Laughlin, Nevada

Since both Tadd & I had Christmas break of together we decided it would be the perfect time to squeeze a little mini trip in between the holidays. I had never been to Laughlin, so that's where we headed!

Laughlin is like a mini Vegas, without all the glitz, glamour, and "trash" on the ground. The people who go to Laughlin seem to be mostly retired and many come in RV's. The people were kind, and we felt safe to do as we pleased.

Behind all of the casino's is the Colorado River. There is a little path that winds around next to it that is lit and nicely landscaped and decorated. We walked the full length of the "boardwalk" intermittently entering casino's to warm up, eat, and earn a little cash.

It was so nice to be by fresh, moving water. To have seagulls, pigeons, and ducks surrounding us. We got some great footage of Sadie feeding the ducks. She was in her glory! The ducks of course were very friendly and came up very close to her.

We also saw some HUGE fish in the moat around the Colorado Bell (A hotel/casino that was built from a boat--or at least looks like one...not sure). We rode a cute little train that went over a little bridge and everything. Sadie loved that too. We ate some shrimp cocktail that Tadd was desperate to find and ecstatic when we did. We also got to go to the outlet mall. Who knew Bath and Body had an outlet? Killer Deals!!

We had a great time as a family taking walks by the river and enjoying each others company. It was the perfect trip and way to end our break together.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2009 BABY!!

Merry Christmas

We had the most magical amazing Christmas ever! It was so much fun this year with Sadie. She just loved all the houses decorated with the lights. When we'd drive she'd say "oooo pretty" and point at the lights.

She enjoyed helping me wrap presents----or more like enjoyed unrolling all the paper and playing in it. She also loved ripping the bows off the neatly wrapped packages. (I began hiding them after that)

We spent Christmas Eve day up in goonah with the family. We had so much fun eating, opening presents, and playing in the snow. There were a couple of 4-wheelers, a snowmobile and a sled and tube in tow. The cousins had a great time together and Tadd and I got to go on a little romantic 4-wheeler ride in the snow.

I was sooo excited Christmas Eve. I don't know if I've been that excited since I was a kid! I was excited for Sadie to come out and see all the wrapped presents and especially her new little bike that wasn't wrapped. She was pretty groggy when she first woke up, but came out of it when she saw her bike! She immediately climbed up it to check it out. She also got some fun toys, books, a cabbage patch and a glow worm too. It was so much fun helping her rip the paper off these things and watching her excitement to play with her new toy. She loved everything I'm pretty sure!

Later that day Julie and Gary came over for some yummy Honey Baked Ham and some more gift exchanges. We were happy, comfortable, and content by the end of the day and ready to just relax under the Christmas tree lights.

Merry Christmas to all and thank you for all of the wonderful gifts we recieved!!

Our Sweet Sadie

We just can't get over how much fun Sadie is! This has been the best Christmas break ever! I haven't been able to spend this much time with Sadie since summer, so I've been able to be a part of all her little habits throughout the day.

Here's the Sadie update:

• She got another tooth (now she has 5!!)


• She climbs to new heights


• Loves babies and to give them "ba-ba's"


• Dances so cute to music


• Loves yogurt


• Very independent


• Tries to put her pants on


• Constantly takes socks off


• Chases the dog and the cat


• Sings: A-B-C, and then adds in the P when we get there


• Rides a little bike


• Says lots of new words-moon, star, bath, Santa, scissors, no, bird, turtle, kitty, mommy (finally!) and tries to repeat the words you say. ( gotta be more careful now!)


• Throws really really neat fits when she's tired and can't have her way--kicks, screams, cries, hits, pinches.....ooooh boy we're in for it!


• Gives hugs and kisses


• Says bye-bye and hello all day. Even if she hears a phone ring on TV


• And Tadd wanted me to add that she thinks its hilarious to "pass gas" she laughs and laughs--wonder where she ever learned that from??

**Little story: Sadie and I were in the bathroom stall together and the lady next to us "passed gas". It's embarrassing enough I'm sure, but then Sadie started to LAUGH!!! I'm sure the lady's embarrassment accelerated pretty quickly. Let's just say she waited for us to leave before she dared come out!

The Winnie

Tadd and I both love the outdoors and to camp. Some of our best memories as kids were of campfires, marshmellows, and nature all around. Tadd spent most of his camping career in a Camper Trailer, which I've always wanted--especially since the most advanced I had gotten was a multi-room tent!

We've been looking for a RV Camper for a while and finally found one that suited us perfectly! It's an older, well-used camper, but it's in great shape and we just love it!! We were so anxious to begin making memories with our little family that we decided to go the next weekend, which was the first weekend in DECEMBER!! Due to the weather, we thought St. George was our warmest option so we drove our Winnie (short for Winnebago) to Snow Canyon State Park. Tadd has many childhood memories from here so it was an extra special excursion on many levels.

We had the BEST time ever! We had a blue jay that hung out in our tree and there were lots of birds giving Sadie many opportunities to point and say "bir" which is bird. Too Cute. We all bundled up and enjoyed many walks. Billie, Kevyn and Jerry came up to visit and spend the afternoon with us. We had a great lunch, shrimp and all, and it was so much fun to have company!

Sadie enjoyed the camper the most I think. She spent a great deal of time climbing into both the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Not really the safest place.....but we tried to stay close to save any falls. Tadd managed a fabulous catch on one fall that actually ended up on video tape!)

We can't wait to take our little Winnie out again!!

Christmas is coming!

After Thanksgiving we pulled out all the Christmas decorations and put up our tree. Sadie had a blast pulling everything out of the boxes and checking it all out.

She was pretty curious about the tree. She enjoyed taking off all of the ornaments and the silver beads, which she would then use as a necklace. As time went on, we had less and less ornaments on the bottom half of the tree, which was ok. She loved the lights and even tested her boundries with putting them in her mouth----lit! AHHHHHH!!! She spent a lot of time chasing the cat and dog behind the tree and around. Our tree got a lot of action this year and the needles on the floor were proof. One day for the first time ever I actually considered doing a fake one next year!!

We also had a great time at the Jubilee of Trees. Sadie loved all the trees walking around saying "oooooh, pretty!" She was making the old people nervous who were guarding the trees, but we didn't let her go under the rope. duh

When we saw Santa, she ran right up to him, got about three feet away and then darted back to the safety of mommy and daddy. It was interesting though that her first instinct was to go see him! We got a picture with Santa and this became our Christmas card. Fun-fun-fun!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We had heard that the Lodge in Zion National Park served a yummy Thanksgiving feast, so we decided to check it out this year.

Zion was sooo beautiful. It had been raining all morning and there were waterfalls and the rocks were a vibrant reddish color. Billie, Tadd, Sadie and I met my Aunt Julie and Uncle Gary there and enjoyed a nice meal together. It was a nice day, but we'll probably cook next year.

Happy Halloween

This Halloween was so much more fun with Sadie than last year when I dressed her in a duck outfit and she slept in the bouncy chair as I handed out candy.

We had a blast carving out pumpkins together. Sadie was pretty mystified by the seeds and goop in the pumpkins. Her favorite part was to take the lid off the finished pumpkin and look at the candle and say "Hot." Too cute!

We began Halloween day with Tadd bringing her to school so that she could go with me through the school Halloween parade. She was soooo precious and cute in her little butterfly outfit. My kids (students) loved her and were so sweet with her after the parade. Sadie did really well being the center of attention. he he

We later got to go on our first Trick-or-Treat excursion and it was sheer bliss. She was able to pick some candy from the neighbor's bowl, but would then throw it on the ground, with much force may I add. It was so hilarious. We just went to a few neighbors and then some of my students from other years stopped by and that was fun too.

Andy and Emily decked out their house, so we went and hung out with them for a little. There is nothing more precious than watching Luke and Sadie interact. I love it! After that we went to Kevyn's and Jerry's since we finally had a little bambino to share. It was a fun Holiday for us and we can't wait to have many more with our sweet little girly girl.

Stahli Farm

I am on Christmas break, so I'm taking this opportunity to catch up on the few months that I've missed out on a little computer time. So, even though it is January, these pics are from the middle of October 2008.

I desperately wanted to take Sadie to a pumpkin patch now that she was bigger, and we discovered that Stahli's had a few fun things open to the public. There were lots of animals, a slide that went into a bin of corn kernals, a little tractor ride, music, food and of course pumpkins!!

Sadie was timid at first, but then got into the animals. She pointed every which way saying "ooh, oooooh, ah" and all her other excited little sounds. She dared to touch the lambs, chased chickens and proudly said "Duck!" as she pointed to the ducks. This was the first time she had seen a real duck (actually a goose) so I was surprised she made the transition from picture/toy to reality so well. She was intrigued by the ducks, but their loud honking scared the bee-jeebes out of her!

Her very favorite place was the corn kernal bin. She stayed in there for so long watching the kids come out of the slide and playing with the corn. She threw a fit every time I tried to get her out, so we decided since we weren't on a time frame that she could just stay and enjoy her new little experience. We did make it to the pumpkin patch by way of a tractor ride. The field was very picked over, which was ok pumpkin hunting wise---but I was hoping there would be more for her experience. It's much more spectacular when you see a huge patch.

As a kid we lived on a farm and had a pumpkin patch. We used to put a stake in the ground with our name on it "claiming" our pumpkin as it continued to grow. So, of course I wanted Sadie to have some of the same exposure/memories of pumpkin patches.

We stayed for hours enjoying each area of animals more than once. It was a perfectly enjoyable family outing. We are a happy family!!

Playin' at the park

We've been having such a great time taking Sadie and Ody to the park. Sadie is such an independant little girl. She now (Oct. 2008) climbs up all the stairs and goes down the slides by herself. She says "weeeeeeeeee" as she goes down and is just full of smiles and pride in her accomplishments. We love watching her run around and have a great time. She loves to be outside experiencing all the world around her.

Stephanie Got Married!!

We are so very proud of our Stephy who got married in the Timp temple to Reese Peterson. They met in Wyoming and are living there now. We had such a great time at time at the wedding. It was so beautiful and special to be a part of. WAY TO GO STEPH!!!

Swiss Days

It has been far too long since I last posted. Admittedly life has been a little busy. Thankfully we've been able to fit some fun times into the mix.

We had a great time at Swiss Days. This was Sadie's first parade and she loved it, especially all the doggies doing tricks.

After the parade we found Tadd who was shuttling people with his bus. It was fun to see him driving his b

ig bus back and forth.

We enjoyed walking around to all the tents, especially seeing Brielle and all her "Breezy Bows"! Sadie is a people watcher for sure and we can't wait until next year!

What did we ever do before?

Life with Sadie is so full, it's hard to even imagine what we did before for entertainment! She constantly keeps us on our toes, and smiling all the while.

The most precious achievement is that she folds her arms to pray when we sit down to eat. She will also fold them on cue. It's so neat to see that we are maybe actually setting a good example, and she's catching on. She's so aware and learning so many things so quickly.

She now just runs wherever she goes. LOVES to be outside, with the wind blowing in her hair. Knows that lids go on her food, bottle, and sippy cup and can put them on herself. (not tightly of course) She plays "Twinkle Twinkle" on the piano w/ grandma, and loves to torture Penny and is obsessed with mauling Ody. She spins around in circles when music is playing or someone is singing. Claps when people on tv are clapping and is just thoroughly amused with life.

She sure is an independent little thing! Lots of times she'll just leave our sides and go explore or play for long periods of time in her room. It's the cutest thing ever to watch her in action. Babbling the whole time with her stuffed animals and toys. She has mastered the CD player and can make it play whenever she wants. She still loves her books and loves to snuggle before bed w/ her mommy. (My personal favorite time of the day)

Here are a few shots of her new little dress that Julie "just couldn't resist." What a little princess. She KNEW she looked special. She just kept spinning around & prancing about knowing we were so proud and filled with admiration. She sure loves to be the center of attention!! And---we're so thankful to have her as our center of attention!!

Curly Top

We've been wanting to get some curls in Sadie's hair for so long. I finally found some curlers and couldn't wait to try them out! I got Sadie nice and occupied (eating in the high chair) and went for it. Rolling as fast as I could go! She was so sweet to let me get them all in and here is the "look."It truly is amazing that she didn't pull them out and kept them in ALL NIGHT!!!! It was like Christmas morning taking them out! We just didn't know what we'd get. Well----we got some pretty tight little curls! She looked like a little Shirley Temple. I think next time we'll use a few of the bigger sizes. Here's a look at the final product---

AND-----jus a few other shots of our cute little Sadie Girl~

Busy Busy

Well, it's been about a month since my last post.....so sorry to be so boring!! School is back in session, and I'm trying to balance my time a little differently these days.

Sadie has adjusted well to having both Tadd & I back to work. Grandma Billie is tending Sadie everyday and they are enjoying eachothers company.

Sadie is such a riot these days and constantly doing cute things. (I think I'll copy Brielle and give ya a few bullets.)

• she is an avid walker



• loves to run and give hugs



• obsessed with finding out what's in all the drawers and cupboards



• loves the toilet paper



• would spend all day in Ody's water bowl if she could



• laughs and thinks its a game when we say "No, no" and even a stern "NO!"



• loves her toothbrush....but I'm not sure how much we get brushed....



• still pulls every bow and cute hair do out



• walks around the house with her laundry, double fisted



• eats chunky foods & even feeds herself from time to time

She is just such a blessing and we adore her every move. She adds so much to our lives and we're so thankful for our little Sadie Girl!

NEXT------A last little summer hurrah at Duck Creek

We love Duck Creek Soooo much!! Every year the Gunther clan gets together and camps for a weekend before school starts. I wasn't able to go this year because I was getting my classroom ready....but these are some fun pics that tadd got.
Maggie had a huge bubble maker and the kids loved it. Especially Sadie, she had such a fun time. Her shoes had the dirt to prove it!

Look at that stance!!! What's that belly doing?

Happy 1st Birthday Sadie!!!

Wow!! What a week it has been! We picked up my mom (Grandma Janet) from the airport on Tuesday. We are so excited to have her here so she can spend some special time with Sadie. It's been so much fun watching the two of them together. They clearly adore eachother! Sadie warmed up to her grandma right away and by the night was giving her "love pats" and her special "open-mouthed" kisses. (She doesn't give these away to just anyone!)

Sadie's Birthday was just perfect! We began the day with her last swimming lesson of the session. It was extra fun because the only people that showed up for it was Sadie & Molly!! (Brielle's girly) They were so very cute together and since it was just the four of us we got some great pics and footage. Taddy Daddy even took Sadie down the huge water slide. She loved it!!

Later that night we had a little bash for the Birthday girl and it was so much fun to have all the cousins & relatives together. It was extra special to have my own mom there to share it all with us. Sadie totally knew she was the "main" attraction. She thrives on attention and people around her. She loved opening the presents with the cousins, but just wanted to play with the toy she got. She didn't realize we had to keep things moving so that all the kiddos could go swim. We took the cake/ice cream over to the pool so that everyone could enjoy swimming as long as possible.

What a wonderfully perfect day. I just can't believe our little girl is one!! What a great year it's been. She has added so much to our lives. We love and adore her every move. We are so thankful for her and for all of our family! We love you!!

~Grandma Janet, Kara & Sadie~

It Happened!!!!

On Tuesday, July 15th Sadie's first tooth finally popped through!! Monday was kind of a sad day for her. When she was eating I noticed a hole in her gums! It was so weird. The next day that hole was filled up by the point of her first tooth. Two days later her second tooth poked through. We're so glad that we can now begin giving her some different food! She's still having fevers and sometimes feeling a little sad, so we're not sure if she's got more on the way or what.

Swimming at Gunlock

We had the best time ever swimming at Gunlock. This was Sadie's first experience at the lake and she soaked up every minute!! She loved all of the different textures and climbing opportunities. She was a little unsure of the feel of her feet sinking in the mud, and the taste of the sand, but loved making mud pies and splashing in the water.

Ody sure had a great time too. We played fetch and he swam and swam like a champ. We were the only ones at the lake so he had free reign to run wherever he wanted. He was in his glory as we all were. What a great day together with our little family and we still have the sand in our teeth to prove it!

4th of July Fun

We had such a fun 4th of July! We went up to Maggie's for a BBQ then headed up to Brian Head for the fireworks. It was so perfect. While it was 100 degrees in St. George we were needing sweatshirts and blankets to enjoy our fireworks! It was such a fun atmospere with live music, bon-fires, sparklers, pine trees, treats and family.

We weren't quite sure how Sadie was going to react to it all, but she was so tuckered out that she slept through it all!! Admittedly I had blankets on both sides of her ears to help block out the loud noises.

We were so thankful that the dogs didn't freak out this year too. Last year they were so terrified it was so sad. So, a great 4th---can't wait to do it again next year!

The Claflin's Are Back!

We are so thankful to have Amy back in Utah with her cute little family. We went to Pleasant Grove to see their beautiful new home, and what a blessing it is!! It's right up against the mountains and Amy said it's her dream home. Way to go Amy!

After swimming at the pool we all went to Chucky Cheese for some lunch and had a great time together. Sadie was just loving the "eye candy" everywhere she looked!

Baby Konrad Gunther

Last weekend we went up to Provo to see our new family addition. Austin and Sarah had their little baby Konrad and it was so much fun to meet him! We all met over at Kurt and Celene's for some taco's and family fun. It was crazy to see Sarah's parents there because we grew up with them in Michigan and my mom is actually pretty good friends with her dad. So it was fun to share old memories.