Be good for goodness sake...

Well, you'll have to turn sideways to see this and it's a little dark, but I just had to post it. I tried to get Sydney to perform again, but none of them were this cute, so kink your necks and enjoy our little singer! Oh...and Merry Christmas!

December happenings...

It's December and there's been many big events going on around here. Starting with December 3rd, Payton's 5th birthday. He had a "family" party on his birthday and a "friend" party the next day at BOUNCE U, which turned out to be such a fun time! Next big thing...December 7th, Sydney had surgery. It has been a much anticipated event for our family and I am so glad to have it all over with. Sydney was such a brave little girl. I was so impressed with her, I definitely shed more tears than she did. Everything went perfectly and we are so glad she has recovered so quickly. She is a trooper. And finally, Payt's last soccer game! It poured rain, but they let them play anyways...so we had a bunch of soaked tigers. It was still a lot of fun and Payt scored the last goal of the season. We went out for pizza and Payton is definitely looking forward to his party this afternoon where he'll be getting his trophy. All in all, we are just so blessed to be healthy, happy and together. Hope you enjoy some pics of these big events in our lives. Now if we could just get our Christmas tree up :)
Payton and his coach!
Payton and his wet soccer mom!
in the waiting room...
She wasn't thrilled about the hospital gown!
what a good little patient.
Birthday boy and his lightning McQueen cake...
tons of fun presents, thank you friends!

Payton is brutally honest***Post from Mike***

Payton looked at me today and said,"Dad, Carmen moved to Mexico. I'm sad the house will never be clean anymore. I will miss her."

November...

It's been a whirlwind and I can't believe it's mid-November. Just thought I'd get that lovely pregnancy test off the top of this page...so here's a few pics of the last few weeks. We went to my cousin Amy's wedding in Utah. She married Clark and it was a wonderful day. Mike and I left the kids home so we got to spend some fun time with all my brothers & sisters and my parents. It was a nice trip, beautiful weather. It was great to see all my extended family, too. Now we are home and the weather is wonderful here, as well. I have been a working girl lately, but we did manage to get to the zoo the other day and the kids had a good time. My thoughts are with my brothers & sisters galavanting across Europe these next few weeks. Man, I'm jealous. But I'm sure they are glad NOT to have an extra pukey prego tagging along. Love to you all...hope you are well.

#3

Ok, so the real reason I suck at blogging lately...actually suck at most everything lately...yes, baby number 3 is on its way. No real preference boy or girl, we are just super happy and I am super anxious for this supposed first trimester to end. Needless to say, it's been a little rough, especially with the new job and everything. But I am surviving. A big shout out to my dear husband who is sooo patient and sooo helpful and without him I sure would be a sad, sick pregnant girl! Anyways, thought I would share the news with any of you that weren't in Utah this past weekend when the cat came out of the bag :)

Ooo...it's the night of Halloween!

WELL. I have heard from more than one source that I am a failure in the blogging department and it's true. But I have valid excuses...mostly just so busy. I started my new job and have been crazy busy with primary and of course, Halloween. I got to go see my sisters and brothers in LA. The highlights were pinkberry yogurt, WICKED, and seeing all the stars on "The Office". It was so awesome. You can check out my sister Jenna's blog for all the pics, though I don't know how to link her here, you can find her on my friends and family links. Anyways, Halloween was so much fun. Mike and I dressed up as Jim and Pam...and it was funny. I love Mike's attempts at "Jim's expressions". Payton was Chuck Lidell with a real life mohawk and Sydney was a beautiful Snow White. Danny and Jeannie made a hilarious Siegfried and his tiger. And Kristine took the cake with her ballerina outfit. Lots of fun, too much candy. This "candy fairy" (me) keeps filtering through their buckets and throwing it away (not the kit kats) so it's slowly but surely disappearing. Heading to Utah tomorrow for Amy Jill's wedding. I am excited to see all of my family. Hope your holiday was a fun one.

Disneyland

We "last minute" as always, went to Disneyland one last time. We met up with the Schilds and their family, which was so much fun! The kids had a great time together. And seriously, kudos to the Coopers who have the whole "fast pass" thing down to an art! We had a great time, kids LOVED it! Payton went on every ride! He loved Splash the most...though he got quite wet! Sydney even got to go on Matterhorn and she wasn't even scared! We got to see our friends Blake and Mikelle which is always a treat. Thanks for the hospitality, as always. And a windy day at the beach made for some great kite flying. It was a nice trip.

Big Stars...

Alright, well these kids are very good at lyrics or I need to get a new CD in my car! Out of the blue, they both start singing this song tonight, thought you might enjoy. Watch out Tim!

Pele Payton

This is the first time I've attempted to post on Sarah's blog. I don't mean to boast, but I've had a lot of requests for Payton's soccer footage. As the assitant coach I try not be too emotional or cheer too loud for my son. Payton I've learned,is a very competitive player. After three games(only 8 quarters) he has a total of 14 goals!! The parents on our team have nicknamed him "Pele Payton".
Hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

explanation.

Funny story about the last entry...the first picture I posted wasn't even my husband! It looked like him from the thumbnail size pic, but when I got it up, it was none other than Blake Bunker. I laughed for like a half hour, thought about just leaving it for fun, but then deleted it and put this one that Mike claimed was his "favorite pic of us". Turns out that the real reason he wanted to me to post it was because of the naked lady in the back ground. Forgive me!

Hubby Tag...

I guess when both of your sisters tag you...you should probably respond! Here goes:

My husband...

What is his name? Michael Gregory VanSteenkiste

How long have you been together? We've been married almost 7 years...dated a year before that. Wow!

How old is he? twenty-nine

Who eats more? Sadly, I do. He is a lightweight.

Who said I love you first? Sadly, me. On a blanket on the beach :)

Who is taller? He is a few inches taller.

Who sings better? Uh...I dare say me. But he is a very wonderful singer and guitar player. He is a talented guy.

Who is smarter? Depends on the topic. As far as grammar and the human body go...i win. But he starts talking internet marketing, real estate laws, and I check out. Sometimes it seriously seems like he speaks an entire language that I know nothing about!

Whose temper is worse? He whistles hyper loud when he's mad and the kids are being noisy. It hurts my ears so bad...I would say HE loses his temper more than I do.

Who does the laundry? Me. I would never trust him to wash or dry my clothes.

Who does the dishes? Me. Unless I beg or leave them in the sink for more than 2 days.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do, always have.

Who pays the bills? Wells Fargo bill pay ;)

Who mows the lawn? the hired help ;)

Who cooks dinner? Mostly me...but he is king of the grill.

Who drives when you are together? He does, though he tries to convince me it's a woman's job too.

Who is more stubborn? I would say we are even.

Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? Uh...probably Mike. Mostly because he is most often wrong :)

Whose parents do you see the most? Used to be his because they lived close by, but now it's probably a tie since they all live out of state.

Who kissed who first? Mike kissed me on the dock at Beaver Dick Park. Laugh if you will, but it's a true story.

Who asked who out? He invited me to go to the mall with him and out to Applebees. If you call that a date, then he did.

Who proposed? Mike

Who is more sensitive? Me. Need I remind you of my maiden name ? We are a sensitive bunch.


Who has more friends? Mike

Who has more siblings? I do...6 of us, 4 of them.

Who wears the pants in the family? He does. Though we try to be a team ;)

I am tagging: anyone who wants to!

back in the swing of things...

I am still here, fixed my blog (it may not be that cute, but at least you can read it!) and trying to get my house clean and my life back together! I've been pretty busy with primary and job interviews, blah blah...but hopefully we'll be back in the swing of things soon.

troubled template...

Is anyone having trouble seeing my blog? Since I changed my template, I have had a few complaints, so if you cannot read this blog, please email me at srammell@hotmail.com and let me know. I think it might just be you mac users :)

Maybe you should comment if all is well on your end. thanks.

he's a soccer player!

lots of news.

My husband tells me I "have lots to blog about" so here I am. I guess I do...
Payton started pre-school again at the Montessori Learning Center and I tell ya, I'm so glad! He was driving me crazy with all his neighborhood friends already in school. He goes with Rylee Schild and they have two new teachers. Can't believe our kids are almost 5. Another big first, Payton started soccer. He had a few practices and then Friday, his first game. Mike is the "assistant coach" so that's fun. He is a good coach when he gets off the phone :) jk, honey. And we've learned that Payton is a very fast runner and proud to say he scored 3 goals! Might I clarify: 2 for his own team and 1 for the other team! Isn't he thoughtful? It was hilarious! The final score was 2-1 and we got it all on video...I will try to post some highlights soon! Go Tigers! As you can see in the picture, Sydney is a big fan of her "best brother". You could hear her yelling "my best brother is winning!" throughtout the game. It was such a fun first game. Many more to come, I'm sure.
Another big thing going on is the ever wonderful Primary Program. It is this Sunday, so I'm just praying it pulls together. We practiced Sunday and it was actually ok, so I'm hopeful that it will all go smoothly. The kids are sweet, that's for sure.

Well, that's pretty much it! It's still dang hot around here, but we are looking forward to some cooler weather, sometime soon!
Alright, we send our best to you all.

Dama-Dama

Hope she's not mad, but I had to include this picture in tribute to our tough Grandma (Dama Dama) Joan. She is such a trooper! And our sweet boys Payton & Mack. They get so excited to see each other & are good buddies.

Idaho...isn't she lovely?

Yes, we just spent a week in Utah/Idaho with our family. And I just have to say that the weather was so nice! We had a fun time seeing all our fam...Andrew & Jenna flew in, Kate & Andy are home and all the brothers. We also got to go to Idaho and visit with the grandparents. We had a marshmallow roast at Todd & Jill's and had delicious fish & chips dinner at Aunt Nae's and saw baby June. She is such a sweet little thing. On Labor Day we went to the "Homestead" out on the dry farms and grandpa Rammell told us stories and showed us where the original home was. I enjoyed being with all those people. We also got to visit grandpa Moulton at the hospital while he was getting his chemotherapy. We had a few political disputes during the republican debate...but all in all, he is looking and feeling pretty good :) We went to the Chappell cabin and rode horses and went fishing. The kids have a ball together and they will have lots of good memories there. Poor Dama-Dama got bucked off the new horse and really bruised her up a bit...and to top it off she landed in a pile of horse poop! Mack said "Dama Dama fell off the horse. That was my favorite part!" and Sydney is asking me all the time to see the picture...and Payton said he couldn't watch, he just closed his eyes! Sweet kids. They got to go to Bear World with Dama Dama and then out to lunch with Pop. They came home with matching bear shirts and stuffed animals courtesy of Snake River RV Park. They were so cute. On the way back to Utah we went to the Blackfoot fair and ate lots of goods. And the kids got to go on all the rides, which they loved. I am very glad to be home, but it was a nice trip with nice people.

Hey baby, let's go to Vegas!

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Well, I have just returned from my offical first girls trip. And it was so much fun! I met up with my college roommates (Rachel,Talia & Tiffany...missed you Kam & Jill) in Las Vegas for a few days and we had a really great time catching up...hadn't seen Rachel for like 4 years or something crazy! We stayed at the MGM, went to Celine :), ate out, shopped, swam, chatted, re-told "Ricks" stories, and laughed a lot. We didn't gamble at all, but I did have my first karaoke bar experience...even did a duet with some guy who was impressed with my singing! It was hilarious. I did miss my babies and my sweet Mike who kept the kids and was such a great dad while I was gone, but it was a nice little break for me and a good time to catch up with the girls.

Thanks ladies, for the wonderful trip. I love you girls. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ;)

Payton Michael

Payton is four.
He is named after his daddy.
He can do a "guilletiene" and other UFC moves on his sister.
He prefers his juice warm.
He has a lot of friends (real and stuffed)
He loves "rama noodles" and would eat them for every meal if allowed.
He is a good student.
He loves to draw.
He rides a two wheeler.
He swims like a speedy fish.
He likes to play "playhouse disney" online...especially "print & color".
He is a good big brother.
He likes gymnastics.
He likes to skinny dip ;)
He has long surfer hair.
He is a collector.
He is our special boy.

Sydney Kate

Sydney is two.
She is named after her aunt.
She pees in her Dora potty, on occasion.
She loves cheese.
In fact, she goes to bed with juice & string cheese...mom's a pushover.
She loves Ariel.
She can roll her tongue.
She has lots of babies: abby, posie, sarah, gracie, hannah.
She sleeps in a "big girl bed".
She likes to watch "Max & Ruby".
She is a good dancer.
She likes going to nursery with the kids.
She can do a killer forward roll (sommer-sault--sp?)
She loves her big brother.
She always blesses the missionaries when she prays.
We love our Sydney girl.

"I've been tagged..."

Thank you Jenna, I was beginning to feel left out :) Kidding, kidding. I'm not too exciting, but here goes. It should have "favorite books" on here because then I would add "Eclipse" to the top of the list. I read it in one day, all 600+ pages. The kids were neglected, yes, but it was sooo good. Mock if you must Jeramy & the rest of you critic men...but it was good and we girls like that sort of thing!

Jobs I've had
1. mama
2. Pediatric Nurse
3. janitor (yes, it's true)
4. medical billing secretary

4 Movies I Can Watch Over and Over Again...
1. drumroll...The Notebook
2. How to lose a guy
3. Anne of Green Gables
4. Meet the Parents

Places I Have Lived...
1. Mesa, AZ
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Provo, UT
4. Woodbridge, VA
5. Merida, Mexico

Favorite TV Shows...
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. ER
3. The Office
4. Lost

4 Places I Have Been On Holiday...
1. Cali
2. Mexico
3. Italy
4. New York

Favorite Dishes...
1. Mike's steak & avocado
2. salmon taco
3. penne rustica @ mac grill
4. bbq chicken salad

Websites I Visit Daily...
1. Email
2. Blogs
3. sugardoodle (primary crap :)
4. email & blogs again...

Places I Would Rather Be Right Now...
1. in bed
2. the beach
3. with my mom & dad
4. with my sisters


Now here are 5 people that I am tagging...
1. Becky Beals
2. Cami Kesler
3. Amy Chappell
4. Kristine Lefler
5. Kate Ball

Personal Victory.

And no, not that I cleaned by bathroom shower for the first time in weeks! Officially, we went an entire week without eating out. It may not sound like much to all of you regular chefs, but to us it is big deal. Especially lately, it seems like we have been on the road and just too lazy (me) to cook. We had been eating out a lot, which is natural when there are no groceries in the house! So we made a goal, hit costco and have been cooking every meal since. It actually feels really good, so I thought I'd share our small, but personal victory.

What did YOU do today?

Sydney Kate & her Dora Potty...life is exciting!


Well, WE pee'd in the potty...lots and lots! Sydney is getting to be quite well acquainted with her Dora potty & loves to use it. We are using bribes so you can hear her yell "I pee'd in the potty & I get a SUCKER!" after every visit. My dum-dum supply is running low...I never knew a little girl could go sooo much! And Payton seems to think he gets a sucker every time she goes because he helps her. Ok, ok. Sydney is doing pretty well, we are proud of her. I had to throw in the second picture to show off her knock knees, which may be the one and only thing she got from her mom (besides her pleasant disposition :) kidding). Here's to potty training!

Orange County Fair

We went to the OC Fair with Blake & Mikelle and had a lot of fun on the rides...I'll admit, the first time Mom was a little nervous, but as you can see, the kids were NOT and immediately upon standing up, Sydney would say "do dat again!" I think we rode 5 times.





There's nothing like good ol' "fair food"! We steered clear of the fried oreo's, twinkies & even coke, yes COKE! But we couldn't resist the corn on the cob (Mike had his with tobasco...wow!) corn dogs & $9 turkey legs! Yikes. We had a lot of fun and it was a beautiful night in the OC.

Escondido, Ca

Thanks to Pop and Granny, we spent another great week in Escondido at the Lawrence Welk resort. We hung out at the pool a lot and Payton was able to go on the waterslide this year, so that made him feel very grown up and happy. We went to California Adventure and Sydney Kate got to have lunch with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto. What a treat. Mike says I liked it more than the kids :) Thanks to Pop and Dama Dama for setting that up! We also got to spend time with Blake & Mikelle which is always fun. Thanks for the hospitality! The beach was fun as always. Now we are home and back in the saddle, so to speak. Sydney is working on using her new Dora Potty (she's 1/3 today, shucks) and Payton is helping me by doing his jobs. Hope all is well with you wherever you are. love xoxo.

Happy Birthday to my Mike...

Morton's for crab cakes, steak & chocolate godiva...it's becoming a tradition for Mike's birthday. This year was especially nice because we got to share it with our two wonderful friends Steve & Hailey who also have birthdays this week. It was a nice dinner together. Happy Birthday Honey!