The Dart Board

Sofa and Chair for Sale

2011-03-03T17:20:00.000-05:00

For Sale: Sofa and Matching Chair

Both are several years old, but in very good condition. Sofa has four matching pillows.

Sofa: $150 (obo)

Chair: $100 (obo)

Zac's First Soccer Game

2009-09-28T15:37:00.005-04:00

Zac had his first soccer game last Saturday. The boys had a great time. Here's a few pics from the day.

This made me smile (and cry)

2009-09-10T12:45:00.001-04:00

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep....

2009-09-09T16:40:00.002-04:00

This is what I keep hearing chanted in my head over and over again these days! Remember Dory in Finding Nemo. She's one of my favorite Disney characters. Not only because her voice is that of Ellen (love Ellen), but because she's so hopeful and optimistic! I need that in my life right now. This has been such a busy summer. I've had a wonderful time with my family, but I don't know when I've ever felt so overwhelmed. I feel like I'm climbing a ladder and just when I think I'm reaching the top, someone adds several more rungs. I just keep telling myself to keep going, and eventually life will slow down. I'm not complaining! I love being a mom, wife, coach, sister, photographer, etc. I'm just exhausted.

This picture was taken while on our trip out west. This statue of Christ is located in the North Visitors Center of Temple Square. I guess when we feel like we're swimming upstream, He is always there to lighten our burden. That knowledge brings me a great deal of peace.

That's all I have for now. I'll update with more pictures from our trip when I have time (check back next year!)

Comic Relief At It's Finest!

2009-08-14T21:43:00.001-04:00

Fourth of July

2009-07-05T22:24:00.003-04:00

I love summer and I love summer holidays. We had a great Fourth of July. We went up to my aunt's pool during the day and got together with family in the evening. The weather was perfect, if only we could have gotten rid of the mosquitoes!

I guess we do live at the beach...

2009-06-19T18:04:00.004-04:00

Confession - I don't enjoy going to the beach. Maybe if there was no sand, it wasn't hot, there were no bugs, the salt didn't stick to me, etc. etc. Anyway- we had some family in town, so we went to the beach last week and I actually had a good time. We didn't stay for very long and it wasn't too miserably hot. Here are a few pictures of the day. The boys had a blast, so I guess I'll have to give in and go more often.

Growing...

2009-05-14T09:30:00.002-04:00

Sammy is growing up. He's completely mobile, pulling up and standing beside the furniture, sitting in the high chair and having cherrios, and he has a mouthful of teeth. He's such a sweet and pleasant child. Notice his little dimple.

Rub a Dub Dub

2009-05-02T23:06:00.005-04:00

I put the three boys in the tub together for the first time today. Sammy loved it and laughed at Zac and Will the whole time.

I've been absent from the blogging world lately, but I've been a little busy...

An Easter Message

2009-04-11T12:36:00.001-04:00

Beautiful Day+Baseball=Bliss

2009-04-05T21:20:00.013-04:00

Saturday was a monumental day for the Dart family, it was opening ceremonies for Zac's first year of little league. If you know us or anything about us, then you know that we love baseball. I was raised in a family where we played baseball in the yard on summer nights with the neighborhood kids until we either got chased inside by the mosquitoes, or it got too dark to see the ball. My mom and dad's front yard was a perfect ball field and the pine tree in the southeast corner of the yard was a perfect spot for home plate. Sometimes we'd have enough kids gathered to have two legitimate teams. It was so much fun. Our house was just a baseball house.

I wasn't around in Spanish Fork during Kyle's childhood years, but I know that the only other family I've ever known who loves baseball as much as my family, is Kyle's. Kyle reminisces almost daily about growing up in a baseball family, in a baseball town, and his deep love for the game. His parents were the perfect match for a family of five boys who love sports. Rod was always coaching and Ann was always cheering her boys on. I can only imagine the traffic in and out of Ann's house on a summer day with five active little boys with a neighborhood of friends! Wow, now I'm exhausted!

When Zac was really small, his love affair with the game had already begun. He can rattle off baseball trivia, mimic the batting stances of at least 30 professional baseball players, and sing every word of Talkin' Baseball. He is so observant and seems to remember everything and loves to learn. He asks so many questions, which is sometimes frustrating, because I run out of answers. He remembers everything I say (sometimes good, sometimes, not so good). Tonight, we were driving home from a visit with Aunt June, and I turned on the Tomahawk Chop music to get the boys ready to go home and watch the Braves first game of the season. Zac asked, "Mom, is this real Indian music?" I answered, "It's kind of a battle cry." He responded, "Who were they battling?" So I said, hoping to not go into a full US History lesson, "They fought lots of battles. Some against each other and some against settlers taking over their land." Then he said, "Did they battle against those people who came to America from England before it was even America because their king wouldn't let them woship how they wanted so they came on big ships? What were they called, anyway? I can't remember!" I looked at Kyle and said, "Did you teach him about that?" Kyle said, "Yeah, at least two years ago." The I told him they were the pilgrims and he reminded me that they were kind of like the pioneers.

His vocabulary amazes me and he is constantly correctly Will's grammer (I have to remind him that Will is three years old). He loves to sing and play the guitar. He is so polite and very well behaved. I think you get my point...

We love baseball for so many more reasons than the actual playing of the game. It is the all-American game. Kids who play sports learn life skills that cannot be learned in any other way. They learn teamwork and respect.

This has somewhat turned into a brag session about Zac because it was a special day for him. He got a few hits, knocked in a couple of runs and made several plays in the field. He's making new friends and growing up and we're so proud of him. He's a great example to his brothers (who aren't too shabby either)!

Enjoy these pictures from the day. I forgot to mention that Zac is 5 years old and playing on a team for 7-8 year olds.

This is his first single in still frames. Look closely in the second picture and you'll see the ball bouncing off the bat.
Running the bases.

Zac plays beside the pitching machine. It's kind of a shallow second base. He insisted on sticker eye-black because he saw Jimmy Rollins wearing it.
A couple of Zac's new friends, Aubrey and Clay.

Excited about their first win.Will did this all during the first game. He had his own little audience.
He was tired during the second game, so he stayed close to dad.

How Many Have You Seen

2009-03-26T15:17:00.004-04:00

Al put this list on her blog. It's a list from Yahoo of 100 Movies everyone should see before they die. I haven't seen nearly enough of them, but I have seen a few. See how you do!

(x)12 Angry Men (1957)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

400 Blows (1959)

8 1/2 (1963)

The African Queen (1952)

Alien (1979)

All About Eve (1950)

Annie Hall (1977)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

The Battle of Algiers (1967)

The Bicycle Thief (1948)

Blade Runner (1982)

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Blow Up (1966)

Blue Velvet (1986)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Breathless (1960)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Casablanca (1942)

Chinatown (1974)

Citizen Kane (1941)

(X)Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

(X)Die Hard (1988)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Duck Soup (1933)

(X)E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

The Exorcist (1973)

Fast Times At RidgemontHigh (1982)

The French Connection (1971)

(X)The Godfather (1972)

(X)The Godfather, Part II (1974)

Goldfinger (1964)

(X)The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)

(X)Goodfellas (1990)

(X)The Graduate (1967)

Grand Illusion (1938)

(X)Groundhog Day (1993)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

In the Mood For Love (2001)

It Happened One Night (1934)

(X)It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

(X)Jaws (1975)

(X)King Kong (1933)

The Lady Eve (1941)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

(X)The Lord of the Rings (2001)

M (1931)

M*A*S*H (1970)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

(X)The Matrix (1999)

Modern Times (1936)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

National Lampoon’s AnimalHouse (1978)

Network (1976)

Nosferatu (1922)

On the Waterfront (1954)

(X)One Flew Over the Cuckoo’sNest (1975)

Paths of Glory (1958)

Princess Mononoke (1999)

Psycho (1960)

(X)Pulp Fiction (1994)

Raging Bull (1980)

(X)Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Raise the Red Lantern (1992)

Rashomon (1951)

Rear Window (1954)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

(X)Rocky (1976)

Roman Holiday (1953)

(X)Saving Private Ryan (1998)

(X)Schindler’s List (1993)

The Searchers (1956)

Seven Samurai (1954)

(X)The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

(X)The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

(X)Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

(X)Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

(X)The Sound of Music (1965)

(X)Star Wars (1977)

(X)Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The Third Man (1949)

(X)This is Spinal Tap (1984)

(X)Titanic (1997)

(X)To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

(X)Toy Story (1995)

(X)The Usual Suspects (1995)

Vertigo (1958)

(X)When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

Wild Strawberries (1957)

Wings of Desire (1988)

(X)The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Women On the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)

The World of Apu (1959)

Studly...

2009-03-17T23:49:00.003-04:00

I'm still editing pics from Nick and Laura's wedding (I know, I'm lame.) Anyway- here's a cute one. Picture quality-not so great, subjects- studly! This is Nick with all of his nephews, minus a sleeping Sammy. I just thought I'd share the cuteness.

Warming Up

2009-03-06T16:00:00.004-05:00

We went to the park today with my sisters and their kids. It is such a beautiful day and it is supposed to be even more beautiful tomorrow! You'll notice that my kids have completely mastered the fake smile for the camera. I guess they're smiles, nonetheless! I am so excited for spring to get here to stay.

My Three Sons

2009-02-26T13:09:00.003-05:00

I got the boys to cooperate for a few minutes the other day and here's the result. Aren't they cute!

I Know, I Know!!!

2009-02-18T22:56:00.001-05:00

I need to update!!!!

I'm trying to get around to taking pictures of the house, but I refuse to do that until I get all of the boxes put away, so they're not in the pictures! Things around here have been wonderful, but a little crazy. We're loving the new home. The boys are completely at home here, and we're so thankful for little fellas who are patient with parents who have moved them around a lot in the past few years. We're hoping this is the last time for a very long time. (Have I mentioned how much I hate packing/unpacking)!

Bytheway- my Idol favorite made it through tonight! Goooooooooooooooo Danny! (Imagine me saying that in the same fashion as a BYU fan says, "Goooooooooooooooo Cougars!)

Here's Danny, in case you were wondering...

Drool...

2009-02-02T16:02:00.004-05:00

Sammy. February 2, 2009. Teething...

Sammy

2009-01-19T16:57:00.005-05:00

I have completely neglected my blog lately! I have been so busy that just checking my email has been a task! We are moving this weekend into a wonderful house just off the island and we are so excited. I promise I'll post more pictures and details later, but for now, I thought I would share a couple of my cute little Sammy. He is the happiest, most pleasant child! His little dimple makes me melt! In these pictures, he was getting a bath in Grandma Susan's sink. He's a big fan of bath time. Can you tell!?

Better Late Than Never...

2008-12-29T18:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I put this Christmas card together sometime last week and I even ordered 75 copies to send out to all near and dear to us. Unfortunately, most of the 75 cards are still sitting in the box they were delivered in! To say these past few weeks have been a little hectic and busy in an understatement. With Christmas orders to place, Christmas pictures to edit, Chistmas cards to design, and Christmas shopping to do, blogging has fallen off of my list of things to do everyday for the past several weeks! I am also the Ward Activities Chairperson for our church, so the Christmas program/party was my responsibility. I love doing it, but it is a lot of work. Thank heavens for my dear mother and my sisters. Somehow, we always figure out how to pull it off!

So, if you receive this card in mail a week or two (or three) late, just know that I wanted to get it sent out in a timely manner, but some things are better late than never.

We love you all. Aly

Gorgeous!

2008-12-07T00:19:00.004-05:00

We just got back from Utah and I wanted to share one pic from our trip. Kyle's youngest brother got married last Saturday and it was such a wonderful day. I'll post more pics from our trip later. But until them- enjoy this one of the gorgeous couple.

To see a few more- visit my photo blog at www.alydart.blogspot.com

Proof and Reflection

2008-11-17T16:29:00.005-05:00

Since I had Zac five years ago, I have heard many statements describing my children including:

"Your boys sure are marked by the Darts!"

"Your boys are just like Kyle and his brothers!"

"Zac sure does look like Kyle's mother."

Let me say, I appreciate these statements very much. I think Kyle is the most handsome man on earth, so of course, I want my children to look like him! He is followed very closely in "handsomeness" by his brothers. I am so happy my boys are "Dart Boys," both in looks and in name. And let me be the first to say that Zac is so much like Ann! I see so much of her in him.

All of that being said, I found proof that yes, I do have a child who looks like me, at least in this one picture! I can see so much of Will in my facial features in this picture. Especially through the lower half of my face. As much as I love their father and his looks, I know of no one who isn't flattered by being told that their cute kids look like them.

So, I agree with the all of you who say I have Dart-looking boys, but now I see a little Hancock shining through!
Today would have been my Grandma's 96th birthday. She died eleven years ago in a car accident, but she is still thought of and talked about every day. I miss her laugh, her house, her yard, her landing; but mostly, I just miss her. It makes me so sad that my children never knew her - I guess that leaves me with a huge responsibility to make sure they still "know" her.

I wrote about her a couple of years ago. Here's the link.

http://thedartfamily.blogspot.com/2007/05/flood-of-memories-and-depth-of.html

Much Needed Update

2008-11-02T20:14:00.006-05:00

I haven't posted for a while, so I'm playing catch-up.

Zac, Will, and Sam in ther first photo together. I'm sure there'll be thousands more to come.

This is one of the few pics of Sam and me that I'm willing to let be seen! I think he looks so cute. This is a pic from Sam's 1 month photo-shoot. Thanks Kel for the adorable blanket.

This is just a moonrise as I was crossing the bridge a few days before Sam was born. As I drove, I noticed how blue the world looked and how the blue of the sky and the blue of the water were exactly the same. I'm glad it translated onto film.

These are of Halloween night at the Trunk-or-Treat. The boys had a great time. Will hung out in the car with grandma and Eden most of the time.

These are a few snap shots of Sam tonight before I got him dressed for bed. They are totally unprofessional looking and it's obvious I had to use the flash, but I had to get a couple of shots. He's growing so fast.

Five

2008-10-23T23:40:00.003-04:00

Five glorious years of Zac, Zac-Attack, Zac-aroni, Zacker-Cracker, Zacky Boy, etc.

The years of heartache from trying to have a baby were definitely worth it once we saw this pretty face for the first time. You'll never find a kinder, more sensitive and loving child.

Happy Birthday, my Zacky Boy!

Grinning From Ear to Ear

2008-10-22T23:14:00.002-04:00

This should arrive at my doorstep on Monday. To say I'm excited is an understatement! Happy New Baby, Birthday, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's,etc., etc.,...to me!

Adding to the Family...

2008-10-07T09:12:00.001-04:00

Kyle's youngest brother got engaged this past weekend. Here's a couple of pictures of the happy couple. When we were in Utah this past summer, Zac told Laura that she was going to be his newest aunt. I don't know if they had discussed marriage at that point, but Zac was sure that he liked Laura! We love her, too, and we're so happy for both of them.

5 Days Old

2008-09-26T18:06:00.002-04:00

Pics Coming Soon

2008-09-26T12:00:00.002-04:00

For those of you wanting new pics, they're coming soon. I'm gonna try to get some taken and loaded up this afternoon, I promise!

Samuel Hancock Dart

2008-09-22T08:32:00.005-04:00

I'm no Aly when it comes to picture taking (this is Joella), but here is the handsome little man (weighing in at 8 lbs, 5.7 oz) and his wonderful parents!

She said she's gonna keep him!

You certainly can't tell it's the middle of the night and they've just gone through a few grueling hours of labor by looking at them. It's no wonder they have such beautiful babies!

Sam: "So that's who I look just like."

They did it!

He's Here

2008-09-22T03:11:00.002-04:00

Samuel Hancock Dart made his grand entrance at 1:09 this morning. He weighed in at 8 lbs 6 oz, and was 21.5 in. He is so much like his brothers, especially Will. Aly made out great, even though the epidural didn't help out very much. One big push and that baby was out! I think that's a record!

Pics will come in the morning, I promise. The nurses were wondering why there was paparazzi there because the boy had about 200 pics taken of him within the first 15 minutes. That's what you get with so many doting aunts around!

Sam's coming!

2008-09-21T16:21:00.001-04:00

Hi - this Joella signed on as Aly - just letting you know that Aly's in the hospital and hopefully Sam will be here in a few hours! Woo Hoo!

Full Moon?

2008-09-13T14:04:00.003-04:00

My next best hope is the full moon. Let's see what happens!

Optimistic?

2008-09-10T15:55:00.002-04:00

I went to the doctor yesterday. Before checking my cervix, he asked, "Are you optimistic?"

I answered, "Not really, but I can always hope!"

He then did what he does and said, "Yeah, no need to be optimistic."

I asked, "Nothing?"

He answered, "Nothing, at all."

He's a really nice man (kinda reminds me of Bill Boy), but I wanted to punch him! I know, I know, hate the message, not the messenger.

My cousins wife had her baby several weeks early a few days ago. She was due on the 30th of September! I am so happy that she and baby are doing great, but, oh, SO JEALOUS! Can't I be early, too!? Even one day!

No Such Luck

2008-09-08T17:43:00.000-04:00

No, Hanna does not = Sam.

Does Hanna=Sam?

2008-09-04T11:05:00.002-04:00

So, Labor Day didn't turn out to be "labor day," but Hanna is coming our way! Does this bode well for the hundreds of pregnant women in eastern South and North Carolina? Well, I've been trying to find some proof that it does, and here's the best I can come up with...

The Wall Street Journal on Monday examined the "commonly held" theory that declining barometric pressure -- which occurs during a hurricane -- can cause a pregnant woman's amniotic sack to rupture and induce labor. A study published in a 1997 issue of the Journal of Nurse-Midwifery measured 12 significant drops in barometric pressure during 1992 and studied 162 births that occurred that year. The researchers found "significantly more occurrences of onset of labor" within 24 hours of one of the drops in pressure. However, researchers who undertook one of the largest studies on the issue -- which included data on 2,400 births and was published in 1996 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology -- found that labor was less likely to begin after periods of dropping barometric pressure, although the findings were not clinically significant, according to the Journal. Research into the theory remains "inconclusive," and some doctors and researchers say that most of the data supporting the theory is anecdotal and that labor onset is just as likely caused by the stress associated with an impending hurricane, the Journal reports. However, gathering adequate evidence and data to find a scientifically conclusive answer about barometric pressure's potential impact on pregnancy is difficult, the Journal reports. In order to get a clear answer on the issue, researchers would need to be able to measure the exact barometric pressure of the location of each pregnant woman and gather that information at varying times, including before labor, during labor and during times without low barometric pressure (Morse/Carrns, Wall Street Journal, 9/20).

In other words, maybe, maybe not. I'm going for the "maybe" option. But, did you notice in this little clip how it said that the stress from the hurricane could just as likely cause labor? So, my question is, just how much stress would it take to induce labor?

Anyway- get to the grocery store and stock up on bread and milk. If you have your 72 hour kits like you should, then no worries. If you haven't put together a 72 kit yet, then shame on you! I'm totally joking, by the way. The only reason I have a rockin' 72 hour kit is because my mother and mother-in-law saw fit to basically do it for me. Ann gave us a full kit a couple of years ago. All I've had to do is update the food items. Then mama led a huge ward project to get everyone a 72 hour kit a couple of summer's back and she made up for what wasn't already there. Rope, check; battery powered radio, check; change of clothes, check; flashlight, check; first aid kit, check; anything else you can imagine, check!

Just In Case You Were Wondering...

2008-08-31T22:45:00.003-04:00

For those of you who have been wanting to see the belly, here it is. I'm nearly 38 weeks and I'm hoping I don't make it to 40 ;)

Please excuse the full laundry basket in the background. Can you tell what I'm gonna be doing tomorrow for Labor Day!? On 2nd thought, I hope Labor Day truly becomes "labor day" for me! I can dream, can't I?!

Gooooooooooo Pirates!

2008-08-30T10:34:00.003-04:00

These pics are pretty self explanatory. Let's just say that the Dart boys take their sports seriously. It's not enough to just be a fan, they have to actually become a part of the team. Don't worry Grandpa, we still love the Cougars, but we just couldn't find pint size uniforms in Cougar Blue. I must admit though, we are looking forward to heading up to Dowdy-Ficklin Stadium in a few weeks! Pa, Uncle Joel, and Uncle Mike were pretty excited when they saw these uni's! Mike even whipped out his cell phone and started playing his Purple Haze ring tone. You know Zac just ate that up!

Restless Legs, No Sleep, and a Goal in Mind

2008-08-13T15:32:00.003-04:00

Have you ever heard of Restless Legs Syndrome? If you haven't, you're lucky. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders says this "Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these feelings." Under normal (unpregnant) circumstances, I only get restless legs when I'm extremely, overly, and completely exhausted. Not necessarily exhausted like I just ran 12 miles, but exhausted like I've just had a really hard day. Well, welcome back RLS! During my third trimester with all three of my pegnancies, I have experienced RLS. It is a miserable thing. For those of you who have it on a regular basis, I feel for you. It is truly a miserable thing to go through.

My restless legs manage to peak at night while I am trying to catch a little sleep. Between getting up to go to the bathroom and getting up to walk around and get my legs to stop twitching, I feel like I walk around all night long! Well, at least I can count those trips walking around the house toward my daily step count (you know we're all supposed to take at least 10,000 a day.)

So, on to other things. Most of you know (or maybe you don't) that I used to run quite a bit. "Used to" be the key phrase there. I have a marathon, a few half marathons, and several 10k's and 5k's under my belt. I must mention that all of this is thanks to my dear friend, Kellie. The first time I went running with her, we did 3 miles and I think I made her stop and walk about 10 times. She has run 15-20 marathons and countless other races, including the Boston Marathon. Her dad was my boss/drill sargeant who helped me prepare to run 26.2 miles. Gosh, I loved those days! Anyway- back to my point. I have decided to officially dive back into my running career after this little guy is born. Kyle and I have set a goal to run a half marathon together sometime next spring. He ran a few 10k's with me back in the day, but he has never done a half marathon, so we're both very excited. I also do better when I have a goal, so here's to setting a goal and meeting it!

Yesterday I went to TJ Maxx in hot pursuit of something totally different, but I ended up leaving there with a new Nike Dry-fit jacket and some Puma running pants. They, along with my running shoes are sitting in my room, anxiously awaiting their debut sometime near the end of September. I am officially pumped up about this! (The countless people I mentioned in my previous post who think I currently resemble a beached whale have nothing to do with me setting this goal!)

Being pregnant is such a wonderful thing. I know that I will miss feeling the pokes, prods, and punches from this little guy. We've gotten pretty close over these past nine months! But, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to get him out! If you've ever been pregnant, pat yourself on the back for making it through. If you haven't, tell your mom how much you appreciate her doing it for you.

That's all I got for now! Aly

Somewhat like the new jacket.
The running shoes wondering where I've been. The new pants.

Me, in a former life. I'm coming back, I promise!

Did You Really Just Say That?

2008-07-14T20:33:00.002-04:00

As all of you know, I am pregnant. In fact, I am really pregnant. With my first pregnancy, I gained 28 pounds. The experts all say it is healthy for the average woman to gain between 25 and 35 pounds, so I did just right. With my first pregnancy, I was so happy to be expecting, I didn't care how large I got. It had taken us over three years of lots of heartache and tears to get pregnant, so when I finally found out I was having a baby, I wanted to get big fast so that everyone would know I was pregnant!

My second pregnancy came as a surprise, but a very welcome one. It had been so difficult the first time, we felt very fortunate to have gotten pregnant with no fertility treatments. During my pregnancy with Will, we found out at my 20 week ultrasound that I had a few weak spots in my placenta. It was nothing to really stress over, but I was instructed to take it easy. Well, I really took it easy. At my last doctor visit before going in to have Will, I had gained 40 pounds. I still went one more week, so I'm thinking my final tally was probably somewhere around 42 pounds. I wasn't really all that self conscious about my size with my second pregnancy either, even though I managed to gain 14 more pounds than the first time! With both of my first two pregnancies, I was able to get back to my starting weight within a few months, so I wasn't too concerned.

Now, let's talk about my current pregnancy. This pregnancy has been difficult for me in so many ways. I was sooooo sick at the beginning. I threw up so often that I had a blood vessel in my eye that wouldn't quite heal up all the way because I kept re-bursting it! Some of you know who are around me a lot, but a lot of you don't know that I have a condition when I'm pregnant called ptyalism. It makes you produce much, much, much more saliva than you naturally would, so to deal with that, I had to spit ALL THE TIME! I know, it's so gross!!! I hate it! It is miserable. I can't explain to you how embarrassing it is to be speaking to someone and have to excuse yourself to go spit! It's crazy! Luckily, that has just about completely gone away. Occasionally, in the evening, it'll come on a little bit, but it's nothing compared to what it was for about 26 weeks straight!

This pregnancy, I have also been much more aware of how I look. I think I'm on track to gain a little over 30 pounds, which is within that 25-35 pound window, but for some reason, I have felt huge. No matter how many times my sweet husband and family tell me how radiant I look, I still feel like a blimp. I'm starting to think lately after some of the statements that have been made to me, that I am a blimp. Here are a few of the things people have said to me in the past few weeks. (Remember while you read these that I have 9 more weeks to go.)

Person 1, "Aly, when are you due?"

Me, "Sept 17th. I have about 10 more weeks."

Person 1, "Wow, I thought you were gonna say next week!"

Person 2, "Honey, how much longer do you have?"

Me, "About 10 weeks."

Person 2,"Oh me, you'll never make it!"

Person 3,"Bless your heart! You look like you're gonna pop!"

Me, "I hope I don't pop!"

Person 4, "Have you ever gotten this big before!?"

Me, "Yep, I sure have."

(This one's my favorite)

Person 5, "How far along are you?"

Me, "I'm about 30 weeks."

Person 5,"Good Lord! By the time you have that baby, you'll be as big as a house!"

Me, "Well, I hope I won't be as big as a house."

So, the moral of this little diatribe is this:

If you see a pregnant woman, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all! You don't have to shower her with compliments! She (I) may be really large! She (I) may look like I'm going to go into labor any second, but don't tell me those things! I can promise you that I, along with every other woman who ever carried a child, am acutely aware of how large I am. I am the one who tries to put on pants that fit me two weeks ago, but will no longer fit around my belly. I am the one who is now having a great deal of difficulty bending over to tie my kids' shoes. You don't have to tell me, nor do you have to tell any pregnant woman. WE KNOW!

Anyway- I have spoken my peace.

Be nice to pregnant women. You never know when her crazy hormones will take over and she'll point out all of your imperfections in response to your snappy comment!

Aly

Have You Ever.......?

2008-07-03T08:04:00.006-04:00

Allison had this list on her blog and it was so interesting to read, I decided to do it, too. It's pointless, but entertaining!

If it is highlighted in red, that means I've done it.

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said “I love you” and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don’t

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest (I don't dress up. Ever.)

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name...(when I got married)

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

13. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

59. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

63. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

69. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hotel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Nine.............

2008-06-15T13:19:00.003-04:00

Nine years ago today, Kyle and I got married in Washington D.C. This year, Father's Day also happens to fall on June 15th. I'm not one much for PDA, but I do want to say that I have been perfectly matched with my husband and the father of my little family. I am fully aware of how blessed I am and I am infinitely grateful that he picked me. Happy Anniversary, Kyle, and Happy Father's Day.

2008-06-11T13:12:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I ordered the boys and Kyle a new pair of swim trunks to take on our trip to Utah. I order things for two reasons: 1. It's so easy and Old Navy was having a great sale 2. The boys LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to get packages in the mail. They get so excited. Everytime I get a picture order in the mail, they sprint out to the UPS truck. Mr. "Brown" obliges and lets the boys help him carry the packages up to the door step. So today, when they saw that one of the packages was actually for them, they were elated.

I took these pictures while we were waiting for the UPS truck to come. I'm still just trying to get lots of practice with my 85 mm. I did finally use it in a shoot yesterday evening and I think I'm gonna love it. The hardest part is just getting used to the focal length.

So, we're off to Utah tomorrow to visit with our family out there. The boys are so excited and I am dreading the flight, but excited for the visit. Enjoy these pictures of my sweet boys. Zac was in a silly mood and pulling as many crazy faces as possible. This is my favorite of all of the crazy face pics. And I love the picture of them hugging. They really do adore each other, when they're not punching, kicking, boxing, head butting, or body slamming each other!

Cute, Handsome, Studly, Beautiful, Georgeous.....

2008-06-04T15:14:00.005-04:00

They are mine, so I can use all of those adjectives to describe them, but I think others may think they are at least cute! I have been practicing with my new 85mm lens pretty diligently so I can get comfortable enough to use it in a shoot. These are a few of my practice shots from today. Both were taken on the carport. Technically, I know the pic of Will has some pretty distracting background stuff going on, but I'm OK with that! I've been working on new black and white conversions as well, so I thought I'd try those at the same time. For anyone who cares, both of these conversions were done using a grayscale conversion, than a curves adjustment, levels, a slight soft light layer and a bit of color to give them a chocolate finish. Now that I've bored you all to death...

I'm so anxious to see who this new little one will look like. So many people tell me how much Zac and Will are alike, and I never disagree, as to not be offensive, but I don't think they are alike at all! Zac is all Swenson, to me. He looks so much like Ann through his eyes that it's hard for me to see anyone else! I do see lots of Nate in Zac, but Nate looks more like Ann to me than any of the other Dart boys. It's so funny how we all see different things, but I'm just telling you how I see it! No matter who he looks like, I can see that he is beautiful inside and out. He is so tender and kind. He gets embarrassed sooo easily and wants everyone to love and accept him. He tries so hard to be a good boy and is so hurt when he realizes he's messed up! He loves to ask about anything and everything, "Mom, why did Heavenly Father make......" Sometimes I can answer and sometimes I have say that I don't know! One thing he's really concerned with lately is why Heavenly Father allows people to do bad things. We talk daily about free agency and our right to choose and make decisions. He's only four now, so I'm wondering what kind of discussions we'll be having when he's ten?

Then there's my little Willy. Emily hit the nail of the head today. She said that Will looks like mine and Kyle's faces morphed together! At times I see so much Kyle in him, but other times, I really do see myself in his expressions and features. He is definitely a Dart looking boy, but I like to think there's a little Hancock shining through, as well. Will and Zac are such different animals. Zac is overly affectionate. I feel pretty lucky if I get a good hug a day from Will. Now, he'll dish the love out to my mama, but he's a little stingy with his affections. He is much more introverted than Zac, but once you're "in" with him, you're "in." He loves Uncle Tommy and he loves baseball. He loves it more than Zac. It is in his bones. It amazes me that a two year old can watch and completely understand a baseball game, from start to finish. There's no way I can explain to you, unless you've seen it in action, his love for the game.

Will can also throw a tantrum with the best of them, but I think we're finally getting that under wraps. I am so lucky to have good, sweet boys. Kyle and I try so hard to teach them to be kind, so I can only hope it is sinking in. Parenting is hard stuff, but also the greatest stuff on earth. If you want to know the name of boy #3, just ask Will. Eventually you'll figure it out!

Completely Random...

2008-05-30T10:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was a little cooler than is typical for this time of year, so yesterday evening was so nice and pleasant - except for the gnats! Grandma and Pa had just finished cutting the grass, so it made a perfect outfield for fly ball practice. Zac and Will love for Pa to hit ground balls, throw pop flies, throw batting practice, and any other thing that has to do with baseball. I asked Zac if he was ready to go inside (because of the gnats), and he said, "I could stay out here forever!"

Saturday night was Joel and Lauren's reception. This picture was last minute and thrown together, but it has our whole clan in it, so it works! If you haven't noticed, the wedding colors were purple and gold - ECU colors. As I was looking at this picture, I realized that all of the adults in our family have attended ECU at some point. Of course, ma and pa met there in the library and that's where it all began. Emily and Joella and their husbands are all ECU grads. I went there for my freshman year before transferring to BYU and Kyle finished up his last few courses there to get his bachelors before law school. Leah and Rodney are both ECU alumni. Lauren was a ECU cheerleader and Joel just finished up one degree there and will be starting his next in June. Mike just barely transferred out to BYU, but put in his two years as a Pirate before heading out west. So, I guess it was quite appropriate that we were all donning the purple and gold!

Vote for Alexa!

2008-05-21T15:03:00.002-04:00

Even if you don't know Kyle's cousin, Alexa, you can still follow this link and vote for her! She is one of the final three on Utah's Rock Star! Please, vote for Alexa!

http://www.kutv.com/content/morning/default.aspx

Wedding Day

2008-05-18T21:48:00.003-04:00

My brother, Joel, got married yesterday to his high school sweetheart. It was such a wonderful day and I took so many pictures, I can't sort through all of them tonight, but here are a few. I thought I'd share a pic of all of my sisters and their spouses as well. I realized as I was posting these that I left poor Mikey out, but I'll dedicate a whole post to him soon. I'll post millions more wedding pics later, but I'm tired and I'm going to bed. Aly

Fun in the Sun

2008-05-09T11:55:00.003-04:00

We have a favorite spot to visit in the summer. The boys LOVE to go to Aunt Glenda's house. (She isn't really an aunt by blood, but she might as well be.) She had a perfect little spot on the shore with no shells and perfect sand for the boys to dig and play and swim. This was our first visit of the season, but I'm sure we'll be down there several times a week from here on out.

The boys had a blast and I enjoyed catching a few rays! I certainly need some sun, so it was great. The boys love to be buried in the sand, but will only stay there for about 30 seconds after all of the work is done!

I am so happy it's getting warmer and looking forward to wonderful summer!

Brotherly Love

2008-04-24T11:36:00.002-04:00

The weather has been beautiful today and I got a new camera lens in the mail, so it was a perfect combination to go out and take some pictures of my two little ballplayers. I'm thinking that another little guy to play with these two won't be so bad.

So You Think You Can Wait?

2008-04-23T12:10:00.004-04:00

My mom, my sisters, and I have a huge obsession with the show, So You Think You Can Dance. Well, we don't have to wait much longer! Coming May 22nd, we'll have the two hour season premiere! I can hardly contain myself! Here's a little preview of our favorite dancer from last season. His name is Danny and he is,was, and forever will be AMAZING!

I Think I See A Trend

2008-04-22T09:24:00.009-04:00

I have a lot of friends with a lot of kids.

Most of them have had a baby within the past year or so.

So, now I will list them and see if you see the trend I'm talking about.

Kristen: Girl, girl, girl

Becca: Boy, boy, boy

Jami: Boy, boy, boy

Rachael: Girl, girl, girl

Tiffany: Boy, boy, boy

Kelli S: Boy, boy, boy

Cheryl: Boy, boy, boy, girl, girl

I come from quite a gigantic family. So does Kyle. Here's another manifestation of "the trend."

Susan (my mother): Girl, girl, girl, girl, boy, boy

Ann (Kyle's mother): Boy, boy, boy, boy, boy

Helen (Kyle's grandmother): Girl, girl, girl, girl, girl, boy, girl

Sharee (Kyle's aunt): Girl, girl, girl, boy

Kellie (Kyle's cousin): Boy, boy, boy

Bertha (my great-grandmother): Girl, girl, girl, girl, girl, girl, girl. girl, girl, boy

Leah (my sister): Boy, boy, boy

Sister (my aunt): Boy, boy, boy

Nola (my aunt): Girl, girl, girl, boy

Thelma (my aunt): Boy, boy, boy, boy, girl

Lana (my cousin): Girl, girl, girl

Rachel (my cousin): Boy, boy, boy

Becky (my sister-in-law's mother): Girl, girl, girl, boy

Julie (my cousin's wife): Boy, boy, boy, girl, girl

I have a great doctor. I was discussing this trend with her yesterday as I was having my ultrasound.

Dr. D'Andrea: Girl, girl, girl

Now, I know this is not a scientifically proven theory, but I am definitely seeing a trend here amongst the people I know.

If you haven't quite picked up on the trend yet, for those who already had two babies of the same sex, the third was the same sex. I know that eventually many of them went on to have a baby of the other sex, but IF the first two were the SAME, then the THIRD was also the SAME.

So without further ado..............meet baby Dart #3.

Yes, it is a boy. No, I am not surprised. No, I am not disappointed. Yes, I a very happy. Yes, I think I'm a good boy mom.

So there.

Amendment

I totally failed to think about my mom's side of the family. Here's their stats:

Faye (my grandma): Girl, girl, girl

Aunt Gladys: girl, girl, girl

Aunt Doris: girl, girl, girl

Great-grandmother Ada: girl, girl, girl

Only more proof that my theory is, in fact, correct!

Amendment#2

James' grandma: girl, girl, girl, girl, girl

Jami J.: girl, girl, girl

Tiffany Z: boy, boy, boy, boy

Karen W.: girl, girl, girl

It's craziness!

Really Cool New Blog to Checkout

2008-04-09T19:32:00.002-04:00

My really creative cousin had a wonderful blog idea and I'm trying to help her spread the word. Check out www.50statesofhair.blogspot.com Tell all of your friends about it!

New Pictures of the Boys

2008-04-08T13:32:00.002-04:00

The boys love running around in their underwear, so I decided to make it a photo opportunity. They still have bed head and sleepy eyes, but I love these. Enjoy. Aly

Finally Getting Around to One of My Many Tags

2008-04-07T12:49:00.012-04:00

I have been tagged several times lately, but I've been a little lazy at responding, so here goes!

My Favorite Things

Place: 204 Lewis Street, duh!

Book: This is difficult. I like a lot of books. Let's say, The Fountainhead.

Movie: Sad to admit, I love chick flicks. That's OK, though, because my father-in-law does, too, so we just go see them together. I go through phases, but right now it's Pride and Prejudice.

Memory: Being at my grandma's house as a little girl.

Trip: You're killing me! I have a hard time picking favorites. Let's say St. George with my family last spring. We met Jason and Kellie down there, which made for a perfect vacation.

Day: Saturday

Color: A very specific shade of sea foam green. Look in the Pottery Barn catalog and you'll see it.

Food: None, right now, but usually Stewed Hard Crabs.

Song: How do I pick!? I have to categorize these. My favorite hymn is Lead, Kindly Light, closely followed by, I Need Thee, Every Hour. My favorite popular song is Crash by Dave Matthews.

Ice Cream: I don't really like ice cream that much, but I'll say anything fruity.

Grade: 9th-It was fun being the new kids on the block.

Birthday: 8th, Birthday, Thanksgiving, Baptism- all the same day

Holiday: Thanksgiving

Word: Kyle

TV Show Current: American Idol

TV Show Past: Alias

Website: ILP

Store: Nordstrom Rack (can't afford the real thing.)

Soft Drink: Dr. Pepper

Historical Topic: Church History

Musical/Play: Guys and Dolls

Restaurant: Cafe Rio

Thing to Do: Be with my family

Ok, That was fun. Don't worry Wendi, I'm getting to yours, I promise!

I tag- Whoever wants to be tagged.

Brotherly Love

2008-03-27T21:48:00.002-04:00

Easter Bunny, T-Ball, and Other Stuff

2008-03-26T10:00:00.003-04:00

On Saturday we had an Easter Egg Hunt at church. It was our privilege to have the Easter Bunny come and do the Bunny Hop with all of the kids and have his picture taken with each of them. He was such a good sport. He thought the costume would cover his face until he put it on and it didn't! Pa said he had no idea the Easter Bunny had facial hair! Over 70 kids showed up and I think they all had a great time playing games, hunting eggs, and having a cookout. While Mike was in Thailand on his mission, he had to be Santa Claus for an event, so he lots of practice!
Yesterday was Zac's first official T-Ball practice and he was literally beside himself all day long. I tried to convince him that full uniform wasn't necessary for practice, but he would have nothing of it. He had to wear it all. He had a wonderful time and he made some new friends on his team. Several of his cousins are on his team, so they all had a great time practicing with Uncle Kevin. Kevin is so nice and patient with the kids. There are also several kids from our ward on their team. They all had a good time. We just have to convince Zac that he doesn't have to take it quite so seriously! He said it was amazing, so I think it'll be a fun season. Will isn't actually on the team, but how could I tel the poor boy who's getting ready to go in for surgery that he can't wear his uniform and play, too!?

Jake had a good time sitting in the infield while they took batting practice until he got hit in the head with a ball! He decided to move after that.
Grant just had a good time hanging out with his friends. It was so good to see him out there enjoying it and playing just like everyone else.
Riley was a little timid, but he had a good time. When he batted, he was smokin' the ball!
This is a picture of the team, minus Riley. He'd had enough by the end.
Today we are going to New Bern to take Will to his pre-op before his surgery on Friday. Zac has requested to stay home with his cousins. I just had to say the word "hospital," and he said he'd rather stay home. I've talked to so many people who have been through this with their kids and they seem to have had a pretty easy time, so I'm optimistic that Will's surgery will be uneventful, as well. His itching seems to be improving since we now know what's causing it. We've discovered rice flour, gluten free cereal, and all kinds of good stuff. We also found out he's very allergic to cats, so I guess my decision to never have a pet has been reaffirmed! He's also on a combination of singulair and allegra now that seems to be working. He's such a sweet boy and complains so little.

Snot, Anyone?

2008-03-19T11:43:00.003-04:00

Will has a snotty nose 100% of the time. I wipe it constantly, but it just keeps running. The best part is when he comes up to me and puckers up! It's great. It's just another part of Will that I've learned to love.

So, how about how green Ma and Pa's grass is!? You should see their beautiful yard and now it had a nice white fence surrounding it. They are so happy! This picture was taken one morning soon after we got up and Zac wanted to wrap up in a blanket and sit on the porch. Notice his fever blister. I have never had one, but he's had dozens in his short life. He's such a sweet boy. Lately he says things to me like, "Mama, Even if you are getting a chubby belly, you're still beautiful to me." Or my favorite, "Mama, even on days when you don't look pretty, you're still pretty to me." Those days are more often than not lately because I have no clothes that fit, so I stay in my sweats all day.

Will's Woes

2008-03-11T17:31:00.005-04:00

Will has had an exciting couple of weeks and there are still a few more things to come before it's all over with! Let me start by saying that he, pretty much since birth, has had very bad eczema. I know that a lot of kids have skin allergies and I haven't really wanted to be a drama queen about it, so I've just religiously put Aquaphor all over him after every bath and intermittently throughout the day, hoping that someday, it would just get better. Sometimes he bleeds from the creases behind his knees and arms. He is constantly, I mean CONSTANTLY, scratching somewhere on his body. He scratches so uncontrollably in his sleep that he wakes up with new scratches where his digging has broken the skin!

In January I took both of the boys to the doctor for annual check-ups, and the doctor commented on Will's skin condition. She also noticed that he has gigantic tonsils and adenoids. She asked me if he ever snores to which mama and I both started laughing because he snores like a grown man! After prescribing eczema cream, Allegra, and Nasonex, she decided Will would be better off going to see an ENT.

So, fast-forward to the end of February after taking the above medications for over a month, and off we went to the ENT. After a few minutes, the doctor informed me that his recommendation would be to have Will's tonsils and adenoids removed as well as place tubes in his ears. He also wanted to run a complete allergy screen to see what was causing the skin allergies to be so severe. That meant another trip town to go the the hospital to have lab work run. Will was an angel for the lab techs who drew the blood. He never made a peep and they drew A LOT of blood.

Fast-forward again a week later and I got a call from the ENT to say that Will was allergic to: milk, wheat, nuts, soy, corn, and eggs. My first thought, "Great! Now I'll have to have my own bubble child for the rest of my life!" But, it really isn't that bad. He is most allergic to nuts and that allergy will most likely never go away, but get worse over time. (Hence, the epi-pen that now is my constant companion.) As for the rest, he will probably outgrow most of them by the time he starts school and none of them are so severe that I have to worry about him going into anaphylactic shock because of exposure. I just have to pay pretty close attention to what goes in his mouth to hopefully prevent his eczema from getting worse. We're hopeful that as soon as he gets most of these things out of his system completely, his skin will improve.

The tonsil/adenoidectomy/tubes surgery is scheduled for March 28th in New Bern. He'll have to stay one night in the hospital, but nothing too serious. He's been a little trooper thus far for all of his appointments, so lets hope he does the same for surgery and post-surgery! Luckily I've learned from my families' experiences over the past year or so that a one night stay in the hospital for a routine surgery just isn't a big deal. In fact, as long as we're all alive and kicking, nothing's a big deal, it's all just part of life.

On another note, thanks to all of you who have been thinking about me over the past several weeks. My cold is going away and I am beginning to see light at the end of the first-trimester tunnel! This, too, shall pass! Love, Aly

TAG, I guess I'm it!

2008-02-26T20:12:00.003-05:00

What is your spouses name? Kyle Clayton Dart

How long have you been together? We started dating the summer of 1998 and now it's 2008. I guess that would be 10 years!

Who eats more? Kyle eats way more junk food than me. I'm not tempted at all by chocolate or sweets, but he loves them. I can give him a run for his money when it comes to a good meal.

Who said 'I Love You' first? I really don't have a clue.

Who is taller? Kyle

Who Sings better? Me, I guess, only because I sing more than he does. He actually has a great voice, but no one would ever know because he never sings!

Who is smarter? Kyle is most definitely smarter when it comes to books, legal issues, history, current events, etc. I usually have a little more savvy than him when it comes to things around the house.

Who does the laundry? I used to do all of the laundry, but since I've been so sick, he does just about everything in the house. He's an angel.

Who does the dishes? See previous question and get your answer!

Who pays the bills? I used to, but it stressed me out so badly that Kyle took over and I love him for that!

Who mows the lawn? Well, we haven't had a lawn to mow in years, but when we did, Kyle mowed the lawn and I did the flower beds. It was so much fun.

Who cooks dinner? Me (or my mom, these days) Have I mentioned how sick I've been lately. I should take a picture of the busted blood vessel in my eye to show you how often I have been worshipping the porcelain god these past few weeks.

Who is more stubborn? Neither of us are stubborn at all.

Who kissed who first? Kyle

Who asked who out first? It was arranged by our parents.

Who proposed? Kyle proposed on New Year's Eve 1998. We were here on the island and we stopped at a spot on the shore that we both really loved and there were a dozen rosed sitting there. It was so sweet.

Who has more siblings? I do. I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers. He has 4 brothers.

Who wears the pants? We're pretty equal in everything.

I guess I have to tag someone, so I'm tagging whoever would like to answer this tag!

Aly

An Obsession of Mine

2008-02-20T19:22:00.003-05:00

So, I have somewhat of an obsessive personality. Once I decide I like something, I really like it. I don't really ever do or follow anything halfway, rather, I dive in whole-heartedly. I have been so happy for the past few weeks (in between gagging and throwing up) because one of my obsessions is back! Yeah for American Idol!!!!! I admit it, I LOVE American Idol. I enjoy the audition episodes at the beginning of the season, but once they choose the top 24 and start the voting, it is pure heaven for me! I just love everything about it. Call me shallow, call me anything you'd like, I'm sure you have some secret obsession you'd be ashamed to admit!

So, you may be wondering, which contestants am I pulling for? Well, I will tell you. I am pulling for Brooke White and David Archuleta. If you are wondering why I picked those two, read a little about them and see if you think we have anything in common. I'll leave it at that.

Expanding.....

2008-02-04T19:56:00.000-05:00

Well, for those of you who don't know yet, our family is expanding and so is my waistline! We figured it was time to add to our happy little crew, so come September, he/she will be here. The boys are excited and seem to want a sister (no prodding from Mom, I promise) and I am excited for the next few weeks to pass so I can feel better. The heartburn, my gosh, the heartburn! (You'll only get that if you've seen a particular episode of Seinfeld) I feel like someone has put a blow torch inside of my chest. It's a miserable as anything I've ever experienced, but, this too shall pass, as my wise mother always tells me. I just have to remember the payoff. I am hoping for twins though, so then I'll never have to be pregnant again!

Baseball, baseball, baseball

2008-01-21T19:13:00.000-05:00

You would think that we already own every baseball cantraption invented, but yet another has made it's way into our home! The boys love this tee (or whatever it is) and I love it because it entertains them for hours.

Charlie James Morris

2008-01-18T17:29:00.000-05:00

I don't have much time to post, but I just wanted to share these pics of my new nephew born early this morning. His name is Charlie James Morris and he weighed in at 9 lbs. 12 ozs. and 21 inches long. He's a big boy!

Drum Roll..................

2008-01-03T16:52:00.001-05:00

Here's the new do! I guess I was going for a more sophisticated look. I really like it, I just have to get used to it!

Tubing and Sledding

2008-01-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

Kyle and Ryan took the kids out sledding on Saturday and they had a great time. Each time they'd get to the bottom on the hill, Will would say to Kyle, "Wanna do it again!" Zac has really enjoyed spending time with Josh over this vacation. Abbie brought a friend along so she wouldn't be the only girl!

Kyle and our boys went out again yesterday with Brandon and Kason, but they didn't take a camera along. Brandon pulled them around on the back of the four-wheeler and Zac loved it. We've really had a great time spending time with our family out here.

Christmas Newsletter

2007-12-17T23:17:00.000-05:00

I included a Christmas Newsletter when I sent out Christmas cards this year, but I thought I'd share it here, since I typically don't send out very many cards!

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Holidays from the Dart Household! I hope that this letter finds you and your family doing well. 2007 has been an exciting and eventful year for our family and we feel so fortunate to have received so many blessings. We are forever grateful to family and friends who have supported and sustained us through this past year.

The most exciting thing to happen to us this year was Kyle’s graduation from The Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. We absolutely LOVED our three years in Colorado, but we are so happy to have moved on to the next phase of our life. We miss all of friends in Denver so much and we want all of you out there to know that we think of you often and we feel so fortunate to have been surrounded by such wonderful people during the past three years.

After Kyle’s graduation in May, we moved back to North Carolina where Kyle accepted an associate position with the law firm of Kirkman, Whitford, Brady, and Berryman. He is so happy with the profession he has chosen and he is surrounded by wonderful people. When he’s not working, Kyle is a wonderful father and takes time out of every day to spend with the boys. He also loves to read anything and everything, but he has particularly enjoyed reading from his library of “the classics” over the past several months. He is serving as the Young Men’s President in our ward here on the island, as well. (Yes, he is very busy!)

Since moving back home, I have been able to really expand my photography business, and I am having such a good time. It is keeping me really busy, but I am enjoying every minute of it. I am also teaching piano lessons at the Crystal Coast School of the Arts one afternoon a week. I am teaching some wonderful kids and I have really loved “getting out” that one afternoon each week! Zac and Will keep me busy and there is never a dull moment in our home! In my spare time, I am serving as the Primary Pianist in our ward and as the Ward Activities Chairman.

Zac is a ball of energy! He is the life of the party and he keeps us all laughing. His love affair with baseball has only grown deeper as he gets older. He is now four years old, so he’ll FINALLY get to play T-ball this coming spring! When he’s not pretending to be Chipper Jones (the Atlanta Braves 3rd Baseman), he is pretending to be Jay Cutler (the Denver Broncos Quarterback.) He also loves to write the names of all of his family members and to read for hours on Grandma Susan’s and Grandma Ann’s laps. He’s a great older brother and he has done a wonderful job of teaching Will everything he knows about baseball (which is A LOT!)

Will is such a sweet and mild little boy. He turned two in November, and he loves baseball just as much as Zac, so they are perfect playmates. He has also developed an interest in Thomas the Tank Engine, and loves playing with toy trains, as well. We have discovered that Will is an animal lover! My parents and brothers have two new boxer puppies and Will loves them. I think Maggie and Skully (the puppies) realize he loves them, so they love him, too. They are so cute to watch!

We are so happy to be approaching the end of such a wonderful year and we are especially thankful during this season for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and all He has done for us. May you all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2008!

Love,
Kyle, Aly, Zac and Will

Family Picture Time

2007-12-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again! We went to take family pictures last weekend to put on our Christmas card and things went very well! The boys were perfect little models and We even got a decent family shot. Now, if you really want to be impressed, we also got great shots of Emily and Joella's families! It was at least a small miracle! I think I have the cutest kids, but I am their mother. Merry Christmas to Everyone and Wonderful 2008!

Winter Sunsets

2007-12-06T20:25:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share a few sunsets from the beautiful place we call home! Winter sunsets are so beautiful. They make the sky look like it's on fire. I hope you enjoy these. Aly

Remembering the Summer

2007-11-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Well, cool weather is finally upon us. I was looking back through some of the pictures I took this summer and never got around to sharing or editing. I found these from our trip to Utah at the end of the summer, so I thought I'd share.

We had so much fun on our trip. We spent nearly all of our time with Grandpa and Nic. We took daily walks to the cemetery and we visited out on the porch of the cabin for several hours one evening. Kyle's uncle, Paul R., is hilarious. He tells the funniest stories. One of the pics is of him and Nic as we all sat around visiting.

We tried to go to the zoo one day with Nic but the funniest thing happened. We went to eat at Cafe Rio and Nic showed us around the area in Salt Lake where he has lived for the past couple of years, then we headed up to the zoo. It was just a normal Thursday, so we thought. As we drove up to zoo, we noticed there weren't very many cars there, but we parked and started to walk up and we were met by a security guard. Here's the conversation:

Security Guard: Are you guys coming to the zoo?

Nic: We sure are (kinda in the tone of voice that said, "well, we are parked at the zoo and walking up to the zoo, so we are probably going to the zoo."

Security Guard: Well, the zoo's closed today.

Kyle: Are you serious?

Security Guard: Yep, I'm serious.

Nic: Oh, so do you close periodically for cleaning or something?

Security Guard: No, just today.

Kyle: Oh are you closed for a week or something for maintenance?

Security Guard: Nope, just today.

Nic: You mean to tell me that this is the first time I have tried to come to this zoo in over years, and it is closed, just for today?

Security Guard: Yep.

Nic: Well, you know what you call that don't you?

Security Guard: Uh, no.

Nic: That's just flat out, bad luck. (He actually said another word instead of bad, but I'll refrain from writing that in my blog!)

It was quite surreal. But, it was true, the zoo really was closed, so we went down to the planetariun instead. We saw a dinosaur 3-D IMAX show and the boys had a great time, even without the zoo!

Here are a few pics from that trip.

Zac and Will

2007-11-06T21:34:00.001-05:00

My two little guys have done and said some of the cutest things lately. I'm blogging about it for two reasons. One is to share with you how wonderful my children are and two, so I won't forget over time all of these cute things.

It all starts when Will wakes up at about 7:45 every morning and the first thing he says is, "Hey, Mom. Game?" When he says "game" he is referring to the XBox college baseball game. He just wants me to put it on automatic play and he watches it and pretends to be the players; fielding ground balls, pitching, batting, running the bases, sliding, etc. Whenever a player gets a hit, he yells, "He hit that ball!" Then he runs around in a circle a few times, slides, and yells, "Safe!" This entire scene is re-enacted several times a day. It's hilarious.

Then Zac gets up and at about 8:30 or 9:00. When I say, "Good morning, Zac," his immediate reply is, "Mom, I'm NOT Zac, I'm Jay Cutler!" He wastes no time before he gets into full Jay Cutler attire (see a previous post for pictures), and starts running plays with his entire imaginary team. He gets into position, looks to the right and yells, "Blue 22," looks to the left, "Blue 22, hike, hike!" Then he takes off, dodging tackles, avoiding collisions, and finally falls down, as if he's finally been run down by his opponent. It's a site to see.

Last night, I went to work out and while I was gone, Will pulled our Christmas tree over on top of him. Kyle said he heard something and ran into the living room to find Will peaking out from under the tree! And yes, I have already put my Christmas tree up. I haven't been able to put one up for the last five years for different reasons, so Kyle and I decided on Saturday morning we wanted to go ahead and get the Christmas season started. We both love the Holidays and we love Christmas music. We have a rule that after Halloween, Christmas is free game. I love the fall and Thanksgiving. My birthday is in November and often falls on Thanksgiving Day. It is my favorite time of year! Anyway- I redecorated the tree this morning and Will have been warned!

Zac is full of funny statements these days. He is constantly saying, "For the love of Pete!" I have no idea where he got that from, but he cracks me up when he says it. He planned his own surprise birthday party a couple of weeks ago! It was quite the spectacle. He's a funny boy.

I'll stop gushing. I'm just a proud mama. I hope these stories make you smile. My boys keep a smile on my face all the time.

Aly

Tagged (This one's for you, Kel!)

2007-10-25T10:27:00.000-04:00

Kellie tagged me. So here goes....

1.Best thing you cooked last week- I made a pretty yummy salad on Sunday night for cousin's night. It was spinach, avacado, strawberries, almond slivers, and a raspberry vinagrette. I think it was a hit!

2.If money, time and babysitting were no object, where would you go and with who? Wow, now that's a loaded question. No offense to anyone else I love, but I think I'd go with Kyle to Europe. We've talked about it a million times and someday, it WILL happen! We've got a thing about the Swiss Alps (right, Ky!).

3.When was the last time you cried? The last time I cried was last week sometime. I got my feeling hurt, but now I'm over it!

4.5 things you were doing this month 10 years ago. Wow, now let me think. I was a freshman at ECU. I was a Teaching Fellow, so I'm sure I probably went to a TF meeting in Mendenhall. I can guarantee I went to the Rec Center with Rodney to play basketball and workout. I'm sure I probably had a flag football game (we kicked butt, by the way!) I was babysitting for Spence and Brenna a few days a week and on the weekends I was waitressing at the Sanitary. Is that five?

5.5 things on your to do list today: Today, I have to go and get a banner to make a sign for "It's In-tents." I have to edit several photo shoots. I have to watch Josie's kids while she teaches piano. We are going to Trick or Treat Under the Sea tonight at the Aquarium, and I have to fold about 5 loads of clothes!

6.5 favorite snacks: I actually am not a snacker, but I do love Diet Coke, salty things, cheese, Funyuns, and an occasional piece of chocolate.

7.5 bad habits: Drinking way too many soft drinks! Clicking my tongue on the back of my teeth when I'm thinking. Not exercising enough! Wasting time on the internet when I need to be editing! Being negative!

8.5 favorite foods: Pasta with chicken white sauce from the Brick Oven. An enchilada style chicken burrito from Cafe Rio. A good steak from a nice restaurant. The Jose Special from Mi Rancherito, and my all-time favorite, stewed hard crabs!!!!

9.5 places I've been: Niagara Falls, Orlando, New York City, Nauvoo, Vail.

10.10. 5 favorite memories: My wedding day. The birth of my children. Running the St. George Marathon (26.2 miles!). My newlywed years in Utah. We worked about 5 jobs a piece and lived in Kyle's grandparents house, but we had the most fun. Living in Denver and all of our wonderful friends there.

Kel, that was therapeutic!

Has It Really Been Ten Years?

2007-09-27T19:37:00.000-04:00

Kyle and Aly My friends since kindergarten, Kendra, Courtney, and Beth
My bestest bud from high school, Allison and her husband, Korey
The class of '97 (minus about 100)

Well, I am getting old. This past weekend was my ten year class reunion. We had a wonderful time. Kyle got to meet a lot of my high school friends he's never seen before and I got to catch up on ten years of life experiences. On Friday night there was a meet and greet at a restaurant on the waterfront, then on Saturday the reunion was at the Morehead City Country Club. It was very nice. It was catered by a local restaurant and there was live music. It's amazing how little everyone has changed over ten years. Here are a few pics of some of my friends.

Jay Cutler

2007-09-13T13:40:00.000-04:00

Zac decided a while back that he wanted to be a Broncos football player for Halloween. Well, I know Halloween is still 6 weeks away, but you have no idea how this kid had bugged and pestered me about this uniform. We saw it on Target.com and several time daily, he has asked me to pull it up and show it to him. Anyway- it has arrived! He is so excited. Notice the serious scowl in the first picture- he told me he had to look tough! All day long, he has referred to me as "Photographer," and I have had to address him as "Jay Cutler." As a matter of fact, he just walked up to me and said, "Hey photographer, come one! I have a game at 2:30 and I can't miss it!" I would like to get inside of his head, just for a second to see how fast the wheels are turning. He's a mile a minute!

Oh, Happy Day!

2007-08-27T14:17:00.000-04:00

I guess you can probably tell from the title of this post that today's letter from the North Carolina State Bar of Examiners was a good one! All of the worrying is over and it is official, Kyle is now a lawyer. I did not doubt whether or not he would pass, but I have to admit that my hands were trembling and my heart was pounding as I opened the letter to read to him over the phone. It read, "Dear Mr. Dart, Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you......"

We cried tears of joy and chatted briefly, then I went downstairs to tell mama the good news. Kyle called back a couple of minutes later to have me read it to him again! He wanted me to check the fine print and make sure it really said he passed.

He worked so hard and studied so much. He was blessed and rewarded for his preparation. He is such a good husband and father. I really could not ask for more. I feel so blessed to have him forever!

I snapped this picture the other day when he got home from work. I thought it was appropriate for this post.

If You Want to Laugh...

2007-08-23T21:24:00.000-04:00

Joella called me this morning and said she had read one of the funniest things ever, so I obviously had to read it, too. A mom of six kids was selling a pack of Pokemon cards on Ebay that one of her kids had snuck into the grocery cart. I know that doesn't sound too funny, but wait 'til you read her explanation of why she is selling the cards! I was laughing so hard, I had to wipe away tears so I could see well enough to continue reading. I am also adding a link to this lady's blog. It's hilarious. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:12

http://mom2my6pack.blogspot.com/

Here's a cute picture from today, just because... I though it was cute!

Just a Swingin'

2007-08-12T22:45:00.000-04:00

It has been so hot here lately that we haven't been able to spend too much time outside, but when we do go out, the boys love to swing. Zac has learned how to pump his legs to go higher and faster, so he feels like a big boy now, especially since he also learned to ride a bike last week. He's growing up. Will just loves to play ball, imagine that! He spends a great deal of time playing catch with Kyle and Pa. He loves to field the ball and play catch much more than Zac did at that age, but he isn't nearly as interested in batting as Zac was back then. It's so funny how their own little personalities show through. I love watching them grow!

Trip to Charleston

2007-08-12T22:00:00.001-04:00

Well, we finally did it. Kyle and I have been talking about taking a vacation without the boys for a while, but we never quite seem to go through with it, but we finally did. It was wonderful. That's not to say that I didn't miss the boys, but I loved spending time with Kyle. Our lives have been so busy lately with moving, studying for the BAR exam, taking the BAR exam, helping out with family needs, and so many other things, that we desperately wanted a little time to ourselves.

The first day we drove down to Myrtle Beach, SC and checked into our hotel, which was very nice. I had reserved it online, so I was a little anxious to see if it was as nice as it appeared, and it was great. That night we went to see Le Grande Cirque and it was very enjoyable. I would suggest going to see something like it (Cirque Du Soleil, etc.) if you get a chance.

The next day we drove down to Charleston, SC. It was a very pretty drive through several small towns. We passed dozens of beautiful golf courses, which made Kyle drool a little. As we approached Charleston, there were so many little shacks on the side of the road where the local artisans were selling their sweet grass baskets, which are apparently a novelty, so they are very expensive. A basket about the diameter of your fist was $25. Needless to say, we just admired the craft, but passed on purchasing one for ourselves!

While in Charleston, we stayed with Rachel and Jason Frivance. Rachel is my brother-in-law, Kevin's, sister. They were so gracious and were great tour guides.

We ate at some wonderful restaurants. At the recommendation of Joella and Neil, Kyle's boss, we first went to Magnolia's in downtown Charleston. It was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Kyle had salmon and I had flounder and we had the fried green tomatos for our appetizer. The atmosphere was great and the food was as good as everyone said it would be.

The next day we started by going on a carriage ride through the Battery and the Rainbow Row. It was so fun. Our guide was so informative and the sights were so beautiful. Most of these pictures were taken while on this ride. The architecture was the most interesting and enjoyable part to see. The homeowners in the Historic District also keep the most gorgeous window boxes you've ever seen. Mama would give them a run for their money, though!

We had such a great trip. Kyle even took me to see Hairspray one night. I guess he really does love me! I loved that, too. Now it's back to the real world, but we certainly enjoyed our little respite together. Every couple needs that every now and then!

Enjoying the Summer

2007-07-22T20:24:00.001-04:00

The boys are enjoying a summer full of swimming, playing at the shore, playing with cousins, riding bikes, and the list goes on and on. Last night we celebrated Pioneer Day at the church and everyone had such a fun time. So many people in the ward worked so hard to make it an enjoyable and memorable day, and we are appreciative of their sacrifice. Here are a few pictures from the evening and few more from the past week.

A Beautiful Place to Live

2007-07-22T20:00:00.001-04:00

The older I get, the more I realize how beautiful my home is. As a child, I remember my aunt, Sister, always becoming very emotional whenever she spoke about coming "home." As an adult, I now know how she felt, because I feel that way now. When I look at these pictures I have taken over the past few weeks, I can even smell the places and feel the humidity and breeze. I wish everyone could experience feel it when they looked at these pictures.

Kyle feels the same way about his home, as he should. I hope that the word "home" evokes pleasant and joyful emotions in everyone. It certainly does for me.

Living at the Hotel Hancock

2007-06-21T17:57:00.000-04:00

Well, we are getting settled and having a good time. Living at my parents' house is an adventure. We LOVE being here, but there is always something going on! Eleven grandchildren in 7 years makes for a fun time when we get together. Leah and her family have been here for the past week to visit and to show off her new little one. He is adorable. I took some really fun pictures of him on Monday, so as soon as I get them edited, I will post them. Anyway- eleven little Hancock kids running around feels a little like a zoo. The kids love it, so it is all worth it.

We have a perfect apartment upstairs complete with a kitchen, washer and dryer, bathroom, living room, and two huge bedrooms. I am attempting to make it look a little more like home. So far I have hung 3 pictures, a clock, and a wreath! Impressive, I know. My mom and dad have been so gracious to let us disrupt their lives for the next few months, but we are so grateful for their hospitality and long-suffering.

I just got around to editing some pictures from our visit in Utah last month. Here are a few.

Getting Settled

2007-06-06T08:57:00.000-04:00

Well, we've been here for two weeks today, and we are getting settled in and finally getting some things put away. The boys are enjoying their cousins and grandma's huge yard. Kyle is already busy studying and preparing for the BAR and I am trying hard to unpack boxes, edit pictures, watch kids, etc.

My sister, Leah, had a baby yesterday, so we went up to Raleigh for the day to meet Carter Michael Steelman. He is blonde and fair like Leah. I think he looks just like her. His brothers were very excited for him to arrive. Leah and Rodney and the baby are doing well.

I've haven't taken too many pictures since I got here, because I've been too busy, but here are a few from the other day.

Graduation, Champions, and an Evening at the Ballpark

2007-05-20T01:35:00.000-04:00

Today Kyle graduated from law school. He has worked so hard and he has loved his experience as a student at the University of Denver. It was a very nice graduation. The Attorney General of Colorado, John Suthers, gave the commencement address. He was short and sweet and too the point, which was nice for those in attendance. Afterwards, we went to lunch with Kyle's parents, my brothers, and our good friends. I was so proud of Kyle.

Later in the afternoon, Kyle and his friends from school played in the intramural softball championship game. They miraculously came back from a 13 run deficit in the last inning to win the game. All but two of them graduated from law school this morning, so this was a nice way to finish off a great era. Zac was their bat boy and good luck charm. He loves being a part of the action, and the guys all love him, too.

After Kyle's game, the guys all went down town to watch the Rockies and the Royals. The Rockies pulled off a victory, the hit four home runs, Zac made it onto the jumbo-tron yet again, and Mike almost caught a foul ball, but conceded viictory to the man who hurdled several people, including several children, to snatch up the ball. Zac has been on the jumbo-tron more in his 3 years than most people are in a lifetime!

Ann, Will, and I went to the mall and wasted a little bit of time, then we headed home. Will was a champ this morning for graduation, but I didn't have the heart to make him sit still for several more hours in the same day. He enjoyed the dogs at the pet shop in the mall and a fruit cup from Chick-fillet. It was a great day.

A Flood of Memories and a Depth of Gratitude

2007-05-06T00:28:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday Kyle and the boys and I drove over to Utah from Colorado to spend a few days with his family before we move home to NC. The boys were so good and watched several movies during the nine hour trip, so Kyle and I were able to spend several hours talking. It was so nice.

We discussed everything on this road trip from baseball to houses and from religion to politics. Of course, our conversation landed upon Grant, Emily, Kevin, and their entire family. As we spoke of our gratitude for technology, brilliant doctors, and miraculous treatments, I couldn't help but think about my Uncle Denny, and my grandparents, Charlie William and Margarette. Much like Grant, Denny was a vibrant and strong little boy; and much like Emily and Kevin, grandma and granddaddy were loving and attentive parents. Denny was a little older than Grant when he was diagnosed with leukemia, but there was one huge difference-time. I am so thankful that in this day and age, doctors have been inspired and guided to find treatments that not only fight symptoms, but heal little boys and girls of this terrible disease. I am so sad that my uncle, Denny, wasn't able to receive these treatments and that my grandparents had to suffer losing a son at 9 years old.

I admire my grandparents for their strength and long-suffering and I am in awe of my sister and her husband for the way they have chosen to react to this obstacle placed before them. It would be so easy to get mad and say why me, but it is through these trials that Heavenly Father proves who we really are, and they have definitely proven themselves to be strong and faithful parents. I am so thankful for their example.

As Kyle and I discussed my grandparents, I began to have a flood of memories from my childhood. My grandma was the epitomy of what a grandmother should be. In my mind's eye she was always cooking or baking something, usually light bread or bread pudding, but always something. She always wore a house coat and cloth shoes from Roses or Maxway. Most of the time her hair was messed up from where she's taken a nap earlier that day. She loved The Young and the Restless and The Price is Right and watched both religiously. She had the most contagious laugh (which will never die as long as Leah's around). She wore clip on ear rings and she had beaded necklaces in every color. She had a white house with a white picket fence that granddaddy built. She had the best swing ever on her front porch and a few rocking chairs that all had black paint chipping off of them. Right by the front steps there was a bright pink hydreanga bush that she absolutely loved. Around the corner of the house were those little pink flowers that had clover-like leaves. She had the best tree ever in her front yard that he nearly every grandchild's name carved in it. I've climbed to the top more times than I can count, much to granddaddy's chagrin. He was scared to death we were gonna "get killed." Luckily, none of us ever did.

There was a honeysuckle in the back yard that smelled heavenly. There was a gigantic heater in the kitchen that I still can't quite comprehend why it was so big! In the winter, she'd always block the front of the house off with an accordian door so they didn't have to heat the front two rooms, therefore in my memories, those two rooms were always cold. She al'ways had Coca Cola in the glass bottle in the fridge for granddaddy, but we'd always drink them as soon as we walked in the door. We almost got a good old fashioned switching one night after emptying grandma's fridge, but luckily our pre-switching screams were so loud, our neighbor came over to see what the fuss was all about! (We had been forewarned to stay out of the kitchen!)

I have such vivid memories of swinging on the porch and watching it rain. The smell is still so vivid in my mind. We would sit on that porch for hours and count the cars passing by. We'd all pick a color and at the end, the person whose color had passed my most won the game. We'd run circles around her house over and over again. We'd play Red-Rover in the front yard, but, as we all know, no one would ever send me right over! I'm still scarred by that! We'd play the egg game on the front steps where you'd approach the person on the front step and say, "Do you have any eggs," and they'd reply, "What color." Then you would begin saying colors and when you said their color, they'd take off running and you had to catch them. It sounds pretty stupid thinking about it now, but boy was it fun back then.

We'd go to the landing and play in the water. We'd pick up shells and bottles and torment Uncle Mike's crabs. I was nearly decapitated once on a bike ride down to the landing, but I lived to tell about it, so I guess it wasn't as bad as I remember! I also almost had my hand blown off by a firework down there one Fourth of July, but I don't have any scars from that either.

I could go on for days, but I won't. I loved that house and I love the two people who lived there. Soon after granddaddy died, so did the house, but in my mind it's still there. I am still 6 years old and grandma is still swinging on the porch while granddaddy waits at the landing for Uncle Mike to come back in. I am so thankful for memories. I am so lucky to have so many good ones.

Super Grant's Page

2007-05-03T19:18:00.000-04:00

My nephew, Grant Nelson, was diagnosed last week will ALL T-Cell Leukemia. My family has set up a blogspot to update family and friends on his progress as he fights this disease. Check it out of you get a chance at www.grantnelson.blogspot.com

Zac and Frenchy- BFF's

2007-05-03T18:42:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, the Atlanta Braves were in town to play the Colorado Rockies. We go down to Rockies games quite often, but this was a special weekend because we are a Braves family (although, I still have equal allegiance to the Red Sox)! Kyle's dad and uncle, as well as several cousins, drove over from Utah to see the Braves play, so we were able to get the private box from Kyle's work reserved for Friday and Sunday, and we purchased tickets right behind the Braves dugout for Saturday. It was a beautiful weekend and we were able to see many homeruns, great catches, and an unassisted triple play, which has only been done 13 times in the history of the MLB.

But the highlight of the weekend for our family happened on Friday an hour or more before the game even started. Kyle decided to take Zac down to the field to watch batting practice before the game. They met the crew from Utah there, and quickly headed down to the third base line to get a closer look at some of their favorite players. Zac loves Chipper Jones, and I'm sure he always will, but Jeff Franceour, the Braves very young right fielder, has moved up the list of favorites for the Dart family.

In Kyle's words, "Zac was so into it." He was enjoying watching all of the players take BP. One of the ushers noticed Zac and called him down closer to the field to give him a ball. So Kyle and Zac went on down to about 5 rows up from the field. Just as they were finishing their conversation with the usher, Jeff Franceour was finishing his BP. Franceour's nickname is Frenchy, so Zac started yelling, "Frenchy!" Franceour looked up and, as Kyle said, all they were expecting was a wave, but to their surprise, he said hello, and called them down to the dugout.
He was so nice to them. They chatted for a sec, then he signed the ball the usher had just given Zac. Zac was in heaven and kept tittering and saying, "It's Frenchy." I guess Franceour thought that was cute because he kept laughing at Zac and before he said goodbye, he took the batting gloves off of his hands and gave them to Zac!

I'm not sure if Frenchy treats all of his fans this way, but we were certainly impressed by his kindness and attention to a 3-year-old who absolutely loves the Braves. He went on to hit a homerun and to make a game winning catch to end the game. Throughout the series, he played great. I believe that good things happen to good people and he certainly proved himself to be a good person that night.

For My Mama

2007-04-28T02:07:00.000-04:00

Hey Mama, These are for you from Pa! It's beautiful. Aly

A Few Reasons to Be Happy

2007-04-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

I was just sitting here thinking about all of the good things that have happened lately, and it makes me so happy, I thought I'd share.

1. My brother, Joel, got engaged last weekend to a really sweet girl from Florida named Maghen. She is from Orlando, FL, so they will be getting married there in August. I am so happy for Joel and Maghen. No one deserves to be happy more than Joel. I haven't ever met Maghen, but if he loves her, then I do to.

2. My sister-in-law, Heidi, told me last night that she is expecting a baby. This little one will be due on Will's birthday, November 23. I am so happy for Brandon, Heidi, Jaisha, Makylie, and Kason. That is one lucky baby to come to their family.

3. I started officially packing today to move home in just a few more weeks. This is somewhat bitter sweet. But the sweet definitely out weighs the bitter.

4. Will's last two teeth finally cut through, so maybe the sleepness nights and fussy days will be over soon.

Definitely reasons to be happy, don't you think?!

Hair Issues and Good Friends

2007-04-15T02:12:00.000-04:00

So,yesterday I did the stupidest thing I've ever done, well maybe not the stupidest, but pretty close. My hair was getting on my nerves. It was longer than it's been in a while and it had some split ends, so I decided to try to trim it myself, and while I was at it, I thought maybe I'd cut a few layers, too. Well, long story short, I ended up having to cut 4 inches off because I had butchered it so bad. I was wearing it curly in these pictures because it is so uneven, there's no way I could wear it straight right now! Luckily, we're going to Utah in 2 weeks, so my sister-in-law, Heidi, will be able to do something with it. I'm thinking about going pretty short. Well, I don't really have a choice, do I!

Anway- on to my other topic, good friends. Last night was my friend Becca's birthday, so we had a girl's night out. She's the cute one in green. She is about to have a baby in a couple of weeks! She definitely doesn't look like it! We had such a good time. I have so many wonderful friends here in Denver who I will miss so much. These are just a few of them.

I'll keep you posted on the hair issues. Let's just say I have retired my hair cutting scissors, at least until Kyle and the boys need a haircut!

Easter Sunday

2007-04-09T19:40:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a great Easter Sunday, besides the snow and freezing temperatures. Zac and Will looked so cute, and Kyle was handsome as ever. Zac had to say the scripture for the first time in Primary and he did such a good job. He walked right up there and said, "He is not here, for He is risen. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 282:6." I was so proud, I could hardly contain myself.

After church, we went to Greg and Lisa's for a wonderful ham dinner. It was a great day.

For Leah

2007-04-06T16:37:00.000-04:00

Le- This is what I'm thinking. What do you think?

Snow in April

2007-04-05T15:32:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing I've learned about Denver, CO after living here for almost three years, it's that the weather is completely unpredictable and it can change within a matter of minutes. Case in point, I took the boys to the park Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because it was so nice and warm, a little windy, but very comfortable. So, today I wake up and start to open a window as I have for the past several days, and it was freezing. That prompted me to look at the weather report, which, much to my chagrin, calls for snow this weekend!! Woe is me!!! As soon as I saw this forecast, I started to remember the other two April snow storms I remember over the past three years. We learned valuable lessons during both, so I think I'll share them with you.

Lesson #1 April 2005 (early April)

I don't remember too many details leading up to this particular weekend, but I do remember it was the Annual Master's Golf Tournament. Kyle was elated that we were "snowed in" because he got to watch all 72 holes of golf without worrying about where he should have been instead of parked in front of the TV. This was before the wonderful days of DVR in our household, so his only chance was to watch it live, or not watch it at all. Well, everything was going great, we were staying warm and enjoying our "family time" until...we ran out of MILK! Now this may not sound like a huge deal, but for those of you who knew Zac at that point in his life, you'll remember that the boy loved him some milk. He needed it for naps and bedtime. I had just weened him a month before so he was very much in love with his bottle at this point in time.

So, Kyle, being the wonderful father and husband that he is, decided he would venture out to Wal-Mart, about 2 miles away, to get some milk.

I bundled him up, made him wear gloves and a beanie, and reviewed all of the rules of driving in the snow on icy roads. Then, he left to brave the white out and several feet of snow already on the ground. About 30 minutes after he left, he called me. I was hoping he'd say, "I just got here to Wal-Mart. Do you need anything else besides milk?" But that was not the case. He said, "I'm stuck." He was stuck literally 1/4 mile from our house and had slid off of the road. My first thought was for him to just walk home. But we couldn't leave our little white car out there in the white out. It would be virtually invisible after an hour or so when the snow covered it again, so we had to do something. Luckily, our friend, Nate, lived right by where Kyle was and he had 4-wheel-drive. So he drove over and pulled Kyle out and helped him get home.

So here's what I learned. It's nothing too profound, but I learned the simple lesson to always be prepared. As members of the church, we are taught to be self-sufficient and to prepare ourselves for such times. Now, I know it's not reasonable to think that milk is one of those necessities of life that we must have in our 72-hour kits, but this experience did make me think about how prepared I was for a more dire situation. Would I have been ready for the a hurricane, or a real blizzard with no access to a grocery store for several days? It's something to think about.

Lesson #2 April 2005 (late April)

Kyle's brother, Nate got married in April of 2005. My brother, Joel, got home from his mission in March of 2005, and we weren't able to go home to NC for his return, so he flew out to Denver in April to join us on our trek to Utah for Nate and Ani's wedding. When we left Denver, it was beautiful weather. We had gone to a few Rockies' games earlier in the week and our ride over to Utah was rather uneventful.

We had a great time in Utah. The wedding was lovely. I was a couple of months pregnant, so all of the wonderful food wasn't as good as it could have been, but still, it was a great trip.

So, the time came to head back. Let me preface this by saying that we are always so cautious and particular about which day we drive home. We look at weather.com, accuweather.com, wunderground.com, cdot.com, etc. The day we picked to travel called for a few flurries in the afternoon, but it was supposed to be a good day for travel, according to all reports.

The first 2/3 of the trip were fine. But, as we started to enter the Vail area. It started to snow. I was driving, so I immediately pulled off and traded Kyle positions. As we headed back on to the highway, Kyle was driving, Joel was co-piloting, and Zac and I were in the back seat. It's an understatement to say that conditions quickly went from bad to worse. Before long, we were in complete white-out conditions. It was snowing so hard and the roads were so bad, we couldn't even see exits until we were past them. We were still climbing to Vail summit, which is about 11,000 feet, I think. I am not exaggerating when I say that 18-wheelers and 4-wheel drive SUV's were literally sliding off of the side of the road in front of us. We were in our 2004 Chevrolet Aveo, a dependable little car but not really the best car to be driving in a snow storm. At one point we literally came to a complete stop, tires spinning under us, as we trudged up the mountain. I was praying, and I know Joel and Kyle were praying, too. Somehow, our tires were able to get a little traction, and we started to progress slowly back up the mountain. Joel made the comment then, which he would explain in greater detail later, "If there's one thing I learned while in Brazil over the past two years, it's that one of the errands of angels is to push cars."

Soon after the Eisenhower Tunnel, we were able to see well enough to locate an exit with a motel in Georgetown, CO. It was a Best Western. It could have been a Motel 6 for all I care! I was just happy to be safe and warm in a hotel room with a gas station directly in front of it.

Later that night, Joel related an experience he had had while in Brazil where he had a pushed a car by himself to help a man whose car had broken down and needed to have a push start. I don't remember the details of the situation, but it seems that the man was desperate to get somewhere, and it was very late at night. After several attempts to push start the car, the man, Joel, and Joel's companion had become exhausted. Joel said that he prayed and prayed as they pushed, and he just closed his eyes and pushed with all of his might. When he finally heard the car start, he opened his eyes to see that he was the only one standing there and that the others were standing several yards back where they had given up. Just as Joel know then that angels had helped him, I know that they helped up on that mountain that night. There's no logical explanation why 4-wheel drive SUV's where sliding off the road and we were able to keep trudging up. I do know that the Lord works in mysterious ways. I have no doubt that his hand was in our safe arrival at the Best Western in Georgetown, CO. But more importantly, I also know that his hand is in the small things that we fail to even realize or acknowledge on a daily basis.

I hope I don't have to learn any important life lessons in this weekend's pending snow storm. But I am thankful for those I learned in the other April snow storms of my life.

Conference Weekend

2007-04-04T15:56:00.000-04:00

This weekend we spent quite a bit of time with Greg and Lisa since it was conference weekend. Zac loves to go to their house because 1. he loves Greg and Lisa 2. they have a backyard where he can play an unlimited amount of baseball. Sunday, he decided he needed to be in full uniform, including eye-black. The kid loves baseball. Will just loved playing out in the yard and eating all of the treats Lisa had prepared. Greg, Lisa, Kyle, and I enjoyed watching conference and eating good food. We had burgers on the grill and fruit dipped in chocolate fondu for dessert. Zac loved eating the chocolate with a spoon. It was a wonderful weekend with wonderful friends. We are surely going to miss them when we move next month (tears). Zac in action Zac and mama

Popcorn Time

2007-03-30T18:26:00.000-04:00

Today I watched my friend Kristen's girls, Carly and Maya, for a little while for her to go to the doctor. We decided to make some popcorn and they all loved it. It was so funny watching them all stuff their faces. A little Berenstain Bears to keep them entertained, and you have the perfect formula for success.

Enjoying Cousins

2007-03-30T15:33:00.000-04:00

We spent last week in Spanish Fork with Kyle's family. Zac and Will thoroughly enjoyed spending time with their cousins. The weather was beautiful most of the week, so they were able to play lots of baseball. Zac and Josh became instant partners in crime. Zac was devastated the day we left, but luckily, we're going back in a few weeks.

Sunshine and Fun Times

2007-03-20T00:12:00.000-04:00

We went down to St. George this past weekend for the Sunshine Baseball Tournament to watch Spanish Fork play. We had a great weekend with wonderful weather and great baseball games. Spanish Fork ended up winning the tournament for the third straight year. Kyle's dad and Nic met us down there and lots of our friends were down there as well, so that made the weekend even more enjoyable.

Zac was is heaven. If you know Zac, you know he loves baseball. He quickly became the socialite of the tournament. At any given time, he was mingling with some group of older kids, quickly making new best friends who would buy him Big League Chew bubble gum and popcorn. At one point, he was playing home run derby with the older kids and they moved in because he was so little. They quickly found out that this kid has taken more swings than most ten year olds, and he hit, in his words, a "bomb." To top the weekend off, Zac got to hang out with the person he aspires to be, McKay Barney. Even when we're home in Denver, I have to bw Kellie and Kyle has to be Jason several times a week because Zac is McKay.

Will just enjoyed watching the kids run around and eating the candy people kept handing over to him. He also enjoyed to kiddie pool at our hotel. He and Zac played for hours in the 5x8, 1 foot deep, pool. They loved it. Zac insisted on getting goggles and snorkel, and he proved to be pretty good at it.

Kyle just loved being with his dad and Nick and his best friends watching Spanish Fork baseball. He was like a kid in a candy shop. It was fun for me just watching my three boys have so much fun.

More Warm Weather

2007-03-13T17:35:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful day.

Back to Baseball

2007-03-12T12:44:00.000-04:00

We had a beautiful weekend here in Denver. We had a little rainshower Saturday night, but we even enjoyed that because it smelled like summer. The boys are so happy that we get to go outside and play, instead of sitting inside all day trying to think of things to do!

Make an on-line slide show at onetruemedia.com

Visiting With Nate

2007-03-07T22:39:00.000-05:00

Nate came over to Denver this week for business, and the boys were so happy to him. We were able to hang out at the house on Monday and Tuesday night, and today we went to the mall for lunch and playtime. Kyle and I were pretty happy to see him, as well. Luckily we'll be heading over to Utah in a week!

Zac's One-Liners

2007-03-07T02:22:00.000-05:00

Zac is the funniest little boy. He reminds me sometimes of my brother-in-law, James, and here's why. James is smart, I mean really smart. He's a marine biologist for NOAA. Anyway, on a regular basis, James uses lots of big, sophisticated words. The cool thing is that these words are just a regular part of James' vocabulary. So, back to Zac. Zac learned to talk very early. He was singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" verbatim at 18 months. He remembers just about everything he hears (I've found that out by the occasional "what the h*** are you doing" he says to me. Who knows where he learned that!?). His new thing is his love for big words. For example, today we were going through a drive-thru car wash, and as we entered it, he said, "Mom, this is so interesting." I told him I thought it was interesting, too, and he responded by saying, "It really is fantastic!"

A few weeks ago we were driving home from church and he said, "Mom, I was so generous today." So I responded by asking how he had been generous to see if he really knew what that meant, and he said, "I shared my books and my fruit snacks with that boy who was sitting in front of us." I could share so many funny stories, but here's my favorite and I'll stop bragging. On Sunday afternoon after church, I put a movie on for him in my room so that I could hurry and cook dinner before having to leave for choir practice. He walked out of the room and said, "Mom, would you be so kind as to get me a drink of water?" I just started to laugh and I asked him where he learned that phrase, and he said he learned it at school. The child has never been to school, so I've yet to learn where he picked that up, but it's cute, nonetheless.

Will's not quite on the fast track for speaking like Zac was, but he is saying a few words. He's got so much personality, though. Needless to say, there's never a dull moment with Zac and Will around, and I love every minute of it. Well, almost every minute of it! Like 99.9 percent!

Feels Like Summertime (Well sort of)

2007-03-06T18:46:00.000-05:00

Today was a beautiful day in Denver, so we went to our favorite park that we haven't been able to go to for a long time. The boys had a great time. I didn't get very many pics of Zac because he was moving too fast, but Will was cheesing it up for me the whole time. Enjoy.

Make an on-line slideshow at onetruemedia.com

Flat Stanley and Jay Cutler

2007-02-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

Our neice Abbie is doing a project for school where she sends "Flat Stanley," a character from a book to someone in the mail, and in return they do something fun with Flat Stanley and document his travels. Abbie chose to send Flat Stanley to us, so we took him over to the home of the Denver Broncos and their year-round training facility, which happens to be one block from our house. Our plan was to just take a picture of Zac and Stanley by the sign, which you will see below. But, as we were leaving, Kyle's boss, Tyler, walked out of the building. Kyle said hi and introduced the family to Tyler, then Tyler asked if we wanted to meet Jay Cutler, the starting Broncos quarterback, so of course we said yes. We got to chat with him for a while and he was a very cool guy and happily took a picture with us and gave us an autograph. He reminded me of Nick. Anyway- here are the pics of the day. Enjoy.

Finally...Good Weather!

2007-02-22T01:22:00.000-05:00

We've finally had a few days of good weather this week and it has been wonderful. It's amazing how the weather can affect your overall outlook on life, but it definitely can! Today it was 55 degrees, but compared to the extreme cold we've been having, it felt more like 70 degrees. We went out to play for a while today, and the boys loved it. Kyle was home for lunch, so he was able to play for a while. I hope you enjoy a few pics and videos from the past few days.

Photo and video editing at onetruemedia.com