McQueen's

BABY BROTHER!!

2012-01-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BOY!!!!!

How I told Eli: I took a pregnancy test one Sunday morning while Eli was in the shower. Owen woke up right after so I ran in and told him my little secret... that he was going to be a big brother. Then I kept it to myself for about the next 45 minutes. This was our conversation on the way to church:

Eli: What day is it?

Me: Sunday, October 9th 2011, a good day to find out your pregnant!

Eli: What does that mean?

Me: It means I'm pregnant!

Eli: But what does that mean?

Me: It means I have a baby in my belly.

Eli: But what, what... I mean....

Me: Me looking at him incredulously

Eli: (Finally able to blurt out his real question) WHEN?

Me: Oh! June!

Needless to say Eli was surprised/shocked. We told our parents after our 10 week ultrasound. We had Owen wear a "Big Bro" t-shirt and just let them figure it out. We told the rest of my family at Thanksgiving dinner with the t-shirt again and Eli just called the rest of his family to let them know.

I think it's fair to say Owen has mixed emotions about this new little baby. Most nights when I'm singing to him he all the sudden wants to hug the baby in my belly and talk about it. I took him to a Dr's appt. and let him know we we're going to hear the baby's heart beat and what it would sound like. When he actually heard it he was so excited he kept saying ""More baby!" and then when the Dr. left he kept saying "More Baby! More Doctor!". Then just yesterday we took him with us to the ultrasound to find out the sex. When the technician handed him his own picture of his baby brother he kissed it!

On the other hand, before we knew what I was having we'd always quiz Owen to see if he knew what it was. When asked if it was a boy/girl he would reply with "No! Owen Baby!" When asked if he was going to have a baby brother or a baby sister he replied with "No brothers! No sisters! Just cousins!"

We're very excited for this little boy to come into our family!!

Owen's 2 yr old Pictures

2012-01-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

We took Owen to Fotofly for his 2 year old pictures. The photographer had him giggling and squealing - he had so much fun! We had fun just watching him. Owen is such a joy! We feel fortunate to be his parents.

Just a few things we love about Owen:

His contagiously fun personality & charming good looks

That he chants "Go Mama" or "Go Grandma" or "Go Santa" or anyone for that matter

That he always has to have his hands in his pockets

That he likes to eat "ki freem" or aka ice cream

That he has to say "Hi" to every person in a store

That he's always pointing out who is a boy and who is a girl

That he gives such sweet hugs

That he yells "Hide" & runs down the hallway to hide so daddy can find him when he gets home

That he asks daddy to sing him rock songs at night

That he yells "No sun!" when it gets in his eyes or "No church!" every time we go to church or "No Home!" every time we pull up to the house.

That he yells "Stop it" if anyone is arguing

That he dances all the time (he even did a fish dance while ice fishing and then G-pa caught one)

That he's just a good little boy, he says please & thank you most of the time

That he's pretty easy going most days and isn't too hard to please

I could go on and on but I'll stop so we can get to the pictures, and believe it or not I did narrow it down to just a few of my favorites :)

Temple Square

2012-01-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

We went to Temple Square the day after Christmas to see the lights. We all had fun!

I love the way the temple looks in the background.

An older woman volunteering at the JSM Building took this picture for us. Owen kept calling her Grandma and on the way out he kept yelling "Bye Grandma! Thanks Grandma!"

Owen's 2nd Birthday

2011-12-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

We spent the morning at Jungle Jim's... Owen had a blast! He got daddy to ride a lot of rides with him and Mom rode a few. Then we had pizza for lunch (Owen's Favorite). Then we had a big birthday party with both our families.

After Nap Hair...

We really didn't need to buy him a gift. He had the most fun with all the balloons.

Since Owen loves everything Christmas right now I took the opportunity to make him a Frosty the Snowman cake. It was a big hit, he really liked it!

First time holding a baby... his cousin Waylon. Owen's starting to be the big boy around the family.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-13T06:22:00.001-08:00

Owen is definitely our Christmas Baby. He's had us singing Christmas carols and watching Christmas movies since before Halloween. He has quite the extensive Christmas vocabulary. He's ALWAYS talking about Santa, Reindeer, Sleigh, Toys, "Santa" Lights, and Frosty. He loves to sing "Santa Claus is coming to town" and "Frosty the snowman" and "Rum pum pum pum" from The Little Drummer Boy. He has visited Santa twice and was totally content to sit in his lap and talk about his reindeer and toys. If Owen is acting out Eli tells him that Santa won't come unless he's good and he immediately quiets down. Owen is making this season more fun than ever. I'm so grateful to see everything through the eyes of a child again.

Eli is dressed up as Santa in these pictures. They were taken by Fotofly.

Every time we pull up to our house Owen has to go say Hi to Frosty and wiggle his nose before he will go in the house.

Owen danced around the house in the christmas tree skirt. The expression on his face in this shot captures just how excited he was about it.

Wearing Daddy's boots...

I got this giant sucker from a work party and it made Owen's day!

Owen was acting like a robot in his robot jammies.

Gobble, Gobble

2011-12-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

Daddy had a great idea to make a turkey on Thanksgiving day by tracing Owen's feet to make up the body of the turkey and his hands for the feathers. It turned out very cute and Owen was so proud of it!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T15:10:00.003-08:00

Owen's first night out trick or treating around the neighborhood. Of course he wanted everything opened immediately. We hit up 6 houses and had enough. Discovered the poor little guy had croup later that night.

Owen and his Berg cousins

Van Halen aka Eli

Daddy cut out the jack-o-lanterns smile and Owen tried it on for size.

You know he loves his binkie when he'll take it over a sucker.

My cute little Toddler class...

My cute little 5 year old class. Owen kept calling one of the girls a kitty and she promptly corrected him each time with "Leopard!!"

The pumpkin patch...

I can take you for a ride on my big green tractor....

Gardner Village Witches & Thanksgiving Point

2011-11-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

We took Owen to Gardner Village to see the Witches! He is still talking about witches, needless to say he loved it. But I think he loved the pony ride even more. He cried when we took him off. He kept saying "Good Horsey"

Pretty Serious Little buckaroo here.

He looks like he should be singing "Home on the Range" in this pic.

This was by far his favorite witch display. He talked to Grandma Berg on the phone for about 20 minutes about a Witch on a bike.

He wasn't happy about this pic because we kept telling him to look at us instead of the pumpkin.

And right before we left we ran into ALL of my Dad's sisters and a cousin.

Left to Right: Cousin Kelsey, Aunt Cathy, Aunt Alice, Aunt Kristy, Aunt Lynette, Owen & me.

Daddy was hunting so Owen and I took an outing to Farmyard at Thanksgiving Point and had a lot of fun. We rode anything and everything you could ride.

The Cow display...

The Tractor...

The Wagon... (he was still pretty excited about the pumpkin on his cheek).

The ponies...

This time I let him take a couple of rounds without me standing right next to him. It made me so nervous, but he didn't even notice I was gone.

The goats were a big hit. I think he would have rode them if he could have.

My lil' Pumpkin!

Why the Grandkids love G-Ma & G-Pa

2011-11-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

Just to list a few: They go on walks with them and hold their hands, they let them climb up on big rocks, they swim with them, they build pinecone cabins with them.

Silly Owen

2011-11-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

Just had to wear his Cowboy boots and hat with his PJ's.

Owen LOVES to jump in his crib but he is constantly soliciting Mommy or Daddy to jump with him.

The first time he wore these overalls he followed me around the house yelling "OFF MOMMY!"

Hold still this will only hurt a little.

Poor kind doesn't have a sandbox... so he improvised. He kept putting handfuls of dirt down his shirt, then finally took his shoes off and dug them into the dirt. At least he knows how to relax.

Showing off his tough guy tattoo.

Just a cute picture of his curls.

"Helping" Mommy pack the cooler.

He loves to wear Mommy or Daddy's t-shirts.

Swim lesson withdrawals - he often wanted to wear the swim diaper over his clothes.

Poor kid has to play with an empty box of Ramen Noodles and the garbage can.

Cascade Springs

2011-11-06T13:56:00.001-08:00

Owen and I took a fun little ride and hike to Cascade Springs with Carlie, Cadence & Kaitlin.

Owen was really unhappy about this first picture under the sign... not sure why, but then he had fun.

He didn't really like the idea of being in grass taller than himself.

Cecret Lake

2011-11-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

One Saturday in August Eli was playing in a golf tournament and I really wanted to go on a hike. So, I threw Owen in the pack and we headed up to Cecret Lake. The wildflowers were breathtaking! It was a beautiful day and a fun hike with just me and my little man.

Birthday Hike

2011-10-09T14:19:00.001-07:00

I woke up on my 31st Birthday only to realize I'd lost my wedding ring and my anniversary ring. We tore the house apart looking for them, we even drove down to my work to see if I left them there. Needless to say I was bummed, but I didn't want to just go home and stew about it so we went on a hike. We headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the Willow Creek trailhead. It was such a beautiful day, and the wild flowers were so abundant. The entire forest was so lush because of all the moisture we got this summer. It helped me to forget how sad I was about losing my rings, and I ended up really enjoying my birthday. After the hike Eli and I went to the temple and to dinner. It was a great 31st birthday. And the icing on the cake is I found my rings over 2 months later... in a pair of shorts that had been through the wash, folded and put away in my drawer. I was so grateful for the nice September weather we'd been having otherwise I wouldn't have put those shorts on until next year!!

Eli and I have done this hike several times, we found our names we carved into a tree back in 2005 when we were still dating.

Eli added Owen's name to it.

Owen loves the water and always has to get in. He was however afraid of the Mother Duck and her ducklings... he'd always back out if they swam in our direction.

Ready, Aim....

FIRE!

CAUGHT YA! Siphoning all our water.

The greenery was taller than us this year!!

Cute little face.

I love these "toddler steps" through the forest.

I will cherish this little picture forever.

Owen reminds us to always take time to smell the flowers.

Swim Lessons

2011-10-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

We took swim lessons at the Murray Pool with Finn & Melody. Both boys absolutely loved it!!

Owen waving Hi to Daddy!

The Barbie Dolls were a big hit with Finn & Owen.

And I finally got somebody to play "Barbies" with me again... they were my favorite.

It took some coaxing but we finally got him in the life jacket & relaxed for about 20 seconds before he wanted it off.

ALL of July

2011-10-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

We spent the 24th of July at the Cabin in Fairview. Carlie, Michelle and I ran the Fairview 5k. The route took us past a dairy farm... PUKE!! We all went to the parade later that day and there was lots of candy to be had you just had to watch our for the manure.

Grandma with Owner & Tanner. The boys really did have fun. Owen has sunscreen in his eyes so he doesn't look so happy here.

We went to the Days of 47 Rodeo with Carrie & Ryan. We had front row seating which made for a great show. Owen was so excited about the "Moos and the Neighs".

We spent a lot of the summer trying to keep Owen from playing in the road.

Just cute.

We went camping at Joe's Valley. All Owen wanted to do was swim in the lakes, but they were a little cold so I let him play in mud puddles instead.

Owen went through a phase where he always wanted to wear his Lightning McQueen swimsuit over whatever else he had on. I call this his Michael Jackson pose.

Chug! Chug! Chug!

We spent the 4th of July at G-Ma & G-Pa Berg's

This is Little Cottonwood creek raging in the middle of July... a month later it was nothing but a trickle.

Alta Ski Resort in July

Owen at the zoo in 2010...

Owen in 2011... they grow sooo fast!

Yes, this is Owen standing on the snack tray of his stroller looking like he's about ready to fall into the Giraffe's cage.

Boys & their toys! Finn, Tanner & Owen. It's so much fun to have cousins so close in age.

Pebble Beach

2011-09-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

We did the 17 Mile drive through Pebble Beach, it was SO gorgeous!

This was fun & a little scary.

We had to shout for hooray after we got blasted with a wave so there would be no tears.

Candace with Owen & Daddy on a big rock in the ocean.
Alex & Candace
Solana & Owen
I like this picture because it looks like were plotting a scheme.
Alex tried her hand at photography and got some very cute pics of our family that we'll cherish forever.

Owen was a tired baby but a good sport.
Our matching expressions make me laugh.

There were so many places to climb out onto the rocks in the ocean, it was breathtaking.

Cousin Alexandria... such a beautiful girl.

We stopped at the Pebble Beach Golf Course Club House.

My little baby looks like he's going to pick up his date... such a sweetheart.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

2011-09-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Monterey Bay Aquarium was so much, you could spend a major portion of your day there.

I love Owen's reflection in the window.

He was so excited, I'm sure he thought he could touch all the fish.

Sometimes he was a brave at the touch pools...

other times, not so much.

The otters were really playful and came right up to say hello.

I don't know what kind of fish these are but they are really tiny with GIANT mouths.

They have a little singing and dancing show outside.

As you can see Jared was really enjoying this little number!!

We had to fire the photographer, this was supposed to be a shot with the "Cannery Row Company" in the back... but what really gets your attention here?

So we had a do-over.

Farm near Half Moon Bay

2011-09-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

We stopped at a cute little Farm just outside of Halfmoon Bay that offered pony & train rides.

Owen liked the ponies from a distance.

This rocking horse better suited him.

Claire on the pony

Cody on the pony.

All the kids and Eli in jail.

A cute candid shot of all these redheads...

Cody, Solana, Claire & Owen (not sure where Avalon was).

Owen's first trip to the beach

2011-08-26T12:46:00.001-07:00

We spend the afternoon at beautiful Half Moon Bay. The parking lot is up on the bluff. It was fun to see Owen's reaction. Once he saw the ocean he pointed and started into excited baby jargon. Then to see all these horse on the beach was the icing on the cake for the kids.

The unfortunate part was the manure. It was nearly impossible to keep him from picking it up, so I got out my camera instead.

Owen & Solana - good little playmates.

Owen liked the water until it came rushing it at him and was so cold. I'm pretty sure he's screaming here and Eli's mimicking him.

Alex with her cute little baby bump and Solana

Owen helping mama with her sunglasses.

It was overcast but still beautiful.

Eli having some well deserved fun.

Owen eating the manure free sand.

Cody, Alex holding Solana, Clare, Avalon, Owen and Candace.... that's a lot of redheads!

Owen's First Plane Ride/Alcatraz/Pier 39

2011-08-14T13:05:00.001-07:00

We went to San Francisco, CA for our summer vacation and stayed with my cute cousin Alex and her family. Thank you so much for letting us stay with you, we had a great time!

Owen's first plane ride!! He did very well considering our planes were delayed an hour both ways.

Keeping a 17 month old baby occupied in the airport for a couple of hours requires a lot of investigating. Owen was pretty sure this fancy machine had something fun for him because we checked it out a lot.

This nice woman took her dog out so Owen could say hi and pet him.

We did a lot of plane watching!

We're not sure, but this guy sure looked a lot like Will Ferrell. Eli asked him if he was and he glanced down and then said no.... so I guess you can decide for yourself.

Our first adventure in San Franciso was to Alcatraz and Pier 39. After forgetting the prepaid tickets to Alcatraz and running at full speed over a mile to catch our ferry it turned out to be a really good time. We were lucky to have such a clear day, I guess you rarely get such a great view of the city.

On the ferry approaching Alcatraz.

That's the Golden Gate Bridge behind us.

It was a tad bit windy on the front of the ferry.

The showers...

Some people think Alcatraz is haunted. I'm not sure about that, but I did get this picture of Owen trying to strangle Eli.

The solitary confinement cell feels a little creepy.

The place was packed but for a few moments it was just us and Owen copped a squat in front of this jail cell. An elderly couple walked by and chuckled at how cute that looked and snapped a pic. Then I snapped a pic only to turn around and see a group of Asian tourists taking a picture of Owen as well.

So I took a picture of them, and then they took a picture of me.

Such a beautiful day, but very windy!

Eli wanted his picture on the row that the three infamous inmates escaped from.

I wanted my picture on the row that all the men had to walk down naked.

The Gardens were absolutely beautiful and the best part is the wind didn't blow as hard on that side of the island.

Cute baby seagulls were everywhere along with several other kinds of birds.

Leaving Alcatraz, our beautiful clear day lasted.

Pier 39

Owen & Tanner

2011-08-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Owen's cousin Tanner dropped by to play one day and we got some pretty cute pictures.

Clap your hands.

Where are your feet?

Where is your head.

Where are your ears?

Where are your knees?

Lil' Buckaroos!

May 2011

2011-08-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Fairview Canyon Memorial Day weekend.

Eli and Steve... up to no good.

We're glad no bones were broken and no avalanches were started.

That's a whole lot of snow!

Notice the no parking sign?

Want to climb on top of the outhouses? Sure, why not?

Jumping off the outhouse!

The boys always sunk in up to their waist.

Flying Steve!!!

Eli helping retrieve Steve's shoe that got stuck in the snow, we're just glad his actual foot came out easier than his shoe.

Taking a walk near the cabin.

Grandpa Berg & Owen

There's always plenty of deer to see at the cabin.

Owen's got the cutest cousins ever!

What? I can't just wear my boots and diaper?

Bee's Game.

Pardon the camera strap. Owen absolutely loves the Bee. We had to hang around and watch him take pics with other people because Owen wasn't going to leave without putting up a fight.

Backing up to April... when we thought spring was never going to come.

2011-08-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

Owen would go give the tree a pat and tell it to grow some leaves... but it didn't listen.

Mother Nature would taunt my lil' cowboy with a few good days like this...

Then BAM! Winter was back! Mmmmm.... snow :)

Snow Fight! Daddy & Owen against Mama!

Parent & Toddler Class

2011-08-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching a Parent & Toddler class at Utah Artists School of Ballet (9333 S. 1260 E. Sandy). Here are the details!!

Ages: Walking - 3 years

Schedule: 8 consecutive Wednesday mornings; September 7th - October 26th

Time: 9:20am-10:00am

Price: $50.00

This will be a fun class with gymnastics, song, dance and an obstacle course for your toddler to test out his/her skills.

To reserve your spot in class please send an email to candacemcqueen@gmail.com with your name, your toddler's name and his/her age.

On Hiatus

2011-08-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

We took a little break from the internet because I had to breakup with Comcast, the relationship was just to turbulant. I can't wait to do a new post about our summer fun! And no longer have this nasty video of Eli as the first post you see..... ugh! Sorry to everyone this grossed out - but it cracks me up because even he's a little grossed out by it!

Dinner and a show

2011-06-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

Eli is always telling me how he used to pull ramen noodle through his nose/throat... so one day I said "prove it"... and he did.

Highway to the Danger Zone

2011-05-04T11:40:00.001-07:00

So far Owen's 16th month has been a nail-biter for Mom & Dad...

I was glad I was around the first time he did this because the toy was right next to the brick fireplace. Scared me to death, all I could picture was his little head colliding with the brick. Instead of not letting him do it, I brought the toy to the middle of the room, surrounded it with pillows and ran and got my camera :)

Dare me?

I'm going for it...

Could I make this any scarier for you Mom?

Owen misunderstood, I told him to eat his dinner and he heard, "Fling it all over myself and the walls."

Who needs expensive toys when you've got toilet paper and tampons?

Owen now has 8 teeth, but his first 4 were his bottom 2 and the "fangs" on top... it makes for quite the smile!

Owen is 15 months in this picture, but I had to include it. He insisted on wearing his Lion costume for about a week straight until we finally hid it. The cowboy hat is compliments of daddy.

Naughty or nice... I've got to have it on video. I just adore my lil' Owen!

I've heard enough Grandma!

2011-04-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

In Grandma's Defense Owen was teething and cut a new tooth a couple days later. However, the only time he covered is ear like that is when Grandma was singing. He did it several times before this and we thought it was too funny so I just had to get the camera out.

Squeaky Shoes

2011-04-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

We are very lucky to have so many hand-me-downs for Owen. These squeaky shoes were a BIG HIT!! Thanks Aunt Carrie :)

Go Go Gadget Arm!

2011-04-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

The way Owen's arm shoots out makes me giggle and it seems to go right on beat with the music. He is a bit of a mooch. And the looks he and Ashlyn exchange are just too cute.

Lately...

2011-03-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Eli did another wood burning.... I'm always so impressed by his talent.

I got to perform at the Jazz Game with the Jazz Dancer Alumni

Owen LOVES Jazz Bear! He saw him from a distance and started screaming with excitement, so we had to get pictures with him. When we got up close all he could do was stare at him.

I don't think he likes Jazz Bears hand on his Mama's head.

Owen loves to pound on the ivories....

and talk on the phone.

And find any little hide out he can. This is a little cabinet/storage area. I was organizing it one day and he went inside and did a little dance... he was so excited!

Finn & Owen showing off their Mohawks!

Grandma Berg gave Owen that puppy for Valentine's day. It opens it's mouth really wide when it sings and it made Owen CRY!! I'm pretty sure he's calling Grandma here to come pick up her dog!

Mama & Owen, playing!

I bought Owen some black socks so he didn't have to look like Michael Jackson any more at church. These are size 12-24 month from Old Navy. Owen is 14 months in this pic and they are thigh highs on him. He'll be wearing them when he's 4!

Daddy was chasing Owen and he almost lost his balance - I snapped the pic just at the right moment.

Owen only has 3 teeth. The 2 bottom middle and 1 fang on top - the opposite one is going to break through any day now. He's our little vampire! You can see the 1 fang on the left side.

I put Owen in this old Jazz Bear T-Shirt one night, he was so excited to be wearing it he wouldn't stop running around the house.

Owen & Daddy chilling in the Love Sac

Cabin Fun & Naughty Grandparents

2011-02-25T20:04:00.001-08:00

I'll begin with the "Naughty Grandparents". It snowed and snowed and snowed at the cabin so Eli and I thought it would be fun to go play in the powder with the snowmobiles. Grandma offered to watch Owen. Eli and I were only gone for 30-40 minutes. We got back only to find out nobody had really been watching Owen. He had climbed all the way up the upper staircase (pictured below) with the giant spaces that a small child could fall through. G-ma thought G-pa had an eye on him and vice versa. They only realized where he was when he got to the top and started shaking the baby gate and yelling. Thank goodness nothing really bad happened. You just can't take your eyes off and adventurous little 1 year old for even a second! And yes, next trip down, there will be baby gates at the top and bottom of all the stairs.

We spent President's day weekend at my parents cabin in Fairview. Owen was a great sport on the snowmobiles... even fell asleep on the ride back to the truck. Owen wasn't so fond of his first experience with sledding. He cried when he went. He even cried if Eli or I went by ourselves. By the 2nd day of sledding he got a little more comfortable with it and there were no more tears.

Owen was sure Grandma needed a swig of her Coke, so he helped her!

Eli caught up on his reading...

Eli went right off the hill into the trees!

Owen Walking & more...

2011-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Owen started taking steps right around his first birthday. He's been walking well since Mid January. I absolutely adore the high march and the frankenstein arms... that stage doesn't last nearly long enough. They're off and running before you know it.

I put Owen in "his stocking" that we got from Intermountain Medical Center when he was born. We were able to stuff him completely inside of it, now it's like a gunny sack.

I put Owen down for a nap one day and he only cried for about 30 seconds, then it was completely quiet. I'd her a an "ohhh" or an "aaaa" so I just let him be. About 20 minutes went by and then it was finally quiet. When I went to get him from his nap I realized what he'd been doing. He had pulled a bunch of dirty clothes out of his very full hamper and put them in his crib! Gross but funny and cute. :)

Some days he has an all out fro!

Owen LOVES chocolate cookies!

So happy to be walking.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T13:44:00.001-08:00

Owen on Christmas day 2009 - he was just two days old.

Owen on Christmas day 2010 (1 year and 2 days old). It's so amazing how much growth happens in one short year.

It was a wild Christmas Eve party with Gerri's family... I'm not sure what was in Eli's drink. :)

Christmas Morning! Santa brought Owen one big toy and a couple of onesies and a swimsuit. Santa knew he would have been inundated with toys at his birthday party 2 days earlier.

Christmas Morning at my parents house. This year all the cousins gave up one of their toys to give to another cousin. Finn gave up his ride on toy to give to Owen. Obviously it's a little hard to do at this age! Even now when Finn comes to our house to play if Owen tries to get on this toy Finn is right there to shove him off!! :) Can you blame him???

Owen had Caden for Christmas, but Owen's daddy wrapped the gift. he used the cardboard roll from the end of the wrapping paper as part of the gift wrap. The gift is just a box of lego's.

Caden had to enlist his mom for help.

He was a little perplexed why someone would do this... but he finally got it open.

Here's the rest of the "BIG" cousins with Grandpa.

Owen's Lightning McQueen chair was out of stock so he took someone else's over for a minute. And no we didn't teach him to sit like this, he did it all on his own.

We went to the McQueen's nex. Owen got in some wrestling time with daddy.

Owen and his cousin Ruby trying to break free.

Owen's 1st Birthday!

2011-01-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY OWEN!

Owen celebrated his 1st Birthday on the 23rd of December. It was a house-full with both mine and Eli's families there. Owen was a great birthday boy! He wasn't overwhelmed by all the commotion, he was just happy go lucky as usual.

Owen had a lot of cousins to help him unwrap and play with his gifts.

The birthday cake! I had a lot of fun making this.

Owen was a big fan of the balloons.

At first he just picked at the words on his cake.

But with a little help from his Aunts and Uncles he dug right in.

Drink break.

Owen's Uncle Isaac fed him icecream.

Owen ate A LOT of cake, towards the end he was just chillin' with his feet up!

Owen's 11th Month

2010-12-15T19:49:00.001-08:00

I can't believe this is Owen's last month before he turns 1!?!? It's so amazing how a baby grows in just one short year. Owen keeps Eli and I on our toes... climbing up the fireplace, climbing out of his high chair and onto the tray, constantly sliding the shower doors opened and closed, throwing anything he can find into the tub. He's into everything and it's so much fun to see the enjoyment he gets out it. He LOVES to dance! Anytime there's any type of music he's swaying or shaking it... even when it's just mama singing.

Owen climbs onto the hearth, first to get a tissue, then to get the Christmas Stocking.

Thanks goodness Uncle Logan is there to "spot him".

Cowboy Owen

Owen was very upset that his Daddy was putting all his toys on his hat. Eli would fill the hat with toys and Owen would rip them down... they could have played this game for hours.

Owen thought Dad was pretty cool when he made bubbles in his milk. This is the first time we let Owen drink from a straw and his daddy is already teaching him naughty things.

Cute hair.

Mmmm spaghetti!

Owen is a messy eater, but this is Daddy's doing.

I let him veg out on the couch with his favorite snack... he was so content!

We get this scrunched nose smile a lot lately, it's usually followed by some "fast nose breathing" :)

The next sequence of pictures is Owen harrassing the Christmas Goose. I'll ad-lib for him:

What Mom? I wasn't doing anything.

How'd he get done here? I don't like the way he's looking at me.

I'm just petting him mom.

Hmmm... just need to get a little closer to look at....

Gotcha Goose!

Karate chop!

Owen's Grandma Christine dropped in one day to say HI and she and Owen matched!

Love this face!

Christine, Owen & Eli

Owen got to sit on Santa's lap for the first time. He wasn't so sure about it.

However, his cousin Tanner was very sure that he did not like Santa. Owen was wondering what the big deal was. Owen also saw his first movie in the theater right before this. He sat through the entire show of "How to train your dragon". He kept reaching for the movie screen as if he thought he could touch the dragons.

Owen spent his very first Thanksgiving with his Grandma Christine's family. He ate so much I thought his little belly was going to pop! I finally cut him off because I was afraid he'd be sick.

Congrats to Eli!

2010-12-12T10:36:00.001-08:00

Eli finished up his classes over the summer at Weber State University but had to wait until December for Commencement. The Construction Managment Technology Majors wear their hardhats at graduation (which made it easy for us to pick him out)!

Also, Eli got a new job as a Project Engineer with Big-D Construction!!!!!!!!!!

We are SO excited about this and for the opportunities and changes it will bring to our family.

The lady getting ready to announce Eli's name is thinking "Oh this is a hard one" and then announces him as "Ellie McQueen". No Joke. It took us a minute to register it and then holler for him. :)

We are so proud of Eli! He's a great father and husband!

Eli's Dad skipped out early so he's not in the pic. But thanks to our parents for their support and my Mom especially for watching Owen while Eli was at school and I was teaching dance.

Owen's a little washed out but this pic is still cute. He loves playing with his daddy's hard hat.

Owen's 10th Month

2010-11-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

At 10 months Owen has been busy busy busy! Here are a few snap shots of the fun we've had with him this past month.

I adore the wide stance mostly because it's usually followed by him shaking his toosh.

Most of our pictures this month have been up-close and personal. Mister Curiosity like to be in your face. This is a nice shot of the slobber and spit-up stains.

Lots of things still go in the mouth. His favorite things to chew on are the phone and camera chargers, the vacuum cord. (All safe picks of course)

Owen anticipating Daddy tickling his neck! He loves it!

This is a great shot of Eli "motorboating"

Smiley Guy!

Owen crinkling his nose while he gets tickled.

Daddy plays rough with Owen and Owen LOVES IT....

Until he sees Mom, then he's done with Dad.

I love this picture because this is a face I very seldom see him pull, I'm not sure what he's thinking.

Another up close and personal picture!

He's saying "Please don't take any pictures Mama... daddy dressed me for bed."

And these socks attract too much attention!

We had a lot of fun in the leaves!

Owen had way more fun once Daddy got in on the scene.

Grandpa Berg took us to the zoo. Since it was a little late in the season hardly anyone was there and we got to see the animals real close up. There was a monkey that was "singing" and after a few minutes it made Owen cry.

The only cupboard Owen is allowed to unload and boy does he!

Grandpa McQueen playing with Owen.

Owen and his cousin Ruby waiting for some more yogurt melts.

Owen flushing the toilet to which Eli said, "You'll let him flush the toilet but you won't let him touch a freshly cut off Elk head!?" Really... which one is more disgusting?

Owen could play in our shower for hours. He loves to throw all the containers out and back in.

Owen learning to play his train whistle. I usually get hit in the face with this when he wants me to play it.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

We let Owen have a hands on experience in making his Jack-o-lantern!

This is Daddy's doing.... Any younger siblings Owen might have will probably be teased endlessly because Owen's learning all the tricks from his Dad.

All the Berg cousins

Lions & Alligators & Dinosaurs Oh My!

Tanner had sooo much fun dumping out G-ma Berg's box of candy & Owen had fun gooberizing all of it. Trick-0r-Treaters were invited to come in and pick up candy off the floor.

Uh-Oh! The lion lost his pants!

Owen hugging the "Good Witch" Taylynn & Cooper at Buzz Lightyear.

Lady Bug Ruby, Luigi Jake & Lion Owen

Someone should write a story about The ladybug & The Lion

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Owen and some of his cousins on their way to the pumpkin patch...riding in style in their wheel barrow!

Mama's lil'Pumpkin.

Such a cutie pie!

Our little family

All the Berg grandkids.

We took a hay ride! Owen loved watching the tractor that was pulling us.

Owen at 9 months

2010-10-27T09:33:00.001-07:00

Month 9 has been SO MUCH FUN! Anytime someone would ask me how my boy is I always found myself saying, "He's great! He is so much fun!" We've really enjoyed watching him explore his surroundings. He's Mr. Sociable and still has a smile for everyone.

Owen's baby sitter, Julie, is in the middle. But often times I'll come home to find other girls at my house because they all love Owen! I'm so glad I was in the Young Women's while I was pregnant because it helped me to really get to know these ladies and feel good about having them babysit.

Owen got his first haircut on Oct. 1st, compliments of his daddy! Here are a few before shots...

And after!

Owen loves his Elmo towel! He would stare at himself in the mirror forever if we'd let him.

This is my happy little "waker-upper".

Owen had some fun at Grandma Berg's cabin playing on all the toys!

Owen's Great Grandpa Wright made this rocking horse.

Owen's cousins love to hold him, even though he is getting so big.

Kaitlin and Owen

We'll repeat this again... in July maybe!?!? We wanted to do tin foil dinners and fish. We didn't knew it would be cool but we didn't know there'd be that much snow! We ended up eating at a cafe in town. We were up Mirror Lake Highway.

Paisley helped her dad Dennis reel in a fish. She was so excited, so the cold was worth it.

We like to walk around the Jordan Valley Conservation Park to see what would like to plant in our yard. I snapped a few cute pics.

Owen catching a ride on Dad's shoulders... Dad getting his hair pulled. :)

Mr. Curiosity! He scrambles to the fridge whenever I open it and sees what condiments he can take out before I ban him from the fridge.

Owen's always pulling up on my pant legs... and in these flannel P.J's I'm generally getting "pantsed" by him! HA HA!

Eli and I were hanging out on the drive way talking to some neighbors when Owen all the sudden takes off on this little 4 wheeler all by himself! Eli chased after him and I ran inside and got the camera. The kid can barely sit on the thing by himself without falling off the side, yet he learned how to push the button and take off all my himself! It was SO CUTE!

I'm always smelling the roses in our yard, and I encourage Owen to do the same. He "smells" them with his open mouth and closed eyes :) It cracks me up!

Bear World & Yellowstone

2010-10-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our friends the Drapers, we got to take a little Family trip to Island Park, ID and visit Bear World and Yellowstone. It was a quick trip, but jam packed and tons of fun!

Bear World!

My little Bear, Owen!

I made Eli stop and take this picture because it looks like Bambi!

White Elk... so strange looking.

We we're right in front of the curator truck so all the bears were walking out to the road as we were pulling up because the curator truck is basically the "ice cream truck" for bears. It was awesome! What beautiful and BIG animals!

The baby bears! They were so cute wrestling with each other.

Pappa Bear & Baby Bear

Mama Bear & Baby Bear

We fed these really large fish.

Owen was pretty excited to see a real pig!

Eli made Elk noises and this ornery guy came clear from the opposite end of the place right over to him and was slamming his antlers into the fence. Eli is the "wild animal whisperer".

This goat cracked everyone up. He was no dummy... anytime someone went to buy food to feed the deer he would stand right there and nibble it out of the machine as they tried to take it out.

The hunter petting the deer?

This deer was sure curious, you can see in my face that I'm a little uneasy having him so close... but that didn't stop him from getting closer...

He nuzzled right up on Owen's ear!

We let Owen take the wheel as we coasted through Bear World. I'm pretty sure he's become accustomed to this and doesn't think he should ever have to sit in his car seat again.

YELLOWSTONE!

It was such a beautiful sunny day. As you can see by the way I and Owen are dressed we weren't expecting such nice weather.

Mo & Mackay with Me & Owen.

We hiked to Lower Falls - It was SOOO BEAUTIFUL! I love hiking! I just can't get enough of the gorgeous scenery we've been blessed with.

Owen's hair looks like a mad scientist because I put tons of sunscreen in it.

Poor little guy FINALLY crashed! He was trying to pull an "all-dayer".

So sweet.

We made a stop at Old Faithful, however we didn't stick around long enough to see it erupt. I got "Mother of the Year Award" for forgetting all of Owen's food. This was our last stop and he'd had enough. It was a bit of a rough day for him, thank goodness mommy comes equipped with milk machines!

We pulled over to see what everyone was looking at and at first it was just the black bear that you can see on the far right of the picture, but then Eli spotted all the wolves coming out of the tree line. We watched them walk over by the bear and try and steal his prey. The bear fought all of them off! It was unbelievable to see all this action. It was like a real live episode of National Geographic!

This elk has an antler stuck into the front of his head. Apparently he'd lost a fight earlier on.

One of the coolest parts about Yellowstone are the buffalo and how close they get to you.

Ruling the road!

Eli got out his bugle and this Bull Elk answered back every time. Again, it was so awesome to see all the animals we did in one day at the park! And it was Public Lands Day to boot so we didn't even have to pay to get in!

Scott & Brittney accompanied Owen in the backseat and held up Baby Signing Times for him to watch on the ride home. They were good sports, Owen had a complete melt down the last 15 minutes of the ride, they tried everything they could to make him happy - but he was finished!

Owen at 8 months

2010-09-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Owen started crawling this month! He's a curious little guy. He loves to crawl under things. He loves turning pages in a book, he plays pat-a-cake, he waves bye bye, he's always pulling himself up (especially in the tub which makes Mama nervous). He is just plain busy and FUN!

Owen thought he was cool...

until I put his hat on.

The first thing he crawled under, he was stuck in there for about 2 minutes until Daddy finally helped him out.

He has discovered the vertical blinds and loves to play in them.

The second thing he crawled under and then pulled up on.

He loves pulling himself up with the cabinet handles.

Highchair FUN! Or Mess depending on how you choose to see it.

Owen frozen peach puree in his mesh bag.

Camping at Little Mill in American Fork Canyon with some of his cousins.

Owen gets super excited to "Sasha Dog"

Finn & Kaitlin both helped push Owen in the stroller.

Caden, Kaitlin, Logan & Owen, Cadence & Finn.

Family Picture day... Too much pomade makes for a good mohawk. We of course combed it down for the real deal.

Owen's 7th month - Fun with Friends & Family

2010-09-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

I never get to see Owen take a bottle, after hearing from everyone who babysits him how cute he looks with it I decided to give him one... and it is cute.

Johnny Jumper Time! It doesn't last very long, he mostly just spins around and gets dizzy.

On my birthday we went to the drive in with some friends. Owen of course stayed up for both of the movies. It's about 1am in this picture, he looks real tired doesn't he?!?

We took Owen for a walk around Silver Lake the morning after the drive-in. We were hoping he might sleep in, no luck! It turned out to be a good thing because it was sure a beautiful morning up at the lake.

Just a cool shot of birds on this dead tree branch.

We had to stop at a few benches to nurse. I wish I always had this view while nursing.

It's rare to get a straight face out of Eli. Owen enjoyed the shoulder ride.

We call this the binkie cigar when he holds it on the side like that.

OWEN SANDWICH... we fight over who gets to hold this cute boy... it's hard to share him!

Nice muscles Daddy-O!

"I surrender" sleep position. Owen will only crash with Eli, this would never happen with me.

Playing in the giant water blow-up toy at Monique's house.

Ezril, Owen & Mack

When the daddy's are away the mommy's will put beretts in their boys hair!

I'll cut it when I'm ready! The top hair is from birth, the rest fell out and is growing back in.

Between me and my 3 friends from college we have 8 BOYS! What a group!

We took a hike up Rocky Mouth Trail, I got one pic snapped and the camera died. The water is skinny but really tall and beautiful.

A typical day for Owen.

First time in a swimming pool!! He absolutely loved it!! He could have gone to sleep once we put him in this life jacket. He just laid back and kicked his little legs.

Grandpa Berg teasing Owen with a chip.

Owen is the youngest grandchild on the Berg side, so until another one comes along he'll have to get used to this.... (see pic below)

It's Finn's puppy now!

Cousin's Cadence & Kaitlin... do you think Owen likes these girls or what!?!

Just beginning to get dangerous in the crib.

Another Wright Family Reunion - Mt. Pleasant.

Cute Kaitlin sharing the swing with Owen.

We drove home with cute Cousin Tanner

Wright Family Reunion - Star, ID - July 2010

2010-08-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

We traveled the 6 hours to Star, ID for the Wright Family Reunion. Owen did great on the way down and not-so-great on the way home. Either way it was still a fun trip. We spent time with family, had some fun floating down the Boise River... unfortunately no pics of that.

We had a beautiful drive down! We watched the storm come in.

Double Rainbow (for all the youtube junkies... "WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?")

We stayed in Pat & Steve's Trailer. Owen got to share a bed with Mama so adjusting at home was a little rough. These two yay-hoos pull the same face a lot of the time.

Owen & G-Pa Berg

Owen & Weston playing with the bunnies

Clayton letting Tanner steal Owen's nose. Owen being the youngest grandchild in our family takes the brunt of the abuse. He's going to have to learn to be tough.

Random shot of Cousin Trevor "Poser "

Cute cousin Alex & Owen pulling a really funny face. ;)

My "young-at-heart-husband" was easy to spot with his plastic fireman's hat, hula-hoop & wiggle car. If you couldn't find him racing the kids on the patio then he was catching frogs in the pond.

All the girls wanted to touch the frog - tough girls!

See the two frogs? They were huge! Every time Eli would catch one, he would scream like a little girl. Aunt Lana caught one too and she yiped only b/c it peed on her! :)

Cute little Hallie helped take care of Owen. Such a sweet heart!

Uncle Steve teasing Owen with a chip.

The Wright's & their spouses.

Miller Motor Sports Park & Berg Family Reunion

2010-08-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Berg family had their first "camping overnight" reunion. It was in Ophir, UT and my work party was in Tooele, UT the same night. We were able to hit both! We had a great time with the Berg family and hope there will be more fun to come. Owen loved all the noise at the Miller Motor Sports Park.

And the winner is.... OWEN "lightning" MCQUEEN!

Celebrating his 1st place win on the podium with his binkie on his lanier.

Contemplating his next big race...

Owen & Mama at the races.

Mom & Dad got yummy food & I got to eat the pass to get in.

Daddy & Owen and a big truck flying through the air just to the right of them.

A view from the grandstands with all the big trucks catching some air.

The Berg Family Reunion...

My Uncle Gerry and his kids.

Mama nuzzling up on her favorite little boy.

Ryan (always the gentleman) & Uncle Arnie cooking up some terrific omelets!

Owen, acting sly, trying to get some grapes.

G-Ma Berg & Owen!

I took some time out to relax in the hammock!

Daddy, Owen & my brothers dog, Sasha.

Owen absolutely loved Sasha. In the trailer in the morning Sasha came up to Owen and placed her head on his lap and he let out a loud giggle! He wanted to pet her every chance he got & wouldn't take his eyes off of her.

July 4th & 24th

2010-08-08T09:01:00.001-07:00

We spent July 4th and 24th at my parent's new cabin in Fairview and had a lot of fun with Owen's cousins.

Owen at his first parade!

Logan holding Owen and the cabinet holding Caden.

Fun with the boys!

Cadence, Owen & Caden

I puked up prune juice! YUCK!

The Mt. Pleasant parade on the 4th. Owen HATED the sirens, they scared him big time... but oddly enough the mountain men firing off their funs didn't even make him flinch.

Caden and Logan got all the candy for us old folks.

Carrie (always the lady) & Mom.

Owen found a comfortable spot to drool on my leg.

So nice of Caden to let Owen pull his hair.

For the 24th of July Melody & I took the kids to play by the pool and playground. We had to have them sport these sweet sunglasses.

Owen.

Finn.

I can't get enough of Owen's blue eyes.

Owen took a nap in Caden & Logan's tent.

We took Owen swimming for the first time in Electric Lake. He really liked it! It was SO cold!

Eli & Owen

Carrie & Caden, Me & owen, Cale & Finn. Crazy Cale, Melody & Eli dove in the water. I found a nice rock to stand on because I couldn't stand the slimey bottom.

Owen kicking his legs in the water.

Our family... showing off our pale white skin. It's about time we got some sun.

G-pa & G-ma Berg with Owen.

6 Months!!

2010-08-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Owen at 6 months!

Owen started solid foods and Mama fed him the first time.

It was a little messy, but I enjoyed the carrots.

Then daddy took over the feedings...

I couldn't believe he let me have the bowl!

But then he wanted to take it away...

I was pissed! And a tad bit messier :)

BIG hat.

My "curl"do.

I like to play in my crib.

Playing Peek-A-Boo!

Daddy likes to put goofy things on my head, and I just go about my business.

I was SOOOO excited when mama and daddy dropped this giant Mickey in my crib. I hold meetings in my crib with Mickey, Monkey & Bear.

Hair.

My first trip to the zoo. I wasn't too impressed. Maybe in another month I'll care.

I did love this giant outside T.V. - we watched UP.

So excited to be watching such a giant T.V.!

Mr. Drools

Happy Baby!

5 Months

2010-06-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Month 5 brought several new experiences for Owen, unfortunately not all were good. Teething was painful, rice cereal didn't agree with his tummy so we had a severely cranky baby for about a week until we finally decided to back off until month 6 then our happy little guy was back. I decided we would let him "cry it out" again and stuck with it this time! Now he is a great little sleeper! Month 5 wasn't all bad, it definitely had it's upside. I think the best part about the month was that Eli was Mr. Mom. Owen could have cared less when I walked in the door from work, (except for the fact that I came packing milk) he wass all eyes for Daddy.
Owen learned to sit up as well as drink from a cup (with our help of course). He went to his first baseball game, went to the cabin in Fairview several times and rode in the Ranger, took his first ride in his umbrella stroller and went to Wheeler Farm. Owen loves his stuffed animals, being read to and bath time. He got molds of his hands and feet taken as his Father's Day gift for Eli. We are so happy to be this cute little guys parents and we love watching him learn and grow.

You're going to feed me MORE rice cereal? PLEASE NO!

The Bee's Game

Owen helped his cute cousins Cadence & Kaitlin celebrate their 4th B-Day at the Bee's game.

This is my little redneck Owen and his loving cousin Logan.

So excited to be sitting up by himself!

We can't help ourselves... his hair is so much fun to play with.

Gotta always have something to chew on...

even if it is my own toes.

He really does love his stuffed animals.

Kitchen sink tub b/c Mama's hair clogged the tub again. Surprised she's not bald with all the hair we pulled out of there.

First stroll sitting up in the umbrella stroller. He insisted on taking his Monkey.

Weber State Grad!

2010-06-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

Eli just completed his degree in Construction Management from Weber State University.

Congratulations Eli! We're proud of you!

Now if we could only find someone to hire this fine looking young man...

Just had to throw this one in there because it's so cute! And it's good for his resume... This man does it all: cooks, cleans, laundry and bathes the babe. Thanks for all your hard work Daddy-o!

4 months

2010-05-20T19:50:00.001-07:00

Month 4 has been such a fun age. Owen has such a cute personality and we love what he brings to our home and family. He greets everyone with a big smile and is just a joy to be around.

He loves all the bright colors.

Such concentration...

Happy-Smiley Guy.

He looks so innocent. And then...

I don't recognize my boy with his hair covered up.

He looks like a little puppy dog with his tongue hanging out.

Eli's Talent

2010-04-14T13:23:00.001-07:00

Eli is very talented in wood burning... here are just a few of his latest.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T16:38:00.001-07:00

Owen had his first Easter Egg Hunt at G-Ma & G-Pa Berg's. Eli was taking an all day test so he missed out on most the festivities. :(

Owen sure makes a cute little bunny!

His mama helped him find all the chocolate easter treats.

All the grandkids got bubbles, but the boys of course pretended they were swords or light sabers. Caden's face shows the lion side of him perfectly... it's fierce!

Jazz Game

2010-03-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

All the former Jazz Dancers were invited back to dance at the game on Saint Patrick's Day, so Owen got to come to his first jazz game at 2.5 months old. I would have preferred to wait until he was a little older... but I was dancing and he wore a cute lil' St. Patty's Day outfit and Eli wore his retro Jazz hat so we really had no choice, or I should say Eli and Owen had no choice because I wanted them there. Same goes for my parents, I'm lucky to have such supportive ones.

Owen got a bottle in the locker room at half time from Grandma Berg.

His cute little outfit reads, "My 1st St. Patrick's Day"

I thought this would make for a fun memory. There were 42 former dancers who performed and we got a picture on the floor at half time. Owen is the only "man" in the bunch. Between all of us there are 79 kids, Owen being the newest - he's exactly 12 weeks old here. The oldest dancer there was 38. There were 5 pregnant girls dancing, the furthest along being 4.5 months. It was a blast to perform again and hang out with friends.

Owen wasn't as excited to meet Deeann (4.5 months prego), Jessica and Lindsay as they were to meet him.

The poor little guy was so tuckered out by the time we got home he doesn't usually sleep with an arm hanging out like this... I think he was exhausted.