Summer Fun 2010

This summer has been a fun filled and exciting summer. With Sawyer in school and me working it didn't start until July after school got out, with a Tolman family reunion in St. George, UT. We did lots of fun things like four-wheeling, boating, hiking, shooting, and lots of games and eating!








After the St. George trip we were able to come to Salt Lake and have an amazing baby shower thrown by my sisters and mom. Isaac was so spoiled! Thank you mom and sisters!







While we have a few weeks off from Sawyer's school we took a road trip to California to visit the Walkers. We did lots of shopping, went to a River Cats game, toured the capital building, took the girls swimmming, and ate at all the good restaurants we are deprived of in Rexburg. I also was thrown an amazing shower by the Walker girls where Isaac was spoiled once again! We are set and ready now! Most important we were able to see Drake the same night he was born! He was so precious and made us more excited for Isaac to come.







It was really good to see all our family and we can't wait for everyone to meet Isaac soon! Only 4 more weeks until he is due!

We made it back to Rexburg and still have a few weeks to relax before school and Isaac come so we have been playing with friends and trying to get a lot of fun things in. Sawyer had his birthday and we went to dinner and a movie for his birthday. We went camping by Mesa Falls and it was very exciting because we saw a big black bear about 1 mile away from our campsite. The whole first night no one was able to sleep because we were tricked by our ears thinking we heard something outside. Luckily the bear never came around and we had a good time. We went to yellowstone, fished, shot shot guns, and had a good time around the fire.

Jackson Hole, WY

When we had Monday off from school and work for Memorial Day, we decided that we didn't want to stay home and be bums like we do on Saturday's so Sawyer and his friend Dallin decided about 30 minutes before we actually left to go to Jackson for a night. It's only an hour drive and a really pretty one too. We ate a ton, went on the alpine slide at Snow King Resort and did lots of shopping (just window shopping though, everything there is so expensive or has Jackson Hole written all over it!) It was fun to go visit the place of my birth too! It was short but fun!

The term Tax Season has a whole other meaning to me now. I have been working for a small CPA firm here in Rexburg since January and it has been a really good job...until now!! Just kidding but I really know now what Cami, Kelsey, and Shannon mean when they talk about tax season! Anyway that is my excuse for not blogging since January!




Most of you already know that we are pregnant! I am 16 weeks along and due on September 27th. I've had a few appointments and everything is going smoothly. I've gained 3 pounds total but it feels like a lot more considering I can't button my pants anymore! The nausea was bearable, nothing compared to what I hear Cami has had before, and I can eat good food again. We find out on May 7th what the gender is so we are looking forward to that.

Sawyer just finished a semester of school and is now obsessed with anything outdoors, mostly fishing and shooting his new shotgun. He starts another semester in a week and an internship with the Rexburg Police Department! Not as exciting as it sounds, there has been one gun shot in the last 25 years, and well it was shot at a back tire to slow the car down.

That is our update for now. Here are some Easter pictures too!

Christmas Vacation

After spending 4 months in Modesto, CA working at Interstate Batteries we packed up again (for the 4th time this year) and headed to Sacremento for an early Christmas with the Walkers. We are so grateful to Shannon and Richard for the many wonderful presents given to us! I got even more for my birthday and I have to remind Sawyer that I had a birthday too because he thinks I got spoiled a little more. The next morning at 4 AM we hit the road back to Rexburg with the Uhaul. We got about 45 minutes into our drive and got stopped and had to put on chains because of the nasty weather over the Donner Pass. The chains helped but we had to go super slow and the whole drive took us 2 hours more than usual. It was snowing the whole way there! We finally made it and unpacked all our stuff and left 2 days later for Salt Lake City Airport to fly to Houston for 2 weeks.

We got there and right away we celebrated my birthday. I am so grateful to my wonderful husband for making it special and seperate from our anniversary and Christmas because they are so close. He spoiled me rotted and so did my parents! We did my favorite thing that day...shopped! Then went to authentic Texas BBQ that was really tasty!











The next day was our 1 year anniversary! We made it! It only felt like forever... No this year has been the best year of my life. I have loved it so much and we have had so much fun. With all the moving we are able to go on several small vacations starting with our honeymoon in Park City, UT. We have also been to Monterey/Carmel twice, San Diego, Ensenada, Mexico, Catalina Island, Oakland, San Francisco, St. George, Houston, and Salt Lake City several times to visit sisters. For our anniversary date we were able to take the date car (corvette) to a nice seafood restaurant called Babins for fresh shrimp! mmmm! After that we walked around the market street outside mall and enjoyed the nice Texas December weather.


After a few days in Houston by ourselves with my parents the madness began when everyone started arriving! There were a total of 22 people in one house for 2 days and it was crazy! Sawyer and I had fun being the puppets and moved around almost every night for the first couple nights trying to get our share of a bed before we ended up in the office on the airmatress for 8 nights. The matress wasn't bad at all though it was brand new. The boys started out the trip by going fishing and duck hunting but no luck with either trip. We saw Avatar in 3D (very good) and went to the Houston Arboretum (a big garden).






We celebrated Christmas by watching the Nativity movie and reading Christmas stories. Christmas morning was pretty crazy with 7 kids tearing open their presents and wrapping paper everywhere but it was fun to see how happy they were. After the kids were busy with their new toys it was the adults turn to tear open their presents. Once again we were very spoiled and are very grateful for all that we were given. Sawyer of course broke our spending limit and gave me many wonderful gifts that I love. The last day we were there before our flight left at 1, Sawyer was able to squeeze in paintballing with his brother-in-laws and got back just in time to jump in the car for the airport. We had a very nice time with family and are lucky that we were able to go. Thank you to everyone for the wonderful gifts!

Oakland/San Francisco Day of Fun!

We had the most amazing time in the Bay Area. First of all how much better could one start the day than going to the Oakland Temple, it was my first time and Sawyer's first time in 5 years. It was decorated for Christmas and had an amazing view of the bay.



The Golden Gate Bridge was the next stop. We walked halfway across then walked back but it took us a good 45 minutes. Good thing we are not scared of heights! It was beautiful.


Our next stop was the most important of the whole trip, seeing the full house house (well the next important after the temple)! It took us a while to find it (like 2 hours) but we found it and it is not like they showed it in the 90's but it brought bake a lot of Tanner family memories. The last stop was the Fisherman's Wharf. We ate some good crabs and shrimp at Joe's Crab Shack and walked down the wharf to end the night. It was a fun one day trip needed to rejuvenate until Thanksgiving break.

This is the biggest donut we have ever seen! We got it in the one and only Santa Cruz Boardwalk. We were able to go because Sawyer's cousin Jane had a reception nearby so we spent the day there beforehand.




We rode a roller coaster and met up with Shannon and Richard and watched the surfers ride the waves. It was a fun day in the sun!

Finally we are updating the events that have been happening in the last few months. Maddie graduated from BYU-Idaho with a Business Management degree and Sawyer decided to treat her to a cruise! The cruise was five days and four nights, starting in San Diego and then going to Catalina Island where we went snorkeling and moved on to Ensenada, Mexico where we rented a scooter and toured the city. Maddie was stressed out when we went shopping because no one leaves you alone! Can't get enough chickles in that city. Sawyer loved speaking spanish to all the locals and telling them that he was actually from Uruguay and I'm his American wife. Bargaining for the already cheap prices was Sawyer's favorite part. The cruise was a ton of fun. Sawyer won us a bottle of champaine by shaking his booty in front of the whole cruise ship! We were called on stage because we made the mistake of sitting in the front row. He was in a competition with another guy in a "dance off" it was hilarious to say the least! The food was great and we both have finially lost the weight we gained from all steaks and lobsters. After sucking the ice cream mechine dry and taking in the rays for the week we went to Sacramento to visit family and then headed back to Rexburg.