Guess Who....

Guess Who's coming to Boise for the Boise Music Festival in July....????

One of my FAVORITES.....Kellie Pickler!

I love love love her! I watched her on American Idol and was super bummed when she was voted off. I think she has an amazing voice, such a cute personality, and I love all her songs! I wasn't really excited about the other people coming with her...LL Cool J, Smash Mouth, and a few others, but when I found out she was coming I told Keith, "I have to go!" I'm also excited about newcomer Karmin performing too, she has a pretty good voice. I've never seen any of my favorite county stars in concert, Carrie, Taylor, Miranda, Kellie, Lady A, Sugarland, The Band Perry, Brad Paisley or Keith Urban. So I'm stoked to see Kellie.

And the best part about the music festival....IT'S FREE! How AWESOME is Boise?!!! July can't come sooner!

Just What I Needed

After a very difficult and draining weekend I didn't feel like doing much, even though it was a nice day it still didn't help the way I was feeling. Keith insisted going out even if it was just to the park would help us feel better. So we drove downtown and into the North End to one of my favorite parks- Camel's Back. Growing up we came to this park all the time because there was like one park in Eagle and it was pretty lame, but Sunset and Camel's Back were our go to parks. Camel's Back holds a lot of memories, even though it has changed somewhat I can still picture in my mind what it used to look like and the fun times we had here almost every week in the summer growing up. The three of us played for awhile, Keith and I watched Carson all giddy with excitement run around and explore. After awhile I decided to take a hike to the top of the hill while Keith stayed with Carson. Once I got to the top I hiked the trails in back for a bit, taking in the beauty of Boise, the foothills, the trees, and the sunset. Oh it was just what I needed. What I was feeling all went away and a peace came, it was so nice to just look at the view and think of all my blessings, Keith and Carson being what makes me happy, and just thinking about life and why certain things happen and what God is trying to have me learn through all of it. Sometimes nature is the best therapy.

                                This is why it's called "the city of trees."

A Day Downtown

Keith had Friday off work so we spent the day downtown with some of my family. We went out to an Italian Restaurant with my brother, sister (and her daughter), and my mom. Afterwards we took a little walk along the greenbelt that goes right through Boise (it's definitely one of my favorite things about Boise and one of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice) Carson didn't like being in his stroller for long, he wanted out and wanted to walk! He loved exploring and was laughing and giddy the whole time he was walking, it was soo cute! Keith said, "you know who he looks like when he walks, Paul Walker," so we nicknamed him PW. haha It was such and ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS day. Later that night we went over to my mom's for some homemade Chinese, my bro-in-law really knows how to cook some good chinese food!

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous too! We headed over to my sisters house to hang out for the day. We went on a walk to the nearby elementary school and just let the kids play. Afterwards the boys grilled up some mean hamburgers for us while Nikki and I made some very addicting Turtle Cheesecake Bars...probably our favorite thing to do when we get together is to try new recipes from pinterest! Oh they are still sitting in my fridge and I can't resist them!

Here's the link if you wanna give them a whirl....http://www.louanneskitchen.com/2011/09/turtle-cheesecake-bars.html

Simple Joys

It's funny how simple little things can sometimes bring the most joy to your day. I made a new drink that I absolutely love- it's so simple but so yummy that I've already made it twice today! haha Once for breakfast and once for dessert. I can't wait to make it again tomorrow. It has all my favorite things! PB/Choc/Bananas.

1 Banana

1 TBS of Cocoa

1 spoonful of peanut butter

1/2-1 C Milk

(Mix all ingredients in blender, add more or less of whatever ingredient depending on how you like it- thick or thin) Ooo man it's my new favorite!

Today was also such a nice day that I decided little man and I should go on a walk. I walked to hamburger/ice cream shop just down the street and asked my sis to come meet us. It was fun to get out and enjoy the nice the weather! We had fun hanging out, eating and chatting, once our husbands got home we went to the nature park for FHE for another leisurely stroll and let lil' Carson and Brielle play at the park. It was so fun to see Carson really play for the first time since last time it was warm enough to go to the park Carson wasn't walking yet. Afterwards we went to the SUB on the BSU campus and got some Chic-Fil-A for dinner. yummm I love their sauce. All in all it was one of those simple, but really enjoyable days that also makes you want summer to be here quicker so you can be outside more. Can't wait for all the summer activities especially swimming since Carson is a fish!

11 Penrod Events of 2011

 Our family highlights of 2011....

1. January- Carson's birth!
Our first little bebe came into the world 1.29.11. This was one of the best days of our life (next to our wedding of course)
6 lb. 11 oz. of pure preciousness

2. March- Our big move to Boise.
We finally left good ol' Rexburg for my hometown of Boise, Idaho. Love this place and am so happy to be here once again. I mean it was time to move on...both of us graduated from college & still in a college town....yah we weren't feelin' it anymore. We love love love being around family and in a bigger city.

Carson and his two cousins Skylee and Brielle--the day we arrived in Boise.  First time the Lewis family met Carson.

3. April- Trip to New Jersey
We took a three week vacation to New Jersey to visit Keith's family in April. We got to do a lot of fun things...once the kidney stones passed, Carson was blessed, we went to Philly, Atlantic City, the beach, the bay, and the Cape May Zoo.

                                            Carson's blessing 4.10.11

Eating a philly cheesesteak at Pat's in Philly

In the Mall on the Atlantic City Boardwalk

4. May- U2 Concert!
So Keith and my favorite band is U2. We had the opportunity to see them in concert in SLC and it was AMAZING! Love them even more now...if that's possible.

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5. June- Keith started his new job.
Don't ask me what he does because it's very complicated stuff I don't understand, but he enjoys his new jobs and it keeps our life interesting and entertaining with all the trips we get to take!

6. June- Keith's Alaska Trip
So for Keith's birthday/fathers day gift he took a week long trip to AK. He has always wanted to go and I have three brothers that live there so he thought it was the perfect opportunity before he started his job to go. He had a blast and we want to return hopefully sometime soon as a family.

Fishin' on the Kenai in Alaska

7. July- Trip to Jackson Hole
Our fun little trip to Jackson Hole for a week was a perfect little getaway. Jackson is such a fun touristy town!

8. August- Trip to Phoenix, Arizona
Loved loved loved this trip! Even though we went in the summer to an already hot place it was so fun to relax by the pool, cheer on the Arizona Diamondbacks at the baseball game, and hang out with my awesome newlywed niece Chelsea and her husband James. I would love to go there again!

9. September- Trip to Helena, Montana
This was the longest of our trips for Keith's work. We stayed a month in Helena and did a lot of exploring. I even made a new friend and her little boy, Carson and I all hung out. What a pretty pretty state! It was nice to also have no sales tax. :)

10. December- Our 4th Anniversary.
12.28.07----Has it seriously been 4 years already?!!! Wow it has flown by so fast! I love Keith more and more each day and am so grateful for him and his patience with me. We had fun celebrating our anniversary with a little P.F. Changs. mmmmm yummy Chinese.

Four years.

11. A year of Firsts
This year was a year of firsts for all of us...but mostly Carson. Carson's first Valentines, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And of course mine and Keith's first fathers and mothers day.

The 4th

Trunk-or-Treat

Family Halloween Party

Christmas morn

And the first event to start off 2012 will be Carson's first birthday at a cabin in McCall! So excited!

Oh what a wonderful year 2011 has been! I'm so grateful for all my blessings and the wonderful experiences 2011 brought, especially my little Carson bear. Here's to a wonderful 2012!!!

Our NOT so LITTLE man

So it's been awhile since I last blogged about our little man. Well our little man is not so little anymore! I can't believe he is already NINE MONTHS!

Carson is everywhere and into everything! He loves everything he’s not supposed to have…cords, phones, breakables etc. His new obsession is doors and cabinets. He’ll shut a door and cry because it’s shut so you have to keep opening it for him it’s so cute. He loves to follow mommy and daddy everywhere they go. He stands up like a pro and will walk from one end of the couch to the other with one hand on the couch. The other day he took TWO steps on his own! He hasn’t done it since but we might have an early walker! He hates having his diapers and clothes changed, he thinks he’s missing out on playing or something.

As you can see he has four teeth and is getting some more. Getting bit by him is not fun. He loves his solid food…crackers, bread, fruit, and jar food but still loves his milk! I love being able to feed him solids now and not always having to nurse him, it’s so nice at church or in the car to feed him bananas or some bread.  His 9 mo. Check up is this month so I’m not sure how much he weighs but I’m pretty sure it’s over 20 lbs! Time to get a new car seat!

I can’t believe his birthday is in less than 3 months! I’ve already started to semi-plan it, since it is at the end of January it will have to be indoors. I’m excited for him to turn one but that also means he is growing up so it’s sad a in a way.

Here are some pictures I took this morning, still in his pjs, w/his messy hair, eating a banana and playing in his walker.

As for Keith and I nothing too new or exciting. I fill my days w/Carson, cooking new recipes, family, and home décor shopping. Oh I can’t get enough of home décor shopping I could spend hours doing it! Can’t wait to go to a new store I heard about, I’ve already found one favorite maybe I’ll find two!


We had a little mini-mini photo shoot a couple weeks ago just so I could get a family shot where Carson is looking & smiling for my wall...I was so happy w/how it turned out we even got a couple really good shots of Keith and Carson.

 We had an awesome Halloween with Keith’s brother and fiancé and my sis and her husband at our ward trunk or treat and on Halloween we went trick or treating w/my sis and her four kids. Oh the flood of memories it brought back going trick or treating w/the kids.

We are getting excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas and Keith’s brothers wedding in December. There’s a lot to do here in Boise around Nov. and Dec.—parades, tree lightings, festival of trees, Christmas bazaars, lights at the Botanical Gardens, holiday expos, plays, Christmas Celebrations and parties oh I can’t wait!

bears and fall

 

Isn't he just the cutest lil' bear you've ever seen?

Our Family Halloween party last Friday.

Some of the kids all dressed up.Fun party full of food, fun, games, sweets, and sweet costumes

 Last Saturday, Keith's sister Catherine  came up from Rexburg for a visit. Like usual we went to the Farmers Market downtown, then had lunch at Ann Morrison Park. O my goodness the fall weather in Boise is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It was such a nice day! Later that day was followed by some shopping at Platos and relaxing. I love days like this where you can just enjoy the fall weather and relax w/the fam. Sunday, Keith and I went on a drive to Kathryn Albertsons Park. We took a nice walk around the beautiful park. I am so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. Kathryn Albertsons is one of the most popular places to have family/wedding/engagements etc. pictures taken. There were probably a bazillion people there taking pics. It was nice to just have the three of us taking a walk and enjoying the fall beauty. I came up w/some of my favorite things about fall.

FALL FAVORITES

the perfect weather
crisp air
changing leaves
football (boise state)
cozy clothes
wood stoves
scarves
boots
pumpkins
pumpkin flavored everything
apple cider
my birthday
halloween
trunk or treats

carmel apples

hoodies

homemade donuts

corn mazes

pumpkin patches

hay rides

haunted houses

halloween movies

                                              Kathryn Albetsons Park

The world's largest Ponderosa at Kathryn Albertsons in Boise

                                                        Blue-eyed Beauty

                                                           Swinging at Ann Morrison

 

Oh I just love the fall...my favorite season for sure, I just wish it was longer.

TwEnTy FoUr

So yesterday I turned 24....I know I know I'm old right?!! Yikes I can't believe I'm 24! Still feels like I'm at least 20 or so haha. Saturday Keith took me out to breakfast and we brought our little man along. It was fun just the three of us. Then Keith went and did some shopping for a BBQ he put together with my family for my b-day. We had a lot of fun at the BBQ (although Keith claims he bought trick hamburger meat, I just think he made the pattys too thick lol) the weather was absolutely perfect! I was a little worried since it's October I thought it might be cold but it was really warm! After the BBQ we went back home and watched I am Number Four. Not a bad movie Keith really liked it. Yesterday (sunday) was my actual b-day, Keith got a little sick so it was kinda a bummer but we had fun anyway, went to church and came home Keith had cooked me steak/mashed potatoes/veggies for dinner. After that we had to head to Twin for his work so that is where we are now. I wanna thank my fam who cam to the BBQ it was so nice to spend my birthday in Boise for the first time in 6 years! Crazy to think the last b-day I celebrated w/my fam was when I was 18!  And this was the 5th b-day I've celebrated w/Keith. He really knows how to make me feel special and go all out. Shoot he gave me $100 to go and buy whatever I want for my b-day you better believe I'm gonna be shoppin' this week!  I already got a list! lol. I'm so lucky to have a husband who really takes care of me, appreciates me, and shows that he loves me all the time. He really is so thoughtful and for that I am so grateful. To many more birthdays with my love......

love him....

at the park for the bbq

ok I was a little afraid of the flame

some of the fam

aunt nikki and carson...isn't he so big?

keith got my favorite....cake donuts

I know you want some...

chocolate covered strawberries for breakfast?.....yes please!

penrod fam at the breakfast buffet

he loves when we give him water like this!