterday and on this very hole, he got a hole in one!! It was VERY exciting.

So I wonder when we get our BMW? Isn't that what's supposed to happen when you get a hole in one?

Welcome to the 50s!

2010-03-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, Shawn's mom turns 50! So we decided to have a SURPRISE Welcome to the 50s party! We all dressed up - the girls in poodle skirts, the boys in white shirts and jeans (it took some coaxing). We then went to dinner - all dressed up.

Here are the kiddos. They were such good sports. They looked perfect!

Here is the whole crew! We were quite the sight!

The boys, sans attitudes:

Cutie girls!

I have to make it clear that the "Welcome to the 50s" means that she is coming in the 50s age-wise. NOT that she was born in the 50s (she missed it by just over 2 months!)
Happy Birthday, Kathy!

The Ferris Wheel

2010-02-23T14:33:00.001-08:00

Months ago we drove by a carnival and Joss wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel. We told her she could go when she was bigger. She associated being bigger with being 4, so for months she would see a carnival and say how excited she was to ride on the Ferris Wheel when she was 4. So when she turned 4 we looked for a little carnival we could take her to to ride her Ferris Wheel.

We actually found this cute little one going on and they were having a great deal at the time we showed up, so we did some of the other rides as well. Jackson was just tall enough for some of them. It turned into a really fun day!

Jackson rode the slide with Shawn. It was a little intimidating:

They had several fun houses, which the kids loved, although Joss nailed a window in a mirror and window maze, which deflated her for a little bit. This one they made it through successfully.

It was a perfect little carnival for kids. They had a few rides that little kids could go on without parents. This one was a big truck ride.

This one was Joss' favorite (besides the ferris wheel). The cars would ride along and then fly around the corners. She would laugh so hard!

Shawn took them on this bee ride. He said it actually got his stomach to turn a little... amateur

Here is Joss on her ferris wheel! She loved it. It scared me a little to have her go up so high, but she wasn't scared at all. She was having so much fun!

It really was a great day. All the carni's were very nice and friendly (I don't know why, but I was so surprised by that) and there were almost no lines. It was fun to just spend some time with the family!

Laveen Stars and Stripes Parade

2010-02-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

On the day of Shawn's latest LSAT test, we were lucky enough to be able to be preoccupied with the Laveen annual parade. Our ward put together an amazing float and had matching t-shirts for everyone.

Here is our float - there weren't very many in the parade, so we stood out!

Joss and Jackson had a lot of fun eating the snacks and running around before the parade started.

Everyone was supposed to carry pictures of people in the military. I just carried Jackson.

We got as far as the first block and then we saw Gramma and Grampa and it was all over. It was a fun day. I was impressed with the small town parade. We had a fun time, and it was good to take our mind off what Shawn was up to. We will keep you posted as it comes time to choose a school. We are excited for our future!

Joss is 4!

2010-02-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

It is unbelievable that our baby is 4! It's also unbelievable that she's only been with us for 4 years! I can't imagine life without her. She is a "Glowing, Shimering Star in the Cinema Firmamint..."
Happy Birthday, Baby!

She had a slumbler-less slumber party and all her buddies came over for sleepy games and pizza. They were so cute and we had a crazy-fun time!

We went to the Children's museum on her birthday. She got to meet the Toothfairy.

Little Gramma made her a beautiful barbie cake. She was amazed! (it tasted as good as it looked) We had to take the legless barbie out when she wasn't looking, so she wasn't traumatized!

We didn't know how to try to wrap her bike, so we sent her on a little scavenger hunt to find her new bike. She got picture clues and went from clue to clue until she found her bike. Her bike was in the garage, and when she got her clue to go to the garage she looked all over in the garage to find the next clue - her bike was sitting right in the middle of the garage with a big bow. Maybe we shouldn't have made the game more fun than the prize!

In the end - she is crazy about her new bike and doesn't mind wearing her helmet. It's on the big side, but she should be able to ride for a long time.

Random Catch-Up

2010-02-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

Where have we been? Busy, I guess! Lame excuse...
We have had some monumental months that I haven't updated. Here are some random pictures that I need to put up.

One of our favorite places is the Phoenix Children's Museum. We were lucky enough to get a culture pass. Joss and Jackson are picking flowers:

What's your sign?

How is it possible for these kids to get cuter? Put them with their dad and get them wet~

Joss came with me to mutual when we were doing face painting. She got her face painted by the pro. I got mine done by Joss. I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out!

Joss + a motorcycle + makeup + dressups = me glad that she is only 4!

Stay tuned - I should have more updates coming right up!

New Baby Esme!

2010-01-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day! I have taken the Adoption Post off the side of my blog. Paige and James have adopted their sweet, sweet Esme and for now the focus is on her. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with her the first week of her life and she is a beautiful, precious little girl. Adoption is truly a miracle and our family is eternally grateful to the incredibly brave and selfless birth mother, Ashley, who has given us the most amazing gift anyone can give.

Fall in Phoenix

2009-11-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

It has been beautiful here in Phoenix now that the sun has calmed itself down. It's a nice time to have visitors and spend some time outside.

Here is Olive in her ladybug costume.

Jackson was a dragon - he is demonstrating the "trick" in "trick-or-treat".

Joss was Snow White. She could not wait!

We finally were able to carve pumpkins on Halloween day. Joss drew all the faces and Shawn cut them out. They turned out so cute~

Joss' preschool group took a field trip to a pumpkin patch. Here are the babies on a haystack.

This is the tractor at the pumpkin patch.

Shawn's grandparents came for a visit and brought their Billy Bass Fish. Joss and Jackson loved to sing along!

Mom made these pajamas for them when we visited earlier this year. Olive is finally big enough to wear them, so we had to get a shot.

We went to visit Brandon and Jessica in Safford and went to the Graham County Fair. The kids loved the animals:

...but they really loved the Kettlecorn!

U2 and the Black Eyed Peas!

2009-10-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

In the midst of one of Shawn's busiest weeks ever, our friends, the Whitmores called us up and invited us to go to the U2 concert with them last night. They gave us a screaming deal on the tickets and, honestly, who can pass up U2? Not us! We rushed to find a babysitter (thanks Shia) and off we went. It was awesome. The Black Eyed Peas opened and seriously have to be one of the best openers of all time. They are so fun! It didn't hurt that we were with the Whitmores- and Sarah, all pregnant, can really shake her groove thing! It was a blast and we are now sleep deprived and Shawn has a lot of catching up to do, but it was worth it!

Vegas Baby

2009-10-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since we went to Vegas - for some reason I kind of forgot to put up our Vegas pictures. I guess it's true what they say - What happens in Vegas...

We went to Shawn's cousin, Patrick Fleming's wedding at the Tropicana. It was a beautiful, sweet, simple wedding and we got to see a lot of Shawn's family. Shawn's parents kept Joss and Jackson for the weekend, so we only had Olive to wrestle with.

This is the last few moments we were there - probably a good thing...

We didn't bring Olive's shades, so Uncle Kevin let her borrow his. They look better on her anyway!

In front of New York New York. You forget how amazing the buildings are there.

Hey Kevin, can you take our picture?

(aren't Kevin and Lexi the cutest couple?!)

Shawn and Olive after the wedding. She was soo good. Didn't make a peep!

It was fun to get together with everyone from Butte. We got there Friday and left Saturday. It was quick, but it was fun!

Phoenix Children's Museum

2009-09-02T14:20:00.001-07:00

For some reason, even though all our kids are 3 and under, we still have a hard time getting all our schedules to mesh. We finally had a Saturday that we were all together long enough to do something and it was so fun! Thanks to the Culture Pass which made the price nice!
We went to the Phoenix Children's Museum and it was so fun. Joss and Jackson were in heaven and it was nice that we didn't have anything to rush off to - we could just be together as a family and hundreds of strangers.

Here is the entrance to the Museum.

They have this great craft room where the kids can paint this house - it's been painted over and over and over again - the museum loses square footage every day!

I have this same picture (pose) taken just over a year ago -

Cruising around - I don't know who has the better seat:

Olive got to get out and play a bit too.

Joss loved this area - she got to pick out whatever she wanted:

You can see in Jackson's eyes that they were ready to go at this point.

It was a lot of fun - how great is it to be a family?!
Special thanks to Ampy Paige for supplying the clothing for the O'Leary kids.

Love Montana Summers

2009-07-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our 3 week vacation in Montana. All of my brothers and sisters were able to be there for a little bit. We had so much fun and LOVED being able to be outside. We did not miss the heat in Phoenix, but it's always nice to come home. Here are some pics of what we did:

Sophie, Joss, and Charlee playing Ring-a-round-the-rosies

Uncle Jess showing Joss sparkler safety

They all LOVED the 4-Wheeler.

Joss dropped her ice cream and found the cleanest way to get more out of it.

Hiking up at Hyalite

There were bunnies all over the yard. This little baby let us pet it!

We went to the Custer Battlefield Re-inactment

Livin it up!

2009-05-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have visitors this month. Reid had some training in Flagstaff, so he and Mishel came to visit. We decided it would be a good weekend to bless Olive, so Paige decided to come along too. Thanks to her and the Ivory's for letting us use their fabulous house and pool. It was a fabulous weekend!

Here's Jackson trying hard to look cool.

Joss and Jackson proving that goggles are not nerdy!

Shawn getting in some good Olive time.

They had a blast playing with Uncle Reid.

Joss got some sunbathing tips from her Auntie Mishel.

We love having visitors!

Blessing Pictures by Natalie

2009-05-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we blessed our sweet little Olive. It was a beautiful day and she is a beautiful baby. My friend Natalie came and took some sweet pictures of little Olive. She edited and posted them on a new blog - go ahead and take a peek!

www.olivekay.blogspot.com

Such a sweet thing!

Thanks Natalie!!

Updates

2009-05-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks now, and we are getting used to our family of 5. Here are some of the latest pics of the babies!

Joss loves her baby sister!

Joss loves to take pictures of her brother and sister...

Sweetie Olive - not quite fitting into her hat~

3 Amigos

Olive Kay O'Leary

2009-04-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 17th, we went to the hospital to meet our newest little family member. Most of the morning was spent timing contractions and watching ESPN. We also got in a game or 2 of Boggle. A few hours later, we were into the harder part of labor. For whatever reason, my epidural didn't take except for in my legs, and since the baby didn't come out of my leg I felt way more than I expected. After much pain and a shout (scream) for my doctor to get ready, our little girl was born. It was wonderful to see her.

We spent a lot of time trying to figure out her name. A few nights earlier we went online to do a last minute brain storming session, and added a few more names to our list. We had a lot of input via texts from friends and family and even from our nurses and we finally decided on Olive Kay. I am Karmen with a K after my dad, Kirk, and Shawn's mom is Kathy with a K, so we thought the middle name Kay was fitting. Joss called her Melissa for awhile (Her good friend's mommy's name) and now she is calling her Charlee (her cousin's name). She has always liked to sing I Am A Child of God, and towards the end where it says "Teach me all that I must do, to live with Him someday" She sings it "Teach me Olive I must do, to Him someday", so I'm sure she'll end up loving her sister's name, since it is in her favorite song.

We are loving our new and improved family. Little Olive is absolutely perfect and we are loving every minute with her. Joss and Jackson are crazy about her and love to help out. Here are some of the pictures. There are sure to be more soon!

Here is the newborn picture at the hospital.

Here is Joss and Jackson's first time with their new sister.

This is the first few minutes at home where Joss got to hold her. She has been so looking forward to being able to hold her for "4 minutes". 4 minutes went by very quickly!

I almost forgot the stats. She was born at 2:19 in the afternoon. She weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 20 inches long. She is a good listener and likes to look at the stars.

Thundercats are GOOO!

2009-04-17T04:29:00.001-07:00

On our way to the hospital! Details to follow!

Baby Who O'Leary?

2009-03-17T15:09:00.001-07:00

We've added a poll to see what people think we should name our baby girl, who is coming NEXT MONTH! We may or may not go with what everyone votes for and we may end up with a completely different name, but it will be fun to see what everyone thinks in the meantime! Let us know if you have other thoughts or suggestions!

3 Years Old?!

2009-03-01T23:23:00.001-08:00

On February 2nd our baby girl turned 3! Wow, time really does fly when you're having fun! It was fun to go through her pictures since she was a baby.

This was last Easter. She looked so big then and so little now.

Here is when she was coming to work with me. This was a classic Joss face.

On her blessing day. Just 2 months old! It was such a beautiful day.

So much has changed since then, and no matter what is happening in our lives, good or bad, everything has been sweeter because Joss is part of our family. She is a good big sister to Jackson and she can't wait for baby girl - she wants to hold her for "5 minutes"! There is nothing more amazing then our perfect little family and I look forward to seeing it grow and cherish where we are at now.

M-O-N-T-A-N-A, Montana, I love you!

2009-01-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

We just got back from 10 days in Montana! No one wants to go from Phoenix to Montana in January, so we got some cheap flights! (Thanks, Mom and Dad!!) Caroline and Charlee were able to join us too and we packed tons of non-stop fun into 10 days! I put Mom and Caroline to work on projects for my house, I had a horrible bout with hives that I didn't think I'd recover from, we saw Auntie Kelli at Carroll, met up with my awesome friends from high school, did some kick-butt (and some days sweat-free) Jazzercise, visited Great Gramma Stovall and Auntie Ann and Great Gramma and Grampa Brown, got in plenty of sales-tax-free shopping, ate at the best local places, and put up with sub-zero temperatures.

The pictures ended up a bit out of order, but I don't think you'll lose too much of the highlights!

Here are all the grandbabies. This was taken on the last day and took about 15 minutes to get them all somewhat sitting together! They are wiggly!

Charlee, Jackson, Sophie, and Joss

We went to Burger King to play in the playplace - it was about 4 degrees this day so we did as much indoors as we could. We tried to get all the kids together, but it was nearly impossible, especially with this little girl in blue that wanted to be in all the pictures!

This is in the Montana history portion of the Museum of the Rockies. We made sure no one was looking and propped Jackson up on the cannon with Grampa. He probably has something similar in his safe...

Here is Joss at the Museum of the Rockies next to the Torosaurus. She made the comment "I don't like dinosaurs, I like kitties!" Mom's allergic, baby... Hello Kitty will have to suffice!

Great Gramma Brown was able to meet us at the museum and get some more time in with the kids. Great Grampa Brown also came all the way back from Lewistown to visit one day too. It's awesome to be loved!

Here is a picture of Joss in front of a scientist cleaning up some bones. Notice the AZ shoes she is wearing? You can take the Arizonan out of Arizona...

The hill at the bus stop isn't as steep or as long as I remembered it when I was a kid. We all went down and played in the snow!

Gramma pulled Joss and Jackson all around the backyard!

We made it to the cabin one day and Auntie Ann helped Joss and Jackson sit on Powder River! That was a highlight for them!

It is never fun to leave, but it is always worth the trip! We came, we trashed, we left, and loved every minute! Phoenix gave us nice, warm Welcome Home with Temperatures near 70. Can't wait to do this again!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

This year we had an awesome Christmas. The Browns and the Snapps were able to come from Montana and the weather wasn't as nice as we wanted. Now that they are gone, we should hit 70 today!!

Here are some pictures from Christmas!

Joss and Jackson got to see Santa. Jackson didn't care, but Joss was excited when she figured out that you get to tell him what you want. She asked for some pink makeup. She loves lip gloss and nail polish!!

Christmas morning Jackson got a bunch of cars. Every time he opened one, he took it over to this seat and would drive them.

Joss was very excited with every present she opened. It was so fun to watch her! This was one of her favorites from her Grandparents in Butte. She loves this dog!

This was one of many outfits Joss wore Christmas morning.

Joss and Jackson got a basketball hoop from Great Gramma and Grampa Brown. They love it!

We are looking forward to all that 2009 will bring. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sugar Cookie Houses

2008-12-10T12:31:00.001-08:00

My mom sent the pattern for a sugar cookie house so Gramma and Grampa Little came over and we made some delicious houses. I tried to have Joss help Gramma as much as possible so her house wouldn't be too much better than mine, but when the sides of my roof started falling off, it didn't matter anyway.

You can't tell from this picture, but Joss did have a lot of fun decorating. She wanted to take the picture instead of be in it, (plus it was past her bedtime at this point) so she is sporting quite the sad face.

New Family Pictures

2008-12-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

My good friend Natalie is a budding photographer and I offered her the service of using my babies to pad her photography portfolio. Here are some of the goods...

How can we not have more after these 2 turned out so cute?! We are expecting Baby Girl O'Leary April 19, 2009 - The countdown is on!

Technical Difficulties

2008-11-21T10:29:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get a new background and I'm messing up the whole blog. I'm going to take a break and see if my mind and my blog clear up so I can fix it...
It's probably not the best idea to attempt this after a midnight movie last night!!

One in a Million

2008-10-11T01:16:00.000-07:00

It is the way wrong time of night to be posting on my blog, but for whatever reason, I am up thinking about my sister, Paige. It was this time of the year, 4 years ago - We were decorating for Brandon and Jessica's wedding reception and I got my daily call from Paige, only it wasn't my daily call from Paige - a lump had been found in her breast. Of course it was going to be nothing, the odds were on her side. She was only 28, but they had to do a biopsy and take the proper precautions to be safe.
On October 15, 2004, I was still at work when I got my daily phone call from Paige - I knew it was going to be the relief we had been looking for. She was supposed to get her results from her biopsy that day. I remember answering the phone with a very optimistic "Heeeey!" when I got her call - but it was not the relief we had been expecting, instead it was the beginning of a long and difficult road to recovery.

I can't remember every detail of her treatment, and I'm glad for that. I wasn't there as much as I would have liked, but I went for some of her treatments, and all the while she and James were amazingly stong. After months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she was cancer free... until this year. Once again, the odds were in her favor - 98% that she would continue her life cancer free, but life took another twist and her cancer returned to the bones in her back. It is not curable, but it is treatable and not terminal.

Tonight I am also thinking about our 2 sweet babies that are sleeping so peacefully, and there is nothing in the world I wouldn't do for them. I am so blessed that I get to be the mother of these perfect babies. There is also nothing in the world I wouldn't do for my sister and James to have their babies. And right now, the only thing I can do is to pray for them every day with every prayer to have their family.
They came to visit this April and I was reminded that James is going through nearly every bit that Paige is. I am indebted to him for his strength and his support to her and our family. It is not easy to have someone else be the one to be the number one for her while she goes through her trials, but if it has to be someone besides me, I'm glad it's James.

(this picture is not because they are sad - it's because they are cute and don't want to get too wet on rides~)

Every trial has a purpose and every trial is significant. I don't know what my goal is with this post at 2 AM, except to say, I am so grateful that families are forever. I love my forever family and my wonderful husband Shawn and my beautiful babies. I am grateful for the knowledge I have of our Heavenly Father's perfect plan. I have faith that everything happens for a reason and Paige and James will have their family. If you remember during your prayers, maybe throw in a little something for Paige and James. They are going through the adoption process right now and I know there is a perfect little one out there for them.

Paige is my hero - not because she has cancer, but because she is thoughtful, sweet, kind, determined and has strength beyond anything I can comprehend. How did I get so lucky that she is my big sister?

Hooray for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Hooray for pink ribbons!

Beck in Concert!

2008-09-23T15:48:00.001-07:00

Last night Shawn and I went to a Beck concert - it was fun to see Beck live and even more fun to have a Monday night date night. They were awesome. They don't dance around and have ton of pyrotechnics or anything - they just did their thing - I've added some songs to the playlist. I had a few people would say "Who's Beck?"
Who's Beck?! Here's Beck!

Passing along the information

2008-09-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

I was at Shawn's cousin's blog and she had a great post about the importance of preventing gay marriage. It's one of those things that can easily be written off as it doesn't effect me, what do I care what they do, why not - I really like Ellen DeGeneres...
The truth is, it does effect us and we have the ability to help keep the sanctity of marriage as Heavenly Father intended, between a man and a woman. Arizona has this issue on the ballot this election- Proposition 102 - Voting yes says we want marriage in Arizona to be recognized only as union of one man and one woman.
I am including the link on Whitney's blog to the Divine Institution of Marriage from the Newsroom at lds.org.
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage
I encourage you to read it and pass it along. It may help open your eyes on how this issue really can effect us.

Where have we been?

2008-09-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since my last blog - especially since we've had so much going on!

First Shawn turned the big 3-0!
WHAT?!?!
We are way too young to be that old (lucky me, I still have time)!

Then, Joss, Jackson and I went to Montana to visit family and crash the O'Leary Family Reunion. Jackson is a Man's Man - he loved being with the guys - Pat Fleming couldn't put him down if he wanted to!

Poor Grampa Bear hurt his knee, but that didn't stop him from teaching Joss some soccer.

Then in Seattle, we had so much fun. Paige, aka Ampy Paige, was able to spend more time with us than we thought, so we made the most of it. We tried to do everything Seattle could offer, the zoo, the market, picking fresh blueberries:

8 Amazing Years

2008-07-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

July 15, 2000 was the beginning of forever - and it's been a wonderful ride ever since. Girls Camp was near Payson, so Shawn suprised me and had the babies stay with Gramma and Grampa while we went to Payson and Girls Camp at Camp Lo Mia. On the way back we stopped at the Natural Bridge and hiked through it. It was spontaneous, beautiful, tricky, natural, exciting, and WAY FUN - just like the last 8 years!

I'm so lucky to have my Shawn. He is a huge supporter of me and our family and I'm so lucky to have found him and that he loves me too.
I'm also so glad he had the foresight to celebrate early because our anniversary was spent taking care of pink eye, ear infection, and bronchitis...
Happy Anniversary, Babe! I love you!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!

2008-07-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

WHAT!?!? It's been a year already? What a wonderful day that was! Little gramma met us at the hospital and took Joss home to take care of her while daddy, Jackson and I got to work to get him here. Right this minute he is a bit tired and snuggly and it reminds me what a sweet little guy he is.

The Childrens Museum in Phoenix just opened and charge for kids ages 1 and up, so the day before Jackson's birthday we went - Thanks for the frugal gene, Mom, I saved $9.

Joss and Jackson playing with the sand.

They had a bunch of huge shoes the kids could try on:

Joss got to help paint this house! She loved it!

Here are some of the birthday highlights:

Jackson's first taste of cake - I think he likes it!

Not to be overshadowed by a simple birthday, Joss was showing how big she is by getting herself undressed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKSON!!

Vacation in Phoenix

2008-06-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

We decided to get out of the heat and we went to a resort about 5 miles away for the night! It was so much fun and it wiped the kids out!

Jackson fell asleep on the lazy river - and didn't wake up during the transfer!

This is Joss's tired face - not to be confused with her grouchy face...

My friend Natalie edited these pics for me. How sweet are our babies!?

The best part is we didn't have to spend a ton on gas! Viva Phoenix!

Sod and Gomorrah

2008-06-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

... destroyed by brimstone and fire.

After 2 delays in getting our sod, it finally came, but it came a day early, which meant we had to lay it ourselves. My very good friend, Melissa, watched the babies while we layed the sod. It turned out great, but we are both sunburned and sore! It sure felt like we were being destroyed by fire!

IT WAS WORTH IT! Our backyard is now green!

Cool in the Pool!

2008-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

It is getting much warmer and Gramma and Grampa's pool is getting NICE! I'm sure we will be very wet the next few months.

Joss got a new suit and we had to test it out!

Jackson loves the water.

Joss had to be sure the flowers have plenty of water.

Jackson and his Little Grampa!

Hoppy Easter!

2008-03-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hoppy Easter from the O'Learys!

We had a beautiful Easter Sunday at Little Gramma and Grampa's house. Joss and Jackson were both sporting new hair-dos and got to wear their Easter best. Joss got to hunt for eggs and Jackson got to get his eggs taken away by Joss!

This dress was actually a Christmas dress from her O'Leary grandparents in Butte. She was so pretty in it!

Joss and Daddy splashing by the pool - not quite warm enough to get in much further!

Hmm - I don't think Jackson is crazy about grass.

Here is a quick pic before Joss realized he had all her eggs!

Mom and Dad in AZ!

2008-02-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

We love having visitors and just said goodbye to some of our favorites this morning :0(
Here are some pictures of the hightlights when Gramma and Grampa Stovall came to visit...

Mom and Dad on the jetskis - a little different background than what you find in MT!

Grampa always has to fish - this time he has a helper!

Don't fall asleep when we're having fun, or you will get your picture posted online!

Here is cutie Jackson in his cutie swim suit his Gramma and Grampa got him!

We also played a ton of golf, but for some reason didn't get any pics! Joss and Jackson want Buh Buh and Buh Buh to come back and visit soon!!

Joss Turns 2!

2008-02-10T19:16:00.001-08:00

Joss turned 2 on 2-2 and so she had a tu-tu party!

Here are all the girls getting stickers after their ballet lesson!

Here is Joss in her very special tu-tu. She picked out the color - Gramma Stovall made it!

Here is one of her most useful gifts!

See - Jackson can use it too!

Here is her family party - she is blowing out the candles on her Elmo cake her Little Gramma made her.

Just a few more~

2008-01-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of catching up to do, so here's one more look at the comings and goings of the O'Learys...

Joss in her new tights - it's like she knows how ridiculous they look!

Jackson found that Sohpie was too sweet to go after, so he went after her daddy! OUCH!

Should we let Joss start dressing herself more?

Joss and Jackson spending some time together.

Jackson's first try at food.

2008 Already?!

2008-01-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe Christmas has come and gone and I haven't even updated the blog! Here are some of the recent highlights...

We got to go to the beautiful temple lights - the boys were all working, so it was us and Auntie Jessica and Little Gramma.

Here is Joss enjoying the snow.

Joss in her bedroom - sometimes she let Dortch sleep in there too!

Christmas morning with elfie Jackson and cousin Sophie.

Cousin Charlee's blessing - isn't she beautiful!

We had a great time in Montana. We love and miss all our friends and family in Montana - but we do not miss the cold!

Watch out Sophie!

2007-12-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

Sophie's Daddy has been talking some smack! Now this is what she gets!!

Thanksgiving in Arizona

2007-11-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day - and then went out the day after and tore up Saguaro Lake with Little Gramma and Grampa's new waverunners!

Daddy took Joss out for a ride.

Doesn't it look like she had fun?!

Then she fell in the water - she is not from Montana and the AZ water is COLD!

We found a way to warm her up.

Jackson had fun too!

Playing at the Sand Dunes.

2007-11-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

We loaded up and headed to the sand dunes near Yuma.

Joss got to listen to some tunes on the way...

She got to do some of her own sand-duning in Maddie's Jeep!

Shawn and Brandon getting ready for some fun! (before the ticket and the bike breakdown)

Is she tough or what!?!
Despite efforts by Travis (Jessica's bro-in-law) to have her look at her toes, she managed to stay upright even with this helmet on!

The New Matthews Family

2007-11-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

Here is the New-and-Improved Matthews Family. Charlee Addison Matthews was born October 29th, and is just so sweet. Joss and Jackson just doubled up on cousins.

Yes, Caroline just gave birth and looks this fabulous!

If you're wondering what this glow is, Charlee is sweet AND radioactive - I guess the combination makes you glow...

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

Here is Jackson's first time dressing up as a penguin riding around in a stroller in the dark.

Joss got to be a hula girl. The flowers didn't make it out of the car, and her lei didn't stay on long enough to get a picture taken.

Joss did pretty well. She fell a few times, skinned her knee, got scared once (good thing she's still in diapers), and made out with a bunch of candy - The O'Leary Blind boys will benefit from this little outing!

The O'Leary Blind boys had to do a big install, but we got to go with the Warns and Auntie Jessica and Little Gramma. Joss and Maddie had so much fun together!

For some reason, when you tell Joss to smile, she sticks her tongue out!

I think they liked it, maybe even enough to try it again next year. Any suggestions for costumes?!

Viva Mexico!

2007-10-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

We took a vacation with Shawn's parents to BEAUTIFUL Cancun, Mexico! We had so much fun in paradise! We did the Selvatica zip lines and flew through the jungle. We played on ATVs and Jetski's in the super warm water. We saw Mayan ruins in Tulum. We snorkled with the fish in Xel-Ha. And we drank all the (virgin) daquiris and pina coladas we could drink! We're ready for another vacation!!

Joss and Jackson at the Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Joss and Jackson went with Mom and Gramma to the pumpkin patch. We love Phoenix in October!!

Hay is for Horses!

2007-10-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

I had to be quick with the camera to prevent Jackson getting hay in his face!

2007-10-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Joss, Jackson and I went to the farm, with my friend Natalya and her little boy, Michael. Joss had her hair in appropriate piggy tails, but they didn't make it to the farm, so they ended up being goofy-hair the rest of the time.