Little Bear & Kashew-Nut

Disney World 2011

2011-10-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

What a trip!!! We had so much fun. I'm still sad vacation is over, but happy to be back. Koda loved every minute...at least mostly. He had a hard time around naps and while waiting in lines. We were so sad to leave Kashe behind, but I'm sure he was happier to stay, then be strolled around in the sweltering/humid heat. Thank you so much Mom, Aunt Natalie, and the Allred's for watching Kashe! He loved all the attention :)

Day 1- Travel to Orlando

Our flight left just after 7am. It was soooo early. Natalie picked us all up just after 5. Then, we were off. Koda had no idea what was coming. Once we got to the airport, checked in our bags, and strolled through airport security (which was a feat in itself), we headed to the gate. Koda had seen airplanes before, but never this close. He loved it. I think he loved the fact that he got to eat candy and chew gum during every take off and landing. I wanted to make sure his ears didn't hurt too much.

Once we landed in Dever we met up with Jamie, Jeff, & the kids, and Marilynn & Steve. It was so exciting. Matthew, Ashley, & Brandon still had no idea where we were going...they didn't find that out until we met Marilynn and Steve at their gate. It was so exciting! Jamie caught it all on tape.

Then we were off. It was a brutal flight! Koda didn't have a seat of his own and could only sit on our laps. So, with a full flight and busy little Koda the 4 hour flight was a little challenging. He normally loves watching movies, but he had a hard time wearing the headphones so that he could hear the movies.

After we landed in Orlando, FL, we caught a shuttle to our hotel - The Wyndam (located just outside Downtown Disney). It was perfect! The rooms were okay and it was a very close walk to Downtown Disney. The hotel pool was awesome. One more perk was that we got to catch a free (sort of free) shuttle each day to any of the parks.

That night we were worn out!! We walked Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. There was a lot of nightlife excitement. Koda fell asleep in the stroller. It was beautiful and nice and warm.

Day 2- Animal Kingdom

What an amazing place!! We were the first ones of our group to arrive. Koda was so excited, but had a hard time waiting for the park to open. First, we had to pick up Jamie's wheelchair. Unfortunately, she still couldn't do much walking and was in a boot. It was so sad, but she always had a positive attitude about the whole thing. At least we didn't have to wait in all the lines. We got to go right to the front on some, it was great!

First we went to the Safari ride. On this safari we got to board a big oversized jeep. Then we proceeded to go on a real safari. We saw giraffs, crocs, hippos, and all sorts of other animals. Disney does an amazing job at hiding the electric fences. It makes you feel like you are truly out in the wild. Koda loved it. He was pretty quite on the trip, but was wide-eyed. Then we went to a little petting zoo. Koda got to pet the sheep. He loved it! We then went to watch Nemo (I think). It was a play. Koda wasn't so excited about it and didn't want to sit down.

While Koda slept in the stroller, Bart and I rode the Everest ride. What an awesome rollercoaster! I don't want to spoil the surprise...but I definitely wasn't expecting the little twist this coaster threw in. Loved it! Next, we went to try the water rapids ride. Jamie stayed back with Koda. There was hardly a line, so the kids were running to the front. Next thing we knew, Brandon was sitting on the cement crying. He had smacked right in to one of the line poles. He split his head right open and was gushing blood. It all was pretty dramatic...Jeff had to run back to the entrance of the ride with blood pouring all over. Poor little Brandon. Jamie and Jeff took him to the ER. He had to get 4 or 5 stiches. He was so brave. Disney even gave him his own stuffed animal.

The day ended with rain. We went back to the hotel and went swimming. The rain couldn't keep us down. It was a lot of fun. I especially liked the hot tub! Koda loved the kids play area. It was full of all kinds of fountains. He got braver and braver getting wet. He could have played there all day. Whenever he is having fun, he never wants to stop. So, needless to say...we left the pool with a tempertantrum.

What a great day!

Day 3- Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom her we come! This park has always been my favorite! It truly is a magical place. Koda got to ride his first monarail.

When we first entered the park, we b-lined it straight for Mickey. It was early and so the lines were still short. We still had to wait probably 15 minutes to see Mickey. Koda wasn't so sure he liked Mickey in person. He was definitely a little nervous. He managed to take a photo, but Mickey and Minnie had to be on opposite sides of Koda. Too funny.

Then we hopped on over to Aladdin's Flying Carpet ride. Jamie & Jeff went off to get their boys done up as pirates. Next, we went to the Jungle Ride and Pirates of the Caribbean. Koda did great, as long as he was sitting on our laps. He didn't even seem to mind the big drop off.

On Jungle Cruise- looking out the boat

Today nap time was so hot. Luckily Jamie had bought us a spray fan at target. I fanned Koda and ate a popsicle while Koda slept.

Koda enjoyed watching the 3-D movies. He even kept his glasses on most of the time. He wasn't even scared. Next, we were off to Splash Mountain. I love this ride when I get to wear a rain poncho. I just don't like getting wet. Especially in the humidity of Florida. It's not fun being sticky and wet in hot weather. Bart and I and the Wursten's traded off for Splash Mountain. After the ride Koda did his little number 2. However, this was actually a blow out #2. It was bad!!! And today we didn't have a change of clothes for him. So, we had to buy him new clothes that were way too big for him. It was brutal!

I was so proud of Koda being so brave on all the rides. He even went to the Haunted Mansion. He did great! It was a magical day. He even braved the heat (even though he also accompanied that with mild tantrums :) )

Day 4- Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios was a blast! It's funny how we can look back on pictures and see how fun it was, but forget the things that weren't so desirable. Like the heat and humidity. It was soooo hot! The build up of humidity finally broke loose in the late afternoon and downpoured. What a storm.

Koda had 2 favorite places at this park:

1st it would have to be the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" playground. Walking through the playground made you feel like you were a tiny bug, since everything was so huge. There were fun slides and water fountains. Koda liked climbing the cargo nets. At the very top it was like a hot humid sauna...but Koda didn't seem to mind. He ran everywhere.

2nd it would have to be the Playhouse Disney show. Koda loves watching Playhouse Disney!!! At this show he was able to see Mickey, Little Einstein's, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Handy Manny. Koda was so excited. He was dancing all over the place. It was so cute! As a parent there is nothing better than seeing your little one so happy. It's hard to describe how happy it made me and Bart feel (and that is an understatement!). During this moment, I wished there was some way to capture it and keep this memory bottled up forever. It was bliss. Koda was so cute!

That evening we went on the Buzz Lightyear ride. It's set up like target practice at the fair. It was in 3-D. It was so much fun. Koda really enjoyed it to, even though he didn't keep his 3-D glasses on. Right after this ride, we ran back to catch the start of the Fantasmic Show. It was set on the water, with fireworks, music, lazers, and Disney characters. It was an awesome show (and it was only slightly drizzling).

Day 5- Epcot

Today the Wursten's and Bone's were off to the beach. We stayed and went to Epcot. The beach would have been fun, but Koda hates riding in the car for long periods of time. So, we avoided the car-ride-breakdown and went to Epcot.

It's been awhile since Bart and I were last there. They had some pretty cool new updates. Koda loved the big aquarium. It was fully equipped with sharks, dolphins, stingrays, and numerous fish. Koda loved running around and going right up to the big glass windows.

On the Dinosaur ride we were just getting started and then it broke down. That was hard for Koda to sit still until we could get off the ride. Overall, Epcot was good at the beginning, but then after that there weren't a lot of rides for Koda to ride on. There was a lot of shopping offered, but it was kind of a slow afternoon. We left early and went to Downtown Disney.

On the way back to our hotel, which is very close to Downtown Disney, we got lost. We got off one bus and were supposed to wait to transfer to another bus...but I didn't want to wait. And it looked like Downtown Disney wasn't very far away. However, I was wrong. We walked and walked and walked and walked! We eventually made it after burning all our calories from the previous 4 days. haha.

At Downtown Disney, if you ever visit, you have to try Earl of Sandwich. They have the best hot sandwiches ever and at a very reasonable price. Koda loved the Merry-Go-Round, Train Ride, and the Dancing Music Concert for kids. He danced his little heart out. It was so cute!

Day 6- Magic Kingdom Round 2

Being Pirates

Blankie + Binkie, brings comfort anywhere!

This day kind of enmeshed in the other Magic Kingdom day! I don't remember a lot. Koda loved pirates! And LOVED the Buzz Lightyear toy we bought at the end of the day. It was too cute! In the store Koda went up to Bart and showed him the toy. Bart then said, "We have to ask Mommy." Koda came over to me and showed me the toy. When I said yes, Koda did a little jig. He was soooo happy (mind you, he still isn't really talking, but we understood exactly what he wanted, and he communicated exactly how happy he was when we said yes. It's amazing how much you can understand without talking.)

The castle, as always, was beautiful. Oh yeah, I almost forgot...on this day Ashley got done up as a princess. And I mean completely done up. She sat in a big beautiful chair, while staff waited on her. She got to wear a beautiful Mermaid outfit. It definitely came with a price tag, but Ashley sure had her day!

Day 7- Blizzard Beach

Waiting for the bus to Blizzard Beach

This water park was incredible!!! I wish that we had had 2 days at this park. It was the water park of all water parks. The lazy river was huge, the wave pool was so relaxing, and the kids play areas were so much fun. Koda was so brave and went down tube slides all by himself.

There was one tube slide that seated 6. Koda was pretty nervous on this one. He had to sit beside us and not in our laps, he had a hard time with this. The first time up to the top we took the stairs to get on, but when we went for round 2, we wanted to ride the ski lift to the top. Koda did not like this at all. He was terrified. He screamed the whole way up the ski lift. It would have been so much better if he would have been able to ride on our laps. Koda was hysterical. So, when we got to the top he had a hard time calming down. When he was almost calm we went to get on the 6 person tube ride again, and he would have none of it. He screamed and temper-tantrumed so loud. He must have been terrified. When he was sitting down off to the side, he threw his head back on the ground and hit it. That only added to the scene. I walked Koda all the way back down. Poor little guy. This all happened right around his nap time. So, that probably added to it. He feel asleep in his stroller still sobbing. What an afternoon.

After his nap, he was all of a sudden scared of everything. Even the slides he had previously gone down with no fear. The tube slide scarred him. :( So sad. I'm sure he will get over it. At least I hope so.

Day 8- Home

Going home from vacation is always sad and depressing. I was sad to leave and go back to life! Even though I missed Kashew-nut terribly. The flight home was brutal. We left our hotel around 7:30am and didn't arrive home until 11pm. What a long day! We had two lay-overs and plane changes. And for some reason I had the migraine of all migraines. It made me so sick. I was basically back in the plane bathrooms for a straight hour. I felt awful. Once I was able to get my headache to subside, I felt much better. Meanwhile, Koda was really giving Bart a hard time. And Bart was sandwiched in to the 2 window seats. The poor woman on the isle seat! I felt so bad for her. I hope we didn't bother her too much!

It was such a fun vacation! And it was so wonderful to go with the Wursten's and Bone's! We loved it. We already can't wait to go again. This time with Kashe!

Picnic

2011-09-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

We absolutely love AF Canyon!! We haven't gone nearly enough this summer. This was our last little dinner up there. Hopefully we will get up there a couple more times before Autumn is over. The easiest dinner/fast trip is to cook a crock pot meal at home and then just bring that up for dinner. However, this time we were wishing we had firewood. It was quite chilly.

Koda is going through different phases. Just a few weeks ago he loved looking right at the camera, smiling, and saying cheese. Now, no matter what I say, he doesn't want to look up. So, here he is in the trees. His most favorite thing was throwing rocks into the river and lake. He could do it all day and never tire.

Kashe was so cute! He got all bundled up and seemed to love being out in nature.

He is always full of smiles.

Summer Fun

2011-09-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

This summer we got the passes of all passes (7 Peaks, Trafalga, & Liberty Land). We've used them a handful of times. It's been so much fun going to 7 Peaks with the boys. They both love the water.

Kashe didn't quite make it through the day. He fell asleep. It was so hot though... and so I sat by the kiddie pool and kept spooning cool water on him.

Koda loved the inner tubes!!

Growing Up!

2011-09-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been soooo long since the last post. Where have I been??? Life has been pretty hectic. Even when I'm home resting the boys keep me busy and make it difficult to sit down and blog. When I do get a break I need to clean, pay bills, and sleep. I'm loving every minute!! Well mostly...haha.

I thought I would give a quick run down on everything since there has been so much going on lately.

Mommy~
In June I got a new job working on a Shock Trauma Unit, I love it! It's been a lot of fun and lots of learning for me. Some day I would like to go into life flight. Well, at least I think I do. The flying part might be a little scary. I work a lot of nights and only a little bit of days, which has been hard. I am tired all the time. But...It's worth it. I get to be home with the kiddos more. I only have to work 3 nights a week, so that's nice. I just try to get some ZZZZzzzzz when I can so I can have energy to keep up with the boys. In August I graduated with my Masters Degree in Public Administration. I can't believe I did it!!! I'm finally done with school. It was definitely worth it, although I questioned that a lot during the program. It was an amazing program with the most exceptional teachers I could ever ask for. I feel so lucky to call myself a BYU Marriott School Alumi. I will grately miss all my wonderful friends and classmates.

Daddy~
Has been working very hard at work lately. Shelf Reliance just moved into their brand new building. The companie's grand opening is today!!! Yeah!!! It's a beautiful building. Bart loves working in his new office cubicle. I am so proud of him and all of his hard work! I know he does amazing things. I have been impressed by some of his most recent photo sessions. I love my man!! Bart has also been hard at work getting our yard in. At the beginning of the summer we did the rocks in the front and leveled the yard with top soil. Then came the sprinkler system, which took much longer than I had anticipated. Bart was working on the sprinklers for ever. Well...maybe just 2 or 3 weeks. Then came the black tarp in the flower beds and then the bark. Wow. Now the summer is almost over and we have only planted 3 trees. We need to get cracking.

Koda~
Is 22 months!!! Holy Cow! He is such a big boy. He is sooooo stinkin' cute! Bart and I can't take our eyes off him. It's so fun to watch what he will do next. He can say dada, moma (infact on Monday night when I went to work, Bart said he pushed his workbench chair to the front room, stood on it, looked out the window and cried for "moma". Awww...that is so sad, but so cute!), juice, cheese, ah oh, woof, grwllll, brrrr (car noise), jesus (sometimes), and then he just jibber jabbers. He seems to say all kinds of words at some points, but then he doesn't always repeat them. So, I don't really add it to his word vocabulary. He is a climber and loves to climb on everything. He is really daring when it comes to climbing on the playground equipment and going down the slides. He runs all over. He loves to try and jump, but that only consists of him moving his body up and down with his feet never leaving the ground. It's so funny. He understands a lot now and is such a helper. He likes to give Kashe his paci and give him toys. Koda is finally weaned from his bottles and now just drinks milk in his sippies. Next we need to wean the binkie, I really don't want him to have buck teeth. Koda eats really well, although he still likes to trhow all his food. I am working with him on trying to have him help clean it up. Koda has a very good arm and throws everything. This sometimes ends him up in time out for a little while. He loves movies: especially Toy Story and the Mickey Mouse Christmas. He would watch Toy Story 5 times a day if we let him. haha. He also loves to read. One of his Favorite books is "My Monster Mama". He is on the move from the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep. He is a very busy boy! I have a hard time keeping up with him.

Kashe~
7 months old. He is our happy boy!! He is always smiling. In fact, when he is sleeping and if you cause him to stir he will smile in his sleep. It's soooooo cute! He is adorable! We love cuddling him and making him laugh!!! He rolls and rolls to get where he wants to go. One time Bart couldn't find him and when he finally did he was between the wall and the couch. Now how in the world did he get back there??? He laughs at Koda and loves watching his older brother. He likes to play with Koda's toys and loves it when he gets to ride on Koda's back. He eats 6-7oz of his bottles every 3 hours. He also likes to gum bread, crackers, and squash. He is getting on his hands and knees and rocking. He also turns to his side and almost sits up. He is sooooo close to crawling, but hasn't quite figured it out yet. He also likes to make sounds and baby babble. It's so cute. He also has the most high pitched screams I have ever heard. He screams sometimes just to talk. He is just now starting to like baths. He didn't really like them before. He loves slashing in the water at the pool. Koda and Kashe have been to 7 peaks several times this summer and love it. Kashe is starting to darken up and tans very well. He still has no hair, although I have now just shaved his head for the 2nd time. It was really only old man's hair, so it had to all come off. He is still a super skinny little boy and very long. He is already wearing 12 mo clothes. He is getting so big. Kashe is so sweet and has a calm about him. He is patient at times and very even tempered. We are so excited because we will be sealing and blessing him this weekend. The sealing will take place in the Draper Temple. His little spirit has been so wonderful in our family. We love him so much!!!!! Kashe also loves petting Nacho. He laughs at him sometimes. :)

That's us in a nutshell. I will try and add pictures a little bit later. I hope everything makes sense. I've had some down time at work and I am almost ready to get off. It's 7:11am. :)

While Daddy's Working

2011-06-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Bart hard at work. We actually rented a trencher several weeks ago. It was a waste. The ground was too wet to even dig. Bart loves manual labor!!
While Bart was out working on the sprinkler system we took some photos...

I love this picture of Kashe. It's a little blurry, but I love it! Anytime we start talking to Kashe his little face lights up with the biggest smile. Even when it's dark and we're trying to get him to sleep...if you look down at him he will just smile. This is his strategy to stay up later and not go to bed. :)

My Aunt Shareen gave us a bunch of outdoor toy trucks (they were Nathan's growing up). Koda loves them.

Shoes!!!

2011-06-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

Koda loves shoes!!! He tries on mine and Bart's. He thought it was pretty fun walking in these healed sandals. The other day he loaded our whole laundry basket with Bart's shoes. Who thought shoes could be so intriguing and fun to play with? I love it!!!

Fun Pictures

2011-05-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy trying to finish the yard we haven't had anytime to update the blog. Here are some fun random pictures of what we have been up to! Enjoy

Baby x2

2011-05-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

My two babies! Koda usually only has a bottle in the morning and before bed. But every once in awhile he has little melt downs and wants a bottle with his brother.

Chad

2011-05-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

Grieving is a really strange thing. The night we found out about Chad's death, time seemed to stand still for about 3 weeks. Life kind of came full circle.

On most days we all seem to be getting along just fine. But then other days grief seems to overcome us for short periods of time. I guess that's our excuse for not keeping up the blog. It just seems that it has been hard to keep doing the little things.

It still doesn't seem like he's gone. His memory is still so clear. We love him and miss him so much.

We feel so grateful for the gospel and to know that we will see Chad again. Although it doesn't replace moments of sadness, peace and comfort do come knowing that we will all be together again.
We love you Chad!

Koda has been a Big Brother for 2 Months!

2011-04-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

When Koda gets into mischief he looks at me with these big brown eyes. How could he ever get in trouble? :)
Koda still has 8 teeth. His gums have been swollen for at least a month, but still nothing. He is getting super cranky, moody, and tempertanrumy...the teeth need to come through soon.
Kashe can already sit up in the bumbo pretty good.
Koda also loves the bumbo, but once he sits in it he is stuck. It's pretty funny. Kashe and Koda will make a great pair as the grow up.
All smiles...

Baby Babble

2011-04-07T13:11:00.001-07:00

Kashe is growing up so fast. He likes to smile and talk to you now. When he wakes up from his naps and in the morning he always is full of smiles. At his 2 month doctor visit he was 9.8 lbs and 23 inches long. He had to get 4 immuniations. He screamed so loud, but he recovered quickly and did really well the rest of the day dosed up on tylenol. Kashe eats 4 oz now at every feeding. His sleeping record was last night- he slept 7 1/2 hours. This was so good especially since Bart was up till 1am and I was up until 3am, doing homework. Isn't school wonderful? :) Kashe is such a delight.

A Day in the Life of the Mills

2011-03-23T11:10:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess you could say half-a-day, since it's only noon. I always feel like we don't accomplish much before the day is over. But we have good times. :)

Today we shaved Koda's hair. I actually shaved it with a no.4 yesterday, but he moved at the last little bit (when I was almost done) and I shaved a line in the side of his head. Needless to say...the shaved head looks great now. He looks so grown up.

Koda loves his meals. He loves to get every last drop.

Kashe likes to just hang out. He is getting so big. I have started putting away some of his newborn clothes. He is so long that length is a problem. Today he is wearing 3 month pants.

Koda loves to torment Nacho. Nacho just flinches and takes it. What a good cat. Koda knows how to be soft, but actually doing it is a different story.

Moab & Arches

2011-03-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

It was the annual Moab and Arches trip this past week and the boys loved it. The cabin was perfect and had plenty of room for our growing family. Bart did a great job in the half marathon and Crystal also dominated the 5 mile. Lucky for us Aunt Natalie was able to stay with the boys and help cheer us through the finish line. On Sunday we were able to spend the day at Arches National Park, we saw 4 different Arches. I think Koda's favorite was Sand Dune Arch, he just played and played in the sand - he even tried to eat it. They had an great time with all their Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. Enjoy the pictures.

Cooking

2011-02-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

I tried out two new recipes this week. They were delicious!!!! I made the Olive Garden Zuppa Tuscana Soup & Crockpot Enchiladas. I love food and trying new recipes. I will post the recipes soon. I wish I had taken pictures...oh well. Pictures of food from a home camera don't always look too appetizing.

Growing Up

2011-02-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

My little baby doesn't feel like such a little baby anymore. Koda is getting so big. Part of me is so excited for what he will do next, but part of me is sad and misses the baby stage. I wish I could freeze time for a little while. I think moving Koda to his toddler bed is almost as hard on Bart and I as it is for him.

Koda always screams for his food when he can see me making it. And not just little screams, but a full on tantrum. So, I thought that it was time to have him help me make his meals. He loves this so much more. What a way to replace tantrums with smiles. In this picture he is helping me make him a sandwich.

He can go down the stairs front-ways. This can be quite scary for me.

He can climb up on the stove. I'm trying to teach him "hot". So far...it's working. He's not touching the burners when I'm cooking.

And drum roll........

Koda can eat by himself. He loves it!!! He normally downs his food so fast, I can't keep up. He gets inpatient when I don't get the food to his mouth fast enough. Now that he feeds himself he has been forced to slow down. He loves this new found independence. And so do I. :)

Holding Kashe

2011-02-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

For the longest time Koda has been sick and so I have kept Kashe away from him. But now that he's better, he loves time with his little brother.

What's he looking at?

Blowing bubbles...

Classic tantrum. Kashe is all ready looking on and learning from his big brother. :)

Koda the Big Brother

2011-02-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

Koda loves his little brother Kashe. Notice how he keeps patting Kashe. It's so cute!!

Growing Up

2011-02-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

Koda is getting soooo big! The moment we brought Kashe home from the hospital Koda seemed to age overnight. He walks/runs all over the place, he can climb up on the chairs and then on to the table, he can climb into his high chair (which can be scary because he pulls on the tray and several times is has come off and he has fallen straight back), and he can eat with a spoon by himself. He seriously just did all of these things, all at once.

He loves to wear his shapes ball like a hat. He puts this on himself. It's so funny.

Photo Shoot

2011-02-14T21:41:00.000-08:00

Bart and I attempted our own little photo shoot. We hope you enjoy the pictures. I absolutely love photography! I enjoyed taking it in High School and then later at UVU with my friend Amy. I definitely don't know very much, but between Bart and I...we had a lot of fun taking the photos. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $400-$500 for a newborn photo session.

It was funny because the only way we could get Kashe to relax and sleep was to run the vacuum. It must have been a crazy sight seeing our make-shift little studio in the kitchen with the vacuum going at 11pm. :)

Here is precious Kashe...

Mommy & Me

2011-02-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

Kashe was such a little angle while we were taking pictures. It was so funny though...there were times he would get fussy and squirmy. So, to sooth him all we had to do was turn on the vacuum. It must have been a funny sight. Bart shooting the photos and me vacuuming. We had a clean kitchen floor by the end of the night. :)

Photo Shoot

2011-02-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

We attempted a photo shoot tonight, the boys were so funny. We woke Koda up around 10pm so he would be somewhat calm, it worked for about 10 seconds. We will post more, but enjoy the teaser.

2 Days Old

2011-02-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

Peggy thank you so much for the beautiful blanket!!! I'm loving it. :)

Sleeping In

2011-02-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

Kashe is such a good little sleeper. He sleeps in everyday and all day. When he opens his little eyes it's such a sweet surprise. I love Kashe in blue!!!

What a Week!

2011-01-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

This has been an amazing week - we will keep you in suspense with all the details. Just wanted to post some pictures of the newest member of the Mills family. Kashe Dine' Mills was born Wednesday night, he was 6 lbs 12 oz and was 20 inches long. We were blessed to bring him home on Friday night. Here are some pictures from the Hospital and his first night home. Cheyenne is a legend, she did so amazing. Enjoy, and we will post more in the next few days.

Winter Wonderland!

2011-01-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

This past week we were hammered with snow - Bart likes to tell people we got 6ft of snow, but it was more like 3. You be the judge.

Merry Christmas!

2011-01-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

Koda loved Christmas morning, he will spend all day on his new work bench.

That time of year again!

2010-12-07T19:56:00.001-08:00

Bart spent 4 hours setting up our Christmas lights on Saturday - I decided at 11:00pm I wanted different ones. Bart being the amazing husband that he is went to the store and bought all new lights, and hung them up - HE IS THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!! Koda loves the lights in his bedroom window - always wants to touch them.

Happy 1st Birthday

2010-11-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

This post is long over-due...Koda is already 13 months old. My little baby is growing up too fast. I have loves all the stages...but Koda is almost no longer a baby anymore. Of course, I forget about that during his tantrums. :) Koda loved his cake. At first he was very cautious...and seemed to not like the sticky cake on his hands. But once he got a taste...he loved it! He ate 2 whole pieces.

Getting every last bite.

Some of Koda's favorite guests!

He loved his presents. Thank you everyone.

This toy is one of his favorites...now he walks everywhere with it. Cheyenne what a great idea!

Thanksgiving is getting closer :)

2010-11-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Point Farm with friends. Both look a little unsure of riding on the plastic cow.

Riding on the pony...

This was Koda's laugh when he was looking at the animals. It was funny!!

The October Haps!

2010-10-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

October is almost gone and we haven't even updated our blog, time sure goes by fast! A lot has happened over the past month, we just hope the pictures can shed a little light on it.

The October Haps!

2010-10-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Love the brand recognition!

Nacho is such a patient cat. Koda beats him up all day!

We had a Pumpkin carving party in our garage with friends and family.

Koda is at the point where he uses his blanket as a pillow. If you try and cover him up he will just wad the blanket up and stick it under his head.

Bart had to finally put locks on all the cabinets, cant believe Koda is that big!

This is how he watches Micky Mouse Clubhouse.

September Highlights

2010-09-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

This cute little outfit came from Grandma Mercier. What an adorable model. :)
Parker's Football Game. Go Vikings!!!
Parker is #53. Sweet action.

Koda intently watching.

Koda loves taking baths. If he's ever in a bad mood, he can take a bath and be smiling in no time.

Daddy and Koda hanging out.

Koda trying to get the camera. He loved this game.

Family & Friends

2010-09-19T10:37:00.001-07:00

Scott left to China...we will miss him. He is doing the BYU flagship program. The Sunday before he left we decided to have a family get together. It was a lot of fun & great to see everyone.

Shae came to visit. It was so good to see him...we miss the Taylor's so much!! Here is Shae with Nacho on him. You know Shae loves the Mills when he will let Nacho sit on his lap. :)

August Highlights

2010-09-19T09:42:00.001-07:00

Koda is such an intense eater. He seems to love food. When you don't feed him fast enough he will start screaming. He's actually always been that way...he used to scream when he could see you making his bottles...until it was in his mouth. It's so funny. He loves to eat finger foods that he can eat himself. He also likes bread, baby fruits and veggies, puffs, yogurt melts, teddy grams, juice, and almost anything edible. Koda will sometimes fold his arms for prayer. He thinks it's funny when you say amen and open your eyes.

We have had the most incredible down-pour rain & thunderstorms. Koda loves to watch the rain as it comes down.

We went to Thanksgiving Point for the first time with Koda. He was fascinated with the animals and not scared one bit. He loved riding the pony most!!

Koda is a busybody and crawls everywhere. When we need to contain him for a little bit (ie. when dad needs to take a shower and get ready) we put Koda in his pack-and-play and turn on Mickey Mouse Club or Little Einsteins. Koda will standup and just stare at the TV. It's funny.

Koda likes to point with his little index finger.

July Highlights

2010-08-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Koda started crawling!!! He is so happy to be moving around. He rocked on his hands and knees for several weeks and finally started going forward.

Koda loved that water at Payson Lakes. It was super cold, but it didn't seem to phase him.

Koda and some of his favorite cousins.

He can stand on furniture now. What a big boy!

Boys hanging out. Everyone just gravitates to Koda.

Koda's favorite past time. Bart is starting him early. He loves his ball.

June Highlights

2010-08-05T19:37:00.001-07:00

What a long day...

We went to see Jamie in Durango, CO. It was so beautiful there.

While we were there we played in the river. Koda LOVES the water. The water was freezing cold and he still loved it.

Watching the Strawberry Days Parade.

What a cute cheesy grin!

Bart, what a sweetheart!

We entered Koda into the Strawberry Days baby contest. He didn't win, although we all know he's the cutest baby ever.

TEETH!

2010-07-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last week Koda had his first two teeth break through! He is handling it pretty well, just wants to chew on everything.

The count down is on.............July 16th

2010-07-02T21:19:00.001-07:00

Haircut!

2010-07-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well Crystal attempted to give Koda a hair cut, and as you can see it didn't go so well.

Last Two Weeks!

2010-06-13T22:26:00.001-07:00

the last two weeks have been a blur - We have had a sealing, blessing, birthdays, BBQs and a wedding. We just decided to just post pictures of all the events from the last two weeks. Enjoy!

More Pictures

2010-06-13T22:17:00.001-07:00

Our Family All in White

2010-06-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Blessing Day

2010-06-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Playing piano with Grandma.

Hanging out with Grandpa.

Bottle Time

2010-06-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!!! Koda can drink his bottle all by himself. It's funny though because instead of just downing it, he like to play with the bottle. He gets distracted easy.

Fireman's Breakfast

2010-06-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

The annual PG fireman's breakfast. Koda loved the pancakes. He LOVES people food. It was a chilly day.

Our Special Day

2010-06-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day! We were sealed as family on June 5, 2010 in the Draper Temple. Our little guy was such an angel. He was so happy and just so adorable. The day was a little piece of heaven on earth.

Our house is coming along! - Closing 2nd week of July.

2010-05-29T06:54:00.001-07:00

Crystal checking out her new kitchen.

More house photos....

2010-05-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

Our little man and mommy!

Koda is liking the view.

Beautiful scenery!

We can have some fun with an unfinished basement.

Finally a COLD STORAGE!

New Camera

2010-05-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

When we moved a few months ago we must have packed our camera away in the storage unit. Last week we finally got our dream camera and have being trying to make up for lost time. Hope you enjoy the photos, and please be patient as we try to figure out how to use it.

more photos.......

2010-05-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

more photos.......

2010-05-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

Kodas first trip to the Zoo!

2010-04-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Long first day!!!!!

Koda loves the bed!

2010-04-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

Koda and Grandpa!

2010-04-18T21:07:00.001-07:00

The hole for our house!

2010-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

BYU Pow Wow 2010

2010-04-18T20:49:00.001-07:00

Koda LOVES his new toy! Thanks Jamie.

2010-03-26T15:43:00.001-07:00

He can sit in this things for hours and just bounce! Prediction - Dunking in the 6th grade.

Kodas First Moab Trip!

2010-03-26T15:38:00.001-07:00

Koda and Courtland!

2010-03-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at JCW's on Saturday with Courtland and his family.

Finally all moved in!

2010-03-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well were all moved in to Barts parents house while they serve their mission, and while we wait for our new house to be built, they tell us to plan on July - we'll see.

I love the Lazy Boy & my Thermals

2010-03-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Koda loves to sit all by himself on the recliner until he leans to the side and tips over, and his thermals are pretty much the Bomb!

Koda at his very first Birthday Party! Happy birthday Marlee!

2010-03-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Koda and Dad at his 4 month Check up!

2010-03-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

Koda is such a happy baby! He is growing up so fast. He loves looking in the mirror at himself, he grabs at toys, he loves chewing on his thumbs, he eats a 6 oz. bittle every 3 hours, he takes hour naps about every 3 hours, he sleeps through the night (so nice for mommy and daddy), he loves having a little blanket to snuggle with on the side of his face when he goes to sleep, he loves his binkie, and can almost pull off his socks. He was in the 34th percentile for weight at 14.11 lbs and was in the 54th percentile for length at 25 in. He is a tall one! He also has the cutest fluffy hair on top of his head. He is trying to grow more then dad...he's pretty close already. :)

Koda loves the bumbo!

2010-03-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

Life is Crazy...

2010-02-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

I find myself sitting here (12:29 am) blogging, when I really need to go to bed. This is why I never get into it much...it's addicting. Life has been a whirlwind lately. We finally finished up moving out of our little condo last Thursday. Can you believe it? We will miss our first real neighborhood and all our friends. I have been pretty depressed all day...just feeling a little blue. My in-laws just left on their mission to the Marshall Islands (I will miss them terribly), Koda has been sick with the flu the last 2 days, Bart just came down with the flu, I am no longer a 30 sec sprint away from some of my closest friends, our house is a mess with so much unpacking still to do, I had to leave my YW and YW leaders, and I did not getting any homework done this weekend. Okay, I'm done with my little pity party. Life really is good and I have so much to be thankful for. I have an amazing husband, the cutest little boy ever, and all my family and friends are safe at the moment. Good times.

The Snuggy

2010-02-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

Koda loves his little kiddopatomus!! It's his blanket that we use to swaddle him. We actually call it the snuggy. Which is funny because it's not the snuggy you might be thinking of on the infomercials. It swaddles around him and then velcros.

Koda has to have his snuggy to sleep. Without it he is way to active and can't stop moving. As soon as you swaddle him he calms right down and goes to sleep.

His snuggy's were given to him by the Brady's and my friend Catherine. But they are both small now and Koda has been busting out of them all the time. It's actually quite funny...in the morning we don't necessarily hear him making sounds, but we hear the velcro open.

So, we found a larger size online for him. None of the stores seemed to carry the larger size. Probably because by now we shouldn't be swaddling him.

Oh...no...now we are going to have to swaddle him until he's 2. Just kidding, but we have definitely gotten him addicted. :)

3 months old!

2010-02-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

Koda is 3 months old!!! Wow, he is growing up so fast. He is just such a sweetie. He is so happy all the time and is just such a good baby.
Some of his 3 month milestones...

Marley & Me... Koda has already started making friends.

He loves to blow bubbles...now I see why the bibs come in handy.

He loves his hands. Sometimes he will just stare at them for long moments.

Koda is probably about 13 lbs now. He is now in 3-6mo clothes. He laughs and gives cheesy grins. He loves his second mom- Kendall! He enjoys playing with Rhaegan & Marley (sorry, I probably didn't spell that right). He eats 6oz now from his bottle. He can hold his head up when he is on his stomach. He can hold his binky and by accident gets it back up to his mouth again (not in the mouth all the way, but close). He will follow you when you are walking across the room. He loves to hear you sing. He sometimes coo's at his books when we read to him.

Wow, our little man is getting so old! I love being a mom!!!

hat

2010-01-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

Just hanging out!

I Have Hands!!!

2010-01-22T10:02:00.001-08:00

Koda found his hands!!!! Yeah!!! He is sooooo cute! He loves to just stare at his hands. He is starting to grab at things that are close to him. If he has a blanket or bib on him, he loves to pull off or put it up on his face.

First Time Sick

2010-01-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

Poor little guy! Koda started coughing last Thursday. It kind of sounded like he had too much saliva to swallow and so was just gagging. I was hoping that's all it was. But by Friday night he was definitely sick. He was congested and had a horrible cough. It's crazy how kids get sick. I was so fanatical about sanitizing my hands and the hands of others for his first 2 months...I guess you can never be too careful without going OCD. I started to relax once my hands started cracking and sometimes bleeding. Then, he got sick....We kept Koda under close surveillance. We slept in the same room with him every night. On Saturday night we almost took him to the ER. He was having such a hard time breathing. Thanks to the baby boggie grabber we made it through the night. Now, one doctor call, one doctor visit, and some amoxicillin later, he is finally getting a little better. He had an ear infection on top of everything. Koda is just such a sweet baby. Even when he wasn't feeling very well, he always managed to crack a smile and an occasional giggle.

Rock Band at the Wombles!

2010-01-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

You could say the only person who has a chance of making Rock Band a profession is Adam, he even has the pose down. Bart scored less than 60% on everything he played even on the easy level, but had a blast.

Koda is a ladies man!

2010-01-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Koda has three girlfriends down in Nephi. Jeremy and Alisha's threes girls (Ray, Britt, and Cam) are in love with Koda. I hope is doesn't become a habit with all the girls.

Koda or Bart?

2010-01-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

You need to think about this one, not as easy as you may think.

Koda or Bart?

2010-01-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

Don't let the aged photo fool you, we could of done some photoshop magic!

9 weeks old

2010-01-01T10:27:00.001-08:00

9 weeks old on New Years Day! Koda officially slept through the night. Yeah! He went to bed at 9:30PM and slept until 6AM. It was so nice... especially since Bart and Crystal stayed up until 2AM ringing in the new year.

8 weeks old

2010-01-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

8 weeks old on Christmas Day!

Durango Trip

2009-12-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

We had a blast on the trip. It was so good to catch up with Jamie, Jeff, and the kids! Fun times!!! While there we...

Cut Koda's hair. It was already like a buzz on the top and he was wearing a bald spot. So...we just evened it out.

Finished product. So handsome!!!
We rode the polar express. It was so much fun to drink hot chocolate, sing songs, and visit Santa's town.

Jamie and I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning making pillow cases for the YW. Yes, it was probably only 1230am, but we are old and it felt sooooo late.

While there Koda had his 7 week old birthday. Yeah!

To Durango, Colorado

2009-12-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

This was Koda's first big long trip. Crystal traveled with him to see Jamie's new house. It was quite a trip. Koda actually did really well. He pretty much just slept and woke up to eat. The tricky part was finding a town to stop in when he wanted to eat. I didn't want to pull off in the middle of no where.

Here is Jamie's neighborhood entrance. She seriously lives in my paradise. Her neighborhood is nestled in the mountains. I have always imagined having a cabin in a place like this....one day!

Here are some neighborhood pictures...

2009-12-21T22:36:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Koda's First time on Santa's Lap

2009-12-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

Koda's first Basketball game!

2009-12-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

We took Koda to his first Basketball game on Monday. He loved the noise and the lights, we will definitely be taking him to more games. Will not be going to Flash games they lied to us about Jordan coming and Koda was very upset, he really wanted to see his "Airness".

My first trip to chadder's!

2009-12-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

I think I would prefer In and Out, but I can't handle the 3 hour wait.

I'm Six weeks old today! Dec 11, 2009

2009-12-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

Koda at work

2009-12-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Give me some privacy!

Mammas Boy!

2009-12-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Koda loves the camera

2009-12-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

I'm loving bath time!

2009-12-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

I love my hooded towel!

First time meeting my cousins

2009-12-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hi Rocco

Kodas first trip to the Cabin

2009-12-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Great Grandpa and Grandma Darling.

Crystal gets him all bundled up for the snowmobile ride in.

3 weeks old - Getting Bigger

2009-11-21T23:22:00.000-08:00

I'm growing by the day, how can you not love my cheeks!

Nacho giving Koda a Kiss

2009-11-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

Nacho is finally gaining the courage to buddy up with Koda.

Trying to calm Koda down

2009-11-21T23:11:00.000-08:00

Crystal and I taking turns trying to put Koda to bed. Karissa always told us that he was most active at night, i guess we believe her now.

Ready to go hiking!

2009-11-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

I guess Crystal is just getting Koda ready for next spring with his hiking pack. Crystal has found a use for this around the house, he loves it. We also think he is a big fan of this position, he has been use to it over the past 9 months with Karissa.

Koda loves the swing!

2009-11-17T22:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks Brett and Emily for letting us barrow your swing, Koda loves it!

2009-11-17T20:25:00.001-08:00

Loooooooooonnnnnnnnnggggggg Night!

2009-11-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

Well Koda's sleeping schedule is completely backwards. He likes to sleep during the day and that means awake all night. Crystal and I are on swing shifts until he can figure out that he lives in Utah and not Australia. Even though he keeps us up all night we love him so much, his faces, noises, and wiggles are the best.

Give me that bottle!

2009-11-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

Koda loves to eat! whenever you feed him he has to have his hands on the bottle. It will only be a matter of time before he feeds himself. In this picture you can really see how his face is filling out.

Adoption Day!

2009-11-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2009 - this is the official day that we signed the adoption papers. This is Haylie (left) and Loni (right) our case workers. Haylie worked with us and Loni worked with Karissa. Just want to say thank you to you both for all your help - your the best. For the record we heard that Karissa was AMAZING in front of a hard nose judge, your such a strength to our little family Karissa. We love you!

Night of Seinfeld

2009-11-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

Like father, Like Son

My First BLOWOUT!!!!!!!

2009-11-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

This was funny, I was in the living room when I heard Crystal yell for me. I ran in and saw that Koda had dropped the bomb as she was changing him, it must have went 3 feet and of course I was able to clean it up, Thanks Crystal