MishAl and the Fam

Mother's Day and a puppy

2009-05-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I know it's been a long time since I updated...sorry about that. I just never seem to find the time to get on here and upload all the photos. We're all doing really well. As you can see from the picture above, we have welcomed a new pup into our family. Last night we became the proud parents of
Dozer Armstrong. He's a little sweetie. Mox is a little apprehensive yet, but I think he'll warm up in time. Mox is just a bit of a snob and can't believe we've let a little mutt dog into the house. Dozer's mom is a beagle/collie mix and we're not really sure about the dad.
People have guessed everything from Rotwiller to German Shepherd, so I guess we'll see what the vet has to say. He sure is a rolley-polley cutie, though.
Jackson absolutely loves him and I heard the neighbor kid say, "Dozer is the most awesome dog ever." I'm sure that also offends Mox's sensibilities, but it's good to know we picked a good one.

This picture was taken on Mother's Day, which was absolutely AWESOME! I was trying to get a picture of the kids with Ryan for his graduation ad in the paper, but Layla was definitely not having it.
This is my Mother's Day present. I woke up on Sunday morning and this awesome double stroller was waiting for me. The kids absolutely love it. We've been on several walks in it and it's the best. On Mother's Day, we had dinner at Dad's house, so we just loaded up the kids and walked on over. LOVE IT!
We rode the Mother's Day train, which was really fun. Jackson loves the train, he's asked to go on it every day since.
This is Jackson's little lady, Milena. We've all but entered into a marriage contract with Tiffany and Jaime, so that's taken care of. This was right before he went in for a smooch...Tiff got the good picture of the actual kiss. Maybe I'll have to steal it from her when she posts it.
We went on the train with Erica, Tiffany and her girls and Janet and her girls. Jackson's little Harem, so to speak. So, they are, Payton, Macayla, Lena, Jay, Kat and Laylers.
We got up on Mother's Day morning and went to church. That was really nice. After church, we got to pick up Audrey for an hour or so and take her to breakfast. That was pretty much the most amazing part of the day. We weren't really expecting to get to spend time with her, so I was extatic.
Audrey and Jay sure do have a great time together. She had to go to a birthday party for her great great grandmother that day, so she didn't get to ride the train with us, but we were thankful for the time we got to spend.
We've been spending tons of time out in the yard, lately. It's been such wonderful weather, we just hang out in the yard all the time. Jackson found a worm the other day as we were mucking out the flower beds, so he was pretty proud of that.
This is just a picture of beautiful Layla.
As is this one.
We had walked down to the duck pond to feed the ducks. His poor little legs...they're so short.
This was Easter Sunday. It was one of the first really beautiful days we had. The kids had such a great time spending the day out in the yard.

This was right after he got his Easter basket...he got a little 4-wheeler, like he wanted. I have no idea why he's looking so stressed out. Poor kid...he needs to lighten up a little.

Audrey was up for a day or so in April and we took them to the Copper Queen to go swimming. They had an awesome time.

This is Albie's finger a few weeks after the accident. It has done a lot of healing since then and Al is back at work. He starts physical therapy in a few weeks, so that will be nice. Maybe they'll be able to help him get some movement out of it.
This is Layla's first pony-tail. She sure does look cute with them in. Her hair is coming in so thick, but is not getting a lot of length to it yet, so I was happy when I could finally pull it up.
We went to the zoo with Eric and April while we were in Pueblo. Jackson loved it, especially the penguins.

This is Jackson and his Grammie, having some lunch together.

I hope you enjoyed the new pictures. Layla is trying to climb up and it's just never good to mix grabby hands and a computer, so I better wrap it up. Jackson is having his tonsils out on Thursday the 21st, so if you could all keep him in your prayers, that would be great. After three re-schedules, it sure will be nice to get it taken care of.

We sure do love all of you and hope this finds you well. Take care!

Goodbye Sweet Grandma Joy

2009-03-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Jackson, April 2007

Grandma and Layla Joy, August 2008

Hi everybody. Hope this post finds everyone well. We are doing okay. We just returned today from a trip to Colorado. Last week, Albie's Grandma Joy passed away and we went to Pueblo to say goodbye. What a sweet and wonderful woman she was and we sure will miss her with all of our hearts.

We took off last Friday and unexpectedly detoured to Provo for two days. We stayed with Mom and Uncle Kerry and had a wonderful time. It is so awesome to spend time there. It's always good to see Mom, but it's been great to catch up with Uncle Kerry and Aunt Robyn. She and the girls were out of town this weekend, which was a bummer, but we'll have to catch up with them soon. Sunday morning, we took off and headed the rest of the way to Pueblo. We got to catch up with Al's family, so that was really nice. We had a room right next to Eric and April, so we got to spend lots of time catching up with them. The kids had a great time hanging out with their Grandma and Grandpa and uncles and aunts. It was so cute to see Jackson with all of the cousins (except Isaac...we sure did miss him!). He's just really not used to being a cousin yet, so he just thought it was so neat to have all of these new friends to play with. I also think his Uncle Eric must be beaten black and blue from all the "punches" Jackson was giving him. It really was great to be able to get to know Al's sisters better and to spend time with his parents. It was also great to just take time and remember Grandma. Throughout the weekend, we would just share memories of her, how great she was, her sweet nature, her wonderful sense of humor. She sure will be missed. I'm sure she was just as happy as she could be, seeing her family getting together again and spending time together. We took off after the funeral on Wednesday, drove to Grand Junction and then the rest of the way home today. Once again, God was with us 100% of the way, watching over us on such a long drive as well as blessing us with two of the greatest kids ever. They were both so well behaved and excellent. Jackson was ready to get home, though. He was asking for the last four days of the trip for us to take him home. He sure is a creature of habit and loves his home.

So, as well as saying goodbye to such a wonderful member of our family, we also welcomed another this past month. Kris and Lyndsay welcomed Miss Adelaide Diane on February 10th. What a doll she is! This is the first cousin for the kids on this side of the family, so that's fun. We went to see her on Valentine's day and Jackson has just been pretty bent out of shape that we haven't been back to see her since. He's pretty demanding about seeing his "Adewade". Too funny.

Also this month, Albert crushed his hand under the wood splitter. He wanted me to post pictures, but I told him no way. He had to have surgery to put his index finger back together, but all in all, it was a blessing that the damage wasn't any more extensive than it was. He's out of work probably until the beginning of April as that's when they take the pin out of his finger. It'll give him lots of time to catch up on his soap operas :-)

Well, I think I'm going to go get everyone ready for bed. Enjoy the pictures below. We love you all!

Miss Layla is crawling now!!!

Mobile Layla...sure does keep us on our toes!

She sure is beautiful!

Layla's new Jams...she's her Daddy's biggest fan!

Crashed out in Mamma-Daddy bed

Mox playing in Layla's toy

Jackson and Audrey, jamming out on their guitars. She sure is good at that game!

Right before Audrey and Jay strung out every book in the house to make a "road"

Layla's first biter biscuit. She sure did love it. Maybe she'll learn to eat solid foods after all.

The "before" picture with the biter biscuit.

Crazy Uncles Ryan and Adam.

Trust Grandpa to give Layla anything she wants. Luckily, she couldn't work the straw for anything but chewing on.

Tiny Addie and Giant Laylers. Too cute!

Sweet Miss Adelaide...what a doll!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Look how tiny her hand is compared to Grandpa's

The only reason we were able to take this picture of Jackson is because he's asleep...he absolutely hates the camera. Stinker!

Addie in her Valentine's dress

Is January already gone?

2009-02-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

Al and I at the concert
Jackson, trying to get some love from Alissa

Jay and Lay, relaxing in the hotel. I don't know why the pictures are like this...I swear I rotated them!

Pretty Layla

Jackson carb-loading at the Boulder Station buffet

Ready for the train ride...Sure was cold!

Cozy Laylers

Gort and the girls

Jackson, before he crashed out

Me and the girlies. It was a busy day, pardon the look of absolute exhaustion

Albie and his little lady.

Layla is so big, sitting up and almost crawling!

Audrey blowing out her 6 candles!

We got this bike in the auction on the train...Jay thinks it's a motorcycle.

This has been Layla's favorite way to fall asleep the last few nights...one minute she's blabbering and the next, passed out!

Hi everybody! I guess I'm starting a pattern of updating this every four to six weeks, which I can live with. I think if I tried to do anymore, I'd go crazy. We had a good January. On the 14th, Albie and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. It was great. The weekend before, we drove up to Wendover to see Aaron Lewis in concert. We stayed overnight and left the kids here in Ely, so that was fun and nerve wracking. We hadn't ever left them before, but they had a great time at Grandma and Grandpa's and we certainly had an awesome time in Wendover. The concert was absolutely awesome, the best I've ever been to (sorry, Kyle, better than Pearl Jam, but if Eddie ever wants to come and do an acoustic set in a venue that small, I'd be willing to revisit my decision). In some ways, it's hard to believe it's been three years, but in others, I can't imagine I actually spent 26 years without being married to Al. It truly has been some of the best three years of my life.

The weekend after that, we trekked down to Vegas to take Jackson to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor. He has some nasty infected tonsils that need to come out. Poor munchkin, always getting sick. So, we'll be doing that March 5th. We had a good time while we were there, got a chance to have dinner with Ammon and Aide and little Alissa. Jackson sure was in love with her. He wouldn't stop hugging her all night. I think they've probably taken out a restraining order. So, after the appointment, we picked up Audrey and headed home. She stayed for the weekend and we had a great time hanging out and going on the train. We had a birthday dinner on Sunday for her (I ruined the cake, surprise, surprise) since this is the first time we'd seen her since her actual birthday. It was really fun. It sure makes our little family feel whole when she's here.

So, I hit the big 2-9 on the 27th. Only one more year until I advance into my late young-adulthood. Or something like that. It was a good day. Everybody had to work, but afterward, Al, Erica, the kids and I all went out to dinner. It was a lot of fun. I don't feel any older, so that's nice.

The end of January was kind of rough. Grandma and Grandpa Munson were in a pretty serious accident near Wendover. Their truck slipped on the ice and rolled, leaving them both with broken backs and necks and all manner of stuff. They were in the hospital in Salt Lake for a while and are now in a convalescent home in Orem. We sure are praying for them that they will heal up and be back home soon. Aunt Uarda and her husband John were in a rollover that same day in the same ice storm up near Wells and we lost them both. We sure will miss them. I'm just thankful that I've been able to see them several times since we moved back, even if it was just for 20 minutes here and there in my office. They were the cutest little couple. Al says he'll always remember them as they were at the family reunion last year, cuddling each other on the picnic bench like a couple of high school sweethearts.

So, now the February craziness begins. We'll be going into Provo one of these weekends to visit Grandma and Grandpa and also see new baby Adelaide (I hope I spelled that right, Kris). She was due to come on the 3rd, but is taking her time. We're all pretty excited. This is our first niece or nephew/cousin on this side of the family (aside from Oscar, Taya and Jake, of course) and we can't wait! We'll probably post again after the big tonsil adventure in March. Oh, quick update on the kids, Audrey is the smartest kindergartner ever! She is writing out sentences and sounds out the spelling of all kinds of words. Jay is just getting smarter and crazier by the day. He's been on an artistic kick lately, always wanting to "paint" and now hands me pages from the coloring book exclaiming, "Mamma, my made this for you! Do you love it?" Too cute. Layla is sitting up and very nearly crawling. She is so ready to be in the middle of everything. She's been learning how to eat from a spoon and thinks it's hysterical to spit cereal all over me. Stinker.

Have a great month, everybody! I just got a new camera, so I'm hoping to take tons of pictures with it...as soon as I figure out how it works. Love ya!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! It's been a while since I wrote, so I figured I'd get on and update. I don't know why the font is underlined and I'm not quite sure how to remove it, so I hope it's not too aggrivating. We've had a great couple of months. We spent Thanksgiving with my family here in Ely. It was absolutely awesome. Kyle and Joy came to stay with us for a week and we couldn't have had more fun. It was really great. Joy and I spent all day on Thanksgiving day cooking together and that was awesome, too. We have missed them so much, it was great to be able to spend that time with them. Audrey also came up and spent Thanksgiving weekend with us. We had so much fun. The kids all have such a great time spending time together.

We've had a great Christmas today, as well. It sure has been busy, but we've enjoyed ourselves. Kris and Lindsay have been visiting, so that's been nice. They're only about five weeks (maybe 6) from becoming parents, so that's pretty exciting. We're so excited for the kids to meet their cousin Adelaide. This has been a great year for Jackson as he's really been able to understand things this year. I couldn't hardly get anything wrapped beforehand because he was always wanting to give me a hand. He got a great tool set so he can help his daddy fix things around the house. Audrey was with her mom most of the day today, but she did get to come over for a few hours and get her presents. She has a birthday coming up next week. She turns 6 on Tuesday...I can't hardly believe it. Layla had a good Christmas, as well. She got mostly clothes, but she was cool with that.

Things are going well with Al and I. We're coming up on our third wedding anniversary next month, so that is pretty great. Erica has moved in with us. That's been pretty fun. The kids really love it. She's been babysitting them and they absolutely love it. She's an awesome aunt and they love her to death.

Other than that, things are pretty much the same. I think I'll leave this post at that because I'm absolutely exhausted...thus explaining why this post is somewhat incoherent. Love and miss everyone, check out the pics below!

Jackson on Christmas morning
Jay in his and Audrey's new Gator

He loves the tool set Santa brought

Gort on Christmas morning

Layla and Mamma, just waking up

Our sleeping Christmas Eve Angel

Doesn't she look beautiful?

Our sweet girl

One of my most favorite pictures

Our sleeping princess

Beautiful sisters

Good grief...I need a nap!

2008-11-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

Just a few of the trucks Jay got for his birthday

Story time

Crazy Girl

My novice cake making attempt

The Beautiful Fairy Princess

I wonder if there'll ever be a picture of the three of them all looking at the camera at the same time.

Our Grumpy Monkey

Ely's cutest bumblebee

The Goblins

Isn't she beautiful???!!!

Grandpa and Jax, reading his FAVORITE book

Gort and I...the only two Rebel holdouts

Crusin' the mall

Laylers and Gort, the cutest girls at the game

Layla, Daddy and Grandpa checking out the game

Layla and her Uncle Kris. He'll make a fantastic Papa in February!

Jackson and "Aboo" hanging in the hotel room

So, in my last post, I spoke too soon when I said that we had eradicated the sickness from the Armstrong home. Two weeks ago, I came down with the flu and it was horrible. I think the only thing left from that is a perpetually stuffy nose. Jackson had another fever last week, but it went away after one day. So weird. Maybe he's getting his two year molars. In any case, he has an appointment to see the Ear Nose and Throat doctor that did Audrey's tonsillectomy (sp?) in mid December. We'll get to the bottom of this fever thing if it kills us. Poor little dude.

Anyway, we all seem to be well now, knock on wood. We've had a few crazy weekends! Last weekend, we were in Provo for the BYU/UNLV game. The game was alright, but you all know me...I could really care less. We did a lot of shopping and saw Kris and Lindsay. She's getting the cutest little tummy...can't wait for February when little Adelaide gets here for her cousins to play with. So, we had a fantastic time. It was so much fun to get out of town for a little while and sleep in a hotel (my absolute favorite) even if we were rudely awakened on Friday night due to some high school debauchery (thanks, Ryan. Go take a nap so you're not too tired to drive across town later. Just kiddin' bro. Love ya!). Not even Jackson yacking just before Delta could put much of a damper on the weekend.

On Sunday, October 26th, Jackson turned 2. I was feeling sentimental and wrote a note on my facebook page, if you'd like to check that out. For now, I'll just say that I can't believe our little guy is two years old. He's such an awesome kid. He makes our lives so happy and we don't know what we'd do without him.

So, this last week was crazy too. Work, kids, household chores...eek! Thursday, I drove to Alamo to pick up Audrey. We were all supposed to go as a family but Albie had to work unexpectedly. So, mom and dad took the little ones and I hit the road after work. We had such a good drive. It was so nice to have that whole drive together, just to talk and hang out.

Friday was Halloween! And I must say, we had pretty much the cutest fairy, monkey and bumble bee in town! We went to the carnival and then Trick-or-Treating. The kids had such an awesome time and made quite the haul with all their candy.

Last night, we had Jackson's party and all I can say is, I wish I had bought stock in Tonka beforehand. I think he got ten different trucks. And books about trucks. And puzzles about trucks. This kid does love trucks. We had such a great time, surrounded by family and friends.

So, all in all, we're doing really well. The kids have done really well this weekend together. They sure are cute. I wish I could just tape record the conversations Audrey and Jackson have. Too cute. And miss Layla is cuter than ever. Just when I think she's just as absolutely as cute as she can get, she gets even cuter. Al has been doing well. He finished our wood stove and it looks awesome!!! And it's very toasty as well. And has saved us a fortune already in heating oil. I'm doing well, also. Just hanging out with kids today...my very favorite thing. Oh, and making beef stroganoff for sixty people. That's been fun. Everybody take care! Love ya!

Crazy days of Fall

2008-10-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

I guess I should be doing some cleaning rather than updating the blog, but I suppose the toilet can wait 20 minutes to be scrubbed. I vowed I'd take today to catch up with some chores that have been neglected, but it's been nice to have just kind of a relaxing day as well.

The sickness in our home seems to have cleared up, so that's nice. However, we didn't have Audrey for a visit this weekend as planned because she has been sick. She was in the Emergency Room on Friday night getting IV fluids to get rehydrated. We spoke with her yesterday and she seems to be feeling better. Poor little munchkin. We were all so disappointed when she couldn't come, but we're looking very forward to Halloween when she'll get to spend a few days with us.

Al has been putting in the tile for the hearth that the wood stove will go on. I must say, it looks just awesome. I was a little skeptical at first as my living room was not the first choice I would have made for his debut tiling project, but it has turned out so great. I should never have doubted my amazing husband. He just seems to be one of those people who are good at whatever they decide to do. So, it's still needing grout and trim, but the bulk of it is complete. Next weekend we'll do the pipe and hopefully have it up and running by Saturday night. That's nice because the weather up here has really been turning. It's gotten quite chilly up here lately. We took the swamp cooler down yesterday and put the hoses and lawn mower away for the winter. Kind of sad. The last watermelon of the year is long since gone and I'm watching the leaves out my window turn red and yellow and fall to the ground.

Jackson is doing well and we're gearing up for the big two year birthday. We're going into Provo that weekend to see the UNLV/BYU football game, so that should be fun. I think ours will be the only kids wearing red t shirts with blue hats. Anyway, Jay gets funnier and funnier every day. He has been on a kick lately where he's always "fixing" his bike. He gets down under his tricycle with his little pliers and says "Change the oil" or "Fix the brakes". He lays under there for hours with his little tounge hanging out a la Grandpa Roberts. It's the cutest thing ever. I'll have to try to get a picture.

Most of the pictures I have of the last few weeks are of Layla. This is not because of any favoritism, just because I can't get the little blonde monster to look at the camera. So, we do photo shoots with our beautiful girl. I can't believe how big she's getting. I even sat her in the Bumbo chair today and she sat there like the biggest girl. Of course, then Jay had to get in it as soon as I got her out. Crazy kid. Layla has been talking up a storm. She has the sweetest little spirit...laughing and cooing all the time.

As for me, I'm doing well. Feeling good and working away. The office is off to a REALLY busy start for October, so that's very exciting. September was good, but a little slow. Oh, Sept. was life insurance awareness month, so I hope you all went out and got yourselves and your families covered. Anyway, I'll post a few pictures of the last few weeks, then I can hear that cleaning calling my name...better get to it.

Look at those eyes! I never would have guessed I'd have a blue-eyed baby!

She has a mad cow-lick that I have no idea how to tame, but it sure is cute!

Isn't she just beautiful?

Smoochin' daddy!

Isn't the look they both have on their faces the most hilarious thing? Hehe!

Little Layla, sitting in her Bumbo. Jay supplied the toys.

And more toys.

She's saying, "Seriously dude, do you really think I want all of your crap piled on me?"

Jackson never misses a chance to act like a ham!

Mamma's smiling sweetheart.

2008-09-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

It sure has been a busy couple of weeks! Mostly busy taking care of all the sickies in our house. Just after we came home from our vacation, Jay came down with a tonsil infection. He was so sick, poor little guy. We took him to the ear, nose and throat specialist who said we need to keep a close eye on things, given Audrey's history and how sick Jay was all last winter. We'll see how that turns out. So, as soon as he got well again, Al got sick. He's not sick often, but when it happens, it's pretty bad. He had the worst cough ever and still worked his 12 hour days. I felt so bad. He finally seems to be getting over it, though. Jackson has been super stuffed up the last few days so I'm doing everything I can to fend off another 104 degree fever.

The mine had a family day on Friday and Al took Jay to see the "BIIIIIG TRUCKS". He sure did have a great time. He loves everything about his daddy and wants to be just like him.

Other than that, nothing too major has been going on. Al has started to build the hearth for the wood stove. I'm excited for that because it's already started to get pretty chilly in the nights up here. We're going to St. George to see Grandma Roberts next weekend, so that should be fun, too. Today, we're just hanging out. We worked all day yesterday helping Dad and Mom with the house rennovations, so we're having a relaxing sunday today. It's quiet days like this, spending time with my babies that make me so thankful for how much God has blessed my life. Jackson is so smart and funny and Layla is so sweet and happy. My husband is so awesome and takes such good care of us. Thanks for reading! Enjoy the pictures!

I think one of the major reasons for the Colorado trip was to get Layla a Bronco's outfit. Haha...just kidding. Kind of.

Here they are last Sunday. All ready for the game!

I know this picture is blurry, but I just absolutely love it. She looks like such an angel.

Is that the funniest, "I just woke up, what the heck do you want?" look???

She always looks so frightened when I take pictures of him holding her. I think she's worried he's been talking to his uncle Kyle, getting tips on being a big brother!

Oh, I did forget to mention, we're having a family birthday dinner for Jackson on November 1. I know it's about a week late, but we wanted Audrey to be able to be there. It's nothing major, but we want all the family to know about it on the off chance some of you could make it. So, on Halloween, we'll take our little fairy, monkey and bumble bee Trick-or-Treating and then Saturday, we'll do dinner of Jackson's choosing (which will probably mean Hamburger Helper--or "Croni" as he calls it--he loves that stuff) and what I hope will be a dump-truck shaped cake...we'll see how far I can stretch my meager creativity. Have a great week, everybody!!!

The Armstrong Family Road Trip Extravaganza!

2008-09-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it through 2103 miles of driving with our two small children and we're home safe and sound, getting back into the swing of regular life. It's been nice this last week, being back at work. I needed a vacation from our vacation. We had a wonderful time so read on if you'd like to hear some highlights and see some pics.

Over the course of our trip, I came to several small conclusions and one major one: God has blessed us with the BEST CHILDREN EVER!!!!! Over five days of endless driving, we only had one major melt-down and had a wonderful time just being together. Although it took a lot of convincing to get me to give in, I sure am glad I finally gave the okay on getting a DVD player for the car because it was a LIFE SAVER!

MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2008

Ely to Grand Junction, CO

Miles traveled: 430

States crossed: Nevada, Utah, Colorado

Conclusions made: Layla is not an "evening traveler"

We started off the trip at about 1:30 when Al got home early from work. The trip went fairly smoothly, but we had to stop several times for Miss Layla to eat. That was okay, though...no big deal. The best part of the trip was the Utah part. I haven't been back to Emery County for over seven years and it sure was good to see that familiar landscape again. Seeing all those flat-top hills and looking across the valley to see the Hunter Power Plant as George Strait played on the radio had me feeling closer to my grandpa than I've felt in a while. It sure was nice. We made it to Green River without incident where we stopped and had dinner. We probably would have stopped there for the night had I not made reservations at a motel in Grand Junction, so we pushed on. This is when the afore-mentioned melt-down occurred. That was a LOOOOONG 100 miles which ended in three of the car's occupants crying at one point or another (I won't say which three). We finally got to Grand Junction and everyone got a chance to stretch out a little. Layla also actually rolled over, which I think now was just a fluke because she is yet to do it again. This is the kids, relaxing in the motel room.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Grand Junction to Pueblo, CO

Miles Traveled: 315

Conclusions made: I'm mildly afraid of heights

Tuesday we finished our trip to Grandma Joy's house, stopping a few times on the way. We stopped in a little town called Gunnison, CO and let Jay play at the park and then drove to the Royal Gorge to walk across the bridge. It is the worlds highest suspension bridge and definitely freaked me out a little. I can't say how high Al said it is, but it definitely made me nervous. We made it to Grandma's house in the early evening and sure were glad we were done driving for a few days.

Wed & Thurs, August 27 & 28, 2008 Pueblo, CO
Miles traveled: Minimal
Conclusions made: My husband is a brat, I am a pushover and Al's family calls him "Bert"

Wednesday was the day that this vacation turned into the most expensive vacation EVER!! Al decided we needed to get a different car. Our Altima was running like a champ and I didn't think it was necessary to push up our plans of getting a Pathfinder in the spring of next year. But, since we were just hanging around, I gave in to his pleading to go to the dealership to "Look Around". So, this looking around led to us finding a great deal (much cheaper and less mileage than anything he found in Vegas or SLC) on an 05 Pathfinder. So, I gave in. I sure do love it, but Al was in the doghouse for a few days. Thursday afternoon, we had dinner at Grandma's house with Al's Uncle Ron and Aunt Chris and his cousins Rich, Katie and Susannah. Jackson had a ball playing with Rich's kids Riley and Spencer. It was nice to see Al in the element where he felt most at home as a child. They all call him Bert, which is a little weird. When he was small, his grandpa was still alive and his name was Albert, so they called Al Bert. It's funny when you know someone as one name and then a whole group of people are calling him something else. I've told him that I'm going to start calling him that now, but I just can't seem to make it stick. The pics I've posted here are, obviously, the new car; Miss Layla Joy with one of her namesakes, Grandma Joy; Jackson and his daddy, playing games on Grandma's front lawn; and Jay and Riley, hanging out on the front porch.

Friday, August 29, 2008
Pueblo to Mountainair, NM
Miles Traveled: 411
Conclusions made: Sitting in the back seat is kind of fun

Friday, we took off for Mountainair, where the wedding of Al's brother Eric was being held. We took Grandma along for the ride, so she and Albie sat in the front and I sat in the back between the kids. Jay and I talked and watched movies the whole way and had a great time. I saw my first bear, a cub crossing the freeway outside of Ratone, NM. Of course, this is when Jay was alseep so he missed it, darn it. We drove through some beautiful country. It would be fun to go back when we had a little time to stay awhile. We even drove through the town of Madrid, NM, where the movie Wild Hogs was filmed. We made it to Eric's house with no problem, and I sure was glad we had the extra room of the SUV rather than being crammed between the car seats in the back of the old car. The pictures here are just Jackson and I playing with the camera in the back seat. We took a picture of ourselves and I showed him how to snap this one of Layla.

Saturday, August 30, 2008
Mountainair, NM
Miles Traveled: Minimal
Conclusions made: I am an auntie

Saturday was the day of the wedding. It sure was beautiful. I'm glad we were able to make it. It really meant a lot to both Eric and Al to spend some time together. We saw Al's parents and I met his sisters and their kids. I didn't really think about being an aunt before because Kris and Lyndsay aren't due until February, but I totally forgot about all these kids that belong to Al's siblings. It's very fun to be referred to as Auntie and to get all the random hugs and giggles that come along with being an aunt.

Al's brother Eric and his new wife April were very sweet and hospitable. Their little boy Isaac even shared all of his toys with Jackson, which is awesome because Jackson is still getting a handle on the whole sharing thing. The above pictures are Layla in her party dress; Jax and his cousin Isaac; Eric and Al; and my two boys at the reception. I'll post more pics from the wedding at the bottom of the post.

Sunday, August 31, 2008
Mountainair to Kingman, AZ
Miles Traveled: 550
Conclusions made: I sure do have a lot of fun with my husband

Sunday, we took off from Eric's house at about 7:30am. We had the longest driving day so far ahead of us, and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to make plenty of stops. We stopped in Belen to gas up where we saw a small business we might purchase to run during our retirement. We don't even have to rename it. Jackson fell asleep fairly quickly and we made it to Gallup, NM before we had to stop and feed a fussy Layla. She did half a feeding and fell asleep, so we took off again and made it all the way to Flagstaff before we had to stop again. A large share of the trip, both the kids slept, so Al and I had a great time just talking and laughing the whole way. Anyway, Flagstaff sure is a beautiful place. I wouldn't mind living there someday. After feeding everyone and gassing up, we pushed it on through to Kingman, making it there by about 4:30. We did some shopping, had a relaxing dinner and went to bed. The pictures are of the kids relaxing in the motel. Isn't Serious Layla funny? I think she was mad at her daddy about something.

Monday, September 1, 2008
Kingman to Ely, NV
Miles Traveled: 397
Conclusions Made: God sure did watch over us all that way, keeping us safe.

We got up on Monday and headed in to Las Vegas to pick up Audrey for breakfast before we headed back to Ely. On the way, we passed the first and only accident we saw the entire way and boy was it horrible. It served to remind us of how precious our family is and how blessed we were to have eachother and also to have God watching over us as we traveled such a long distance. Once we got to Vegas, we took Audrey to IHOP for breakfast and then to the park. We had an awesome time. It's great to see all the kids together and she's great with her little brother and sister. Jackson talked and talked to her the entire time we were in the car...she's about his favorite person in the world. She's so patient and such a sweetheart. We dropped her off after the park and headed home at about noon. We only had to make one stop in Ash Springs and then we were home sweet home at about 5:00. Although it was a very fun trip, I was so so so glad to be home, as were the kids. I'll post below just a few more pictures from the first of what will surely be many Armstrong road trips. Next summer, Portland, look out! We're on our way! I just hope Pixar comes out with some new movies before then...I'm so tired of Cars, I can't see straight! Thanks for reading my marathon post!

I can't remember what exactly Jackson was crying about in this picture, but it sure was funny. Hehe...does that make me a bad mom?

Baby Spencer

Hanging out in front of Grandma's House

Layla and her cousin Marissa

Al and Grandma Joy

MishAl

I didn't think I'd ever be so happy to see the "Welcome to Ely" sign

Mr. Cool would not take his glasses off when from the time we got home until the time he fell asleep!

Layla and her daddy relaxing after his first day back at work and her first day at the sitter.

Trying it out

2008-08-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

So, it looks like I'll be jumping on the blogging bandwagon for now. I don't know how good I'll be at it since things in our lives seem to be getting crazier and crazier with two little munchkins (sometimes three) and working full time. Free time seems to be hard to come by now-a-days, but we'll try it out so anyone who might care can take a look and see what we're up to. It seems this might be easier than trying to keep up those darn Facebook and Myspace pages, especially when everyone can't read them.

Anyway, we're doing well this summer. Jackson is getting so big and talking up a storm. He cracks us up all the time. He's turning into quite the little clown, loving to say and do things that he knows is going to get him a laugh. So, now I'll have two major jokesters on my hands (him and his dad!). He's also absolutely fearless. I'm sure it's only a matter of time until someone turns me in for abusing him since he's constantly got bruises on his face. I can't believe he's going to be 2 in just two short months. Absolutely amazing! He's also a really great big brother. He's so protective of Layla and always worried that someone is going to walk off with her or something. He's been sick the last few days, so that stinks. He will run a pretty high fever for a few hours and then he's fine once the Motrin kicks in. We're not really sure what's wrong, but Albie is voting molars. I hope that's all it is, we don't need another winter like the last one.

Audrey is doing really well also. She's getting so big! She turned 5 last December and graduated from Preschool this May. She will be starting Kindergarten on Monday! I can't even believe it. It's so hard for me to think back on when I first met her and she was so little...just a few months older than Jay is now. Crazy. We'll most likely see her next when we're going through Vegas on Labor Day and we can't wait. She is an old hand at being a bigger sibling, so she's really great at it also. She seemed to just fall in love with Layla when she saw her and talks about how much she's looking forward to teaching Layla how to talk. She's also getting ready to have another baby brother next month...that'll be four siblings in less than two years! I can't speak for Krystle, but I'm definitely thinking this trend can't continue!

Last but not least, our newest addition, Layla Joy, is growing like a little weed! We weighed and measured her last night (six weeks, three days) and she's at 11.4 pounds and 25 inches!!! That seems insane to me! I've already been putting her in 3-6 month clothes. It just is so amazing when Jay stayed such a little peanut for so long. She looks so much different from just a few weeks ago. I went back to work on the 18th, so Layla came with me for the week. She did so well! I wish I could bring her with me all the time, but I'm afraid I just wouldn't get any work done. She's been smiling for a few weeks now and is starting to coo and "talk" to us when we talk to her. She is so laid back and easy going. Her favorite thing is, on her daddy's days off, they just lie in bed and chat with eachother in the mornings. I think he's her favorite person. She can't even look at him without smiling.

Albie and I are doing really well, also. We had a VERY busy spring/summer of sod-laying, nursery-renovating and baby-growing. It kind of seems to be slowing down now (if Al and Jay's twice weekly golf outings are any indication) so that's kind of nice. We're getting ready to embark upon our family vacation to Colorado/New Mexico on Monday. After we make all of our stops, we should be looking at about 2000 miles of driving. I think we're crazy. We did purchase a dvd player for the car so Jay can watch all the Cars and Monsters Inc. that his heart desires as he's been somewhat difficult to travel with lately. I hope it goes okay and I don't end up having an anuerism. It should be fun, though. We'll be seeing Grandma Joy for a few days, then going to Eric's wedding in New Mexico. And I'll get to indulge my childish love of staying in motels a couple of times. After we get back, we'll start on our big fall project of putting a wood stove in our living room...eek. It'll be nice once it gets done, but it seems like it's going to be a lot of work.

So, that's it for this post except for pictures...I'll just post a few random ones from the summer. Hopefully this won't be our ONLY post and I will find time to keep it somewhat updated. I'm going to shoot for having one up in three weeks, after we get back from our trip and get settled.

These are Jackson's new boots that we got him for the winter. He loves them! Yeah, I know the picture isn't rotated...I put the wrong one on, and couldn't figure out how to take it off...blah.

This is Layla after Brother slimed her with popsicle. That's why she looks so freaked out!

This was photo-shoot day...she's a super model

Daddy and two of his munchkins...again, didn't turn the pic. Sorry.

He looks so sweet sleeping like that...Not so!

Albie and the kids swimming.

Audrey loves swimming and is really good at it.