The Simmons/Yates Clan

Lessons from baking.

2011-06-07T18:45:00.007-06:00

Today Sydney and I decided to make cookie. Nothing to out of the ordinary right? Little did I know I was about to be educated things that are very important.

First off it is important to always dress to impress while baking. Sydney was adamant about wearing her "party skirt" today. So... We made cookies while she looked ready to party and I, well didn't.

Second. As the scouts say, Be prepared. I let Sydney help put the ingredients in the bowl which scared me because I am not sure how much of it actually made it in. As you can tell by the stuff covering the chair she stood on to help. Oh well.

Third. Life is not like a box of chocolates, baking with a toddler is. If you look closely and start singing "one of these things is not like the other" you may notice something out of place. Do you see it yet?

Being the ever vigilant person I am I made sure to grab the cheerio out of the mix. By the way I have NO idea where it came from because it was not on the counter when we started. Hmmm.

Then comes the mixing. Its a lot harder than it looks. At least if you are 2. She was determined to keep stirring though and even told me I couldn't help at first.

At last! Time for the sticky messy fun. 20 min later we had a full sheet of cookie bars to enjoy. As is part of the mom creedo I made sue to test it before I let anyone else try them justin case the lack of proper ingredients had a bad outcome. Passed with flying colors. (Whew)

-Carri

Fall Fun!

2010-11-13T14:59:00.003-07:00

Nick and I were out raking up leaves today and Sydney decided she needed to help. SO when Nick was sweeping up the sidewalk Sydney grabbed hold of the rake and did her best. I was really sneaky and snapped a few other pictures of Sydney while we were outside as well.

a few more of Sydney

2010-10-23T20:28:00.005-06:00

Here are a few new pictures of Sydney as well.

And some more.....

2010-10-23T20:16:00.007-06:00

I saw a license plate frame today that said, "Happiness is being a Grandma"

I TOTALLY agree!!!!!

As promised

2010-10-15T21:53:00.008-06:00

Here are a few more pictures.

She has arrived

2010-10-13T21:49:00.003-06:00

After 41 long weeks---Coriena Joy Brandol joined our family. She was born at 9:43 pm on October 12, 2010. She weighed 8 lbs and 13 ozs and is 20 and 1/2 inches long. She has lots of dark hair.

Her Mommy did such an amazing job. Her Daddy is so proud. Her grandma and grandpa couldn't be happier. As you can see.....She is BEAUTIFUL!!!

I promise there will be lots more pictures to come.

C is for Cookie

2010-07-06T19:23:00.003-06:00

Sydney has discovered her love of cookies. (I'm so proud!) Nick and I heard her screaming in the kitchen at something and we go in to see her reaching for the cookies on the counter. We gave her one and she took it in the living room sat in her old car seat and proceeded to make a fantastic mess of herself! I love this kid.

~Carri

Oh What Do You Do In the Summertime: Part 2

2010-06-30T19:16:00.001-06:00

Hang out with friends and eat popsicles. What a great way to spend the day.

What Do You Do in the Summertime?

2010-06-28T14:29:00.003-06:00

Summertime...We try to spend as much time as possible camping and riding the ATV's. No surprize right? That was our plan for this summer as well. We had several trips planned and ideas for several more. Our first trip, we went with a group of Tom's co workers for just a quick one night trip to Horseshoe Springs. When we got to the location right off the bat....The truck AND trailer got stuck in the mud. Luckily help was there and we were able to get out. Tom turns the truck and trailer around and starts heading the other direction...yup got stuck again! In all the years that we have camped, we have NEVER gotten stuck before. This trip twice.
Second trip - Memorial Day weekend, Hub, Ellen, Tom and I are going to go somewhere but had no definite plans as to where as the weather was going to be questionable. So Friday afternoon we take off and head to Knowles. This is a ATV area in the west desert of Utah. It is a little windy but not so bad in the Salt Lake Valley. Get to the Tooele turn off and the signs says, "40 mile per hour winds for the next 40 miles." If you have ever pulled a trailer you know that this isn't a good sign, but westward we go, fighting the wind the entire way. Find our campspot and just hang out in the trailer. Saturday morning we get up and load the ATV's in the trucks and head to the Silver Island Mountains. We had a wonderful day riding in an area we had never been before. Once we got back to the trailers, Tom and Hub decide to go for another ride to check out different camping locations. They hadn't been gone all that long and Hub returns to tell me that Tom had been hurt. I jump on the back of Hub's ATV and off we go. I see Tom sitting in the sand and the ATV is off to one side. Somehow, he rolled the ATV. Luckily, two very kind men saw the rollover and raced to the rescue. They realized that one of the tires was on Tom's head and got the ATV off as quickly as possible. Hub was able to flag down a forest ranger, who called for the EMT's. From our location, the closest EMT's had to come from Wendover which was 40 miles away. Upon their arrival, it was determined that he needed more help than they could offer, so Life Flight was called. Long story short. Tom ended up with 8 broker ribs, a broken Scapula, a mild concussion, and very bruised lung. Once at the hospital, he had two surgeries, one to put metal brackets on 4 of the 8 ribs, the second to drain and clean out the lung. Tom spent 12 days in the hospital (2 in ICU), but is now home and doing GREAT!!!!
I can not express how grateful we are to the two total strangers who got the bike off of him, to all the medical personal who have worked on and with him, to our wonderful family and friends who have kept us in their thoughts and prayers through this situation. We are VERY, VERY blessed.
We are still planning on a trip to the Oregon Coast (yes we are taking the ATV's) and possibly a trip to Yellowstone in the fall.

And the Baby is.....

2010-05-14T08:30:00.001-06:00

A GIRL!!!!

Lindsey and Schuyler are having a girl! She is due October 5th.

As for grandchildren, the count will be:

7 girls
4 boys.

We couldn't be more excited.

The Big 1!

2010-05-01T11:58:00.007-06:00

1 year old!

New born 3 Months old Happy Halloween

9 Months Almost 1

Can you believe it? Sydney is 1 today. I cant. She has grown so much over the last year and has added so much fun to our lives. She is just as fun as can be and I cannot wait to see what this year brings.

A bunch of fun!

2010-04-14T17:30:00.003-06:00

A bunch of pictures from different times and different places.

Spring Fever

2010-04-14T17:09:00.004-06:00

Sydney and I decided it was time to play outside since it is finally warm enough!! She was having a great time playing with her ball. I figured I would share with all of you just how big she is getting. Can you believe she is almost 1! I cant. Stay tuned for some amazing 1 year old pictures that cousin Corby has agreed to take. So excited! For those of you who dont know she is now walking and has four very sharp teeth and one trying to come in. Wow time has gone by so fast.

Great news!

2010-03-23T11:59:00.002-06:00

Schuyler and Lindsey are expecting!!!

They have hit there 1 year mark and are having a baby in October!

Stay tuned for updates or feel free to check there blog as well!
slbrandol.blogspot.com (Brandol Bunch)

To the Hill Country

2010-01-24T20:30:00.009-07:00

As part of my mini tour of the greater San Antonio area, Lucy and I headed north (at least I think it was north) to what is known as "The Hill Country". Our goal? A town called Fredericksburg.

Isn't this such a postcard place?

We arrived and drove through the town a bit before finding a parking spot in front of the house Lucy has picked as her own... it's the Urologist office =) It's small, white and has a large front porch with a little round window next to the front door. There were yellow ribbons tied around the pine tree.... I knew it I would love this place!

Our first stop was the Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe where I discovered what possibly could have been the yummiest pot pie I have ever had. It's delicious! The place was small and very cozy with a large painting of a blue rooster on the wall. The windows latched, but I imagine in the spring they would be pushed open and the breeze would fill the room with the fresh, clean air.

Doesn't that make your mouth water just looking at it!?!

After a scrumptious meal, we hit the streets and wandered in and out of shop after shop... looking at quilts, unique housewares, clothes, jewelry, old books, furniture and kitchen stuff. I fell in love with the simplicity of the town! Lucy warned me that after a while, all of the shops start to look the same... which was true. However, every store had it's own rhythm that would sing out through the various wares and goods they were offering. One store smelled like something was baking, one made you feel like you were rummaging through an artists wharehouse while another made me want to get home and do something crafty!

Our last stop on our way out of town was the Rather Sweet bakery... for some amazing sweets! Lucy had purchased 'The Pastry Queen' cook book for me (tried the tropical carrot cake... HUGE HIT! My Mom loves it!), which was written by the owner of Rather Sweet. Neither of us were sure, but we think she came in the shop while were buying our tasty treats... Lucy kicked me to point her out. Ha ha!

Spending the day with just Lucy was one of my favorite days! The weather was beautiful, the food was amazing and her company was was a constant joy. We laughed and talked and the day passed by all too quickly.

Thank you Lucy for sharing such a wondeful place!

If you're gonna play in Texas...

2010-01-24T19:42:00.006-07:00

I have left a piece of my heart in Texas.... In San Antonio to be specific. I just got back from a 4 1/2 day vacation in the heart of the Lone Star State. Ok... so it's not the heart of Texas, but it's close enough. And I have the Tobler family to thank for that!

A little less than a year ago, I took my first trip to Texas and it was the Tobler family that took the time to show me around a bit. I knew I would have to return and spend more time with them. As if fate knew my plan, the team was playing in San Antonio two days after a holiday... so I emailed Lucy and asked if they wouldn't mind a post holiday visitor - and fortunately she said yes! So I got permission to fly home with the team after the game and bought my one way ticket!

I arrived on Saturday afternoon and went home with the team on Wednesday night after the Jazz beat the Spurs (woo hoo!). Even though my time there was short, it was wonderful! The days were packed with fun and laughter and lots and lots of talking (sorry for the late nights Lucy!!)! We talked a lot about our families and discovered how alike we all are... which seems so funny since we didn't really get to see one another growing up.

Our days were packed with memories and fun -we jumped rope, rode a train that was slipping on the tracks, witnessed a Chloe sized nuclear meltdown, walked through a Japanese tea garden, played 'Mother May I?', went to the cutest little town and picked out houses (stayed tuned for a blog about that), learned about the sensations in your fingers and on your back, made cupcakes, watched hilarious episodes of "My Fair Wedding" (LOVE IT), went shopping and the whole family went to the Spurs/Jazz game! I know there was more but I hope to keep you captivated enough to read my other two blogs... as soon as I post them!

My trip to San Antonio made me realize something... that traveling as an adult to see family you never got to see as a child, is really the best kind of travel. Darcy and Emily... consider this your heads up -you're next on my list of people to visit!

It's offical

2010-01-04T19:36:00.004-07:00

A hugh thank you goes out to Rayna E and Marissa for taking a hugh step toward making the 2010 Fox Family Reunion the best yet. The dates are set....

July 23 - Aug 1 2010 at the Bastendorf Beach Group Site....Coos Bay Oregon.

This is the 25th anniversary of the Fox Family Reunion. We have lots of ideas and plans in the works to make this reunion a great one.

This campground has lots of grassy areas for tenting. Very nice pavillion with running water, sinks, flush toliets and showers. For trailers, it has greats sites with water and electric hook ups.

There is a playground for kids and the beach is not very far away.

For anyone in the Fox Family that made read this... Plan on coming, it is going to be ..........

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

It

2010-01-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Brandol Bunch

2009-11-27T12:53:00.003-07:00

Schuyler and Lindsey have there own blog website!!!

slbrandol.blogspot.com

I figured we have this one, and Schuyler has his own but we didn't have one together... so now we do!!!

It is still in the baby stages but please take a look and if you have a private blog I would love to be invited!!!

I have added a link on here and if you click on the picture of us together it will take you there.

I hope everyone had a Great Thanksgiving!!!

Love from Lindsey and Schuyler

Oh Tinkerbell

2009-11-02T12:36:00.005-07:00

Thanks for the new pictures Aunt Saundra

Grandpa Tom even liked the bow.

Half a Year

2009-11-01T16:14:00.005-07:00

I can't believe it. 6 months have gone by so fast! Where has my time gone? I was thinking about it this morning and a year ago I was still telling people I was pregnant, I didn't know I was having a girl but was sure I was having a boy. I was still able to fit in to my version of my "skinny jeans". Those jeans have been pushed to a dark corner in my closet with the hope that I may one day fit in them again. I had not gotten toxemia yet but still felt swollen. Fast forward to April. I was given the threat of bed rest but was let off with a bed rest with perks. Meaning I could still go to work with the condition I keep my feet up and when I got home I had to stay very still the rest of the day. April 28 I had a doctor appointment where the doc told Nick that I would have the baby by the middle of next week and he was thinking about putting me in the hospital. I knew nothing of this till we got in the car. Thursday came and I thought my water had broken so off to the hospital we go. It didn't. But my doc came in and said now that you're here you are not going home. Next day I had a c-section and Sydney Jocelyn joined our little family. 5 days later we came home and started this amazing ride!! I have been more tired than I thought it possible to be and still function, hurt more than I thought I could stand after sweeping, cried for no reason other than I thought my daughter was getting to big to fast, cheered Sydney on as she rolled over for the first time, laughed when she discovered baby food, laughed harder when she had squash and thought it was the most vile thing on earth, cried more when she hasto get shots and so many other things. I am getting closer to being a size I am ok with so those jeans may make an appearence soon. All of this adds up to things I would never trade. I am having a great time so far.

Gummy Grins

2009-10-12T12:34:00.005-06:00

Now that I have been a mom for 5 months I have learned a few things from Sydney.

#1: No matter how tired I get somehow I manage to get up in the middle of the night and feed her when/if she wakes up. I think the reason is because she is just so happy to see me when I get her out of her crib. If you have not seen her little gummy grin you are missing out.

#2: I have never felt so helpless as I did when I had to take Sydney to the hospital in the middle of the night. Nurses are amazing! They make a mom so mad for making the baby cry, but then make you feel like a hero because you get to snuggle your baby and make them feel better.

#3: I was once told that I could do anything, hard things included. Being a parent proves that to me. I have to work, so I rush to get Sydney everyday just so I can see what she is doing that day. When she rolled over fro the first time, I was cheering from the sidelines. Now that she is sitting up on her own for the most part I continue to cheer her on. What will she do today? Who knows! What I do know is I can't wait to see it.

#4: I have a feeling that Sydney will be a sports fan. She loves to watch football and baseball. I am sure that Daddy will teach her all about Soccer, Grandpa Tom will educate her on the ways and rules of Hockey, Aunt Cristi will have her a basketball fan in no time and Uncle Schuyler will teach her the ways of Nascar. Then there is softball and Aunt Lindsey, oh wait we have volleyball too..Aunt Saundra is all over that one!

Nick and I have started feeding her baby food over the last few weeks. So far she has been ok. Sometimes the tastes surprise her. In the baby food picture she is eating bananas. Not sure how she felt about them.

I don't think it is possible to love this baby more than we do. But each day we find that we do.

4 Months!

2009-09-07T10:01:00.004-06:00

Big smile!

I love this picture so much.

Don't you just love those eyes?

Wow it seems that lately this has become the Sydney update blog. Sorry folks. Well Sydney is now 4 months old and weighing in at 12 pounds 10 ounces. Way to go! It is crazy to think that she was once 5 pounds 9 ounces. She is starting to get her own little personality and Nick and I just love it. Having her give me a good morning smile makes my day. Here are a few pictures we took of her the other day. Enjoy!

3 years and counting

2009-09-02T12:40:00.002-06:00

Wow has the last three years flown by fast. I have so much to be grateful for.

A wonderful husband, a nice home, jobs and a beautiful healthy baby daughter.

My cup runneth over!

3 Months Old!!

2009-08-02T14:49:00.007-06:00

Sydney is now three months old! Holy cow that went so fast. Now at 3 months Sydney has leaned to laugh and smile. And she is really good at holding up her head. We took her on her first camping trip this last month and I think she did really well on the 12 1/2 car ride. She got to meet lots of family and had a great time. Here are some new photos of her. (Thanks Aunt Lindsey for taking them!)
Look at those strong legs!

More Sydney

2009-07-06T20:37:00.003-06:00

Sorry folks... I am a proud mom. Here are a few more!

Bandit loves Sydney.

I think Nick was a little sleepy.

This was how tiny her hands were when she was born.

This was after getting her shots. Just wanted to snuggle with mom.

Oh poor baby. Those bandaids are where they gave her the shots.

2 months old!!

2009-07-06T20:10:00.003-06:00

So on July 1 little miss Sydney turned 2 months old and I couldn't help but ask where the time had gone?! Today we had to take her to the doctor for her two month shots. They told us to give her baby Tylenol to help "ease the pain." Ok I think that was a nice thought but it didnt seem to make her not feel the pain. It put her into this drug induced coma it seemed but she of course woke up when the dear doctor started pushing on her tummy and her legs and doing all the regular check up stuff. The came the wicked witch of the west valley. The Nurse! She came in with her needles ready to give Sydney the shots and give her a medicine she drinks. I think Sydney must have been on to her game because she was not about to swallow the nasty stuff. So the nurse kept trying, she must have tried to hard though because Sydney threw up ALL over her. The poor nurse had enough time to sit Sydney up before getting the full blow of it. I was laughing, and so was Nick. So we cleaned her up and got her calm then the nurse finished the job. Oh my my my... poor Sydney has never cried like that. It brought tears to my eyes because all I could do was pick her up and tell her it was going to be ok. But she is doing ok. I think her legs still hurt but she is a tough kid and is sleeping it off.
So how big is she? 10 pounds and 22 1/2 inches long.
Here are some pictures of her over the last two months.

Just home from the hospital. Look how tiny she is in that car seat.

One week. This was at her baby shower.

One month old.

Two months old and trying to hold her head up.

Happy 4th of July!

Carri and Nick

The land of the married

2009-06-22T13:38:00.007-06:00

Hello all! Things are going crazy in the land of the newly wed. Schuyler I am happy to say is working again which he is extremely happy about. First of all I think I better start out by introducing the member of the Schuyler Lindsey family... (some of these you will have heard me talk about quite a few times) First of all are my doggies... Panzer is our newest addition in the world of dogs. He is the big white one in front and Keeta is my little princess in the back. They are getting along well now after quite a few little battles. They are as different in personality as they are in looks. Panzer who at first wont come near you if he doesn't know you will after he knows you not leave you alone. It is amazing how that big nose can maneuver its way into the smallest of places. He is a big lovable dog and Keeta who has lately taken to entertaining herself by the reflection of the sun off her dog tag will come over get her loves and then leave and be by herself. She has always been this way and Schuyler and I keep saying we wish that they would rub off on each other and become a middle ground.

Keeta pretty much thinks she runs the house. Schuyler has been having a hard time adjusting to her and her adjusting to him. But they are doing really well and I just love my doggies so much.

And now for the horses...

This is Honey... She is our big beautiful blond girl. Very lovable and friendly and will eat pretty much anything you put in front of her. She is also a brand new momma... Introducing Bronsons Royal Ace "Ace". He was born on Mothers Day around 9 o'clock at night.

He is a spunky little guy and is starting to trust more and more. I am looking forward to getting to know him and figuring out what we are going to do with him.

This is Jazz. She is my fiery red head. She is going to be a big beautiful horse and I look forward to the time when we are able to ride her. Which will hopefully be soon!!

So there you are... there is our family. We are doing really really well and are loving married life. We absolutely love our house which is coming along really nicely now that we finally got the carpet put in. We have been married for three months now and it has been fantastic. Sorry this blog isn't exactly a very entertaining one but I thought I had better introduce our new members of the family!

With love from Schuyler and Lindsey Brandol!

Mothers Day

2009-05-09T17:51:00.003-06:00

Hello from new mothers land! After the first week of being a mom I have come up with a few thoughts I would like to share. First and foremost babies are so fun! I know that most of what they do is sleep but I can't get enough of Sydney. I could just hold her and look at her for hours and hours and be content. Second. It is only after you are a parent that you think things like burping and boogers are cute. I shuffled outside after using the booger sucker thing for the first time to tell Nick about the adult size booger I had just sucked out of her nose. How strange is that? Third. C-sections are hard to get over. WOW!! Painful. But I am getting stronger every day. I was excited today because it was the first time I have had to face stairs and it didn't hurt to bad. So woohoo!! Another thing about being a mom. I have now realized how much like my mom I am. SO thanks mom for showing me how to do all the things I need to in order to take care of my little angel. I have never been someone who was ga ga for babies but somehow I know how to do almost everything. It may be scary but I can do it. For instance the first bath. I was screaming on the inside the whole time but Nick and I made it through without to much trouble. Everyday has been a new adventure. Our next big one is the day the umbilical cord falls off. Yikes!

Also I would like to thank everyone who has helped out with all this new baby stuff. I know we could not have made it through all of this if it had not been for all of your support. Basically I am saying I have the BEST FAMILY AND FRIENDS EVER!!

All our love,

Carri, Nick and Sydney

Meet Miss Sydney

2009-05-03T22:38:00.014-06:00

Yes you read it right. Carri and Nick Shore are now the proud parents of a beautiful baby. Her name is Sydney Jocelyn Shore.

Yes this announcement came alot sooner than any of us had planned, 4 weeks earilier to be exact. But mom and baby are both doing really well.

She was born on Friday May 1, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Sydney weighed in at 6 lbs. 1 oz and was 19 inches long, with lots of dark dark hair.

It is so amazing that someone so new and so tiny could be loved so much.

Just a sample

2009-03-25T13:04:00.011-06:00

Ang Beck took the photos at the wedding. As you can see, she did an incredible job. She comes very highly recommended.

Another Baby

2009-03-24T18:15:00.002-06:00

CONGRATULATIONS to Corby and Richard on their hugh annoucement.

We are so happy for you both. October will be here before you know it

Wedding Thanks

2009-03-24T16:43:00.005-06:00

Now that the big day has come and gone, I have had time to stop and reflect on the whole thing.

I have realized once again, that I am truly one of the luckiest people in the world. I have the best family and friends.

The wedding and reception was a hugh success due to the incredible people that I have in my life.
Dianne, Gwenna, Collette, Melanie, Karley, Tiffini, Ellen you are without a doubt, the best. I want you all to know, that I love you all very much. Sara, Jan, Susyn, Taison, Loni, Debbie, Ed, Carmin, Don (do you need more cake?), Breanna you all worked so hard, I wish words could express my appreciation as thank you just doesn't seem enough.
Kaylee, Evan, Kiersten, Chesney, and Jaycie, you all did so well. Grandma loves you very much.
Laine and Braydon thanks for helping with the presents, even when you would have much rather been outside playing. I love you.
Corby and Angie for cleaning up my messes. You are awesome.
Saundra, Cristi, Carri, Nick, and Jordan, and of course, none of this would be possible without Lindsey and Schuyler, I love you all so much and am so proud of each one of you.
I am sure that I am missing so many people that just stepped up and took care all the little things that needed to be done. Thank you! Thank you ! Thank you!

Okay enough of the mushy stuff. As soon as pictures come back, I will post some, but trust me. It was FABULOUS!!!

Bandit vs Sydney

2009-03-24T16:34:00.003-06:00

So now that Nick and I have decided on a name for our little one that is still happily growing in my tummy, things seem to have taken a more real turn. I guess its about time seeing as how I only have 11 weeks to go right? Nick and I were talking about baby stuff the other day and he starts talking about me needing to get my hospital bag together. A bit early my dear. But I figure him stressing over little things is a good thing because it means he has fimally grasped the idea he is going to be a daddy. Is it still scary to think we are going to be parents? You bet your boots it is! But we are warming to the idea.

This morning I laid down after Nick left for work to try and squeeze in just 30 more minutes of sleep. So I climb back into bed and Bandit hops up and lays down next to me. He decides the big bump on my tummy looks like a good place to rest his head. I didn't mind because it was not uncomfortable. After about 10 minutes, Sydney started feeling the rice krispies or something because she started moving and kicking like crazy. Bandit must have felt it because he lifts up his head and is looking at my tummy like "Do you mind?! The puzzled look on his face was sooo funny. He decided he wasn't going to take any more so he got down to lay on his own bed where he wouldn't have something kicking him in the chin. Silly silly puppy.

We have a name

2009-03-13T10:44:00.003-06:00

Carri and Nick have decided on a name for the baby....

She will be offically known as

Sydney Jocelyn Shore.

I think it is a wonderful name.
But I realize I am a little prejudice. :)

New House

2009-02-26T10:26:00.001-07:00

It is offical.....

Lindsey and Schuyler are the proud owners of a house.

Keys in hand, the cleaning and painting has begun.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

We are so happy for you.

The great B-ball challenge!!!

2009-02-11T19:53:00.014-07:00

On Saturday February 7, Cristi arranged for all of us to tour the Zion Bank Basketball Center (ZBBC). We all met outside at 10:00AM, and it was pretty obvious that we were all excited it was the first time we were all early to anything! During the private tour we were shown the board room where they hold the NBA draft, the theater (which Jordan claims houses the BIGGEST TV ever), players lounge, coaches offices, and the conference room.

Somewhere in the mix we had the opportunity to hear from Jefferson Sweeney, the team video coordinator, who explained all the work that goes into getting ready for upcoming games and documenting college players as they prepare to enter the NBA draft. As we headed down to the locker room we hit an unexpected, but what turned out to be a rather welcome surprise. The team physical therapist was awaiting the arrival of Andrei Kirilenko!!! Fortunately we were ahead of his schedule- so we we were able to talk to the team therapist for a few minutes before Kirilenko arrived. During our chat we saw a 7ft deep hot tub! Since Kirilenko was on his way we moved into the Jazz locker room. Its not until you spend time in a room built for men of extraordinary size, that you really grasp how tall they truly are..... The showers and doors are all 12 feet high! Player had left shoes and various personal items in their locker so we were able to compare our "average" bodies to theirs. I have never seen shoes that big in my life!!!

After the locker room we moved on to the court. For most of us this was the first time we had been on an NBA court and it was an experience unlike any other. We shot hoops, played games, helped the little ones make baskets, and somewhere in there Andrei Kirilenko joined us on the court. He didn't play since he was there for treatments for his ankle, but he did wave and say hello. After we played basketball for awhile the last room we visited was the press room- which was a great picture opportunity. It was fun family activity for us and we are grateful for Cristi taking the time to set up the outing. I'm sure this was something we wont forget for a long time to come.

A long over due thanks...

2009-01-20T21:47:00.004-07:00

I had a thought. Is there a difference between old friends and new friends? Not really except that your old friends have been there longer and in some cases know more about you which in some cases means that they have more to blackmail you with, but it also means you know what they are willing to do for you. New friends you have the excitement of getting to know them going out and having fun now but you don't have the memories that you have with your oldest friends. This past weekend was a good one. I went and saw the new movie Bride Wars with one of my new friends and we laughed I shed some tears (classic chic flick and hilarious) but at the end it says something that I hadn't really thought about. I may not get this right but it says something about how the people we need the most are the people who have been beside us all along.
Growing up I had a group of friends in the neighborhood that I still consider to be great great friends. They have been there for me in parts of my life that I would gladly not ever relive. Bad and good. There were 6 of us. One of them now lives in Kansas and one now lives in Washington DC. They both have blogs linked to this as do two of the other friends I am talking about. Saturday we went to a baby shower by Web Cam for Chante' the friend that lives in DC. The name that her and her husband have picked for there baby boy triggered something in my head that gave me a flashback to when we were little and she always talked about a name that she liked for a boy. Odd how things like that just pop in when you are with your oldest friends, those are good memories. My friend Julie has offered to throw me my friend shower, I can't even explain how much that meant to me to have her offer that. We have all grown apart in the past few years of course with everyone getting married, having babies, moving away so I was surprised when she asked if she could throw me one. This just goes to show me that even though we may not be hooked at the hip like we were when we were kids friendship goes a lot deeper than we may consciously be aware of. So to my friends old and new I love you all and I look forward to spending time with you watching yours (and mine when it comes to that) kids grow up and seeing where all of our adventures take us. Thank you for standing by me through everything and thank you for being such great friends.
Lindsey

Not so trendy

2009-01-15T18:29:00.002-07:00

So I know that I have never been the fashion guru in our family. I have always left that up to Cristi. But today I went to the mall for lunch to grab a soft pretzel and a smoothie (I know healthy lunch right?) and as me and my lunch buddy at work sat and ate our delicious and oh so fattening soft pretzels we were able to do some people watching. I have always enjoyed doing this but now I find this to be extra enjoyable! The whole idea that they are bringing back things that should have been locked in a safe covered in a large cement block along with the key and buried somewhere that there is no way you would be able to find it again, I find it amazing that people go out in public in these things. Now before I go on let me say I mean no offense to any one who may read this that is trendy and does in fact wear the things I am about to explain I just don't understand it. So picture this, I am standing in line at Pretzel Time waiting anxiously for the two girls behind the counter to get to us and so naturally we look around. Down the hallway there is a lady in probably her early 30's MAYBE her late 20's wearing black leggings, a black sweater that is barely long enough to cover her rear end and black high heals. Now I am a fan of wearing black but even I think this is a little over the top. Then a few minutes later there is another lady probably in the same age group that is wearing purple leggins with a little bootie black skirt over top with I forget what color of shirt on with a little black vesty jacket thing over top of that with again black heals on. Now to the guys outfits! What is with skinny jeans!!! What is worse than that; Skinny Jeans with a tight and too small white t-shirt with there hair done to what looks like they got in an argument with a razor in the dark and then while they were fighting with this razor they fell into a bunch of different colors of hair dye!! And this is supposed to be attractive??
Maybe I am getting old. But I just don't get it.
Confused and laughing about it,
Lindsey

It is a......

2009-01-05T19:19:00.005-07:00

We finally know, the wait is over, the suspension has come to an end...

Carri and Nick are having

GIRL!!!

Due date....June 4th

Time Passes

2009-01-04T13:48:00.003-07:00

Christmas and New Years has come and gone. Where does the time go!! It seems like yesterday that Schuyler was asking me to be his wife. And now here we are 7+ months later and we are running out of time to get ready for the wedding. It was so nice to have a White Christmas! And it snowed at the perfect times of the day! In the morning while the family is gathered around the tree drinking hot chocolate or hot cider (I made both that morning) opening presents and listening to Christmas music on the tv. And then again at night after all the festivities were done and it was perfect to just sit and watch it snow. As for New Years didn't do anything. Just stayed at home with Schuyler and watched some Sopranos and then skipped through a bunch of different channels since there was really nothing on TV. It was really really nice. So now the new year is here. Time to get the resolutions going and really really time to get stuff for the wedding taken care of. Schuyler and I are closing on our house on the 19th of this month, we are so excited!! Our house is old, ugly and we absolutly love it!! The house was built in 1946 and it has wood floors throughout the house-which we hate-the bathroom is covered floor to ceiling in blue and white tiles-which we hate-the front room has wood pannelling around it and is painted a really ugly yellow color-which yes we hate. But we totally love the house! And nice perk for us, it has horse property and a barn, I love the kitchen it is so open and I love the height of the ceilings! And there is a really nice deck off the sliding glass doors in the front room perfect for grilling outside in the summer. Luckily I am marrying a man that can do all the fixer upper things that we will need for the house to make it absolutly perfect for both of us. It is a great house and we cant wait to move in.
Lindsey

It's a.... baby.

2008-12-22T17:10:00.006-07:00

Well folks we still still dont know what the baby is. The kid felt like being modest and would not uncross it legs. So I get to go back in 2 weeks to try again. It was really neat because while we were looking at it the baby waved! The one that looks like Skelator (according to grandpa Tom) is the waving one. I love the lastone where it is sucking its thumb. Nick and I took the our moms as their Christmas gift. We were really hoping we could say congrats its a boy or girl but alas we have to wait. It is ok though. Seeing the pictures makes it seem more real to me. I think for Nick too. I guess we had better get started on the babies room soon. Yikes!! SO set the new due date for June 6th and stay glued to your computers for more updates as we get them. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Carri and Nick

Fox Tuesday

2008-11-12T17:50:00.002-07:00

I find myself falling into a crowd. A crowd of people who, like me LOVE Fox Tuesdays. I don't know about all of you but I find myself looking forward to TV on Tuesday nights for the purpose of two shows. A new House and a new Fringe. Now I am sure that most of you have at least seen some of House but I have found that I find Dr. House's attitude toward life and love (or the lack there of) hillarious. He has the cruelist little snid remarks that Schuyler and I can't help but laugh at and we find ourselves trying to guess what could possibly be wrong with the patient this week. We are always completely wrong, of course, sense neither one of us can think of things like the African deetz syndrome or something crazy like that, no no we aren't that creative. There were times that if either one of us were trying to get out of something we would say "Hey lets watch House and what ever is wrong today we will just say we have that..." yeah I don't do that anymore sense the last time I said that the sickness was something incredibly discusting that I couldn't even pronounce. The latest though is House has found that deap down he does have feelings the problem is that he has feelings for his boss... Dr Cuttey. Not a good situation... but SOOOO enteresting.. Now as for Fringe... if you haven't watched this show I would suggest it. It is insanly crazy but soooo intriging!!! The doctor in this show has spent time in a mental institute and is absolutley crazy, however the boss guy reminds Schuyler and I of a praying mantis and Schuyler mimicks one almost everytime they show him. I can't really explain about this show but it is definitly a must see...

The many adventures of the engaged

2008-10-19T12:48:00.002-06:00

Pictures, lists. dresses, more lists, designing an invite, still more lists. When does it all end. Thankfully I have people to keep me sane through this mayheim. Mainly my mom, sisters and yes Schuyler. How is it possible that the guys have it so easy. They just have to sit there and say yes dear or how about this dear and then just have to be there when we have a mental break down. Sheesh... and too think I still have 5 months left of this... YIKES!!! I am starting to understand the appeal of running away to vegas and just getting married in front of some guy dressed up like elvis, even though I know deep deep down the idea of being the beautiful bride in front of a bunch of people that I may or may not know is every girls dream... deep deep deep down. Thank goodness for the calmness of Schuyler. The two of us have a deal, after being together for four years we still don't have a song and well since everyone needs to have a song that they can dance together too at the reception I have made a deal with Schuy. He doesn't get to see my dress till that day when I walk towards him and he gets to pick out our song that we will dance too and I don't get to know what it is until we walk out onto that dance floor together as husband and wife. Kinda scary?? I figure he is the most music smart guy I have ever met so really I am surprisingly not worried about it. Kinda excited actually. I have a feeling that I might shed some tears when I hear it. Whether they are tears of happiness or of some other emotion we have yet to find out. Any who!! I got my bridal pictures taken last week by my dear cousin Corby and I just want you all to know that she is AWESOME!! I am so excited to get the disk back so that I can stare at them and try to come up with a few favorites... which by the way when we went through our engagement pictures the only way we got it down to three different poses way by deciding that the picture need to go the same way that the invitation went (which we just barely came up with an invitation design thanks to Saundra). Well I am supposed to be at Schuyers house right now watching cars chase each other round and round the track so I better sign out but stay tuned for more adventures of the happily engaged. And thanks to everyone for keeping me sane through this!!
Lindsey

Halloween

2008-10-17T20:43:00.003-06:00

As I was on my way to work the other morning I noticed the moon and the color of it. It looked almost a dark yellow. It led me into another thought about Halloween and the traditions that go along with it. No I am not just talking about Trick or Treating, althought that is something I will always hold near and dear to my heart. Nor am I talking about carving pumpkins, and hoping that while you go to sleep that night some kids don't come to your house and toss the pumpkin into the street. I am talking about another way we get ourselves into Halloween spirit.....MOVIES
So I decided to list the Halloween movies that I enjoy every year. Some are scary, some are fun, some are just tradition. I will share the list that I have, feel free to add some of your favorites as well.

The Changeling - This one is hands down the scariest movie I have EVER seen. This was done in the 80'S (i think) so it might be kind of hard to find.

When a Stranger Calls - Again this was done in the 80's, but boy did it screw with my head after watching it with my roommates in college. Emily you remember how we walked each other to our rooms basically looking over our shoulders the whole time.

Nightmare Before Christmas - I love this one because it basically can be watched anytime between Halloween and Christmas and still fit in.

Corpse Bride - This movie is so good. The music is great. If you have not seen it I would

Casper - Who doesn't love the friendliest ghost around! and the 3 uncles are super funny.

Red Eye - Nick got me to watch this one last year. It is pretty good. It is more a suspense movie than anything, but it is still kinda scary.

Dracula, Dead and Loving It - Overall this movie is great if you just need a laugh. It is kind of crude but it is still funny. It is a Mel Brooks movie so if you like his stuff you should enjoy it.

Young Frankenstein - Need I say more? All around good times

Harry Potter - All of them. I put these in here simply because there are witches in it. But the kids love them.

The Grudge - I personally have never watched this one because plain and simple it looks to scary for me. But Nick and his best friend love it.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown - Doesn't matter if you watch this one on TV or the movie. It is a classic. No matter how many times I watch it, I can't help but to root for poor Linus as he waits for the Great Pumpkin.

The Birds - I have not seen this one either but Mom I knowyou have I remember the story you have told us about how while watching this at school one year during one of the scenses when the birds were attacking, you reached up and grabbed the girl's head in front of you. Classic!!

The Witches - This is one I remembered watching in Elementary School so I bought it and watched it. It is kind of fun.

Hocus Pocus - I think I will forever have a sweet spot in my heart for this one. It is just soooo funny! And really who doesn't love a chance to hear Bett Midler sing?

Well there is a start. I know I am forgetting a few but this just gets the ball rolling.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Carri and Nick

BabyGate 2009

2008-10-08T21:23:00.002-06:00

Now that the first Doctor visit is past us, Nick and I have learned a few things, and we feel it our duty to share some of the less icky highlights as we begin our journey into the land of parenthood. So buckle up and please keep all hands, arms, and legs inside the vehicle at all times because here we go....

1. If the Doctor comes in with a medical student and asks if they can join hm as he teaches them the tricks of the trade, basically just suck it up and welcome them to the party. And be grateful this fore mentioned person is looking over the doctors shoulder the whole time instead of being the first patient they see on their own.

2. Probing is no fun. 'Nuff said.

3. Apparently some women get strange cravings to eat things like clay, chalk and laundry starch. These cravings are to be ignored because eating non food items like those can be harmful. REALLY!?! I kid you not, this is in one of the books we got so you know some moron actually tried them.

4. Crying over all the weight you have gained in what seems like a few short weeks gets you nowhere fast. Except the nearest fast food place that has good ice cream.

5. Bathrooms are suddenly in short supply, and bedtime cannot come soon enough. 8:30 is not to early for bed is it?

6. I guess when the baby is only at about 5 1/2 weeks it looks like an M&M, only not as colorful on the ultrasound. At least that is what Nick said after he looked at it. I didn't see it though, not because I couldn't find it, the doctor was standing in front of the screen.

7. You can buy designer hospital gowns. Really people.....why would you spend so much money on something that will be totally ruined!?! I think there were even a few with some ribbons on them. Now I am not sure seeing as how I have yet to go through the labor process, but my guess is you are not going to be thinking clearly as soon as you get to the hospital and/or your water breaks. At this point you won't care what gown you are wearing, how your hair looks, if you brushed your teeth that morning etc. etc. etc.

8. Saltine Crackers are like a gift from above.

9. Suddenly you find yourself looking in the baby section of a store that has been until now so carefully avoided. We actually walked around in that section and I could see the fear building in Nick, and I was starting to feel it as well. Then again it could have been my bladder screaming for the nearest bathroom....hmm

10. Thinking of names is really hard! Luckily we already have a boy name picked out, but girl names are hard. Nick and I don't agree on any of them. Plus the pressure of finding the perfect name since the baby will be stuck with it for the rest of his/her life is rather mind boggling. We have spent a bit of time on the names thinking of nick names that might come from these names... shudder. Word to the wise....Don't go there.

So there is a look inside as we start our new adventure. For those of you who have gone through this before, I hope our fun can help you remember your first baby and how you prepared for it. (Advice is always welcome). For those who have not done this yet..... Well I just hope you can laugh along with us as we start on our path to being real grown ups. We have another appointment in two weeks that we are hoping to get the first "picture" of the sea monster currently swimming around in my tummy making my mornings a thing straight out of a human biology video. Alright ladies and germs, tune in next time for another exciting episode of Baby gate 2009.

The completely terrified and yet excited parents to be.

Nick and Carri Shore.

There's no place like home

2008-09-21T20:02:00.003-06:00

Yankee Stadium is gone. The home of the greats like DiMaggio and Ruth will go dark at the end of it's last game. New York will never be the same. This home of great American baseball will close it's doors forever, taking with it over half a century of memories.
Home. Such a simple word - but holding so much meaning.
My home - the corner house made of red bricks with the white pillars - was never a home of great American heroes. Well, at least not the kind people buy cards of. However, it is the place where I grew and made a million memories of my own. The sounds and smells that are found there are also part of who I have become. I imagine many people have similar memories - but these are just a few of my favorites and most familiar...
The blanket closet. It has it's own smell - but not one I can easily describe. Everything pulled out of there smells dark and cool...like cotton on a sunny winter morning.
Sunday morning. Most people would associate sunday mornings with going to church, which is expected. However, what I recall about Sunday morning is the smell of coffe and the sound of Nascar or golf quietly playing in the background and Tom slowly reading through the Sunday news. It's how Sunday always was. Now, whenever I walk down the coffee isle at the grocery store, or hear the sound of a race car, that's what I think of. It's comforting.
Grandpa's National Geographics. We never really read them and most of them were from the 1970's and 80's. However, they had a special place on the wall in the family room. My favorite was one that had a silver conver and an irredesent globe on the cover.
The Myrtle Wood mantle. It's deep, rich wood always looked the best right after being smoothered with Pledge and wiped down carefully with a wash cloth. No matter who did the dusting, it seemed that all of us loved that piece of wood so much that we wanted it to shine.
The piece of wood in the flower bed out front. Mom said it was a piece of wood Grandpa found at the beach. He brought it all the way back here just to put in the front yard. Most people have bird feeders - we had a warped piece of wood that had been shaped by the winds and water of the pacific ocean. He's now gone, and that piece of wood sort of stands as a memorial to him. Strong. Steadfast. Familiar.
The "thump, thump, thump" of the washer when the clothes all went to one side of the bin. Not long after if would start, there would be another "thump, thump, thump"... but it would be the sound of someone running down the stairs to stop the machine and adjust the clothes. More than likely, the thumping would return again before the cycle would end.
Mom's porcelain ballerina music box. Ok, so it's not a music box, but it did - at one point - play music. One of it's leg had been hot glued back on, which was, I'm sure, the result of some rambunctious children. I don't recall the song it tries to play, but it has alway been on Mom's headboard - and I hope it will always be there.
Piano music. Mom plays the piano and we grew up listening to her play. One of the first songs I remember singing with Mom is "I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch". Whenever she'd play it, my sisters and I would all wind up in the family room looking over mom's shoulder as she would play - just waiting for our cue to sing. This would be our time with mom. Away from everyone else. Just her, the music and us.
Home. So many things to remember. So many pieces of so many lives built in the home made of red bricks and white pillars. Cristi

Tis the seaon

2008-08-31T17:41:00.000-06:00

Have you ever walked out on your front porch and found that someone had left you a gift?
I am not sure about other places, but here if it is August the gift is probably zuchinni.
We found this morning that someone had left us that exact thing (thanks Don).
But I found a wonderful recipe to help use those large zuchinni's

Zuchinni Fudge Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups shredded zuchinni

(HINT: put the zuchinni, eggs and buttermilk in blender and blend then no one will see the zuchinni.)

Combine all ingredients and bake in 2 8 by 10 cake pans or large cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cool and frost.

Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup softened butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk.
Mix all ingredients. Frosting will be runny but hardens as it sits

It is YUMMY!!!

Hello Blog world... we're here!

2008-08-27T19:05:00.000-06:00

"It's about time!" - "You'll love it!" - "It's so user friendly and a great way to keep tabs on your friends and family!"... Perhaps these are comments you heard when you decided to post your life on the internet, or maybe not.

All things considering, it doesn't really matter what other people say about blogging... it all comes down to the actual blog. The finalization of how one wants the world (or at least the blog world) to view them. Oh the possibilities!!

As we now jump on the blogging bandwagon, we do so without maps, nets, bandaids, bug spray or an internet savvy Sherpa. We go in nearly blind - led completely by the example of other family members that have blazed the long dusty trail before us.

What better way to begin than by introducing our blog members? Our ever changing and growing family will all be part of this blog - which should make it that much more entertaining! So, ladies and germs, I give you the Simmons/Yates family! (*this is the part where fanfare plays and people ooh and ahhh*).

Tom, Rayna, Saundra, Cristi, Carri (Nick), Lindsey (Schuyler) and Jordan will all be contributing authors to our post and will each add a different element of fun and excitement! Plus, we'll even include pictures (ooooohhhh, ahhhhh!)!

Tom and Rayna are the ATVing parents (you'll see them on the center-right in the picture above) that are enjoying every moment of their "grown up but not retired" lives and a growing interest in domestic activities (i.e. grandchildren, canning, gardening and taking the road less traveled). Saundra is the creative genius with the patience of Job that would give you the world if she could - as long as she doesn't have to be in the spotlight. Cristi is the child with an incurable case of wanderlust and an unbelievable obsession with shoes and clothes. Carri is the down to earth child with the fiery disposition and a flare for some drama. Nick (Carri's husband) is the quiet and collected half of the marriage - that always seems to be wearing flip flops - even in the winter time. Lindsey is the accident prone sporty child that loves nearly every type of animal and anything western. Schuyler (Lindsey's fiance) is the physical definition of a "sparky" urban cowboy that would happily live the rest of his life fishing, hunting and doing things for Lindsey. Jordan is the child living in the city - but longing for the wide open space of the country - and the chance to work the land - not to mention an unbelievable amount knowledge about nearly everything on the planet.

Fascinating right? Just wait... there will be plenty of adventures to share and thoughts to express in the coming posts. We're excited to be here and can't wait to hear from all of you!