Vegas Baby

After a very long work week, Nick and I were discussing what to do for the long weekend (since he had Monday off) we were really craving some sunshine and blue skies, so what do we do...head to Vegas of course! In less than 12 hours after deciding to go, we loaded up our car, and headed out of town. We usually don't plan trips so last minute, so it was kinda fun to throw all our stuff in the car and just leave. We also convinced some of Nick's family to go with us.

We drove clear past Nephi before the gross inversion finally lifted, and we saw our first bit of blue and sun. Nick was so excited about the good weather in Vegas, that he rode the whole way in shorts and a t-shirt.... a decision I think he regretted when we stopped for gas and it was -6 outside!

We were so excited when we arrived, and the temps were in the mid 60's! It was amazing. I think I have been a little vitamin D deficient, so a little light therapy went a long way. We ended up staying at the Las Vegas Hotel, which is right off the strip. It was nice, I think its a 3 star hotel, I think we would stay there again, and with the rooms being an amazing price of $31 a night who could complain? Vegas is a great place to vacation, because it works on any budget! 

We had a ton of fun on our spur of the moment trip... we will have to do it again soon!

 Kaylee at Circus Circus

After much coaxing nick finally got Kelli (who is vegan) to try his hamburger (over a pound of meat ) at Hash House a Go Go... this place was amazing.. I have never seen so much food on one plate before. You can defiantly share here!

 

Jason, Rachel,Cozi, Ella, and Kelli on Fremont Street

 Fremont Street... its cool, a lot to look at,
but also a lot of hobos...

Nick decided that the food at Hash House a Go Go wasn't enough, so he got fried twinkies, and chocolate dipped bananas!

Kaylee finally got tiered enough to fall asleep in the stroller

When Kaylee and Cozi decide to stop tormenting each other they have a great time!

 The kidos were getting a little sick of the Strip, so we decided to head over to Red Rock Canyon. It was beautiful, and the girls had so much fun! It was the perfect day for it.

The girls loved the tunnels!

Jason, (nicks older brother,and his family) Rachel, Cozi, and Ella

Hiking around at almost 7 month pregnant really did a number on me... at the end of the day my ankles were swollen to the size of my knees!

Dinner with the whole Crew... Buffet style of course! We hung out with Steve and Pam (nicks dad and step mom ) quite a bit, and even got to watch Finding Nemo in their home theater! 

Water fountain show at the Bellagio

 Kaylee loved the M&M Factory... we got to watch a 3D movie and everything!

Matt (nicks youngest brother whom we call "uncle daddy" because he helps out so much with the kids!!)

 On our last night we ended up at the Rain forest Cafe at MGM Grand. Its a little bit pricey, but a perfect atmosphere for the kids.

Kaylee told us this was her very favorite special place to eat!

Okay, so I really am the WORST blogger in the world! I guess life just gets to busy, (and being lazy doesn't help!) I am determined to do better, since I don't keep a journal or scrap book (I have tried... ) typing on the computer is just easier for some reason.

Here is a update of what is going on with the Witzels. Sorry to those of you who didn't get a Christmas card from us, I ordered them, put them in envelopes, wrote names on them, and that's about as far as I got. Maybe one day I will get things together!

This past year (almost) since I posted last has gone by so fast. For those of you who really know us, you know that we can't stay put very long, without traveling somewhere. Vacations are what keep us sane! This past year we had some pretty good times.

In June we hooked up our travel trailer and took a road trip to San Francisco, (with Nicks sister and her cute little family.) We had a blast.  We stayed in Lake Tahoe (amazingly huge, and very pretty), on the beach in San Francisco, and stopped in Yosemite National park on the way home. (I think staying at the beach was my favorite part!)

Since we didn't quite get our "feel" of camping... In August we decided to head out again, this time to Yellow Stone National park. I hadn't been since I was little, so I was pretty excited. We again went with Witzel family, including Nicks mom. We had a great time seeing all the animals (buffalo), hiking, and searching for bears. With no luck in the bear department on our way home we stopped at the Bear Habitat in West Yellowstone. It was really cool, and the kids loved seeing the huge animals.

The rest of our summer was spent camping closer to home. Mostly up Logan Canyon. It is one of our favorite spots.

In September, I started to not feel so great... and happily we found out that I was pregnant with baby #2. Kaylee was so excited to be a big sister. We are looking forward to our new "little" addition in April 2013.

With the news of being a daddy once again... Nick decided that we had better get in one more kids free vacation before baby #2 keeps us at home for a while. Nick (being the awesome travel agent that he is) found flights to Kauai for $300 round trip (the only catch was we would have to drive to California.) So in October we packed up our little car, and after ditching Kaylee at grandmas, we headed to the west coast. Our trip was amazing. And after being so prego sick it was nice to relax on the beach. For those who have never been to Kauai, or any of the Hawaiian Islands we HIGHLY suggest you go. Kauai and Maui are our favorites.

Our travel year came to a close with Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with the Witzel clan. It was nice to not have to cook thanksgiving dinner, and enjoy some amazing weather.

Our Christmas season was filled with family, fun, and of course snow. The only downer was the 2 people missing who are on missions... our family seems a bit small with them gone, but we are of course already planning trips for when they get home! '

And now the beginning of a new year... I'm sorry but I absolutely HATE January!! I wish that right after Christmas it would automatically turn to spring! Don't get me wrong, I love the snow, but I think it should go when Christmas does! At least I am looking forward to when our new little one comes. I am very excited, and very very nervous. I am terrified of anything "medical", and a simple blood test can send me over the edge, so the idea of delivering another baby has keep me up at night. So in order to keep my mind off things I spend a lot of time shopping for cute new baby things with my mom and sisters!

Kaylee has sure grown up a lot this year. It seems like she has grown a whole foot! Her attitude had grown with her height as well, and we are continuously being tested. I never knew a 3 year old could be so moody! We thought it would be smooth sailing until her teens, but boy were we wrong. She told us for the first time the other day (while driving in the car) that we are... quote "wrecking her life", because we "wreck everything!" Sadly that won't be the last time we hear that one! With every out burst and tantrum I am reminded to call and apologize to my parents! Despite the moods, we do have great times as well. Kaylee has been taking dance class, and will start swimming lessons next month. She loves to color, and says that when she is older she is going to be a veterinarian who paints. She is so excited to be a big sister, and has almost mastered how to change a diaper (thanks to baby alive that she got for Christmas!)

Nick has been keeping really busy with work. He loves it! I don't think he could of picked a career that was better suited for him. He comes home with crazy stories, about the insane people that he has dealt with. His brothers probably know more about his work stories than I do... I think he edits them for me (for witch I am thankful) I worry a lot about his safety. There are some great benefits of his job however, we get a free take home car (and free gas!) That seems to help the monthly budget a tad. I also love the schedule he is on. He works 4 days a week, and has a 3 day weekend. Nick works hard, and plays just as hard. For Christmas I got him a certificate to get scuba certified, so he (of course) is planning our next great adventure to somewhere exotic. Nick is a great provider, and an even better dad! We are so blessed.

Well, that was a little bit of what our year has been like. I really am going to try and post more often, so that I don't have a novel to write once a year!

Here are a few pics throughout the year.

One of Kaylee's favorite things to do is take the train down town and walk around temple square.

The view from our camping spot, up American Fork Canyon

Our Yellow Stone trip with Jackie, Jason, Rachel, and their 2 kids Cozi and Ella

Grandma Jack and Kaylee at Yellow Stone

Hiking the Jungles of Kauai

My first time kayaking in Kauai... its a lot harder than it looks! A great work out!

Kaylee is so happy to become a big sister!

Kaylee in her ballet clothes

camping in American Fork

Swimming the bitter cold river in Yellow Stone... are my eyes closed?!

Kaylee loves camping more than anything.. can you tell?

Old faithful... Yellow Stone

Just a glimpse of "moody" Kaylee

Prego mommy... my tummy is as big as the pumpkin!

So excited for our new addition!

Kaylee's first hair cut

After much coaxing, pleading, and reassuring that the salon would use scissors and not a knife, we finally got Kaylee on board with cutting her hair. In almost 3 years, this is her first hair cut. I would have let it go a bit longer if it weren't for the daily fight of Kaylee vs. the brush. I finally came to the decision that her flowing locks had to go. I think Nick was more worried about the hair cut than any of us, he loves his girl's long hair!

Before the cut..... Look at those long locks!


As we pulled into the parking lot of Great Clips Kaylee says, "lets just get done with this, okay mom?" She was so nervous she didn't let go of my hand the whole time. After the deed was done, she looked in the mirror with a big grin and said "my hair is just beautiful, isn't it?" We were now off to the dollar store for the promised prize if she went through with it. The whole way through the store she sang at the top of her lungs, " I, get a prize, cuz I was so good", she ended up getting some princess rings (I love the dollar store! Kids don't understand cheap stuff!) As we go to check out Kaylee tells me " I gunna tell that tender (the check out lady) that my hairs cut, and its beautiful"... she ended up not telling the "tender" anything, on account that she didn't feel like being brave!

I have mixed feeling about her hair cut... on the one hand its really really cute, but on the other it makes her look way to old! Its a sad day when her baby hair gets cut away. I guess I just have to get used to the idea that she isn't a little baby any more, she isn't even a toddler... she's growing up so fast! It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital, and we didn't have a clue what we had gotten our self into.

Over these three years we have learned a lot...

we have learned how to get yellow poop stains out of white carpet,

how to handle a first fever and cough,

how to french braid hair and handle temper tantrums,

we have learned how to bribe and how to pick our battles.

we have learned to pack extra clothes, have snacks stashed in my purse, and put shows on in the car.

We have learned that Christmas's and Birthdays are much much more fun,

we have learned the words to every Dora, Elmo, and blues clues song,

we have learned that nap time is crucial, eating at dinner never happens, and bed time is a negotiation!

But most important we have learned that we love something so much we would do anything for her!

We look forward to all the many mile stones yet to come!

We love you Kaylee!

Be my valentine...

Its that time of year...

hearts and flowers, poems and notes. I just can't help myself, I absolutely love Valentines day! I know a ton of people think its just a day made up by Hallmark to make more money and to sell more $4.99 love cards, but I love it!

Remember in grade school when everyone in the class would deliver valentines to each others home made mail boxes? It was so much fun to read each little note, just hoping that my special someone wrote a note just for me.

My idea of love today is a bit different from when I was little. I used to dream of my prince charming, who would come and rescue me from the clutches of the fire breathing dragon, and we of course would ride off into the sunset, and live happily ever after.

Today my idea of true love is...

Some one who helps with the dishes,

A person, who when all hope is lost can make you pee your pants by laughing,

A best friend who helps change dirty diapers, fixes scraped knees, and chases away the monster under the bed.

Someone to wipe the tears when life gets too rough,

A man who chokes down my very inventive recipes, and insists they are wonderful,

Someone who goes to the grocery store at 1 in the morning to get my tampons and chocolate ice cream.

I am so very grateful that I did indeed find my prince charming, and even though life is rough sometimes we are living our happily ever after.

I love valentines day, it is a yearly reminder of the great love in my life.

A day to realize, as we hop in our Toyota and ride off into the sunset (and head to the grocery store...)

That life doesn't get much better than this!

Wishing you all love and happiness this Valentines day!

Better late than never!!!

Okay so I'm not such a great blogger after all, I guess I have been a tad bit busy, and lazy! I will make sure to add blogging to my endless list of things to do. So many things on my list never get done, for example sending out Christmas cards, never got around to it, so I thought what a great idea it would be to put a Christmas card of sorts on my blog...so here it goes, our very late Christmas update.

The year 2011 was a good year for the Witzel family, full of trips and family fun.

Started off like any other year, with resolutions to get to the gym, eat healthier, and get our life organized. We spent many a late nights with the Witzels attempting to plan our up coming vacation to Florida, but always ended up watching Vampire Diaries, and making funny spoof movies of each other.

By mid February our new years resolutions went out the window! We started getting cabin fever for warm weather , wishing we were anywhere else that was warm and tropical.

Kaylee turned 2 in April, and we celebrated with a huge birthday bash... Disney style. Since we were going to Disney World a week later we just had to have a Mickey themed party. It was a really fun party complete with a surprise quest who of all people but Mini mouse showed up (my sister dressed up) the kids loved it, and had a great time. I made the cake, it only took me 12 hours!

A week later we left for Florida. We had a ton of fun with all the Witzels who went. We spent our vacation eating, swimming, shopping, and going to Disney.

Getting back from a trip is always a drag, but we returned to life as usual. I love spring and summer in Utah, it is perfect. We spent the spring time out doors hiking, and walking at the park. Kaylee loves the park, and will do anything to get us to go there.

Our Summer time was full of days at the pool, and lots and lots of camping. We ended up buying a camping trailer, and spent the summer camping all over Utah... the Uinitas, and American Fork Canyon were our favorites.

Of course our summer wouldn't be complete with out heading to my family's Cabin in Bear Lake. We always have fun eating raspberry shakes on the beach.

We had a big 4Th of July party with Nicks side of the family, complete with fire works and sparklers. Its always a fun time when the Witzels get together!

Fall time is so much fun for me, I love it when the leaves change colors, and everything looks so pretty. We of course had our annual Halloween party. Kaylee was a chicken, Nick was Cornell Sanders, and I was a bucket of fried chicken! It was a blast.

As we continued to struggle with finding the perfect place to settle down we found out that a little town on the coast of Seattle WA was hiring police officers, so we decided to go an check out the area. We loved it up there, but in the end decided it wasn't the right thing for us. As the weather continued to get more and more cold and grey we decided that we needed another vacation. This time we dropped Kaylee off at my moms house, and headed for sunny Hawaii. What can we say we are addicted to Maui! We had a blast. The weather was perfect, and we spent our days snorkeling and hiking. We camped on the beach, which was surprisingly very fun.

Right before Thanksgiving Kaylee and I were in a pretty bad car accident that totaled our car. We were really lucky to have not been seriously injured, but I can't say the same for our poor car. Luckily the insurance company was amazing, and we ended up with an upgrade... a Toyota Avalon! Lucky us:)

Kaylee and I spent Thanksgiving in St. George with my family (nick had to work), Uncle Bob opened his mission call, much to every ones surprise... he was called to Africa! He will be leaving this April.

Christmas time this year was spent traveling once again... we just cant get enough of the sun! We headed to California with my family. We had an amazing time. We spent 3 days at Disney land, and the rest of the time on the beach. Nick flew in for half of the time, but had to work the other half. Kaylee was at the perfect age for Disney, and actually cried when we left. I think we will have to make another trip to California again really soon!

Since then we have been trying to get a job closer to family, and maybe one that pays a little more... we have applied with several departments, but no luck so far. Hopefully 2012 will bring more luck, and a lot more happy times!

Well that was our 2011 in a nut shell, I'm sure I left out a ton of stuff, but those were the high lights. I will try to keep more updated, so next year I don't have to remember so much!