Bulkley Blah Blah

Highlights of 2011

2012-01-01T19:56:00.001-08:00

HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR HIGHLIGHTS 2011 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER...

We celebrated Tylie Belle's 3rd birthday.

I got rid of this ginormous belly!

We welcomed this beautiful baby boy into our family.

Tylie became a big sister.

We fell in love all over again with baby #2

Shane gave a beautiful blessing to our sweet boy.

Tylie started summer camp.

We took advantage of our pool and went swimming a lot.

Grandma Bulkley came for a few visits.

Ryder survived his first camping trip.

My mom took us to see Pinkalicious the play.

Shane and I went parasailing.

Ryder took his first trip to our favorite place, Santa Barbara.

Tylie got to take a very special trip to Disneyland with Titi.

My parents celebrated yet another anniversary and look forward to many many more to come.

We found out that Ryder does indeed look a lot like Ty, especially with a bow, :)

Movies in the park with uncle.

Celebrated Shane's 28th birthday in Catalina.

Wakeboard trips!

Fun night at City Walk. Tylie surprised us and just ran through the fountain clothes and all in the freezing cold.

After drooling and drooling and drooling Ryder finally got his first two teeth...and the drooling continues.

Shane did a lot of studying.

Tylie stared preschool.

We went to the beach.

Ryder got his first haircut.

Bonded with cousins

Started Belles and Beaus Couture with Bri.

Ryder's first trip to the pumpkin patch.

Took a trip to Arkansas to visit GGMA and GGPA.

Tylie's little dreams came true when she got to dress like her idol.

Getting all handsome for church.

These two love each other more than words could express.

Loves to help Grammy water her plants.

We are so proud of Shane for doing so awesome in school!

We were able to get all of us together in one household for the first time since high school!

Shane finally has a son to watch all of his sports with!

We were so blessed in 2011! Here's to 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Our Perfect Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T22:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas is so fun with kids around. I love how magical it is to them. It seems like every year gets a little better. This year Tylie really understood the true meaning of Christmas and I loved to hear her explain to people why we celebrate Christmas. It is so sweet and innocent. I am lucky to be Tylie and Ryder's mom!

We had a fun month! Here's what we did...

Decorated our Christmas tree

Our little one too

Hung our stockings

Ryder's first time picking out a tree

Did a little Christmas shopping, and took some breaks in between to have a jam session with papa

We saw Santa. I enjoyed playing the Santa card a few times this month, not going to lie.

Saw the L.A. temple lights

Had a Santa bum all month long

Ate a lot of Christmas goodies

Took a lot of Christmasy photos

Wrote a letter to Santa with Daddies help

Hooked up Santa and his Reindeer with yummy treats

Woke up Christmas morning and ran down the hall to see if Santa really came...

and he did

Opened our stockings

and gifts

took more Christmas pictures

and were surrounded by family all.day.long!

Oh and Shane surprised me with a little blue box this year, with this inside.

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmastime

2011-12-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you Heather Keil! www.heatherkeilphotography.com

Gobble Gobble

2011-12-31T21:27:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving and everything we're grateful for in Las Vegas this year at Shane's sister's house.We had the best time and loved being surrounded by people we love!

Jana had this really cute idea of letting everyone sign this table cloth, the kids loved it.

Host

Hostess

Some of the grub

We spent a few days with the Wents/Bulkleys playing games, watching movies, going bowling, lots of laughing, talking, black Friday shopping, going down to the strip and enjoying each other's company!

Tylie might just bowl professionally someday.

Grandma Bulkley <3

Ty enjoying her ice cream

Worlds largest Chocolate fountain

Peace

Love these girlies

Our fam bam.

She loves her daddy

Cousins

All the kiddos

It was so much fun! I feel like I didn't see Ty much that weekend because she is obsessed with her cousins and they all played their little hearts out!

Thanks Jana and Joe for such a fun weekend!

Turning 28 was great.

2011-12-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

This year I turned 28 in Arkansas. We took a girls trip + Ryder to go visit my sweet grandparents. We had such a fun time just catching up and hanging out. This was the first time they met Ryder as well, so that was fun. We were so excited to see my grandma doing unexpectedly well, she is a trooper and has had a rough year under going cancer and chemo. So happy to say that she came back from her doctor's appointment last month with a clean bill of health! Yeah!

Shane dropped us off at the airport, I think he was sad to see us go but excited for a guys weekend full of ESPN, golf and who knows what else :)

Ryder's first time on an airplane

Ty was occupied the entire time playing games and watching movies

My sweet grandma and grandpa

My mom with her parents and her uncle

We flew home on my birthday and Shane, my dad and Jeff picked us up at the airport. By this time we were pushing 10:00 p.m. but still grabbed a bite to eat. When we got home the boys surprised me with cake and presents. I was so surprised when I opened one of Shane's presents and it was my entire blog from 2008-2011 printed and made into a hard cover book. I love it and it makes me want to be SO much better of a blogger come 2012...like in 3 hours.

The following weekend we celebrated with our little immediate fam. by going to the Grove and grabbing some dinner.

It was a week of CAKE! I feel like I got a cake every place I went. No Joke! I'd be ok if I never ate cake again :) but it was good while it lasted.

Valerie and Brandi Hicks came to my work to visit and drop these babies off! They were delish and they are welcome to drop by anytime... like in the near future! ;)

Halloween

2011-12-31T18:49:00.000-08:00

It's New Years Eve and I have a ridiculously miserable cold. I've been in bed all day, but just got a genius idea to catch up on my ever so lacking blog before 2012. So here's my attempt...

Halloween was so fun this year. This is the first year Tylie really REALLY had an opinion on what she was going to be, and there was no changing her mind! Here's how it all played out...

We got BOOED on one Sunday night in October! If you could see the look on Ty's face when she opened the door, you would have thought she won one million dollars...and that's why I LOVE kids so much! It's the little things!

Thank you to our ghost friends, you made our week! Of course we returned the favor by BOOING 3 other friends, which Ty equally enjoyed!

Have to have new spooky Jams in October...our favorite part was turning off all of the lights and watching them glow.

And Tylie was, drum roll please...Rapunzel!!! I know, how original. I'm pretty sure she was one out of 800 million Rapunzels this year! I thought she made a beautiful Rapunzel if I don't say so myself.

And the little one was a puppy dog to go right along with his big blue puppy dog eyes!

So, I saw a Rapunzel pumpkin carve out and I had to try it...3 hours later this little girl was ecstatic about it!

Don't mean to toot my horn but I was pretty ecstatic about it as well.

Looks so cool all lit up!

This little pup hated his hat but posed for a few pics. Smile too? That would be WAY too much to ask for!

Happy First Halloween to our little Ryder Spider!

Photo Shoot

2011-10-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

Doesn't look a day over 25...

2011-10-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

Bri turned 31 in August. We had a good time celebrating at Casa Vega in Studio City and then at Pinz. It was such a fun night. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRI!

Birthday Girl

Long and overdue

2011-09-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to start...It's been months, 5 to be exact! I love to blog and love to have a journal of all the latest happenings in our life. I love to go back and read old posts and reflect on memories in the past. Poor Ryder is already going to have the second child syndrome so early on in life, because the first 7 months of his life have not been documented. I will do my best to play catch up, but at this point I think a fresh start sounds more realistic and much more refreshing!

So what have we been up to? Life has been crazy! Life with two kids was a really big adjustment for us, WAY bigger than I thought it would be. We love our little Ryder man to death and simply cannot imagine our lives without him. He truly has been such a blessing in our family! With good, there definitely comes hard. He has been a really hard baby! I do not wish colic on anyone! It is miserable. Miserable for the baby, miserable for the parents and miserable for everyone around. We tried everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! Whatever is on the market for colic, we had it, nothing worked and thus I am completely and utterly convinced that it is something you have to grow out of! We didn't leave the house much at all with him for the first few months. Our daily outing would usually be the park, just to get out of the house before all of us went crazy (especially our active 3 year old ;)). That's pretty much all our little man could take. It was a huge ordeal 90% of the time. Crying, screaming and more crying in public is not so pretty and makes me extremely anxious. Amongst all of this, I didn't think I would be returning back to work, but turns out we couldn't "make it" any longer on a zero income in CA, weird huh?! So back to work I went! I truly am blessed to have such a great job while Shane finishes his last semesters of his Masters. So fast forward almost 7 months later and Ryder is a much different kid. I noticed the biggest change when he turned 6 months old. He just seemed more content. Don't get me wrong he still has his fussy times, good days and bad but most babies do! The past two weeks have been really great for us, (I hesitate to actually write this down, because I don't want to jinx it) he is so happy and sweet...Now let's gear up for teething! :/

As of late Ryder has been smiling, laughing, rolls around everywhere to get to what he wants, standing while holding onto support, jumps jumps jumps the kid loves his johnny jumper, is sitting up (but still a bit wobbly), chews on EVERYTHING, drools more than I have ever seen, pulls hair and earrings and anything he can get his hands on, and as of yesterday started to wave. We love LOVE love him. Tylie is still OBSESSED with him. She is a very rough lover. You know the kind that grinds her teeth and grabs his hand really tight and gets really close to his face and says "Oh Rydee my little chubby chub, you are so cute and chubby, I just want to eat you up" in a very high weird voice. It is kind of creepy, but I love it. I love when I hear from the other room "Oh Ryder, (still in creepy high voice) you stop crying. I love you, why do I love you so much!?" The other morning I caught the end of one on video. Here's an example of what I mean...

LOVE

Here are some random pictures of the past few months, mostly just taken from my phone...

First time on a boat

Big smiles

All handsome for church

Love this picture because it shows his cute ears...those come from my mom's side. His uncle has them too.

This kid is SO strong, but hates to sit! He literally thrusts and arches himself out of the bumbo.

First time to Santa Barbara

First time to the beach (not a fan) not sure where he came from

First camping trip

First time he held his own bottle

The end! Be back sooner than 5 months... that's if he keeps up his good behavior! ;)

Blessed

2011-04-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

This little man was blessed on April 10, 2011. His dad gave him a beautiful blessing. It was such a great day spent with family and close friends. We also had a fun weekend with Shane's mom and sister Jana, her husband and our darling nieces and nephew. We truly are blessed beyond words to have such great support and I know Ryder will come to find this out very early in life!

Here is the man of the hour

He get's so much love from this girl and is constantly being squeezed all day long.

Some of the crew and our loved ones.

Bri and I made these cupcakes but I can't take credit for her delish chocolate butter cream frosting that was a big hit.

Mmmmmm...

My mom also made our favorite for lunch...Cafe Rio shredded chicken salads. It was a beautiful day I will never forget.

Photo Shoot

2011-04-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

We had a photo shoot with Heather Keil Photography. She did such a great job and captured some really sweet moments. Thank you so much Heather! If you are looking for an amazing photographer, you'll have to check her out http://heatherkeilphotography.com

Sorry there is a lot, but I had a hard time choosing just a few!

2011-04-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have such a huge support system. My mom took a week off work to come and help out when the baby was born, and boy are we sure glad she did! The day we brought Ryder home Tylie came down with bronchitis so it was a crazy week. Having a newborn around a sick kid is a bit scary so my mom was so great to take Ty and still manage to take care of Ryder and I. She is amazing and I will forever be grateful for all of her help during such a stressful first week of two babes!

Grandma Bulkley came to help week two. We love when she comes and visits and Tylie was is pure heaven for that entire week. It was so nice to have her there to help and be there to help Tylie get used to having a new baby around. She loves the 100% attention she gets when grandma comes and visits! We are lucky to have such wonderful moms!

When Grandma Bulkley came we even managed to get out of the house for dinner one night. We went to the Lazy Dog Cafe. It was so nice to get out of the house even if for a couple hours.

Tylie is looking so old to me these days! She is obsessed with these darn old lady pearls. If she is not wearing them, they are at least in hand.

It's hard to keep a three year old occupied when there is a 45 minute wait. Gum is always the answer!

Ty and her Grandma Bulkley

Funny Faces

Shane and his mama

Love this one.

Tylie gives this bear kisses every time we go to the mall. I hope my kid is the old weird kid to kiss this fake bear statue, because if not I wonder how many other kids she is kissing when she gives him kisses!

Grandma's first time meeting Ryder.

Ladies Man

2011-03-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Girls night out with Ryder. The second week, I was going stir crazy and needed to get out of the house. We headed to Sherman Oaks and met a few of my favorite girlies at La Frite.

I love these girls to death! So lucky to have such great friends! Miss seeing them on a daily basis...seriously miss them, but I know they will always be apart of my life!

Ryder Shane Bulkley

2011-03-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday February 21 I woke up feeling completely normal. Shane had the day off so we ran around getting some last minute things for the baby. We met my dad and Bri for lunch and during lunch I had mentioned that I started feeling a little different. That night we had family night at our house and we had a BBQ with my family. By that time I had started having contractions and my mom and my sister started timing them. Some were close some were far. I just couldn't believe that this could be the real thing still being about two weeks from my due date. I was supposed to go to work that next day as this would be my last week of work. That next morning at about 2 a.m. I woke up with some really strong contractions, I woke up Shane. We were both going crazy, was this the real thing or not?! We tried to get sleep that night but failed because we were too excited. We were timing them but they were still close and then they would get further apart. I decided not to go into work that day because in the morning they were still pretty strong. I had to twist Shane's arm to go to school. I told him to keep his phone on and I would call him if they got any closer but I really didn't think I was going to have the baby that day. My friend Jamie came over and helped me do some last minute laundry, packing my bag and just helped me pass the time. I was getting frustrated because it felt like my contractions were getting further and further apart. I kept thinking to myself that this must not be the real deal! Bri happened to get off work early that day and I asked if she would come pick up Ty so Shane and I could go on an intense walk to see if that would get anything started. We decided to walk to Walmart because I wanted to get some travel size things for my bag. Soap, shampoo, etc. There is a pretty steep hill that you have to go up in order to get there and I was fine on the way there but was more sore coming down the hill on the way back. We stopped at the grocery store to pick up something for dinner and headed home. Bri came home with Ty shortly after and we were all sitting at the bar while Shane made my favorite dinner. We were just talking and joking about how we wished my water would just break! Within 5 minutes I started screaming because my water did indeed break! My water didn't break withTylie so it was a feeling I definitely will never forget! We were all screaming and laughing and running around crazy. My parents came over and Jeff came to stay with Tylie for the night. I took a shower, ate a quick bit and we were off!

It was after hours so we had to check in through the E.R.

Here is our support crew...

and the camera lady.

When I arrived and they checked me for the first time I was to a 4, not in a ton of pain yet. My nurse (who I love and adore) asked me what my birth plan was, to which I responded epidural, to which she responded, good! She asked when I wanted it. I thought you had to be to a 6 before receiving it but to my surprise you sure didn't. She ordered it right away...heaven!

Ryder Shane Bulkley graced us with his presence at 5:26 a.m. weighing in at 7 lbs & 19.5 inches in length. Here are a few pictures from his first seconds of life...

Our hospital now does the "Golden Hour" which is also different from when I had Tylie.

So in Love!

After the Golden Hour he got all cleaned up.

Okay, okay I LOVED my nurse! I. Love. Her. She was amazing! Her name is Megan and she was the best! I always say that during labor, your nurse can make or break your whole experience. Seriously they do EVERYTHING! Call me rude, but in my opinion they should get paid more than the doc! Can you tell I was not impressed with the doctor that was on call?! Well, I wasn't! Megan, I will never forget you and how you kick a*@ at what you do! I still need to send you some goodies with a nice long thank you card!

My brother brought Ty first thing in the morning. She was pretty tired because they partied like rock stars all night long and then he had to wake her up in the morning.

She honestly loved him so much from the very beginning and just wanted to be around him and not leave his side. It was pretty cute!

When my water broke, Ryder left these snazzy Jammie's for Tylie, and she wore them to the hospital to meet her little bro in person.

After we had stayed two days and nights in our private suite that Megan hooked us up with, we were ready to take our little man home!

Yep, I am indeed as tired as I look!

So teeny tiny in that gigantic car seat.

Tylie and uncle Jeff made sure Ryder had a warm welcome, and he did!

Giving birth never fails to amaze me! It is the most intense and special experience I have ever been through in my entire life. I am so grateful I got to go through this experience with my sweet husband, mom and sister. So grateful for their love and support! We are so grateful for little Ryder. We are so blessed to have him in our home. I think it's so cool how these tiny little babes truly do come with little personalities. I think the thing that stands out most to me about Ryder is he is a sweetheart, he has the sweetest little spirit and you can feel it by just being around him! I hope he will always stay that way. Isn't it amazing how instantly you feel that abundance of love for these babies, it's the best feeling in the world!

It was a Pinkalicious kind of Birthday!

2011-03-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

WARNING: This is fair warning that this could possibly be the longest post ever! Sorry in advance for the ridiculous amount of pictures. This is a day that I want to record to the fullest. It was such a special day that I never want to forget!

I can hardly believe that my baby girl turned 3 years old! Three? THREE! Where have the past 3 years gone?! I had every intention of throwing Ty a big bash this year. I hate to admit this, but being 9 months pregnant at the time a BIG birthday party sounded more and more unappealing. Around the same time I had been wanting to take a sick day from work and spend an entire day with just Tylie and I. I wanted to have a total girl day. I wanted to have a special day just the two of us, that we would never forget. (I know what you are thinking, she is three of course she will forget! Well, if you know Tylie, you know that she does not forget ANYTHING) Mostly, I wanted to spend this time together before the baby came. Since her birthday was so close, I decided that this would be the perfect day to ditch work to have "our" day!

Tylie loves Pinkalicious and she wanted a pinkalicious birthday, so that's exactly what she got. Here is how our day went...

February 15, 2011...

We started out the day getting mani and pedis at our favorite spot. She loved it and thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Pinkalicious mani and pedi's that is.

This was her pose when I kept telling her not to touch anything. Didn't want to mess up those fancy nails!
End result...

Next stop, L.A. We had a date at the American Girl Doll store. We were all ready, but her Bitty Baby definitely was not! She needed a new outfit, a birthday outfit!
This is her pick...I think she looks pretty cute and ready to party!
Our next reservation was the cafe at the American Girl Doll store. It was seriously AMAZING. No really, I loved it just as much as she did. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Age does not matter!

On the menu, pizza of course.
Her baby loved it too.

Dessert! She loved when the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday to her.
Delish.
Next, we shopped around at the Grove.
Our favorite thing to do is throw coins into the fountain and make wishes.
Our, last stop in L.A. was Static to visit her very best friend.
Had a quick nap on the way home.

Lastly, got ready for a pinkalicious birthday party with the fam.

Here is her pinkalicious cupcakes.

Pinkalicious presents

Birthday girl, giving all her guests party hats...

even this one.

#1 request for her party was a pinata, not just any pinata, a donkey one. Thank you Bri for making her wildest dreams come true! :)

Obsessed with the dang pinata! This girl loves her daddy.

Make a wish!

Birthday Kisses

Pinata time!

Jack Pot!

I have never seen a happier little girl all day long. She was so sweet and kept saying "oh thank you mommy, you're the best" all day long. What a perfect day, wouldn't have changed anything about it.

I had planned to go on maternity leave the week before my due date to have some more one on one time with Tylie. Ryder surprised us a couple weeks early, and we are so glad he is here safe and sound and love the sweet spirit he has brought into our home, but we are so glad we were able to spend such a special day together, just us! I will never forget that day!

Happy Birthday Tylie Belle! You surprise us everyday with how smart you are. We can't get anything past you. You are so intune with people's feelings and you care so much about people. You are such a sass but the biggest sweetheart. I know your whole world is about to change and we know you are more than ready to be a big sister. You are already so sweet with Ryder and love him so much, even though you are still adjusting to having someone else around. He is the luckiest kid in the world to have you! You are so much fun to have around and we love you so much more than you will ever know! Here is to being 3!

GUESS WHO...

2011-02-25T22:16:00.000-08:00

IS A BIG SISTER...?

YOU GUESSED IT...

RYDER SHANE BULKLEY

BORN FEBRUARY 23, 2011 @ 5:26 A.M.

7 LBS. 19.5 IN.

IT WAS LOVE <3 AT FIRST SIGHT FOR ALL OF US

SHANE AND I FEEL EXTREMELY GRATEFUL AND BLESSED TO BE PARENTS OF ANOTHER HEALTHY SWEET BABY!

WE JUST GOT HOME WITH THIS DUDE AND IT'S BEEN A CRAZY 3 DAYS, BUT AS SOON AS WE GET A LITTLE SLEEP (YEAH RIGHT) I WILL POST ALL THE DEETS AND PICS OF OUR NEW ADDITION!

XOXO

2011-02-18T22:59:00.000-08:00

I love Valentines Day, I always have. I love everything about it, the hearts, the decor, the colors, I love it all. This year was no different. I had an amazing day with my Valentines. Shane was able to take the day off at his internship so we started the day like this...

I made Heart shaped pancakes in the a.m.

opened a few Valentines

Gave lot's of kisses

Made some Valentine cheesecakes for people we love and are grateful for

Of course wore red

and spent the whole afternoon hanging out together in Oxnard. The real reason for Oxnard was Cafe Rio...does a Valentine lunch get much better than that? I think not!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We were showered!

2011-02-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

We are so very lucky to have such great family and friends! I feel overwhelmed and grateful for such amazing people in my life! Ryder is set and we are now SO ready for him to come! Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate, there were so many people who came from near and far and it wouldn't have been the same without you! Thank you! I wish we took more/ better pictures but my camera was being weird so most of them came out blurry.

Believe

2010-12-30T23:11:00.000-08:00

Believe in yourself... Believe you are a child of god... Believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you... Believe that there is a purpose and meaning in your life... Believe in Heavenly Father's plan for happiness... Believe in Joseph Smith and the first vision... Believe in the Book of Mormon... Believe that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God... Believe that you can follow the prophets course... Believe that you can find joy and happiness in your life... Believe that there is beauty and goodness in the world... Believe that being positive and optimistic is the best way... Believe that Christ was born in Bethlehem... Believe that Jesus Christ lived and taught true principals... Believe that he died for you and atoned for your sins... Believe that you can repent and change... Believe that Christ was resurrected and that he lives... Believe that you too will live again... Believe that your family can be eternal...Believe in the magic of Christmas!

We had such a wonderful, eventful and memorable December. We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family to celebrate the life of our savior with. This Christmas was even more special because Shane's mom came to spend the holiday with us. We had such a great time with her! I'm pretty sure Ty is still on overload from Christmas with two Grandmas, one Grandpa, one mom, one dad, one Aunt and one uncle all in one house on Christmas morning= spoiled to death.

Here is a few of our favorite things about December...

Decorating our very first "real" tree since we've been married.

Seeing Santa

Christmas Cards! (We were slackers this year with Christmas cards! Maybe New Years cards instead?) We still loved getting all of yours!

Picking out the perfect tree.

New Christmas Jammies. (Bri and I swear we too had an exact pair of these in the 80's!)

Parties with great friends.

Hot Coco.

Mmmm...So good!

Ward Party.

Hanging out with some of our favorite people.

Making Gingerbread trains.

Writing letters to Santa

Giving.

Stockings.

Leaving cookies and milk out for Santa...

and carrots for his reindeer.

Realizing that Santa is real.

Being completely spoiled.

And last but not least. I have been HORRIBLE at taking pictures and documenting this pregnancy, but here is the belly at 29 weeks. I feel bigger this time around than I did with Tylie, and I keep growing bigger everyday. I am now 31 weeks and I really can't imagine what I will look like in 9 more weeks...quite frankly, it scares me!

HALLOWEEN

2010-11-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

I'm bias, I am, but all I can say is this is the most Delicious cupcake I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of cupcakes in my day!

We took pumpkin carving very serious this year.

Note to self: Never have Tylie pass out candy! Her philosophy: one for you, two for me...she is no dummy.

She kept shaking her pumpkins hand and would say "I'm Tylie, nice to meetchya."

And she heads out for some trick-or-treating...

COUSINS!

2010-11-23T21:14:00.001-08:00

For the first time in a VERY long time Shane's whole side of the family was able to come together, and I'm talking about everyone! 1 mama, 6 kids, 6 in laws and 21 kiddos. We had some very important family business to take care of, 2 baptisms, 1 baby blessing and a welcome home to Shane's brother Jason who came home from Iraq just for 2 weeks to meet his new babe and bless him and then had to go back until June. Like always, we had a ton of fun catching up and making new memories!

The happiest place on earth.

2010-11-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

We were so excited when we found out that 2 of our favorite people were coming into town! Cori and Kingston, all the way from Pittsburgh. We went to Disneyland for a day and had a blast. We played so hard and chased these little cuties all day, to say the least we were exhausted when the day was over! Jeff and Kristen came and met up with us too. After Jeff spent an afternoon with Kingston, to say the very least he is thrilled to have a nephew on the way! He LOVES Tylie but girls and boys just play so differently! Here are a few pics from the day...

We haven't set a date yet, but their wedding is definitely still on. Wouldn't it really be cool to pick your kids in laws?!

Catch up!

2010-11-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

WOW how does time go by so quickly?! I guess life is just really good and really busy at the same time! We are so happy, grateful and excited about a lot of things that our near future hold. Just to name a few...We recently moved and love our new/old little townhouse, and more importantly LOVE the location and love it's convenience! Shane has almost completed his first semester in grad school with a 4.0 (not easy to do with a crazy internship, a crazy two-year old and an expecting just as crazy wife) His dedication and love for his field amaze me and know this is what he was born to do. Not only has he had to juggle these things, which is like having a full time job (an unpaid full time job ;)) he now on top of that has added a job in the mix (a paying job :)). We really feel like this truly is a blessing! He barely has any time to spare but the time he does have, he will be working. Jobs are not easy to come by these days and especially a job that fits perfectly into his schedule. We never thought this would be possible because his program is so rough and they advise you not to have a job while going to school. Obviously they don't know how expensive it is to live in CA! Regardless, I am grateful for such a hard working husband who is willing to do anything to make sure his family is taken care of! Lastly, we are so excited about this baby boy onboard! We are counting down the days...I am 6 months along, 25 weeks and 3 days, about 102 days to go...don't worry I don't have this memorized, I cheated and looked at my sidebar.

Well, now that you don't need a Christmas card from the Bulkley's because clearly you know our life story...it's time to do something I swore I would never do! You know those people that don't update their blogs for months and months on end, and then all of the sudden there is post after post after post?! Come on, i'm not pointing my finger at you or judging, i'm just say'n, we all know "those" people. I like to call it BLOG THROW UP. I promise to not make it a habit, but I have to get caught up so here it goes...

The Friend

2010-10-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Grandma Bulkley for ordering the Friend magazine for us. Clearly Tylie loves them! My friend Carrie had come over and we were hanging out and talking, we looked into the living room to find this...

None of these pictures were posed. Carrie grabbed my phone and started snapping away. Her expressions are so funny!

Love's of my life

2010-10-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

One day last week Shane got out of his internship extra early. He picked up Ty and the two of them had dinner all ready when I walked in from work. So lucky to have such a thoughtful hubby and little girl! Tylie inherited a lot of her sweetness from Shane. I don't know what i'd do without these two. I love them more than life itself!

On the menu...Heart shaped pizza <3
P.S. Please excuse Ty's nudeness. This girl loves to run around the house in nothing but her undies.

Uncle

2010-10-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last night we went down to Santa Monica to Uncle Jeff's work for a Season Kick off Party. We had a blast. Tylie thinks the world of her Uncle Jeff and thinks he is the coolest dude around.

They had a ski simulator that Ty was dying to try out...

Thanks for a fun night!

Anything like me

2010-10-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

Brad Paisley- Anything like me

I remember sayin' I don't care either way
Just as long as he or she is healthy I'm okay
Then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen
And said, "You see that thing right there, well you know what that means"

I started wondering who he was going to be
And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me

He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast
End up every summer wearin' something in a cast
He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass in a window down the street

He's gonna get in trouble, oh he's gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me

I can see him right now, knees all skinned up
With a magnifying glass tryin' to melt the Tonka truck
Won't he be a sight with his football helmet on?
That'll be his first love 'til his first love comes along

He'll get his heart broke by the time he's in his teens
And heaven help him if he's anything like me

He'll probably stay out too late and drive his car too fast
Get a speeding ticket, he'll pay for mowing grass
He's gonna get caught skippin' class and be grounded for a week

He's gonna get into trouble, we're gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me

He's gonna love me and hate me along the way
Years are gonna fly by and I already dread the day

He's gonna hug his momma, he's gonna shake my hand
He's gonna act like he can't wait to leave
But as he drives out he'll cry his eyes out if he's anything like me
There's worst folks to be like, oh he'll be alright if he's anything like me

Shane and I first heard this song about a month into my pregnancy. Ever since that day Shane insisted it was going to be a boy...he was right, and we are thrilled. Well, most of us are thrilled. With Tylie, it has taken a good month to get used to the idea of a brother. When the ultrasound tech confirmed it was a boy, Tylie screamed "I wanted a baby sister!" Since then we have been throwing out A LOT of names, (does anyone think naming a boy is harder then naming a girl?) you know names we have always liked. Asking her opinion on all of our suggestions. We ask her a name and the response is always "NO" until we said how about Ryder? Now, I don't know if we will be able to change his name because she is very insistent that her brother's name is Ryder! She always says "Mommy make sure you eat a lot because Ryder is hungry." or " I have two of this toy, one for me and one for Ryder." We'll see if that name stays, we keep going back and forth on this whole name thing!

The Happs...

2010-08-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Baby #2 is cookin'

Due March 5, 2011 I am 13 weeks and 2 days and SO excited to be out of the first trimester!

Yahoooooooo! We're stoked!

Now we can get back to blogging.

Blessed

2010-07-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Blessed to be an American, blessed to live in this country and blessed to be surrounded by these people...

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

2010-06-14T00:09:00.000-07:00

And I had a camera...so why not?!

Jealous that I don't have one wave on my head, and she has all of these...

I love my job, as her mom...99.9% of the time!

Happiest Place on Earth

2010-06-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of pictures I need to upload of our trip to Disneyland, but it's going to take a while! So, in the meantime I just wanted to document the experience we had before I forget all the details!

Oh my gosh, what a fun day! Luke, Traci, Bailee and Maddox were all in town to go to Disneyland for a week, so we tagged along for a day. It was both Tylie and Bailee's first time so they were sooo excited to say the least! Bailee was dressed as a beautiful princess and was so into the whole "princess thing." To my surprise Tylie really wasn't. She was all about the Disney characters! She LOVED them! There is something so amazing about the magic that is created there, especially to a child. I loved seeing Tylie's little face lit up all day. Shane and I kept commenting to each other about how her expressions were worth a million bucks and how we would have paid any amount of money to see her so excited and ridiculously happy like that! She was so cute! Singing and dancing all day long...until about 11:00 p.m. when she crashed. It was the perfect day that I know we will keep very close to our hearts...I know it sounds lame because it was just Disneyland, but this trip was different. It was perfect, no whining, no crying, no complaining...just sunshine and happiness all day long! At about 11:00 when Tylie couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, we took one last stroll down Main St. and got Ty a few souvenirs. She loves babies so we got her a Minnie baby and an Ariel doll. When we put her to bed that night we laid Minnie beside her, I wish everyone could have heard what I heard when she woke up! "HI MINNIE!! MOMMY LOOK IT'S MINNIE, SHE'S SLEEPING WITH ME! OH MOMMY THANK YOU."

She would not stop kissing Mickey!

I wish I could have been in her head and knew exactly what she was thinking!

Still stoked on Minnie and Ariel and she asks to wear these little ear barrettes almost everyday...I'm going to have to accidentally loose those soon!

Los Angeles

2010-06-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

DODGERS! We went to a Dodger game and it was probably the best game I have ever been to. Field level seats, Dodger dogs and good company. Doesn't get much better than that! These are a few pictures I took with my phone. My dad had a bunch on his computer, but it crashed before I stole them! So of course, just a few of T.B...

A high of 81 degrees!

2010-05-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Summer is knocking down our door and we can't get enough of this weather! We spent most of our afternoon poolside and loving it. Tylie is fearless of the water which confirms, I need to get her in swimming lessons stat. Anyone know of a good place for lessons? Anyone want to join us?!

As soon as I asked if she wanted to go swimming she could not get out of the house fast enough.

The waiting place

2010-04-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was laying in bed reading this book to Tylie...I realized how much of this book reflects our life as of late. Particularly in the bold places...

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

We can't wait to make it out of the waiting place and on to bright places where boom bands are playing! Hopefully we will get there soon. In the meantime, I am so very grateful to have an amazing marriage and husband where we are able to lean on each other when the days seem extra long and rainy. I have so much to be grateful for. I am lucky.

Strike a pose

2010-04-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you leave my sister and Tylie alone for more that 15 minutes on a lazy Sunday afternoon. First they had a tea party and were talking in British accents. Then they got all dolled up.

OH GORGEOUS DARLING, JUST GORGEOUS.

Tonight when I got home from a fireside (which was incredible) I told Tylie it was time to get ready for bed and say our prayers. She said "No Honey" I told her it was very important to tell Heavenly Father what you are thankful for. I asked who she was thankful for and she replied "Titi" (short for auntie, which she calls Bri). I asked her who else? "Jesus Christ" again, who else? "TITI!" okay okay, geese!

I see London, I see France

2010-04-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

This is what we've been up to for the past week! Its been a big success and we are proud parents of this little pantie wearing princess...literally. We found this book Princess Potty, and it has to be the cutest little book ever. It comes with this tiara and jewel stickers so each time she goes, she gets to wear the tiara. If she actually does the deed, she gets a sticker to put on her tiara. She chose to put them right on her potty. Hey whatever works!

I never knew how much you could do in a bathroom! We have read about every book, played every game and sung every song I know, all while sitting on the pot!

On a side note, is anyone else's kids terrified of public restrooms? How in the heck do you get over that? The toilet is so big for their little bums! This is the only time she'll have accidents, and it's not because she won't tell us, it's because she won't sit on a public toilet! I don't like them myself but I've been trying to explain that when a girls gotta go she gotta go!

It been a lot of hard work...ask Ty! She has NEVER just fallen asleep like this. She won't even fall asleep to a movie, but after half a day of potty training this is how I found her.

P.S. Anyone in need of size 4 diapers? We just bought a big box about a week before we decided to potty train! Going once, going twice...

Bunnies and eggs and baskets...oh my

2010-04-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

We COLORED...

we ADMIRED our work...

we HUNTED...

we had so much FUN...

and when it was all over we threw the biggest FIT I have EVER seen. I don't really blame her...I was really sad too.

2010-03-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm yelling

"Tylie come on, come get in the bath, hurry please! I'm not going to ask you again, come on! Don't make me come and get you!"

REALLY?! Looking out the window in the buff...enough said.

Jackpot

2010-03-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite St. Patty day traditions that my mom has kept alive year after year! I think they are adorable!

And delicious

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hope yours was as yummy as ours!

2010-03-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

So...it's been a weekend about projects! There have been a few things that I have been wanting to get done for a while now. One being these bookshelves. Tylie loves to read, but every time we would go to grab a book they would all fall everywhere! It would leave me feeling very frustrated and annoyed! I saw these bookshelves on a friends blog (thanks Julie!) a while back and finally got to Home Depot to make it happen! It literally took about 5 minutes to put together. All it is- RAIN GUTTERS! Now let me sell you on these babies! I love that they are low enough for Tylie to reach, and I love that you can see the cover of the book...because let's be honest, we ALL judge a book by it's cover! So here's how they turned out...

Since this project has been complete, all the girl has wanted to do is READ! I swear whoever invented these things is brilliant! She thinks it is so cool, and she always puts her book away before picking out a new one, fabulous!

Next project, converting Ty's crib into a toddler bed= Complete. She is loving having a big girl bed. Knock on wood, haven't had any problems with her getting out of bed and not sleeping, but i'm sure that will happen sooner or later!

One of the best things about having a big kid bed is jumping on her bed while singing... 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head mama called the doctor and the doctor said, No more monkeys jumping on the bed!

So, I keep sneaking in her room at night because she sleeps so crazy, but 3 nights down and she has yet to fall out of her bed... Knocking on wood again!

And lastly, I caught Tylie calling Shane while he was at work...one of her favorite things to do. I'll translate for you...

"Hello Daddy. Hi! Hi daddy Hi! You at work? Okay... hmm daddy."

You complete me

2010-03-14T23:47:00.001-07:00

Dear Cafe Rio,

Welcome to LA!!! Since we moved away from you three years ago life just hasn't been the same! We were missing you, and right when we couldn't take it any more...BAM you pop up right before our eyes. Reunited at last, we will never leave you again!

Life is good!

2010-02-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

So is it me or does Tylie look so old all of the sudden?! She is getting really tall. She has always been in the 20-25 percentile and last week after going to the doc, she is currently in the 40th! I know, who would have thought?

Well, we celebrated Ty's birthday with my family last Sunday. Okay so this birthday cake seems a little random for a two year old, but Tylie LOVES the Disney movie UP. She never gets sick of it, loves to watch it all of the time! So it just seemed to fit.

After being so sick all week and missing a whole week of work, I decided to order a birthday cake. My dad insisted that we make one and said that he could help me with the house- NO PROBLEM. He said he had been watching Cake Boss a lot lately and he is pretty much pro now. So, I got started on the layers of cake for the house and he decided rice crispy treat would be perfect for the roof...Bri gets all the credit for decorating...My dad and I were SOOO over it by that time. Man, the Cake Boss makes it look so easy!

Jeff had to work on Sunday so he and Kristin gave Ty her presents early....YEP another Elmo...this one talks and spins. She is in love and says his name is Elmo Bulkee.

My parents got her this radio flyer. I think it is so cute!

Tylie continues to bring so much happiness into our home and we love her to pieces. Two years seems like it has flown by, but on the other hand we have a hard time remembering life before her. We just love having her around. Tylie is so sweet, but definitely has a lot of SASS. Last night I said "Tylie it's time for bed" to which she replied "No Mommy, Don't say that, don't say that." Some things that she says are so funny. Randomly, she will come up to us and get in our face and say "whatcha doding?" or when we leave and say bye Tylie, she says "Bye, I yove you, have fun." After spending a weekend with her cousins, she can identify a few of them by picture. It's really cute, she says Ba for Bailee Liv for Livi, Zo Zo for Zoey and Riber for River. Now she needs to work on the other 15 of them! I guess we know who made the biggest impression on her :) She loves to dance and LOVES to sing! She is counting to 10, knows all her colors and we are working on her ABC's. She is our little sunshine and we are so glad she is a part of our family! We love you Tylie Belle, you make life so exciting.

Tender Moments

2010-02-17T17:29:00.001-08:00

This morning I woke up feeling even worst than I did yesterday! I thought about going to Urgent Care to get checked out...I HATE URGENT CARE! I called my primary care doctor instead...no appointments, so off to Urgent Care we went! We walked into a FULL HOUSE, Ugh really?! I asked the lady behind the desk how long the wait was, she estimated 1 1/2 hours. After going back and forth in my head whether or not I should stay, I decided we would wait it out! All I wanted was to be in my bed snuggled up to my little lady resting while she watched a movie. Tylie was ultra snugly in the waiting room, I think she thought we were there for her. I confirmed we were here for Mommy. She started getting a little bit more comfortable. We all know how hard it is for a toddler to be waiting for that long, but it's as if she knew I couldn't deal with THAT Tylie today. It's as if she knew I was sick. She was such an angel! I was so grateful for her goodness! By the time we got out of that hole it had taken 3 hours! NO! I'M NOT EXAGGERATING!! Got there at 8:30, walked out the door at 11:30. I was so not prepared to wait that long, I had no snacks and only one diaper. I was so glad to look in my purse as we were waiting to find a Mickey Mouse sucker that my friends brought back from Disneyland last week (thank you Dawn and Shanti)! It was a life savor and kept her occupied for maybe 1 out of the 3 hours! Well, even though it was a long morning, I sure am glad I went, as the doctor confirmed it being Strep. The best part of my morning was seeing such a sweet side of Ty. I love how now that she is older, she is so in tune with people's feelings. As we were sitting there, every time I would cough she would pat me and stroke my hair and say "Ohhh mama you okay?" in a concerned little voice. I love this little girl and am grateful for her in my life. Even at my low, she is there to lift me right back up. She is such a blessing and I hope she will always be so sweet!

2010-02-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Picture overload!!!

We had such a FUN holiday weekend with Shane's family! Shane's mom bought a house in St. George so we all met there which is a pretty good mid point for everyone. I think we were the only ones who hadn't made it up to see her house, but it was beautiful and we are so happy for her. We love when everyone gets together! We had 5 out of 6 siblings there which is pretty darn good. Those who have big families know that it isn't always the easiest thing getting everyone together! We had a great time relaxing, shopping, boy time playing sports, swimming, girls night out, celebrating, heart attacking the house for the kids, talking, playing games...you name it, it was action packed! The highlight being my sister in-law having her twin babies (a boy and girl) the morning before we all got into town. It was a surprise because she was only 31 weeks but they are doing pretty good considering how teeny tiny they are!

I love watching the cousins play together!

Disney Yahtzee with Uncle Jason

Fashion Show wearing all of the latest styles...and by latest I mean all of Aunt Jana's Prom dresses from High School.

Celebrating Valentines day. I wish I took more pics of the kids in the morning opening their Valentines! This is River, isn't he ADORABLE he is closest in age to Ty, just a couple months apart. (Ty calls him Riber)

GUESS WHO TURNED TWO?

We spent the afternoon at Tylie's favorite place...the park.

Canyon and Bailee! Poor Canyon he is surrounded by girls most of the time, but he doesn't seem to mind!

Mom, Jana and sweet Kellen

Traci and Maddox! Look how amazing this little fighter looks! 7 months old and 3 open heart surgeries later!

Birthday girl

Which one should I pick?!

Party Girls. Bailee, Brea, Zoey, Sahara and Livi.

Yummy

Opening presents

Tylie and Grandma. Except instead of calling her Grandma she calls her Bulkley.

So the 6 hour drive home took us 8 hours! I guess what can you expect on a holiday weekend? It was worth every minute. Look what we came home to though! Someone loves this little girl! She loved it- was so excited when we walked up and all she could do was shout BAWOONS BAWOONS and a creepy little giggle :)

Now after all that fun, Ty and I are home sick. This is what we've been up to all day! Not so fun! Although, I could get used to this blogging in bed thing!

Stay tuned for more birthday celebrations with my fam. You think they would let her birthday pass by, just because we were out of town? I think not...she is the only grandchild on my side and she is so darn spoiled! Better get well soon!

I Heart You!!!

2010-02-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a fabulous Valentine's Day! We sure did!

<3,

Shane,Chelsea and our Valentine

There is a first time for everything...

2010-02-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Me personally? Not a big fan of the dentist! I hate the smell, the tools the atmosphere! I hate everything about it! Tylie had her first Dentist appointment last week and loved it. Look how cool the pediatric dentist's office was!

The sun was clearly in her eyes but she is so excited to be sporting that Elmo and Princess sticker and she got a ball too. Why can't all doctor offices be like this? Then maybe kids wouldn't mind it so much! It's all about the experience folks!

2010-02-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

This little girl thinks of something new everyday to crack me up! I love her to death and can't believe she'll be TWO next week! WOW :O How did that happen?!?

So my favorite Tylie-ism as of late...

She gets this really sassy look on her face like the one in the first pic. and the conversation goes like this...

Me: "Tylie, are you cute?"

Ty: "No I not coot, I funny."

Me: "So you're funny?"

Ty: "NO, I not, I coot!"

This girl would live outside if she could, at the park on the slide to be exact. For rainy days like today and this whole past week, we slide inside.

What is it that I absolutely love about a sleeping baby? It could be that she is so peaceful and quiet, so sweet and innocent. I love that she sleeps in one corner all scrunched up. Sometimes late at night Shane and I sneak into Ty's room and watch her sleep, it always ends with how lucky we are to have such a fun, healthy almost Two year old. (can you tell I'm having a hard time with her growing up?!)

She looks so grown up with her little backpack all excited to go to the Hick's house to play.

One more week of sweetness before TERRIBLE TWOS are knocking down our door! Maybe that's why I'm not looking forward to this Birthday!

Celebrating Erin

2010-01-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

December/January were some of the funnest months, getting to celebrate Erin and Michael! After ten years, finally they tied the knot! So the month goes as follows...

First we showered!

Ash made these darling cheesecake bars, they were such a hit. 1. because they are freaking cute and 2. because they were delish!

The dessert spread

The cute Mother of the Bride and the Mother of the Groom behind her!

Er answering questions about Mike, I have to say after 10 years they know each other VERY well...pretty sure she got them all right!

Then we Partied !
Dayna and Tara threw a mean bachelorette party in Santa Barbara. We all had such a good time, talking all night long, laughing so hard we hurt, eating, dancing (we took a burlesque class, it was hilarious), and just being together.

Here is the beautiful bride to be, dressed up and ready to hit the town.

Love these girls!

Did a lot of this

Shopped all day in the pouring rain...Ash was the only one who brought an umbrella, but we all fit, kind of. We were all pretty wet by the time we were done, especially Erin...sorry again for splashing you! LOL!

This reminded me of the good 'ol days! Just chillin.

Last but not least they Wed!

Erin was the most gorgeous bride!

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Connors Long!

The Wedding turned out perfect. It was a beautiful day and filled with so much happiness and love!

Congrats Er!! I am thrilled for you and Michael! You were just meant for each other and anyone can see that! I love you both. You are an amazing woman and friend and Michael is so lucky to have you! I wish you more than a lifetime filled with so much laughter and love! <3

2010-01-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

So excited to be starting a new year! I love this time of year. In a sense it's like starting over, it's a breath of fresh air, it's the beginning, a new chance to be better, to set new goals, to try new things. To remember why we're here. I have a good feeling about 2010!

I feel like 2009 was a rough one for the Bulkleys. Never thought so much could happen to one family in one year. I feel very fortunate to be apart of such an amazing family and I am so proud to be a Bulkley! I have learned so much this year, so much I never wanted to learn about but I am grateful for even these moments and heartache that we all seem to have in our lives.

Music is huge in our home and this is a song I wanted to document because I feel like it has helped me get through a lot this year.

Life is Beautiful -Vega 4.

life is beautiful

we love until we die

when you run into my arms

we steal a perfect moment

let the monsters see you smile

let them see you smilin'

do i hold you too tightly?

when will the hurt kick in?

life is beautiful

but it's complicated, we barely make it

we don't need to understand

there are miracles, miracles

yeah, life is beautiful

our hearts

they beat and break

when you run away from harm

will you run back into my arms?

like you did when you were young

will you come back to me?

i will hold you tightly

when the hurting kicks in

life is beautiful

but it's complicated, we barely make it

we don't need to understand

there are miracles, miracles

stand.. where you are

we let all these moments

pass us by

it's amazing where i'm standing

there's a lot that we can give

this is ours just for the moment

there's a lot that we can give

The number one thing I will take with me into the new year is the importance of time. Time spent surrounded by the people I love! Time spent, playing and laughing, time spent making memories. I think I sweat the small things too much and let the "moments" pass. You never know when someone so dear will be taken from you, so I want to spend as much time with the people I love the most! I want to teach Tylie this same lesson at a young age. I want her to be close to her Grandma's, her Grandpa, all her Aunts, Uncles and all her Cousins, but even more so I want her to always remember this man...her Grandpa Bulkley. Her Grandpa that is not living on this earth because he was taken from us in 2009 but he is there, watching over us and protecting us and our entire family. (This is a picture that is hanging in Ty's room...I ask Tylie all of the time, who is that? She responds "papa"...it's cute!)

So here's to 2010, baby!

YOU DID IT!!!

2009-12-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

Yay! We are so thrilled for this day to come! Congratulations Shane, we are so proud of you!!!

We threw a surprise graduation party tonight to celebrate this great milestone!

I'm a college graduate!

Babe, we are so proud of you! I know it hasn't been easy juggling your school work, your family, both of your emotionally and physically draining jobs, but you did it! Through all of this you have maintained your grades and kept a kick "A" g.p.a. You have continued to excel in your jobs where the kids that you see/ help can't get enough of you and adore you. And you have grown as a father and husband where through all of this craziness you have continued to put us first in all that you do, making sure we are always happy and content! You have a wife and a daughter who think the world of you and of course, are completely in love with you!

So here's to you!

Now off to grad school...you know what they say! It's not over until it's over! But I have a feeling it's all down hill from here!

Til the season comes around again

2009-12-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

This was such a fun Christmas with Tylie! We enjoyed her so much, I can't get enough of that little face when it's lit up! She loves the story of Jesus, the lights, the tree, Santa, she truly loved it all. I didn't think she would get the whole Christmas thing this year, but I was wrong. She loves reading about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas. She points to nativities and says babe Jesus. When I ask her what Santa says she says "HO HO HO" it's so cute! On Christmas eve right before she went to bed I asked her if she knew who was coming tonight and she said "HO HO HO" I told her that she had to go to bed and sleep tight so Santa could come and visit us to bring toys, she nodded and closed her eyes. I though it was so sweet.

What a great week we had...it's so sad it's over! I loved spending time with family and the spirit in the air! We kicked off the week with a very special visitor! GRANDMA!!! We loved spending time, visiting, bonding, loving and playing with her...We miss her and are so grateful for making such a quick trip right before the craziness of the holiday! Thank you, that visit was much needed! We parked, we visited, we celebrated and we presented!

On Monday night for F.H.E we went to L.A. to see the temple lights...beautiful! Tylie was so lucky to spend the night with both of her Grandma's!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Christmas morning
Thanks Santa! HO HO HO

Tylie was in heaven with all her new loot. She would go around to her vanity, to her slide, to her kitchen. To say the least, she had her day planned!

Hope you had a great Christmas!

Naughty or Nice?

2009-12-14T21:01:00.001-08:00

Tylie just got a letter in the mail, from Santa! He confirmed...She is on his good list...phew! I had to hold my breath while reading out loud his letter to her. I do remember a few naughty moments this year, but apparently the good outweighed the bad! So boys and girls Santa Claus is coming

to town, and we can hardly wait!

(If you want to read the letter, click on it to make it bigger)

I just think this is the most darling letter! Outside of my work there is a red mailbox that kids can write letters to Santa, and he responds...too cute!

M-O-N-D-A-Y

2009-12-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

Every week I look forward to Monday! This is the day that I know I get to spend ALL day with just her and I. It's OUR day, but we always invite dad to lunch!

Last Monday we spent most of our day at the park.

This Monday was a different story! It was windy, rainy and cold outside so we decided to stay in and make some cookies.

We ate a few too

Delish!

We got dressed all warm and faced the cold.

We danced!

We laundried

We watched a movie.

We played our hearts out and took advantage of another great day together, just the two of us!
I wish everyday was Monday! I sure do LOVE <3 her!

2009-11-11T21:57:00.000-08:00

I will forever be very grateful for this little guy! He saved my life on Saturday.

You see I had this very grumpy little girl with me! It has been very difficult to run any kind of errands with this one as of late!

Until this friend of mine popped into my life while I saw him at the check out stand at home goods and Voila, he changed her whole outlook on life running errands! He completely turned that frown upside down and she was smiling that frown away!

Mmm Mmm so GOOD!

Working on that frosting, yet completely content in a shopping cart! Hallelujah!

He lived a short life but he occupied her long enough to let me get some things done. I am so grateful for him.

I guess what I am saying is YES I am THAT KIND OF MOM...you know the kind that bribes their 1 and a half year old...and it works...please don't judge me!

Shake Your Tail Feathers!

2009-11-02T00:34:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

It's not easy being a Peacock but somebody has got to do it!

(She loved that little pumpkin, wanted to carry it with her everywhere. She fell asleep in .2 seconds on the way home with pumpkin still in hand.)

2009-10-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

but not too far just over to North Valencia. Thank you to everyone who has helped us this weekend we appreciate it more than you will ever know! More on this to come later as for now I've got to get my rear in gear and start unpacking! Almost all done just my clothes left...then we get to start the fun stuff decorating and hanging pictures...whew I'm tired!

2009-09-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were able to go visit Shane's brother and his family and their new house in Kanab. We loved hanging out with them and my sister in law did a little family photo shoot before we took off, which we so appreciate. Nicole is probably one of the most talented photographers I know. I don't think we have taken professional family pictures since Tylie was born. I refuse to get them done by any other because I love her work so much! If you want to check out her work, her web site is http://www.nicolebulkley.com/ and her blog is http://nicolebulkleyphotography.blogspot.com/.

We just put in our order today, here are a few of our picks. Thanks Nicole, can't wait to see you guys soon!