Potty Trained...YEAH Baby!

I seriously never thought I'd be writing about how Katy is potty trained, because she has been so stubborn about the whole thing. We've tried several times and we were bound and determined to "get er done" this time! She was always good at going #1 but we were having a hard time with #2.

Steve is a genius...so I am totally giving him all the credit on this one but he came up with a brilliant idea. Every time Katy was "taking care of business" she'd run off to the corner and make sure we knew not to talk to her or look at her. It's like it just hit Steve, this idea, out of no where. He had a talk with Katy...a full house moment if you will...and they decided that they would put her potty chair in the corner so she could have some privacy. That is what did it, she just wanted us to not be all up in her grill! So as of September, we've now get to deal with public toilets flushing too loud! and germy toilet seats! Yeah!

It was smooth sailing from there. We said if she didn't have any accidents for a few weeks we'd take her to Chuckie Cheeses. Much to our delight (that she was finally there) and dismay (because we'd have to go to Chuckie Cheeses) she did it! And if that's not enough I found a coupon so we got pizza, drinks and tokens. Katy talked before we went about how she'd be so excited to see Mr. Chuckie himself, until he was walking around to the tables. She DID not want him to come see us! Also it's been quite a while since I've been there but does anyone remember those creepy robotic singing guys? They still have them! We also had to sit where we didn't see those...much too disturbing for Katy! We did have fun playing the games though. She got a purple ninja and a pink slinky.

Good job Katy we are so proud of you!

Colt

So Colt has be a GREAT addition to our family. I am still in awe that the shelter he was in was going to put him to sleep the following day before a Lutitent in WVC decided to take a chance on him and see if he'd be a good drug detection dog. His 5$ investment to get Colt and train him has made Colt worth about $10,000!

I still rack my brain to figure out how he ended up at the shelter. I keep thinking that no family would want him to get away because he is AWESOME!

WVC has a contract with some dog food companies that they can get dog food for the K9 unit. The only problem is Steve is not technically in the K9 unit because he is still in the CSO unit. So when he got Colt and they tried to just keep the food coming, they were told no. Steve tried to get some chain stores like Petco and Petsmart sponsor him, but no luck. And however it worked out the Valley Fair Mall decided to step in and take the reigns. They have decided to sponsor him. The only catch is that Steve has to work a few hours once a month where the public can meet and interact with him at the mall. They call it "Two with Talos". Ha that is his real name. Not sure the whole story but something to do with an Eagle Scout project and the kid naming him Talos. They didn't love it and came up with Colt...but because they didn't want to hurt any feelings they call him Colt Talos. Who knows!

We went with Steve his first week and people were EATING Colt all up. Steve jokes that Colt makes him more likable because people don't just see a guy that writes tickets, their hearts are melted by the sight of Colt and Steve then becomes the greatest guy around! Steve also had Colt stuffed animals to sell to help raise money for the Giving Tree.

So as part of his "Two with Talos" they wanted to make trading cards and posters with him. Steve told the committee at the mall that I would take pictures of him. I'm happy with what we got considering he's a dog and could care less about posing for pics! We used a lot of treats that day :) Colt is also going to be giving out his "pawdagraph". They took a cast of his paw and made a stamp he can put on your trading card! Ha, it's so cute. Come check it out if you are in the neighborhood!

3 x 12//September 2011

September 2011

Again, I realize that September is way over...and yet here I post. Because I remember nothing of September I have vowed to get October done ASAP so it's fresh in my mind. Also of note this month, I am realizing why Steve hates my "self portrait shots". We'll have someone else take them for October!

Anywho, September has left us.

Some highlights of September were:

- Camping up at Jordenelle again and going to Swiss Days with my mom. We had a blast camping with grandma. We did have one incident that mom forgot to bungie off the bed and Katy slipped right out when we put her to sleep! Poor thing. I think my mom still has a fresh picture in her mind!

We ate lunch at The Store. They had great sandwiches.

Katy thought Swiss Days was pretty fun. We actually got up earlier on Saturday morning and went into town. We caught the end of the parade. Katy covered her ears, she thought it was loud!

- Going to our favorite place, MOAB!

- Celebrating Steve's big 30th birthday!

- AND KATY IS POTTY TRAINED!!!! (That will be a whole post in and of it's self.

Something else to note for the month of September is how great of a husband Steve is. I have been feelin' super sick with this pregnancy and he has been so sweet. I don't remember if I was ornery or not with Katy (I seriously don't remember being so "testy"). I keep telling Steve that I am sorry. He just reminds me with a smile that I am pregnant, and he wouldn't be a pile of sunshine either if he was throwing up or on the verge of throwing up all the time! Dirty laundry and dishes are taken care of by Steve. He has been extra great about keeping the house clean, and I SO appreciate it. I am the luckiest gal around town.

Until October!

another one bites the dust

I realize that Steve's birthday was last month, but I think a special birthday post is in order...

Regardless of what Steve says about being 23, he is biting the dust this year at the BIG 3-0! Adios twenties. It's been a fun 2 decades for Steve....lets recap, shall we?

1981: Born.

1982: Started walking. Sort of. Climbing on EVERYTHING! Loved to pull out the bottom utensil drawer in the kitchen and sit in it.

1983: Found his eyes, ears, mouth and nose. First set of stitches is received.

1984: Learned how to push your parents by pushing any button imaginable, and ripping labels of everything in the new RV. First broken bone, broken foot.

1985: You're a super duper pooper! Finally potty trained...that was rough!

1986: Kindergarten. ABC's and eating delicious glue on a popsicle stick.

1987: More broken bones, broken arm

1989: Despite telling me how much you don't like to play soccer, you sure played a lot of soccer!

1993-1996: Jr High School and the so called "awkward years"

1997-2000: High School. Went skiing all the time. Somehow managed to get good grades despite your 35 absences in some classes!

2000: Went to Utah State for one semester. Wondered if you'd ever meet anyone cool enough to marry.

2000-2002: Served an LSD mission to Houston, Texas.

2002: Came home from mission. Planning on going back up to Utah State to go to school.

2003: Went with friends to hang out with some new girls. One of so called "new girls" walks in late. You promptly declare that you are sure that you know her from somewhere. Talk to girl all night. Girl gives you "raspberry" in a game of silent football....you are smitten. Leave get together, come back 10 minutes later to ask girls to join you for a late night meal at the Denny's. Set up date for following week where you tell girl that you are not going back to Utah State (despite what you were saying at first get together), something you decided right then and there.

April 2003: Girl leaves to go to school in Hawaii for the summer. Work two jobs extra hard. Talk to girl and email every day.

June 2003: Girl returns from Hawaii. Spend every night together.

August 2003: Purpose to girl. Girl says yes.

December 2003: Marry coolest girl in the world, the one you wondered if you'd ever meet. (release white doves)

2004: Working full time at 911. Going to school full time, thinking you may become a nurse. Living at the married student housing (cinderblock castle) at the University of Utah. Buy 1100 soft. condo in Holladay, UT. Great neighborhood. Car stereo gets stolen twice, and tries to get stolen once.

2006: Decide to become a police officer. Trying to find a way to have someone else pay for the academy to become an officer.

2007: Buy home in Riverton, UT. Welcome Chuck Norris to our family. Graduate from University of Utah in Psychology and Criminology.

2007 and 5 months later: Steve graduates from the POST academy (courtesy of WVC) becoming a police officer with West Valley City.

2008: Decide that keeping up with the "5 year plan" it would be a good time to try to start trying to have a family.

2008 and one month later: Find out that you are in fact going to be adding to your family in November.

2008 and nine months later: Welcome Katy RaNae Beardshall to our family, celebrate our 5 year anniversary the following month.

2010: Promoted to CSO division of WVC police department.

2011: Added Colt to our family as Steve becomes a K9 officer.

2011: Decide to add another member to our family...baby bambino to join us in 2012.

It's been a great 29 years for this boy. He's grown into an incredibly handsome husband and father. Sometimes I pinch myself (then I pinch his butt because I LOVE pinching) that I'm married to him! It's not all rainbows and sunshine but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy 30th to my muffin top, my wild stallion, my Steveo!

The Utes won the game against BYU for Steve's birthday. Katy was happy about this.

And so was steve.

Here we go again!

Ha, I know I totally look awkward because I was running to get in the photo, but that's the best I got for ya.

Depending on how you choose to look at it I'm between 12 and 14 weeks (DON'T ASK...we'll talk more about this later), and we couldn't be more thrilled!

Excited to see what this pregnancy brings, I think I'm totally in denial because it seems like so long since I had Katy cooking in the oven. I like to think we have a "good recepie" so it will be fun to see what this kido turns out to be.

Moab Birthday Bash Weekend

I honestly can't think of a better way to celebrate Steve's big 30th birthday, than to go to Moab...his favorite place in the world! And although he is still in denial that he is 30 and not 23 AGAIN, I think he had a great time.

I think Katy is starting to see why we love Moab so much....because she loves it! As you can see.

We started our whole shin dig out by taking the back road into Arches. Jordyn and Carter tagged along because Chris and Wendy went to Flordia. Jordyn ended up riding with us most of the time, but she sure liked the "jeeping" we did!

The three gossips. Arches is seriously the most beautiful place around! people come from all over the world to enjoy the beautiful scenery found here, and it's just in our back yard!

This is Katy's new "cheese face", not sure about this one...but it does make me laugh! She was having a blast with Carter at the visitors center.

We tried to find a way to tame all these wild animals!

They did a pretty good job too.

For the most part...this guy just couldn't be tamed :)

The following day we took a trail up to one of our favorite lookouts for lunch. Actually we were going to eat our picnic lunch up there but Steve locked the keys in the truck at the campground. We had to hang around for AAA (thank you Roger for being prepared, I think we use it more than he does!), so we ate our lunch at the campground!

But, as always, the view is great!

You can't tell but Katy just woke up from a cat nap. Man nothing puts her to sleep better than riding on the trail.

Ha, us in all our camping glory! No make-up baby, Steve that is :)
Our last day we headed back to Arches and hit up a few favorite spots for kids. The windows was a great start.

Katy is so funny....she just wanted to do everything by herself, including climbing up all 100 stairs! We had to help her a bit (or we'd be there all day) and she did not like that!

Roger and Joanne are always up for an adventure!

Jordyn and Carter were both great with Katy. I think she liked having them around!

Beautiful!

Sand Dune arch was a favorite place of the trip. Carter duplicated the arch in sand, not too shabby indeed!

Jordyn and Katy opted for a Rapunzel tower. Well, I think Katy was calling it that at least! Ha

Man oh man, we had SAND in places we didn't know we had! Poor shoes, those things are still bright red with sand!

Don't blink but that is a lizard in Carters hand. Ok you can blink because he is actually dead! Yuck!!! Ha, they found him on the rock. Carter really wanted to catch a lizard the whole time, with no luck. He was trying to convince Joanne that he needed to keep this guy. Also of note, they swear that he was moving when they put him back on the rock! Ha

Ok, so I was a slacker a bit on the trip with the camera because we also hit up main street in time to see a homecoming parade for the high school. We also ate out on Friday night (in celebration of Steve's birthday) at Zac....all you can eat pizza, salad and soup! Yum!!!! Man they have some dang good pizzas.

On Saturday (our last Arches day) we watched the U game against BYU. It was funny that we were all decked out in our U gear and everyone kept asking what time the game was on, or go UTES! Although Steve's actual birthday was on Sunday I think that was the icing on the cake to watch that game. At half time we made him go back to the trailer and get Katy's jammies. I had Carter and Jordyn set up some decorations and we surprised him with silly string and cake batter cookies when he came back...complete with candles! Ha! It was a great day! We love you STEVE!