The Tinsley's

February already?

2012-02-03T10:11:00.003-07:00

Christmas was spent in Visalia, CA this year with my parents and sisters. We had a lot of fun and the kids were of course very spoiled. Sheramie only had the Monday after Christmas off this year, the kids and I stayed and played with my sisters and parents for a little while after.

The New Year was spent with a couple of sick kids, both of them got the flu within a few days of each other, I joined the flu celebration shortly thereafter.

Since being home we have been enjoying our snow free winter. There is snow up in the mountains, but none down where we live-the way it should be! We will hopefully take a snow Saturday soon and enjoy some sledding with the kids!

Miles is enjoying Nursery at church. He plays some with the other kids, but mostly enjoys being by himself. It is really weird to not be chasing a baby at church during the second & third hour. Sunday school is almost like a mini-date with my husband!

In December of last year they started taking the older nursery kids into Primary during the last hour - Madison hated it. The kids were so big, she had to sit very still in a chair, she couldn't sing her fun songs anymore and her Nursery routine was interrupted. I was called to be the RS pianist, and so I would play the prelude and opening hymn, be asked to sit with my crying daughter in Primary, and then would end up taking her back with me to play the closing hymn. I also had Miles with me if Sheramie was teaching in Priesthood-good times. I was nervous for the new year, but I knew she would love it if she just gave it a shot.

I am happy to report that Madison loves Sunbeams, her teacher is the best one we could ever dream of. She helps Madison feel special and she really loves singing time now and class time too!

We still are doing a home preschool during Miles morning nap for about an hr M-F and she really likes it. We also try to do a holiday craft at least 2-3 times a week. We will be making Valentine's Day cards for our "Grape" (great)-grandparents and grandparents today.

We are going to start joining in our ward play group on Wednesdays next week and that will be nice to have a little bit of a change-up during the week.

That's all for now-Hope everyone is doing well--wish we all lived closer!

Catching up!

2011-12-12T11:20:00.017-07:00

Fall & Winter Activities

One of the great things about living in this area is all the outdoor space. One afternoon in September we went for a drive and found a good place to hike near a lake. Sheramie brought his hammock and the kids loved it. We had a picnic and just enjoyed a Saturday afternoon together.

October

October was a fun month. My parents and sister came up the weekend of the 15th and we celebrated my parents birthday's! My mom, sister and I went to Time out for Women here in Reno for two days and it was a blast. I really enjoyed all the speakers and Hilary Weeks was the musical entertainment. It was really a lot of fun and I am glad they came.

We went to a pumpkin patch and corn maze on Saturday before heading out for mom's birthday dinner. It was fun to have my parents here to visit and it was nice to have Aunt Danni here too!

Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze

Halloween 2011

Halloween was pretty fun with the kids this year. I made Madison's costume, and I think it turned out pretty good. She wanted to be Princess Minnie Masquerade, from one of her movies. She also wanted to be a Fairy Princess Minnie...maybe next year! Miles was a dragon and was pretty excited to have his face painted.

We went to a church Halloween party the Friday before Halloween and the kids liked being able to go trick or treating to all the different classrooms. Different families decorated the classrooms, some were a little too scary for Miles and Madison, but once they got the "trick or treat" = candy, they were willing to go into any room!

We only had about 3 trick or treaters on Halloween, which was fine, except for the 2 Costco bags of candy in our cauldron. Watching a little Hocus Pocus ended the evening.

Thanksgiving

November consisted of us mainly in Washington. One Monday morning around 5 am I woke up, Sheramie finished packing the truck, and I got the kids ready. I drove the 12 hour trip in about 15 hours with the two kids to Shearmie's parents house in south eastern Washington. I stopped in Caldwell Idaho to visit my cousin Traci and her two kids. It was a nice break for the kids and it was fun to catch up with her-I miss living near her.

It was a lot of fun to spend time with Sheramie's family, as we had not been there since last Christmas. The kids really enjoyed grandma and grandpa Tinsley. Madison got to ride on a tractor with grandpa (wish I had got a picture) and spent the evenings with Grandma and her cousin, giggling and watching movies. It snowed once while we were there, but didn't stay longer than a day or two. I got to spend time with two of my sister-in-laws and had a lot of fun laughing and getting to know each other a little better.

Snow

Sheramie flew out to meet us on Thanksgiving morning, it was nice to be together again. Over that weekend Sheramie's brother Shad and I made a headboard for our master bedroom. I love it! We got all the materials at Home Depot and despite my "help" it turned out beautiful! Sheramie painted and added some lights to it once we got home-it looks great!

Headboard

Christmas

We set up our tree once we got home, and the kids surprisingly don't bother it. Miles seems pretty mesmerized with the lights. We're almost ready for Christmas, the only things left to get are a couple stocking stuffers and a gift for my dad.

We'll head out on Christmas Eve to my parents house and stay there for a bit. I am excited to see all my sisters as they'll be coming home from school. My brothers will not be home for Christmas this year, we'll miss them and their families.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and enjoys any time they can spend with families and friends!

This little princess of ours will be 3 this week! She is so sweet and full of energy! We love her and feel so blessed to have her in our family! Happy Birthday sweetheart!

Here's a couple more pics of the kids! Enjoy!

Madison wearing my Grandpa Boppy's U.S. Navy hat

Boppy's sailor hat

Why is it kids are always happier once pictures are over and they're in their jammies?

4 Years....

2011-09-01T09:08:00.003-06:00

These past 4 years have been quite the fun roller coaster. I look forward to many more years together and am so grateful for my husband and all he does for our family! Happy Anniversary!

One Roof

2011-08-08T13:41:00.013-06:00

We are finally under one roof again. For the past seven months Sheramie has been living alone because of work and finishing up his internship. Me and the kids have either been braving the cold winter in Rexburg or playing by the pool at my parents in California. Now we are living in Northern Nevada. We just moved apartments and are still getting settled in. Sheramie was living in a one bedroom apartment, and we moved in for a few weeks..besides it being not permitted, it was a little tight with us all sleeping in one room. We stayed down at my parents and went to the coast, zoo, swimming and just enjoyed playing with Grandma and Grandpa and the kids loved having their Aunts so close. Sam graduated high school while we were down there which is so weird, shortly after she started school at BYU. My 10 year reunion is coming up and that just unreal--where did the time go?

We enjoy our new apartment. My mom and sister came up to help us move and they were lifesavers. Dad came back through after dropping Erica off at BYU-Idaho. It was fun to have them here for a little bit. The apartment is nice. The kitchen is a little small (there is only 1 drawer and 4 cabinets above the sink and 3 under. (If you think your kitchen is small try this one.) It does have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths which is great. We were able to get rid of our storage unit and are slowing downsizing. The kids each have their own room and really enjoy it. We are enjoying it too because they are the majority of the time sleeping through the night. Miles now has a real bed instead of the play pen, Madison upgraded to a twin size bed and loves it. She picked out her own bedding and a matching stuffed dog which she named "charlie" after my parents dog. She has a style all her own (which should be obvious with the love of her pink stylish sunglasses she sports daily). They both have grown so much over these past months. Miles started walking and turned one in July he has been picking up a few words here and there, such as "up, down" (from a Winnie the Pooh song), "dog, cat and bird". Madison continues to work on her ABC's and counts really well..when she wants to. I am loving, yet still adjusting to being a stay at home mom. Hope you enjoy these pictures.

Madison looking stylish with her sunglasses....
Trying to see dad through the cameraEnjoying the extra playing room of our new apartmentThe new playground has some rock climbing structures...just another way to bring mom's gray hair on prematurely..and maybe a few heart attacks too...
Our sweet girl after church on Sunday...she loves Nursery...and we love her new leaders
So cute...I may be biased..but that's ok.

Going down the slide all by himself..kids grow up too fast!

Lake Tahoe

2011-05-13T11:33:00.005-06:00

I can hardly believe a month has already gone by. For Easter weekend we made a drive to Utah for my younger brothers baby girl's blessing. It was fun to stay with my grandparents and introduce them to Miles and Madison loved seeing her Grandma and Grandpa "Grape" and has asked to go back a few times. Her "Grape" grandma even made her Mickey Mouse pancakes---what could be better than that!
We spent Saturday in Salt Lake City with my Aunt Kathy, my parents, Jacob, his wife and their sweet baby and all the Wooten girls. We watched the new Joseph Smith movie, and it really was well done. We also got to see the new exhibit they had of the inside of the Salt Lake Temple in the Visitor Center. It was remarkable and very cool to see. We also stopped for a quick tour of the Beehive house, something we hadn't done since we took my older brother to the MTC. We missed Isaac and his family-who are still living in Texas. It was a great weekend with Grandma Wooten taking care of us as always with a great family luncheon after the blessing.

Not much has changed, we are still here in the Reno, NV area and loving all the fun things to do. A couple of weekends ago we took a Saturday drive up to Lake Tahoe...it is about the same distance as Three Rivers and the Giant Sequoia's from my hometown of Visalia! It was so beautiful up there. As we made the drive we passed some snow on the side of the road...I was a little skeptical as to what the weather would hold for us by the lake. I was greatly surprised. It was a little chilly, but nothing a sweater and flip flops can't handle. Madison loved throwing rocks into the beautiful blue water, we had a picnic and just enjoyed spending time together as a family.

Sheramie loves his job and the people he works with. We are truly blessed that he was able to get a full-time job right after graduation. It is a joy to stay home, but I have realized that you must be highly motivated to be a stay at home mom, as there can be a lot of down time during the day, especially if the kids still don't have a set schedule and their naps are staggered. I miss my friends from work, but home is where I need to be. I treasure this time I have with my children and realize how quickly they grow up. Madison will be 2 1/2 next month and Miles is almost a year old. How did that happen?

oops...the baby has awoken...until next time....

Spring is here...at least in Nevada!

2011-04-13T10:56:00.007-06:00

So much has happened since I last posted. In December Sheramie was offered an internship out of state. So come January me and the kids braved the Rexburg winter and stayed while he went off to finish his graduation requirements and enjoy some warmer weather. (hence the reason for my lack of blogging - a single mother of two youngsters, working full-time, trying to stay sane, keep the house clean, kids healthy and get our home packed in my free time) After a month of working for this company, he was offered a full time job with benefits starting in May (after his internship ended). Our housing contract in Rexburg ended April 9, so I continued to work and hold down the home front in Rexburg until we could be together again.
So on April 7, four years since my graduation and almost four years of working for BYU-Idaho, I quit my job as the graduation clerk for the University. I accepted a huge promotion and now will be a stay-at-home mom to my two wonderful children. Sheramie has graduated with his BS in Mechanical Engineering, and will continue to take classes towards his Masters. On Friday, April 8, Sheramie got in around 3 am on and we loaded the moving van that afternoon. Then on Saturday morning we left Rexburg! (Keep in mind I moved there in June 2001-so I am thrilled to be somewhere new) I had the kids in the car and Sheramie in the moving van. We made the 10.5 hour drive in only 12 hours!
I want to say thank you to everyone who helped me these past few months. My mom who came to help watch my kids for a month, my friends who babysat my kids, neighbors who shoveled the snow or scraped the ice from my windshield and my mother-in-law who came at the last minute to help us with the kids and pack.
I had a wonderful birthday on Sunday, much of it was spent unpacking the moving van into our storage unit and organizing our apartment, but my husband and kids treated me like a queen that day and the best gift is that we are together as a family again. We are going out to dinner to celebrate later this week after we get settled. Hearing my two year old sing happy birthday was also a wonderful gift that night!
I enjoyed my job and all the people I worked with. I will miss them, but know this is where I need to be and where my family needs me. We are blessed to have this job and are grateful for the many opportunities it will continue to give us. We are grateful to be living under the same roof again and who knows maybe we'll see if we can get a bigger roof soon!

Winter is Coming....

2010-11-01T08:22:00.003-06:00

I can hardly believe how quickly time flies. We spent most of my maternity leave traveling the globe...well at least the Western part of the United States. Visiting grandparents and aunts,uncles and cousins. We loved spending time in Washington and California and were grateful for all the extra help. (and me all the extra rest)
I've been back at work for a month and December Graduation is just around the corner. Sheramie is taking his final courses and looking for an internship for next semester. Madison is growing up quick, she will be two in a month and a half. She has recently decided to potty train herself and is doing really well. She is very kind to her brother and is constantly worried if he is okay. Miles is growing like crazy and is wearing 9 month old clothes, he is so tall, and we have no idea where he got that gene.
Halloween was really fun this year, on Saturday night we visited a couple trunk or treats. One with our friends the Wildings, and then one in our complex. Sheramie left around 5 am to take the FE exam and made it back about 7:30 to catch the end of our trunk or treating. Madison is usually very shy around strangers, she hides behind us or starts crying, so I wasn't sure how trick or treating was going to go. She loved it, all she had to do was hold out her bag and people would put candy in it.

Which brings me to my next thought....how is it that we teach our kids not to take candy from strangers...except on Halloween. Granted it is our ward, but Madison doesn't know the difference from the gorilla or wicked witch and Brother and Sister so & so...
Sunday night we carved pumpkins, I think they turned out pretty good. Sheramie did one, you can probably tell which one... I did three. Aunt Erica asked me to carve hers too...maybe later. Next year we may just have 2 pumpkins.
There was snow one afternoon in October, it didn't stick. So far so good! Until next time...

Miles Mason

2010-08-07T14:41:00.007-06:00

Miles was born on July 13 at 7:39 am. He was 8 pounds 19.5 inches long. It was a planned repeat c-section and everything went well. During my lunch break on Monday I went to the hospital to get my lab work done, and all my pre-admittance work. We left the apartment around 5 am with Grandma Wooten on Tuesday morning and checked into the hospital. It was quite the difference experience having a scheduled surgery, where with Madison after 16 hrs of labor it became an emergency and I didn't have time to think much about it. The nurses were kind and before I knew it I was being wheeled in to the operating room around 7 am. The Dr.'s were chatting with me like it was another regular office visit. Sheramie stayed by my side throughout the whole operation. I heard our sweet baby boy cry and I even got to see him this time before they took him away to be cleaned. I was given some medicine and took a short nap while they finished closing up the incision. I was back in the room with my husband and mom and new baby boy when I woke up.

We stayed in the hospital for 3 days and 2 nights. Home recovery was different this time, especially with a toddler. My 3 sisters came to help and were such a blessing taking Madison to the playground and out for walks. My mom helped keep me sane, and we are grateful for all they did around the apartment. Shearmie had finals the week after we got home, so it was such a blessing to have them there with us.
We did a couple of fun things with my mom and sisters while they were here. We went to the Zoo and fed the ducks down at the nature park. Madison went to the Splash Park one day and enjoyed playing and getting to know her aunts. 2 of my sisters had birthday's while they were here so that was fun. It was nice to have family close, even if it was just for a few weeks.

Miles is a good baby. He sleeps a lot (during the day) and rarely cries unless he is cold or hungry. He puts himself to sleep after he eats at night, and is such a blessing. It's hard to imagine him not in our family. Madison loves Miles, she gives him kisses and says "luv you" often. If he whimpers or makes any type of noise, she is the first one by his side saying "baby ok?"

She also wanted all her stuffed animals to have diapers on like her baby brother, and she will cradle them and burp them and help them go "Nigh Nights".
We had Miles blessing on August 1, 2010 and most of the family came, we were sad some couldn't but were grateful for those that did.
After the blessing Sheramie's family headed home that afternoon and mine left Monday.
We are grateful to our families for all their love and support. Sheramie and I count ourselves truly blessed.

Spring is coming....

2010-05-03T10:19:00.005-06:00

Now for those of you who live...anywhere but Idaho I am sure you have been enjoying the season of Spring for quite a while now. However, here in Rexburg, we are hoping we have seen the last snowfall of the winter. So..when the weather is warm (you know between 40-50 degrees)and there is no wind we head outside. One of our favorite places to walk is to the temple. Madison loves the open grass and all the pretty flowers. Mommy and Daddy love being able to see her run free and just enjoy her time outside.

Here she is in her Easter dress...

Madison loves shoes...these are Grandpa Wooten's and they were kind of hard to walk in.

Busy Busy Busy

2010-04-23T13:39:00.010-06:00

Madison loves to be busy, whether it is creating a masterpiece,

Using her dad as a jungle gym

Talking to her duck

Eating her daddy's yummy cheesecake

Splashing in the bath

or just running down the sidewalk. (yes that is snow in April...we just deal with it)

She is such a blessing in our lives and we are grateful to have angels watching over her.

oh and here's a belly shot of me.... 12 weeks to go!

It's a Boy!

2010-03-13T08:16:00.003-07:00

It was a fun adventure with Sheramie, Madison, Aunt Erica and the Ultrasound tech in a small little room. After what seemed like a long time of searching the tech said, "see that third leg?" It's a boy! I took quite a while to check everything she needed to, he was pretty active.
We are excited to be having a boy. Madison will be a good big sister to her little brother, show him how to be tough.
Everything looks great. He is growing well and is roughly 1 lb 1 ounce. His due date moved up a little bit to July 18th, So we'll see if he knows that is when he is supposed to come. Or maybe he'll be like Madison and come when the doctors say it's time. Either way we look forward to having a healthy baby boy this summer.

I wonder....

2010-02-22T11:25:00.001-07:00

A boy or a girl?

Busy Busy Busy

2009-12-25T16:26:00.016-07:00

Well let's begin where we left off... Happy Halloween! Sheramie was a good sport this Halloween and dressed up for the ward trunk or treat with me. We were Mousketeers and Madison was our Minnie...

Then we celebrated Turkey Day (and one of Madison's birthday's in Washington)
Here is her cousin Micah sporting a festive feather hat.

Madison just wanted to rip off the hat.

Here is a beautiful cake given to Madison by her sweet Aunt Ta

Thanks for everything Mom & Dad Tinsley! It was nice to be able to spend time with the family.
December 15 Madison turned 1! It was during finals week, so it was pretty hectic, but we had a few friends over and had a birthday bash!
A few days later we made the drive to California, Sheramie hasn't been here for over 2 years and we were happy to come and spend Christmas in some warm sunshine and visit my family!
We had Madison's 3rd and final birthday party the Sunday after we got here. She got some pretty cool things, but her favorite toy of course was the box...

After a fun morning of stockings and presents we have spent the day just lounging around. We pulled out my old rocking chair my grandpa made me when I was just 18 months old...perfect condition even after 25 years!

This holiday season as been a special one and we feel very blessed to have been able to see our families!
Well if you made it to the end of this blog Madison has a special Christmas secret for you..she's going to be a big sister at the end of July! We are all very excited!
Merry Christmas!

Finally....

2009-11-09T09:00:00.005-07:00

Be it known that in Rexburg in the state of Idaho on the eighth day of Novemeber in the year of our Lord two-thousand and nine, Madison slept through the entire night for the first time! Mommy and Daddy are so proud & relieved...almost 11 months of little sleep!
Will it happen again? We can only hope (and pray)!

We tried all the tricks of the trade...Baby Wise, crying it out, comforting music, switching formulas, cereal before bed...and a million other things. The doctors say it is because she's small, others say it's because she must be allergic to something, and others because she feels seperation anxiety....mommy and daddy are just glad she slept last night. :)

p.s. Halloween pictures will be posted shortly.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-19T15:37:00.007-06:00

all finished

and then Sheramie's was destroyed and mine was attacked by a little munchkin

Madison's Bedroom

2009-10-19T15:24:00.009-06:00

Mom Wooten was here at the beginning of September and was able to help me finish Madison's room. I had made the curtains over the summer, and Mom & Dad Tinsley sent us the crib back in August, but I hadn't done anything with her walls or the cute things I made with Mom Tinsley's Cricut machine many months earlier. So after some brainstorming with Mom we came up with the idea to use poster-frames, so we could keep the hangings instead of just sticking them to the wall. Here are some pictures from our decorating adventure.
The inspiration....a print I bought at Disneyland many years ago...

the wall-hanging I made in Washington a few weeks after she was born...

One of the new creations...

Pixie Hollow...according to Mom and me...

Her new bed!

our pixie princess...

Update on Madison

2009-10-19T15:04:00.011-06:00

Laying in bed sick with the flu, unable to move, or sleep...what else is there to do but catch up on this neglected blog.
Madison is doing great! She is a walking machine..and has just recently mastered walking with shoes! She is all over the place...has learned to open kitchen cupboards, under the stove and anything else that she proabably shouldn't. To her dismay we put up a gate so she is no longer able to be in the kitchen without supervision...now some may be offended at the pictures of her unhappiness..we are sorry, but couldn't help posting them.

She has learned that this gate is not the end of the world...
She has recently discoverd that she can pull down and get into anything she wants...now with some clever disguises,(aka: a blanket) she no longer sees these boxes..

She still isn't much of a sleeper, although some nights are better than most...

She loves her booster chair, and to play in the bath...

project couch

2009-10-19T14:54:00.005-06:00

After 2 years of marriage, we decided maybe we needed a couch. So we found one..paid $20 for it and said, oh yeah we can re-upholster that. For 20 in upholstery fabric we have a new couch for only $40!
Now if any of you have covered a a chair or made curtains it's not really that intense...but re-doing an entire couch--now that is a chore.
Here is the before...

some of the in-between...

and the after...

a little elbow grease, and lot of sewing it turned out pretty good. (If I do say so myself) however, next time we will save a bit longer and buy a new one :)

Sewing Project 1, 2., 3, 4......

2009-10-18T16:02:00.005-06:00

As promised here are the pictures of the curtains I made for our apartment. We found this wonderful inexpensive upolstery store down in Idaho Falls.

The living room

Our bedroom

The kitchen has 2 windows, I made both curtains the same

Last but not least...Madison's room

Summer Wedding in Texas

2009-10-18T15:48:00.007-06:00

Jacob was married in August in the Houston Texas Temple to Kari Chalk. It was a very warm warm day...but the sealing was beautiful and it was fun to have all the Wooten kids together. Here are a couple pictures from the temple and a BBQ place the next day.
The Happy Couple

The Wooten crew after the sealing

Madison

Nephews Max & Link

Walking Madison

2009-09-07T20:39:00.002-06:00

2 Years.....

2009-09-01T10:29:00.003-06:00

Thanks for two wonderful years! Looking forward to many more!
Love you!

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-16T21:51:00.003-06:00

As some of you know a while ago Sheramie got accepted to transfer to BYU down in Provo. After much thought and prayer we have decided to finish up his degree here in Idaho. I am so proud of him and all his hard work. For our family it is the right decision. Although it would be fun to be down there for game night, birthday parties, receptions, blessings, and being closer to more family....maybe someday! Well after a year of living in our 2 bedroom apartment and staring at blank walls and windows I have made curtains for all the windows and am slowly transforming our place into a home. Madison's room was finished first....in what color you ask? Yes, in pink. I love that I can cover her life in pink and for now at least, she can't say no! We will post pictures of all the rooms and my semi handiwork. I finished all windows in about 3 days, just working on them at nights when she went to bed.
Sometimes I find that we are treating this time in our lives as temporary (and it is) but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do things to make our place our own. In the Ensign this month it appropriately talked about the Pioneers and how they were always moving around, but also how they made their home wherever they went. They built up cities and worked hard to make life the best it could be. I am grateful for their example...and also that they settled in Utah on the 24th so I can have a day off of work next week!!! I'll post pictures of my sewing projects soon.

Mobile Madison

2009-06-25T08:29:00.002-06:00

Summer time is here

2009-06-01T08:09:00.007-06:00

This weekend we took our first adventure to the infamous Rexburg Splash Park and Carousel. Madison did great and loved the water (she is her mothers daughter). We had lots of fun and played for almost 2 hours.
Here's a couple shots from the weekend.

See grandpa I am almost ready for Disneyland!

She continually amazes us with her desire to grow up so quick. Here's a before when I am still in control of the cup...

shortly after she grabbed and held the cup herself...
Later that night after a much needed bath we went in to check on her, and found her up with her elbows on the bumper...she lasted about 5 1/2 months in the cradle, but it was time to move her.

She currently sleeps in the pack n play..and has found a new position...

It's nice to have summer here...and we hope it stays!

scooting and moving

2009-05-11T09:12:00.009-06:00

3 posts in 1. Lots of pictures to catch up on--here's the latest!

Here is Madison at about 4 1/2 months...she is so proud of her accomplishments! And we are contemplating the immediate need to baby proof our house.

All smiles! She doesn't like to stay still that is for sure! She's a fun little girl to have in our lives! We are so blessed.

Blessing Day

2009-05-11T09:09:00.003-06:00

Madison was blessed the beginning of April, here are the long over due pictures.

Thanks for all those who made it to her blessing--and for all those who wanted to and couldn't because of reasons like, being out of the country or something!-We missed you 'Te & all those who were unable to come!

Trip to Washington

2009-05-11T08:54:00.013-06:00

Not sure what the rest of the summer will be like Sheramie and Madison took a trip to see Grandma & Grandpa Tinsley up in Washington. Here are some pictures I got the other day--Madison has them wrapped around her fingers!

I wonder if I am sweet enough I can get that bottle away from grandma & grandpa.....

yeah--I was sweet enough

now if only i could figure out my hands....

1st Easter

2009-04-13T07:23:00.001-06:00

New Trick

2009-04-13T06:38:00.004-06:00

What happened to 'April showers'?

2009-04-09T08:18:00.001-06:00

New Friends

2009-04-09T08:17:00.003-06:00

Thanks for taking care of her Becci. I know she loved it!

Too many pictures

2009-03-24T16:17:00.004-06:00

Here's a slideshow because there are way too many cute pictures to post.

Tribute to Erica

2009-03-23T13:31:00.004-06:00

I would also like to thank my wonderful sister Erica who is such a help to us. She even 'surprised' me with a visit at work last Friday with Madison! We love her and all the time she spends with us. We will miss her when she goes home for the summer. Thanks for all the diaper changes, baths, feedings, crazy hair do's and love you give our baby girl!

Watching Madison

2009-03-23T08:23:00.008-06:00

This is my 3rd week back to work. I am doing better than I thought I would. I have a beautiful picture of her sitting on my desk, and I love my weekends, but overall (despite a few tears on Monday's) I have been adjusting fairly well.
The first week was such a blessing to have Mom Tinsley here to take care of Madison. We are so grateful for her coming down to help. We'd also like to give a thanks to Sireena for watching Madison for us this past week.
We'd also like to thank her little boy Rocky for being so good sharing his mommy for the week!

He was good with Madison.

Here are some more pictures that were posted on Sireena's blog:

Madison is growing stong and is a happy little girl! We are grateful for Becci who is watching her these next 2 weeks and hope they have fun! Mom Wooten will be here the week of Finals, so that will be a big help to Sheramie. (he plays Mr. Mom in the afternoons)
I am the Graduation Clerk (Official Title: Degree Audit Specialist) for BYU-Idaho. I am so excited--it will be a busy adventure, but a good one. We are sure feeling the "hiring freeze" in our office, as we are losing 3 people this year and are unable to rehire. So we all get to step up to the plate and take on a little more. I am grateful to have such a great job with really great people!
Thanks for all the support and love I've received since going back to work. Sheramie and I both really appreciate it.
I'll post some cute pictures Madison has with her cousin Savanah soon. Hope all is well!

Waking up Madison

2009-03-02T12:08:00.004-07:00

Sweet Baby Girl

2009-03-02T11:57:00.007-07:00

Photography by: Daniel Packard at Packard Photography

Vacations

2009-01-31T15:49:00.009-07:00

Madison has been quite the traveler. When she was 2 weeks old we bravely drove to Washington to spend the New Years with Grandma and Grandpa Tinsley. She loves her car seat and made the trip with flying colors! She slept from Rexburg to Nampa-then she ate and slept from Nampa to Prosser! What a good girl! It was fun to be with family, Madison loved being spoiled by her Grandma and Grandpa. I loved the help, and extra sleep!
Then came Mid-January and we ventured a bit further. Madison and I made the journey to California! She is such a trooper. She slept the 4 hours on the shuttle to Salt Lake. We spent some time with friends and family for a few days. Thanks to those who housed, drove, fed, and took the time to see us! After making it through airport security(what a nightmare)she slept and woke up when we landed in Long Beach-and then slept til we got back to Visalia.
Since then she continues to be spoiled.(as am I) It had been just over a year since I'd been home-too long, and with 9 weeks left of maternity leave, we took the opportunity to leave the snow and seek out some sun! Sheramie is holding the fort down in Rexburg--staying busy with classes/homework/and study groups. We miss him and will head home soon.
We can take her with us anywhere-she just looks around to see what is going on. It's been about 65 outside, so we can take her on walks and not have to worry about her getting frost-bite!
Today mom and I took some prints of her hands and feet-she's already 6 weeks! We have been blessed with a good baby-she sleeps well at night, about 4-6 hours at a time. She has gotten over her fussy time (which was really only 1-2 hrs in the early evening) She still rolls over a lot, smiles more and even laughs. Grandma and Grandpa Woo have fun getting her to talk back to them. It has been nice to spend time with family.

Baby Madison

2009-01-07T16:59:00.003-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Meet Madison

2008-12-20T21:00:00.003-07:00

Created by: proud daddy

Madison Lea Tinsley

2008-12-19T21:33:00.006-07:00

Madison Lea Tinsley

Born: December 15, 2008 at 11:45 pm

7 lbs 13 oz and 21 inches

Bringing our little princess into this world turned out to be quite the adventure. We arrived at the hospital at 7 am, by 10 they broke my water. Contractions were pretty regular, the doctor and we were hopeful our baby would be here by late that afternoon. My contractions slowed, and by 3 I had an epidural. Madison's heart rate continued to rise and the doctors began to watch a bit more closely. They had me on oxytocin--hopeful that labor would progress more rapidly, the contractions got closer and then her heart rate would rise, they would turn off the oxytocin and it would go back down. It was a constant battle. At 11 my doctor came in to see us about having a c-section. In her best interest hat is what we decided to do. She needed a rest, and so did I. At 11:20 I was wheeled in for surgery. Sheramie dressed and joined us 10 min later. When he came I was already in surgery and they were just about ready to take her out, (I am glad they had that sheet up so I couldn't see) He watched her come, and she very quickly was rushed away. I heard her cry, but didn't see her til later that morning,

About the time she left I had an allergic reaction to the medication they gave me--it cut off my airway, and I couldn't breathe. Sheramie was quickly escorted to the nursery where Madison was. I don't remember a lot after that. When I woke up I was in recovery. I kept asking to see my baby--I was there 2 hours before Sheramie could bring her in to see me.

We spent 1 more night in the hospital and then my dr said I was healing better than expected--we came home Wednesday night.

Today both Madison and I had our check ups. We are doing great. I am still very sore and was told I need to stay n bed more to recover. It'll be another 3-4 weeks of recovery. My mom and sister were here through everything. They are headed home tomorrow. They have been such a blessing. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support. Madison and I are healthy and home. Sheramie continues to be a great husband and father. He takes good care of his girls.

Due Date?

2008-12-10T08:43:00.009-07:00

Here we are, December 10th, and our sweet baby girl is not here. I don't think she has a calendar and knows she was supposed to come today. (although who's to say she won't, the day has just begun)
I am doing well--I feel pretty good and can sleep through most of the night. I still get up for work everyday--another day, another dollar!
Each day at work, I count my blessings that the longer I work now, the more time I have with her during my maternity leave. I am truly blessed to be able to work through to the end of my pregnancy. We want her to come when she is healthy and ready, I've come this far, what's another few days or week.
Sheramie is busy with finals--he's been working late hrs on campus--at least til 1, doing all he can to get ahead, in case she does come before the weekend. Classes and finals end on Friday.
Mom Wooten will be here on Sunday, so hopefully our baby girl will come soon.

(With weather like this--you can't really blame her, I would want to stay where it is warm too!)

Scattergories

2008-11-21T15:13:00.005-07:00

I have been tagged by my friend Sarah, so here we go....SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things. Nothing made up! You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Jessica

BOY NAME: Jacob
4 LETTER WORD: Junk

GIRL NAME: Jadyn

OCCUPATION: Judge
COLOR: Jade

SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Jean Jacket (Double points)

BEVERAGE: Jamaica (pronounced ha-micah)
FOOD: Jello--well in some states it's a food

SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: jacuzzi (it didn't say my bathroom)

A PLACE: Joyo, Japan (Double points again!)

REASON FOR BEING LATE: Jetlag
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: Jump

So there you have it. I'm now officially "not it" as I have fulfilled my taggily duties. I now tag Kristi, Natalie (send me an e-mail you anti-blogger), Shante, and Shiggy.

feels like. . . 19

2008-10-10T07:54:00.009-06:00

Yes it is true. Rexburg experienced the first fall of snow (since June) yesterday. Granted it only lasted about 20 minutes, and none of it stayed--it still snowed!
One thing I have learned after living up here for many winters is that sometimes it is "too cold to snow". This morning is one of those days. It is 21 degrees (feels like 19)--Have you ever wondered who determines what it 'feels like'? I personally think it feels more like 17 degrees.
Anyways it is cold--Summer has left us behind and Fall has blown by. Winter is knocking on the door.
We are headed to a wedding this weekend of Sheramie's brother Shad up in Washington. Other than that things are pretty easy going around here. He is busy keeping up with school, and I am enjoying work. I start training a new employee in about 2 weeks--and then I'll train a temp for myself in about 5. It's been a bit tough doing this alone for the past month--but I am slowly catching up on the work load.
Our sweet baby girl is growing, doctors say everything looks good!
Hope all is well with everyone.

Spoiled and Loved

2008-09-04T09:21:00.008-06:00

More cute baby girl gifts. I think she will be

camouflaged quite well.

The fabulous sewing skills of Shante'--she made these for our baby girl. She is quite talented! Thanks again.

She is spoiled--and very loved. Thanks to everyone who has been so generous and kind with gifts and donations.

Already September?

2008-09-02T10:54:00.000-06:00

Time really flies. This summer continues to be a busy one. In early August we went to Washington for about a week-I am so grateful I can sleep in cars. Last night we drove home from the baby blessing of our nephew Spencer Michael--it was down in Utah. Sheramie & I met up with Jacob in Provo before we left too--he starts school this week again at BYU.
Mom Tinsley threw me a baby shower in Lehi while we were down there. It was very fun. In addition to my sister-in-laws, some of my aunts, cousins, and Grandma (from the Wooten side) were also there--it was good to see them! Thanks again!
My brother Isaac blessed his second son this Sunday too, Link Alan. It was in Dallas, TX and we were not able to go. My parents and 2 sisters (who are still at home) went.
We celebrated our 1 year anniversary yesterday! We are grateful for all the love and support we have received from our family & friends this past year.
I've finished making 4 more receiving blankets. Between both our moms and my new sewing kick--Shearmie is certain that our little girl won't freeze, so I should probably stop buying fabric.
School starts up here next Monday. Work is busy trying to get everything set for the new school year. I will be training a replacement for my counter-part, she will be moving to Utah Wednesday. Lots to do--and it's just around the corner.
Our baby girl is growing quickly-the doctors say everything is looking good. We are so blessed!
I'll try and post some updated pictures soon--

Pretty in Pink!!!

2008-07-27T22:49:00.000-06:00

Grandpa Wooten made the cradle for my parents when I was born. Mom Wooten's amazing sewing skills--Thanks again!

My first project

2008-07-27T22:47:00.000-06:00

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice!

2008-07-25T08:48:00.000-06:00

We are having a girl!!! We had the ultrasound yesterday--everything looks great, and she is right on schedule. She is about 14 oz, and 10 inches long. We are only 1/2 way there.

My parents and sisters have been here since last Saturday and Mom Wooten was able to come with us to the appointment yesterday. It will be her & Dad's first granddaughter. For Mom & Dad Tinsley it will be her 2nd this year, and 3rd overall.

Babies are a hot topic for many of the Wootens and Tinsley's this year. My older brother and his wife had their 2nd little boy on the 22 of this month. Mom and baby were home that night, and have been doing well. Their oldest Max is about 14 months--so they have their hands full.

My brother-in-law Shane and his wife had a little boy also earlier this month. My brother-in-law Shawn and his wife are also expecting another girl this year. Then we'll end the year with our sweetheart!

Work is going well. We just had a graduating class of about 3,000--so our office is working on auditing their degrees, and sending them out. Grades posted this week--so it is a busy time for us.

I took off 2 days with everyone here this week. It has been worth it. Sheramie was able to take work off for the appointment too. It was fun to have him there! She'll have him wrapped around her finger in no time!

Erica started her first week of classes--and she is amazing. She has her work cut our for her--7 credits in 7 weeks!!

We went to Yellowstone with the Ferons--my mom's sisters family yesterday. In case you were wondering, Old Faithful still works. It's been a wonderful summer so far!

Exciting Life in Rexburg

2008-07-07T12:01:00.000-06:00

I figured I would start a blog someday--today seemed to be that day.
Life is moving along for Sheramie and I here in good ole Rexburg. We moved to a new apt about a month ago and are excited for the extra room (and storage!!!) We are expecting a new addition to our family mid-December and are very excited. We'll find out the end of July what we are having.
I graduated April 2007 and I am now currently work for BYU-Idaho in the Student Records and Registration Office. I work with transfer students national and international. Sheramie is working full-time for the summer at Cal-Ranch here in Rexburg. He will start school again in September.
Summer finally showed itself here in Rexburg--we were worried with the snow storm in June--that it would never come, but it has. I love the sunshine!!!
The Wooten Clan is coming up in 2 weeks to move my kid sister Erica up to school! I can't believe she's starting college. We are looking forward to seeing them!