Waters Family

2011-12-29T01:04:00.000-08:00

Just in case you were wondering YES we are still alive. We have been very busy as usual. Nate has started his pilot job and is gone on average 6 days a week. It is a very long week! I also am working about 3 days a week. My only working 2 days a week was short lived but oh well I enjoyed it while it lasted. We have a new babysitter her name is Trishelle and the kids love her. I do to since she has been a tremendous help. She graduated High school last year so she is extremely flexible.
In october we were able to go to MN for my brothers wedding. It was my first experience flying standby and needless to say it was an adventure. On the plane the little girl sitting next to Zoe started crying and Zoe threw her hands up in the air and said " I don't wanna hear the crying". Yeah I was pretty embarassed. Then at my brothers wedding reception Zoe asked the DJ to play I Am A Child of God. The funniest part is my brother hasn't had anything to do with the church since he was about 12. We had a good time.
We also have been able to spend a week in Utah with my family before Christmas. It was so much fun to hang out. I love seeing the cousins together and how much fun they have. It bring back memories of all the fun times I had when I was little with my cousins.
Then we went to AZ for Christmas. It was a bummer that Nate was gone but we survived. I enjoyed my time with his family.The kids had a blast and were really fun to watch this year.
After all the traveling it is nice to be home, in my own bed. It seems I am only finding time to update the blog at work, but hopefully pictures will soon follow.

2011-09-16T02:44:00.000-07:00

Me: Zoe after we have a snack we are going to lay down for a nap.
Zoe: Aye Aye Captain Mommy!

Well we are surviving with Nate gone. It's not fun, it's not easy and I am hating every minute of it! It wasn't so bad the first week he was gone because I knew he was coming home in a week. Well he left again and I he won't be home for 5 weeks. We are trying to see each other before then but no plans made yet. I am still working nights, but since I don't have anyone to watch the kids during the day I am working every other night, so I can stay up and watch the kids. We have a very nice friend of Nate's from school who is coming to our house to watch the kids when I work, they love her. She even got the HURRAY Annie's coming from Jaxton. I am going to go PRN at work which means I am only obligated to work 8 shifts in 4 weeks. Basically 2 shifts intead of 3 per week. Only 1 day less a week but feels like 10 million bricks off me. I am so excited to finally be home more!
Zoe continues to make me laugh just about every hour! I have found a storytime for almost everyday of the week to keep us busy or should I say keep me awake. There is a free music class at the library that is great, and many trips to the park. I am going to start doing a co-op preschool with some moms in my ward. Zoe will love it. Everyday she asks if she can learn.
Jaxton is still as busy as ever. He loves pretending to be a dinosaur, still loves trains, and finding anything to make Zoe scream! We had our first experience with a burn last night. He touched the burner on the stove. His hand doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. He got all the fingers in the middle and the pointer finger tip pretty good. He just kept holding it and saying ouchy ouchy ouchy. I felt so bad.
Good thing I have these 2 lovies to keep me busy and make the time pass a little faster. One thing is for sure we sure miss our Daddy and can't wait for him to come home!

Lonely In the Lone Star State

2011-08-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

So, I arrived today, Sunday, in Texas to start training for my new job as a pilot for American Eagle Airlines... and I miss my family every second that I am gone. I am guessing the fact that I have nothing to do yet is a considerable factor, but it is not the only one. It seems so easy to go away on an exciting new adventure until... the ones you want to share that adventure with aren't there. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for this new career and the challenges that await me. I know that for my family and I this is what we need. I know I am supposed to be here in Texas for the purpose of training so that I can be a good and safe pilot. I just wish challenges like this didn't have to be. I love my wife and two beautiful children so much that it pains me to know that I could be there holding them, instead of on this cold machine pouring out my soul. For my family, and for me, I can make it. I know that there is help from above in times like these. These are the times I rely on that help the most. I love my family and I know that as the father I must do this for us. I pray this time flies by as fast as the plane I will be flying!!! Love you guys!

Emmi's Quiet Book

2011-08-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

I loved making Zoe and Jaxton's quiet book so much I wanted to make one for my niece Emmi. She is going to be 5 years old this month so I tried to make the pages a little harder. I really enjoyed making this. Every time I was working on it Zoe would ask if it was for her or her cousin Emmi. Zoe loved every page so I think I will have to remake these pages for her book. I am happy to report that i even came up with some of my own ideas. I already sent it to Emmi and my sister said she hasn't let it out of her sight. I am so glad she likes it.

Finally!!!

2011-08-02T01:44:00.000-07:00

The day Nathan has been looking foward to his whole life is finally here. He just got hired by American Eagle Airlines as a first officer. They are a regional company owned by American Airlines. We are all so excited and happy to see his dreams come true. He has worked so hard and now it is paying off. It is kind of funny now that he is done with Air Traffic Control school that he gets a pilot job but as least he has options now. If Air Traffic Control offers something better in the near future we will have a decision to make about which road to take, but for now he has a start on a career, doing something that he loves! We don't have all the details yet about where he will be based, which type of aircraft he will fly or when it actually starts, but we do have the offer letter and thats all that matters! We do know that he will have to do some ground training in Dallas for about 6 weeks starting at the end of August or beginning of September. It will be an adjustment for all of us to have Nate gone so much. I am nervous to be home alone with the kids and still working, but we will all adjust. We are just so happy because this is what we have been waiting for! And maybe I'm happy because i feel a vacation with free flight benefits commin on!!
In July we went to Nate's Family Reunion up around Jackson Hole area. We went camping for a whole week. Yes we slept in a tent for 7 NIGHTS! No there was no running water. There was a water spicket. There was an outhouse. We were able to shower 2 times because we had activities planned at pools. We went to a rec center and a hot spring which had showers. You may be asking yourselves why I would do something so crazy but we had a BLAST. We also got to go to Yellowstone, I had never been before. The whole drive home both kids kept saying how much fun they had camping. They do this reunion every 2 years, and while we were there I kept thinking back to the previous reunion when I had a 17month old and a 4 month old. Now that was crazy. We did have so much fun though. Here are some recent pictures

2011-05-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for those of you who know us know that our life has been full of the unknown and ever changing of plans. It all started around this time of year 2 years ago when we were thinking about Nate going back to school for air traffic control. We were going to move to Seattle then we weren't. We were going to move to Colorado in August then we didn't. We decided we would wait till January still didn't happen. We finally did it in August of 2010. Then I couldn't find a job. I found a temporary travel job but every 13 weeks wondering where was I going to work. So the kids and I came to Arizona for work. Then we decided we are going to move back to Arizona. Now we are NOT! Just when I thing we have it figured out it changes.
I went back to Colorado for Nate's graduation. While I was there I packed the ENTIRE apartment and thoroughly cleaned like pulled out the fridge and stove and cleaned behind then the whole 9 yards. The day before I left I found out both my jobs I has prospects of getting fell through. Needless to say I packed the whole house just to unpack it and stay. Hopefully I will find the humor in this and laugh someday!
While I was there Nate took the ATSAT test which is the pre-qualification test for air traffic control (ATC). You have to get at least an 85/100 or you cant have a career in ATC. Its kind of like the nursing boards for me. So even though you pass school you still have to take and pass this very diffucult test. NAte was scheduled to take it on Tues. The people who took it on Mon knew their results 24 hours later. The test was at the Hilton in downtown Denver so we stayed the night before his test so he could just wake up and go down and take the test instead of making the hour and half drive in the morning. He took the test and felt he did good. 24 hours later we are anxiously looking for his results. They are not there. We left the computer up and every time we passed we hit refresh. Still no results. 3 DAYS later we finally got the results. Let me just say Nate is the smartest man alive. He got an amazing 99.1. I cant event express in words how proud of him I am! He has worked so hard and it has finally paid off. The FAA only hires 2 times a year April and October. We are keeping our fingers crossed he will get a job in october. With a score like that they are crazy not to hire him if you ask me!
So like in all things I believe we weren't supposed move because hopefully he will get hired in Denver. Well my house got a good cleaning and We got rid of the stuff we felt like we could live with out. My life sure has been interesting, but I hope it settles down soon!

Arizona

2011-04-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

The kids and I made it to Arizona. We have been here for almost 2 months already. Nate has been able to visit us about every 2 weeks. He comes in late Friday night and leaves late Sunday night. Not nearly long enough but better than nothing. We knew this circumstance was going to be hard. It definitely has had its trying moments. As in all situations I have learned a few things. How much I adore and love my husband. I knew I would miss Nate, but I didn't know I would miss him this much. In all honesty I am the type of person who gets a little annoyed when I am in the middle of doing something like,cooking, laundry, dishes, and Nate wants to hug and kiss me. I have learned that I miss that. And the next time he does that I am going to stop what I am doing and enjoy his presence. I might have to read this in a few months to remind myself of this:) Not only do I miss his physical presence I extremely miss his HELP! I have pretty much been a single mom for 2 months now. Everywhere I go, the kids go to. The only place they don't go is to work, but that is not break. My mom was single with 4 kids and I have asked her on several occasions how she did it! Is is very hard, and I am grateful to have a husband who is willing to help and who does an amazing job!
The kids have been enjoying Arizona. However Zoe often says " can we go home now mom". Jaxton celebrated his 2nd birthday while here. We had a small get together with family. He LOVES Thomas the train so I made him a Thomas the train cake. He is getting so big. I bought new shoes for the kids and bought them each the same size! He takes after his big sister and his mom and doesn't stop talking. He has an amazing vocabulary and imagination. He makes me laugh all the time. And is constantly testing his boundaries, which he is learning. He has started putting his cars and trains in time out for crashing into things.He still loves his blankie and baba. I tried to tell him we were going to give the Easter bunny his baba's and he would get toys and candy instead. At first he was ok with it. Then we went to see the Easter bunny and he would have nothing to do with it. Wouldn't look at him, wouldn't even stand next to him. So after I asked him "what's wrong, how come you didn't want to see the Easter bunny?". He said in the sadest voice " the Easter bunny's going to drink my baba". So i guess our plan backfired and Nate and I agree that he will forever subconsiously dislike the Easter bunny. Needless to say, the bunny did not take the bottles away.
Zoe is also getting so big. She is very much into negotiating. Which is making me a little crazy. Zoe has taken to potty training. It was her idea with a little help from Elmo. She loves wearing underwear and have had to have many talks about not showing them to everyone. Zoe cracks me up all the time here are some of her recent sayings:
I am leaving to go to work she comes from the other room screaming " mom mom mom waaaaiiit" so I stop and wait she tells me with her finger pointed at me " member mommy, don't forget to pee at work, k mommy don't forget to pee"

I am laughing at Jaxton and call him a nut. Zoe's wheels immediately start turning and asks " what kind of nut mommy" I say I don't know just a nut. About 3 hours later she comes up to me saying " I'm so silly mommy, I'm a nut, I'm a doughnut" we both busted out laughing.
Well looks like we will be moving back to Arizona. Nate is done with school in 2 weeks and will be driving our stuff back here till he gets a job. I have mixed feelings. I am going to really miss Colorado I hope we end up back there someday. I will have Nate post recent pictures.

Better Late than never

2011-02-19T23:28:00.000-08:00

I have gotten a little behind on updating and a lot has happened, so here it goes. We had a great Christmas. We were able to visit my family in Utah the week before. We had a great time and got to see my new baby nephew Kimball. The kids really enjoyed playing with their cousins. Zoe kept calling them her "new best friends." We really did try to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas and went over the story several times, but when you would ask Zoe who's birthday is on Christmas it was always the same answer... "Mine!"

Then of course we celebrated Zoe's 3rd birthday and my 27th birthday, which happens to be the same day. Zoe had been talking about her birthday for about a month before it came, telling every one who would listen that she is going to be 3 and that it is going to be a Hello Kitty birthday. It was really fun. I had to work the night before so I was pretty tired. I came home from work and we opened presents. Then we went to build a bear. Jaxton made a horse and Zoe made the "My Melody" bear which is Hello Kitty's sister. It is so cute, white with hot pink bunny ears. Of all the sounds she could choose, wouldn't you know, she puts in the theme song from Star Wars. It is actually pretty funny. Especially 'cause Jaxton hums along with it. Then we went to this indoor jumping place. The kids had a blast. I think Nate may have had more fun than the kids. We then stopped and got chinese food for lunch. My favorite!!! We were supposed to go to Nate's Aunt's house that evening and have appetizers and play games but the weather was horrible so we stayed home.

Nate started his last semester at school! YAY!!!!! He continues to amaze me daily. He is so smart and continues to blow his teachers away at how well he is doing. His instructor started laughing the other day while he was in the simulator. Nate got kinda nervous wondering what he did wrong. The teacher came up to him and said " I'm sorry, I just couldn't help but laugh". Nate said... " what, why?" The response... " if I didn't know better, I would have thought you were an experienced controller working in the field today." What a compliment. Way to go Nate! Nate has also started working. He does security for new eletrical power plants. He makes sure no one steals anything like the copper wiring. So he sits in his car for 12 hours at night, in the cold, by himself, with no one to talk to, and studies, watches movies or plays his ninetendo DSi. I have to give him props, his job is by far harder than mine since he has no one to talk to. Thanks for all your hard work hunny!
Our next highlight was Nate's 29th Birthday. It was on Sat the 12 and unfortunetely I had to work fri, sat, sun. So we ended up getting Texas Roadhouse takeout on friday night. Then when I got home on the morning of his birthday, he opened his presents and went to IHOP (his favorite) for breakfast.

For Valentine's I wanted to do something special so I decided to make homemade chocolates. It is something I have wanted to do for a while and valentine's was a great opportunity. So I made caramels, chocolate covered caramels, chocolate covered raisens (Nate's fav), orange truffles and almond flavored truffels both rolled in powdered sugar, butter creme filled, mint chocolate filled, cherry chocolate filled, and peanut butter cups. It was so fun. Well... kinda. My creme filling and caramels weren't turning out. Had to remake both, turns out in the higher altitude I was overcooking it by 12 degrees! Once I figured that out it was smooth sailing. Nate was very suprised and so was I at how it turned out.

And the biggest news is...! No, I'm not pregnant. The kids and I are going back to Arizona for 12 weeks. I have been working as a travel nurse and there are no contracts available in our area. So I am going to take a travel assignment at the hospital I worked at in Mesa. I am excited to see all my friends, and work in a familiar environment. Nate will end up staying in Colorado to finish school. The kids and I will stay with Nate's parents. This will be an adjustment for everyone, but we can do anything for 12 weeks!

Quick update on the kids. Zoe is amazing at putting the 24 piece puzzles together. She is completely 100% into anything princess. She loves dressing up in her costumes, wearing dresses, and is always asking for me to make her hair beautiful. She also likes to dress Jaxton up in all her jewelery, princess shoes and crowns. She has quickly moved on from hello Kitty and now loves strawberry shortcake. She loves to do our preschool lessons and is so smart. I don't think she ever stops talking (I wonder who she gets that from). She loves to sing and dance and is always making up new songs. She is so sweet and is always worring about others.
Jaxton will be 2 in march. He definitely has been testing his boundaries and is becoming more and more independent. He loves "Thomas the Train" and can spot a train anywhere. He also really likes dinosaurs and pretending to be a lion. He also likes to talk a lot and has the funniest personality. For instance he finds it extremely funny to throw dirty diapers at me. He will catch me around the corner and throw a wrapped up dirty (wet) diaper at me and bust into the most contagious gut laugh.
They both are so much fun and bring so much joy to our family. They make me laugh daily, and give the best snuggles.

We love you all and hope this message finds you well! We miss all of you we can't see as often as we would like. We think of you all often and you are all in our prayers! Have a wonderful day! Love, The Waters

Smash and Grab

2011-01-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

Two of our most precious possessions have been broken this week. Monday night Zoe was dancing for us in the living room when she fell and busted her head on the corner of the train table. She of course was frantically crying and screaming as I tried to 1) stop the bleeding(you know how head wounds bleed), 2) hold some ice on it, and 3) see how bad it was. All the while she is saying "just leave it alone, put some cream on it!" She thinks cream makes everything better. When I finally got a good look I found that it wasn't very big just deep. So Zoe and I ventured out to the closest urgent care for our insurance... yeah, a 20 min drive! The whole time Zoe was stating she didn't want to see the Doctor and that she didn't want any "pokes". (Two weeks ago she had her 3 year check up and she got shots. The image is still very vivid in her memory and she talks about the pokes she got almost daily.)

When we got there she was so brave and did really good. All the staff loved her and did a really good job with her. They kept asking what happened, and Zoe kept saying I just bumped my head. They would say, " did you hit it on the floor, or a table?" Zoe replied, "just my head." As the doctor was cleaning it, Zoe was laying on the bed and kept saying " mom, I wanna get up now." I am the type that when ever my kids get hurt bad like this or have to get shots I want to go to the store and get them something. So of coarse on the way to the doctor I tell Zoe, "if you are real brave then mommy will take you to target." Zoe's response was, " I don't want 2 pokes and I don't want to go to Target." They ended up just using the durabond glue to close it up. It looks really good. And I, of coarse, have to keep stressing that only the Doctor puts glue on our head!

So, we have finally joined those who have been the "victims" of a car break in! Amber and I have been enjoying our apartment and its location until now. We were all ready to go do our weekly grocery run, laughing and chasing kids to the car when Amber stops short and says the magic words... "did you see this?" We walked closer and sure enough, the front passenger side window was smashed and glass was every where. We took a quick glance and all we could see missing was the portable GPS gone. We had recently become accustom to leaving the GPS on the dash all the time, which has turned out to be a mistake. We took the following pictures and are currently waiting for the police to arrive to get a report from them. What a week! Hope next week turns around and is a major improvement, 'cause I am not sure wither we can handle anymore. We hope you all are having a better week than we are and wish you all the best!

Christmas Tree

2010-12-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

So, we got the tree up and ready. This blog is a little behind but each day I feel if I take it one day at a time, I can catch up and let you all in on what we are doing here in the Rocky Mountains! I am currently snacking on Megan's Potatoes (at least that is what we call them), so if I tend to loose track of where I am going on something... you know that I am not all the way here today! :)

We decided this year that we did not have much space in this little place for our normal tree, so we got a little tree for this apartment and for the kids. They love that it is their size, a 4 footer! They loved decorating it so much that they do it almost everyday with rearranging or just adding new stuff to it. It is pretty funny, when I don't stress about it. Jaxton loves the lights the most and is frequently seen in time out for unplugging them from the wall. He really is a strong willed kid! Wonder where he gets that from? :) Zoe is a big help and loved that she could put the star on the tree with daddy. Amber entertained Jaxton with stories and we listened to Christmas movies as we decorated.

All of our family has been a little down and under the weather, and last night I think it has finally peaked in me. I was a tossin' and a turnin' for hours last night. I think finally near the end I linked a few hours together to feel as well as I do! Pour Amber, went to the Doctor today and found out that there was nothing he could do and that she needed to stay home to get better for the next 7 days. That is not really in line with out Holiday trip to Utah in two days and the last two nights of work we need before we go. She is a little stressed out, and being sick surely doesn't help. We will see how it all goes. If this blog dries up a little for a few days... you now know we will be in survival mode, once again! It is the beginning of a fun time of year for both young and old... and all those in between! Merry Christmas.

Disney-On-Ice

2010-12-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

Well, since now a-days we can't really afford to go to Disneyland, we took the opportunity to see them here in Colorado. We found out through the mail that Disney was doing a Disney-On-Ice show here in Denver and we were excited. We got our tickets and we were on our way. We had to drive a little bit to get to the Pepsi Center in Denver (where the Denver Nuggets play), but the drive was just as fun as the show. We all had time to talk and sing together on our journey to the Magical World of Disney.

We finally arrived and the scene was great. It looked like they just took down the walls of the hockey rink and added a stage at one end. Disney does a great job at making a suitable and easy setup. The theme for the show was parties or celebrations!
We saw Alice and characters at a Birthday party, then Jack (Nightmare Before Christmas) at a Halloween party with all the villains, then a beach party with the gang, a Disney princesses dance, New Orleans with the Princess and the Frog... and finally at the end was a big Toy Story dance topped off with Christmas as the Grand Finale! It was awesome! I think Amber and I enjoyed the show as much if not more than that kids!!! After all, we are just big kids ourselves! (Amazes me that Heavenly Father trusts us enough with these 2 sweet kids!) Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves to the greatest extent possible! If any of you have this chance, take it... even without the kids it is a really fun evening! our adventures never seem to end so we will keep you all posted as they come about! Me being done with school for the semester... means you will see these updates often, so stay tuned! We love you all, and wish you a safe and Merry Christmas!

Crafty Adventures

2010-12-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

The sad thing is that we think this is an adventure, but I guess you have to start somewhere, right? Well, we got a small table set when we moved here to Colorado and never thought about fabric seats with two little ones learning to feed themselves and keep in on the table let alone the spoon! After only a few days we began to see the problems of having fabric seats for the dining set. With both kids sitting at the table now, we had to make a move... and quit (as Zoe would say)!

Amber had a great idea and did most of the prep-work for our adventure. She found some fabrics at the store and after a little discussion, we made our decision. She bought some vinyl as well and with a staple gun we got to work. we replaced the fabric on our chairs and then placed a vinyl layer overtop for easy clean up no hassles. After a few hours of fun... we were done. The kids loved playing with the tools and helped me get ones I couldn't reach (for some reason, I often couldn't reach many of the tools!). When all was said and done, this is what we had done! What do you think? I think for first timers, we did a pretty good job. We are proud of our achievement and look forward to the next adventure!!!

?

2010-11-29T22:44:00.001-08:00

When things are slow at work I like to check out everybody's blog. I usually work more than 1 day in a row and there is usually some down time each night. I check each blog hoping there is something new to help me pass the time. I then realize most people haven't updated for a while, neither have I. Maybe you all are wanting the same from me so here it is!

Not much has happened this month, just the usual day in and day out routines. Which honestly get a little boring as you all know. I was able to have Thanksgiving off this year. Well half off I guess. I had to work wednesday night. I came home, got a few hours of sleep and then we were off to Nate's Aunt and Uncles. The food was delicious. We relaxed and played games. Zoe and Jaxton just love going over to their house. They have a big trampoline and love it when Marker ( that's what the kids call Parker)takes them out to jump. Their oldest son Wayne and his girlfriend Alex were home from school. It was so much fun to see them again.

We were able to do a little black friday shopping as well. We left the kids with Aunt Steph, while Nate, Clint (Nate's cousin) and I ventured out. Let me just say I LOVE SHOPPING! I had so much fun. I love the adrenaline rush of racing around the store to find the items we pre picked out from the ads. The funny thing is Nate loves black friday more than I do. He really looks forward to it. We got some pretty good deals.

That night we went to the movie with his cousins, while Aunt Steph and Uncle Kelley watched the kids. That was the first date Nate and I have been on since we moved to Colorado. It was much over due. It was so fun to be together just the two of us. I love my kids to death but both of us were ready for a little break.

Life is good. However it has been very stressfull for both of us. I have been working 4-5 12 hour night shifts a week, while Nate goes to school, does the kids, cooking, laundry, cleaning and errands. Saying I am sleep deprived is an understatement. Example: Friday night I got up 4 times with Jaxton. At 0630 Sat morning we got up. I took a 2 hour nap that afternoon. Went to work that night. Came home Sun morning went to sleep at 0830 woke up at 11:45 to get ready for church. Went to church. Came home, ate. Layed back down at 5:00 and up again at 6 to go back to work. That is 5 hours of sleep in over 48 hours. This is an every week occurance since I work every sat and sun night. I am not complaining. However I did tell Nate, I think this is the hardest thing I have ever done. There are moments when I think I will never make it through the night because I am so tired. It is hard for me to not be envious of those Moms who get to stay home. Even though I know they are making sacrifices to be able to do so. I just keep telling my self its only for 1 more year at the most. When I get home from work I usually see the kids for about 1 hour then I go to sleep and wake up when they get up from their nap, and see them for about 4 more hours before I leave for work. I miss them so much. There are some cons to the situation but I have seen the pros also:
* Nate has developed a wonderful nurturing relationship with our children
* I have learned to let some things go, and what do ya know there is more than 1 way to skin a cat
* I appreciate the time I have with my family more
* I have learned to be more patient
* I have learned to look at the big picture and ask myself is it really that big of a deal?
* I have a greater appreciation for Nate and all that he does for our family
* Both of us have a better understanding of how life will be for the other person when our roles are reversed again
Needless to say life is hard. I love my family, and my Loving Heavenly Father who helps us through each day. I can feel our family growing stronger and closer together through this time. And hopefully we will look back and say man that was hard but well worth it!

Next American Idol

2010-11-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Nate and Zoe love to sing along to Aladdin. The movie is played almost daily here. One day Nate had a song stuck in his head, as he was singing he heard a little voice in the background, he stopped singing and Zoe kept going. This is what he heard:

Winter Wonderland

2010-11-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well it's official. We arizonians have experienced our first snowfall here in Colorado. We woke up this morning to find the ground and trees covered in snow. The kids were so excited. We decided that breakfast could wait and put on our snow gear instead. The kids didn't know what to think at first,but soon were running and playing in it. The few biffs face first didn't go over so well. We didn't stay out too long since the kids have colds:( Plus Mom and Dad still need some warmer stuff to wear.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this year with the kids. We took them trick-or-treating several times. We went to the pumpkin patch. It was so much fun. They had a petting zoo, and all sorts of old tractors,planes, firetrucks and stuff for the kids to play on. Even though it was raining we still had fun. We went to Bass Pro Shop where they had trick-or-treating at each department, free crafts and pictures with charlie brown. Then we had our ward trunk or treat. We won second place in the chili contest and even got a chili pot trophy!!! Then we took the kids to a Halloween carnival at the rec center. They only charged $1 per FAMILY. I couldn't believe it. Jaxton fell asleep but Zoe had a blast playing all the games. Then we went down to Nate's Aunts and celebrated with them. The few days following halloween Zoe kept waking up asking if we were going Trick-or-Treating today. All in all we celebrated our hearts out, and got our money out of the costumes!

Our Trip to Minnesota

2010-11-05T20:02:00.001-07:00

The kids and I got to go to Minnesota to visit my sister Natalie. We haven't seen her or her family since July 2009. This visit was long overdue. We had so much fun! The plane ride there was easy. Jaxton fell asleep and so did I. I had worked 3 days before we left including the night before, I didn't get any sleep before we left. Zoe entertained herself with the itouch.

We got to go to the Mall Of America. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe. It was so fun to see the kids react. We sat in front of some monkeys hanging from the trees and about every 10 minutes they would start swinging and moving in the trees making monkey noises. Zoe would jump down from her chair and start dancing with them. Jaxton just pointed and shouted monkey. Then the rain storm started and thundering. Zoe almost started crying. After lunch we met up with my brother and his girlfriend Kim. He treated us to a ton of fun at Nickolodean Universe where the kids enjoyed going on all the rides. Thanks Kelby!

One of the days we were able to bring lunch to the girls at school. We brought subway. We ate with Josie and played outside at resess with her. the kids thought it was so fun, and Josie loved being able to show them off! We could only drop Karley sandwich off and say Hi for a minute. Because it's not cool to eat lunch with your mom and aunt anymore!

The rest of the time the kids enjoyed playing and LOVED the fish tank. It has more than 100 fish.

The plane ride home was another story! I tried giving them dimatap and it didn't work. They were very busy and hard to keep entertained during the flight. We also didn't have a ride, so I had to get a ride on one of those caravan things. SOOO I thought I was going to push all that luggage and the double stroller by MYSELF to where I was supposed to wait. Yeah fat chance. Luckily one of the workers noticed and offered to help so I greatly accepted. I thought my van was scheduled right after my flight only to find out I had to wait 2 1/2 hours for my ride. So I ended up cancelling and just waiting till Nate got out of school to come and get me. But now I was stuck outside with all the luggage and no way to get back in. Luckily the kids finally fell asleep.
All in all we had great time. But I don't plan on traveling alone with both kids by self for a while.

The Quiet Book!

2010-11-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here it is. I took me almost 1 year to get this much done. I am now energized to add to Zoe's book and make one for Jaxton. It is so fun to be at church and finally see them using it. All the long work has paid off. They are thorouly entertained and sacrament is a little quieter :)

Travel Wo's Conclusion

2010-10-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

So, obviously we have made it here to Colorado. Amber has updated a lot regarding our family, so I will be brief. We started back on the road once again the next day after the truck was repacked and we did an all day shot to the Denver area where we stopped and spent the night at my Uncle Kelley and Aunt Steph's house. We enjoyed games, movies, and time out of the car. We had a great time and are so grateful for family and the help that we received on this trip.

The next morning we made the last stretch to Greeley, CO where our family was to settle in and make our home. We found the apartments and got the keys. The rest of the afternoon we moved, and moved, and moved some more! I recalled a conversation we had with my aunt and uncle about taking it easy when it comes to exercising here because of the high altitude that we are not accustomed with. We all agreed that a few weeks later we would have been here long enough to work out or do physical activities! Well, I didn't even think of the physical activity of moving in! It was my aunt, her sons Clint and Parker (known to my kids as Marker!), and me. We did really well... but when we had moved the last of the stuff in the house... I was done. Nausea, dizziness, and sucking air were the result! I had fallen prey to the low oxygen and was out for the rest of the evening. The rest of the family went to dinner and brought me some food, but I sat that one out.

During the move I received news of 2 airlines that were looking for applicants and I was given a date for an interview. The first company was Colgan Airlines and it was a good experience, but unfortunately i was unprepared for the simulator ride. I did not pass that portion of the interview and was asked to re-apply again in 6 months. The hiring manager was sad and had told me, "...you were a prime candidate we were looking at." I was sad about the result, but have since seen the positive side. I went for an interview with American Eagle and found out that my paperwork had problems, so after 5 minutes I was dismissed. Apparently, they get their info from a website that I had signed up for 2-3 years ago. They had taken my info from that website while I was driving from AZ to CO. When I got here I updated my info, but it was to late. So, it appeared to them that I was trying to cheat the system and was asked to leave. Nothing I could change about that one. It has turned out for the best because Air Traffic Control seems to be the better route for me and my family! I also love every minute of class. Heavenly Father really knows what is best for me, and learning to trust that has been a big test for me in these circumstances. It has been amazing, and we are excited for what the future brings. We want to convey to you all how much we love you and appreciate your support! We miss our good friends and wish you all the best. We hope to see you again soon.

Our Life

2010-10-09T04:26:00.000-07:00

OK I know I said I would be better at this but I don't know how you guys find the time. I feel like I have to post pictures which I feel will take too much time. So I have decided to post without pictures especially since I am at work, but hardly working :) Shh don't tell.

Anyway we are doing really good and loving our new life in Colorado! Nate is doing an amazing job in school and daily surprises his instructors at how well he is catching on. He is pretty much amazing. This move has really brought us closer together and I know our life will be forever changed for the better because of it.

My mom and her new husband were able to come for a few days and visit. It was so much fun to have her here. The kids really enjoyed being scared and chased around the house by her. However I don't know how our new apartment living neighbors felt!

The other big change in our life is our sweet little 18 month Jaxton has taught his almost 3 year old sister how to climb out of the crib. Not so funny. Our peaceful, giving them each a baba or a cuppy and putting them in there cribs, is no longer so peaceful. We have moved on to toddler beds since Zoe wasn't as coordinated as Jaxton and received many battle wounds climbing out of the crib. To the extent that the daycare lady was asking about them. We had little convincing to do for her to believe we aren't beating our children. (She is in our ward and actually found it funny.) But our very determined and strong willed child is finding it very hard to stay in his bed. Which is wearing on his mother! I used to love bedtime and nap-time and am now dreading it. But this too shall pass, or so I hear.

The kids are getting so big so fast. Zoe is getting quite the vocabulary. Here are some of my favorites:
"Where is that son of mine".
In front of the whole music class:
teacher: Hi Zoe
Zoe: HI, (with her hands in the air) cause we don't have much money!

At the fabric cutting counter at Wal-Mart with a lady behind us and the lady helping us: Mom are you going to spank my bum?

"Mom, come to my boutique."

"MOM MOM MOM hurry come quit (quick in Zoe's language) rescue me."

"Come on Jaxton lets solve a mystery!"

"I don't wanna take a nap, I wanna be a puppy."

Mom: Zoe come lay down and get your diaper changed
Zoe: say please first

They have a lot of fun together! Our next adventure is the kids and I leave for Minnesota on Monday to visit my sister. The catch is I work Friday, Sat, Sun and get no sleep before the plane ride. It should be interesting.

In my not so spare time I have managed to accomplish some things I am very proud of. My mom helped me make a flannel board when she was here and I have become addicted to finding and tracing all sorts of pictures for the kids. They love it. Our First FHE lesson we did on the family, and they took turns picking out the different people I colored out of their new Halloween buckets, which was the best $1 I think I have spent. They play all day walking around with those buckets putting different toys or whatever they find in there. And of coarse coming up to me and saying trick or treat and I give them a few candy corns. I also put my quiet book I have been working on together. I can't say finish because I have plenty more ideas I want to do. I made it on rings so I can add or take away as I wish. This is my biggest accomplishment. I have wanted to make one of these as my laurel project ever since my first niece was born, and that was 12 years ago!. I think it turned out pretty darn good since when I started this I didn't even know how to tie a knot in the thread, thanks Rachel. I taught myself how to thread and use my sewing machine, with a little help from my mother-in-law. I am so excited to keep adding to it and making Jaxton one of his own. The kids will play with it for the first time on the airplane.

Thank you for reading my rambling! I have to admit I often read your blogs and feel so inspired that I often feel weary of writing on my own. Thanks for all your talents and inspiration to life and motherhood. And most of all your honesty! I hope all is well with you and would love to hear from whoever still checks this thing!

Back to work I go!

Travel Wo's

2010-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

So, we started our trip to Colorado. Here were the plans! We were to leave Arizona on the 3rd and make it to our hald-way point in Albequerque, NM. We were going to spend the night and then leave the following day and drive to my aunt's house just outside of Denver and spend the night. We were going to finish the drive on the 5th and move in that day. Well, we didn't quite make it to even Albequerque. We were driving through the Indian Reservations on the border of Arizona and New Mexico when we crossed a lightning storm. It just so happened that a lightning bolt struck the hillside right next to our caravan and had appeared to hit the truck! GREAT! Besides being scared out of my mind and not being able to hear, I was ok. We decided to pull over after all the warning lights in the truck came on and see if there was any problem. Of course, it had to be raining like crazy as well. So we pull over and I turn off the truck and turn the key back to the start position when... nothing. GREAT! Again, what a suprise. our truck was 50 miles shy of Albequerque when it decides to die! So, we go through the whole Budget rental claims and long phone calls with the result that an "Act of God" (the lightning) was my fault because they can't control lightning... apparently I can. After 4 1/2 hours on the roadside we got a tow truck out to us to hook up the truck. $435 later... we were on the road to Albequerque once again. We had the truck dropped off at a local Budget repair shop for further inspection and my sweet cousin Rochelle woke up to receive us into their home! They were really sweet and let us stay there 2 days until it was all sorted out. The next day we were able to have the truck assessed and come to find out the transmission was fried! Apparently the "Act of God" was a safety measure for my family and me. We had to stop and count our many blessings after that call. Because it was a fault by Budget, they had a new truck ready and contracted some other men to transport our belongings to the new truck so we could start once again on our trip. To be continued...

The Mariachi Dancer

2010-07-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

So, one day I was down stairs cleaning up when I heard this strange noise coming from Amber and my room. I knew that Amber was doing Zoe's hair in the kids bathroom, so wandered up the stairs to see this:
We have a radio clock there on Amber's night stand and apparently it is on the Spanish channel. This is the dawning of the Mariachi Dancer! To be continued... I am pretty sure.

The Summer Wrap Up

2010-07-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, what a summer this has been. I remember it being hot, but never this hot before. Our family has been braving the heat with a few escapes to other cities for some fun. We went to California and visited Nate's grandparents and family for a week in late May. We loved spending time with them and just having a fun break from the everyday norm. We skipped over to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth, for a few days fun as a family and loved almost every minute of it. We had some tired children at times, but with a good deal on a hotel room across the road from the entrance, we were able to rest up and hit it again with all smiles. Nate was the only one that had been there before, so it was a treat to see the kids have such a good time. With the crowd control, we had a hard time with 2 children in a stroller, so we fell and bought the child leash for the kids. Turns out they were a big hit. Both kids loved wearing their pack-packs around the park. It allowed them to get out a bit and stretch their legs. After 2 days there, we got some free passes from Nate's cousin's wife and visited the San Diego Zoo. It was fun, for free, and we saw a lot of monkeys... but that seemed to be the main attraction. None the less, the children had a good time. When we got back, we were grateful to be home.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Nate's younger sister Ashley and her husband and cute little girl Sydnie came to visit from Utah. I worked a couple of the nights they were here, but we were able to visit and play. The family got together at Nate's aunt's house for a barbeque for some swimming and food. It was good to see everyone there. Nate and others also got out on the boat and had a good time. Amazingly enough, the Saturday before Memorial Day (Monday) was very empty on the lake, so they enjoyed the piece and quiet.

We had some fun trips with friends as well. We were able to go out on the boat with our friends the Thompsons, and really had a good time. The kids loved the beach and playing in the water. Jaxton had a little bit of a hard time with that big life-vest on and walking in the water. He fell over a couple of times and just layed there in the water floating on his back crying until daddy picked him up. He was a brave little soldier though. The Thompson's little girl Olivia was just as bold and several times we thought that she was going to just crawl right out there into the water! We were also able to go visit their new place, go swimming, and eat really good food with them on another occasion. We love all our friends and wish that we had more time to spend with you all.

As a family, Nate's sister Katie has been so sweet and volunteered to watch the kids once a week to allow us some time "away from it all." We have really enjoyed that, especially with the amount of extra shifts I have been putting in so we can move. She even took the kids on a Saturday night and did a sleepover at her house, letting Nate and I have the night alone at home. It was very quiet! And we were happy to see the clock say 12 noon when we woke up the next day. We will certainly miss that help and kindness. We still have a week or two here in Arizona and are planning on enjoying it as much as we can. And that, is our Summer Wrap Up.

Life Seems so Short!

2010-07-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

We are about there. We have a moving truck with trailer and boxes set to move, and the date is now set in stone. We are leaving the great state of Arizona for the unknown world of Colorado. With no friends and family, we peer forward into the future with high hopes for a better life and career that will finally add some order to our chaotic world. We set sail on our adventure this coming August 3rd! We want all our friends and family to know how much we love them and care for them. We will miss you all, and hope that you will pray for us... 'cause we are going to need it.

Update

2010-02-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

So as most of you know we didn't move to Colorado yet. Key word Yet. Depending on what classes the school offers over the summer will depend if we go in time to start summer semester or if we go to start in August. Or if our house sells anytime inbetween we will go then. That is the plan as of now but I am sure it is subject to change :) I am now working full time and trying to stay positive about it! Nate just got a contract with his company that will keep him on till April 10th. We are very gratefull for that good news. He will have 3 students which is pretty much full time except they are only paying him hourly instead of salary so as long as he is in the air he is there but when he isn't he is all mine.

Here is a few pictures to share what we have been up to. The end of January we took Zoe to see the Disney Live Rockin Roadshow. Jaxton spent the day with nammie and papa (that is what Zoe calls grandma and grandpa). Zoe had a blast and Minnie Mouse was by far her favorite. She loved singing and dancing along with them.

We also took the kids on their first picnic. It was an adventure. Right when we got there the cops pulled up and some kid was hiding by the dumpster. We don't know what happened but they called the kids Dad and lets just say he wasn't happy. Meanwhile the kids played in the dirt then ate there food with grass stuck to their fingers and I had to take several deep breaths and remind myself that this was supposed to be fun. The kids had so much fun running/crawling in the grass chasing balls. While me and Nate played frisbie. We had a great time.

The last or maybe the first pictures (if i can figure out how to get them on right. I know your laughing at me stop!:) are of the kids new favorite pastime. They empty my pantry and line and stack everything. Jaxton especially likes to climb in the cupboard. And we have become a little closer now that you have seen my bra but it was just way to funny not to post.

I am getting better at this!

2009-11-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

Today i feel sooooo depressed! I work all day trying to keep the house up and you would never tell i even lifted a finger. It seems as soon as you get it all picked up it is time to make another meal and the house goes downhill one more time. I told Nate i am not cooking anymore:) He then goes on to tell me it will get better as the children get older and can help more. Then i talked to my sister 5 minutes later and she said you better get used to it because it doesn't get any better :( She would know she has 3 kids. Sooooooo depressing and tiring. Well i better get out of my slump because the longer i sit here the more the dishes and laundry keep multiplying.

Miracles Do Happen

2009-11-18T16:22:00.001-08:00

If you are reading this I thought for sure everyone had given up on me ever updating this thing. It has only been 1 year since i have done this. A lot has happened around here in the Waters household in fact it feels to overwhelming to catch you up on it all so i will scratch all that and start new. If you haven't heard Nate and I are moving to Greeley, Colorado in the beginning of January. Nate and his dad will drive the truck out on the 3rd and my mom and I will fly with the kids on the 5th. Nate will be attending Air Traffic Control school for 1 year. We decided with the way the economy is this will be a better route for our family since it is so hard to get a position as a pilot. We are excited and sad at the same time about our new adventure together. We haven't ever lived without family nearby since we have been married, and are hoping this will bring us closer together. I will sure miss all the help that we have had with the kids! And all the great friends we have made here. Zoe will be turning 2 in December and is full of energy. She is always laughing and smiling (with an occasional tantrum :) )She loves Dora, Elmo and her baby brother. She is saying new words each day and becoming more independent by the minute! She also loves to color, play outside and help me cook. She is a great big sister and quite the little helper whether it is putting stuff in the trash, vaccuming or dusting. Very cute but time consuming. Jaxton is 8 months old now. Just cut his first 2 teeth, crawling everywhere and very busy. He is the happiest baby I know. He is never without a smile. He has such a sweet spirit about him that really adds to our home. He is amazed by his big sister, and soaks in her every move. As for Nate he is busy working, going to school, playing soccer, with an occasional late night of gaming with the guys on XBOX of course. Me I am working 2-3 night shifts a week, and cleaning up after these 2 little ones. I am pretty tired these days but it sure is worth it. Here are some cute pictures of the last little bit!

2008-11-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

Zoe's new favorite toy Ziplocks! Who new? Here I spend all this money on toys and she wants the ziplocks. I pick these up about 10 times a day and then she gets in there and takes them out again one by one. I just let her do it, it makes her happy and i am able to get something done like blogging. Just know that if you get something from me in a ziplock it has been on my floor, stepped on, chewed on and slobbered on!

This is my little ballerina. She loves to lay her head in her blanket and kick her feet. She also loves baby einstein. The one she is watching here happens to be baby mozart.

She is so much fun to get dressed in the morning. Who am i kidding i mean afternoon :) She fell off our bed yesterday and got a little carpet burn on the end of her nose. Poor little rudolph.

Halloween photo shoot

2008-11-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

Aunt Katie made all the props in the pictures. She is so talented.

This is one of my favorites. She is so stinkin cute!

She loved eating the pumpkins!

Aunt Katie came over to take Zoe's halloween pictures. We had so much fun!

2008-11-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Nathan was learning how to use the video option on our camera, hence the reason why it is sideways.