The Vincent Five

Beat up by a Basketball

2011-11-07T17:02:00.004-07:00

Looks like someone had a rough day! This is what I found when I picked up the girls from school this afternoon.

Apparently Alyssa was playing tether ball with a friend, when out of the blue somebody kicked a basketball over a fence in the school yard while she was out at recess. The basketball then proceeded to pelt Alyssa in the face. And this was the result.

Poor girl. I can't wait to see what pretty shades of blue and yellow she dawns in the morning!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T19:52:00.003-07:00

This is just a compilation of pictures from Halloween time this year. The first two are from our ward's Trunk or Treat. The picture above is of Ambrey, Alyssa, and two of Alyssa's friends.

This picture is of Anna, the nice kitty.

Obviously Ambrey was pretty stoked about cleaning out her pumpkin.

However, Anna and Alyssa seemed to enjoy it.

This is Ambrey, the dead ballerina.

And this is Anna, the dead panther. She found out that Ambrey was going to be dead, so she wanted to kill her character too.

Alyssa chose not to follow the trend by going as a live witch.

Time for some tricks and treats!

Westley and Ambrey

2011-11-01T19:27:00.001-07:00

We've said it before, it doesn't take much to get Ambrey to fall asleep. She wanted to be close to Westley so she went over to him and laid down next to him. Next thing you know she's out, and he's looking at her like: "what are you doing over there?"

Alyssa's Tenth Birthday

2011-11-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

No Alyssa's birthday didn't just happen, but we are a bit behind again on what has gone on in our home. So this is the cake that Janna made for her party. Once again she out did herself, and this time she did while she was nine months pregnant. Alyssa wanted a surfboard cake to go along with the theme of her party, so this is what she got.

For those of you who were wondering, yes the cake was as good as it looked. The rest of the party consisted of swimming, games, and a movie about some surfer girl who got eaten by a shark.

Oh yes, and birthday presents too.

Crazy girls. What did we get ourselves into?

Westley Update

2011-09-02T10:30:00.002-07:00

This is just a brief update on Westley. The above picture was taken last Thursday as we were preparing to take him home from the hospital. Since the time that we took him home he has eaten, slept, soiled his diapers, and kept us up at night. That's about it.

This picture was taken this morning after he finished eating. It's amazing to watch how he changes every single day. The two videos that you see below are both short clips from the puppet show that Anna put on for us this morning.

Baby Westley's Visit From the Girls

2011-08-23T15:54:00.001-07:00

This post is just pictures from Westley's big sisters visit.

Anna holding Westley for the first time.

Ambrey holding Westley for the first time.

Alyssa holding Westley for the first time.

The girls admiring their little brother.

Anna serenading Westley.

Baby Westley

2011-08-22T12:02:00.017-07:00

Before proceeding, I feel that I should warn you about the graphic nature of the first picture in this blog post. It is a tad bloody, gooey, and well, just plain messy. So if you have a bit of a weak stomach, you may wish to bypass this post all together. If however, you feel that you have a bit of a stronger constitution, then by all means continue reading.

We thought that we had everything so well planned out, but sometimes even the best laid plans come to naught when we fail to consider the fact that we actually have so little control over certain things. Westley was supposed to arrive on August 26th. Janna was supposed to arrive at the hospital at four am that morning. She was supposed to have a c-section at 6 am with a surgeon that I had hand picked, and her anesthesia done by an anesthesiologist that I had hand picked as well. Baby sitting arrangements were all perfectly laid out. I had arranged my vacation and schedule to coincide with when Westley was going to arrive so that I would have a little more then two weeks of time off after he arrived, while not missing any of my hours at work.

Then on Sunday night, Westley and Janna's body made a decision that we had not planned for. While I was doing a 24 hour in-house shift Janna went into labor. On Monday morning, while I was driving home from work, Janna sent a text to let me know that she thought that she was in labor. Even though she thought that she was in labor, she still needed some convincing to get her to go to the hospital (thanks Mom). Shortly after arriving at the hospital, the nurse confirmed that she was in labor. About two hours after that, this is what happened:

Visitors!

2011-07-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago Jeremy and Shannon brought their family down to visit us. This first picture is of my niece Jessica. We spent a lot of time in the pool while they were here. Unfortunately, the would be hilarious pictures/video were not captured on film.

This next picture is of my nephew Josh. While he was here we worked on a few of his swimming requirements for scouts.

This is my niece Katie. She and Alyssa were able to pick right up where they left on when we last visited them in Utah. That's one of the things that I love about our family. Even though these kids have only seen each other six or seven times in the last four years, they are able to get together and play like they saw each other yesterday. I hope that they can always remember that comfortable with each other.

And last but not least, this is kassidy. Ambrey and her were as thick as thieves while she was here with us.

We didn't spend all of the time in the pool. On one of the days that they were here we went to the Goldfield Ghost Town. It was originally a small town built around three gold mines, but eventually the grade of ore dropped and the town died out. The ghost town has been rebuilt for tourists like us to visit.

This is the second building that you see after arriving at the town. The first is the train station, which has a train that travels around the town.

This is the gold mine that is open to the public to tour. We followed our tour guide through the mine and then on to the mystery shack.

This is the mystery shack. It is a small two room house that was built on a slope. This was Alyssa's and Ambrey's favorite part of the day. Unfortunately we came to late in the season to see the gun fights.

As I mentioned before, the town has a train that travels around the town. This is it. It is capable of traveling pretty quick. Unfortunately I don't think we went faster than 5-7 mph around the whole town.

The kids locked up in the cage outside of the hat house and saloon.

On the last day that we were in town we visited the Mesa temple grounds and visitors center.

School Programs, Mother's Day, and The Princess Bride

2011-07-31T15:48:00.001-07:00

At the end of the school year Alyssa participated in her fourth grade program. I don't know that she was too happy that we brought the camera. This was the only picture that we could get with her looking in our direction. Every time that she looked over and saw the camera pointed at her she hurried and turned away.

This is Ambrey at her first grade program. She had a great time and was happy with her performance.

And this is what Anna thought of it all. Apparently she wasn't as fond of the music as the other girls were.

For Mother's day I made dinner. That's right, I cooked. And it actually tasted pretty darn good if I say so myself. I made BBQ steak, loaded baked potatoes, and roasted asparagus.

There was so much good food that it wore Anna out.

After watching The Princess Bride for about the millionth time, we came to the conclusion that we had found the name of our fourth child. Janna found wooden letters at a craft store, which we have since painted, and she gave them to the girls to try to unscramble his name. This is what they came up with. For awhile I thought we were going to be stuck with the name Mestley.

Westley.

Ambrey's face on the big screen. It's difficult to see, but she's definitely there.

Alyssa's and Ambrey's New Hobbies

2011-07-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Janna and I have talked for ages about starting our girls in piano lessons, but until recently we haven't done it because it wasn't practical for us to do it. About four months ago we purchased a used celviano electonic piano, and about two months ago we started Alyssa and Ambrey in piano. We are very happy with the teacher that they have, and both of them are doing very well with it.

About six months ago we signed Alyssa up for volleyball. So far she has played soccer, softball, and now volleyball. Her two favorites have been softball and volleyball.

It was amazing to see how quickly she picked it up. She still has a ways to go, but in the short few months she made great progress.

Ambrey begged us for about a month or so to let her take karate. I had my reservations, but in the end we gave in because Alyssa got to do what she wanted to, so figured that Ambey should get the choice as well.

Ambrey preparing her attack on the foam stick.

Ambey in action.

Ambrey's Birthday Party

2011-07-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Ambrey celebrated her seventh birthday on may 27th with a dragon themed party.

This is some of Janna's artwork for the party. This picture was probably on our window for a month after the party because Ambrey just couldn't bare to see it erased.

The party was planned to include coloring velvet fuzzy posters of dragons, swimming, presents, and...

cake! Janna made this cake from scratch. She saw the pattern on the internet, added a few twists of her own, and it turned out really well.

Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Check out the flames coming out of its mouth.

And last but not least, Ambrey the Dragon Slayer.

Easter 2011

2011-07-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, we are trying to catch up on some of the things that we weren't able to post that has happened since we moved from Buffalo. This post has everything to do with our Easter celebration.

Anna cautiously climbing out onto the diving board to get one of her eggs.

The girls showing off their haul of candy.

Anna trying out one of her peeps.

Ambrey trying to chew after shoving half of her chocolate rabits ear in her mouth.

We lined up all of the girls in their Easter dresses for photos.

Anna smiling? Or something. I'm not quite sure what this face is all about.

Ambrey looking so sweet and innocent. If only... (j/k).

Alyssa without her glasses on.

Lemon meringue pie. Mmm. Ya, you could say I'm spoiled.

Our First Dust Storm

2011-07-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

On July 5th we were treated with our first dust storm. This first picture was our first image as we walked out of the front door. The dust was so thick that it looked like smoke coming from a massive fire in our neighborhood.

This is what we saw when we looked to the east.

This is what we saw when we looked to the west.

It was about 7:20 pm, so as you can see from this picture, the sun was still up and it would be for awhile longer.

This picture was taken in our backyard about 10 minutes after the first pictures that are shown above. I took several pictures, but this was the only one that turned out OK. It got pretty dark fairly quickly.

13 Years!

2011-07-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

I know that I've said this before, but it's as true today as it was the last time I said, marrying Janna was the best decision that I've ever made. EVER. Happy Anniversary to the woman who makes my life full. I love you Janna.

July 4th, 2011

2011-07-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

So a few months ago Janna asked me to make her mint flavored brownies. I don't know why she asked me to do it, I'm no chef by any means. I mean I can boil water without burning it, and I've been known to be able to make hard boiled eggs too, but that's not saying much. Being the spectacular husband I am, I jumped right on her request. Okay, so she had to wait a few months, at least I remembered. Right? Oh well. In case you're wondering, they actually turned out really well, AND I made them from scratch. So take that all of you doubters out there!

We spent the day swimming, and then had a delicious dinner consisting of BBQ pork ribs, hot doges, corn on the cob, jello, green salad, pasta salad, totally awesome brownies, and apple pie with ice cream. After all of that it was out to the front yard to light our fireworks.

Anna's first flower. A classic firework. So simple, so cool.

This was probably the first Fourth of July fireworks display that Anna has actually enjoyed. She was never able to get comfortable with the bigger displays that we used to watch when we lived in New York.

Rusty Retired

2011-07-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

When we left Buffalo, New York for the last time, Janna and I journeyed across the country in our 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. When we originally purchased it, it had only 64,000 miles on it. The interior was immaculate. As for the exterior, it had a ton of rust, most of which you can't truly appreciate from these pictures.

Shortly after arriving in Arizona, we noticed that when we drove it for longer than 15 minutes, smoke would come out from under the hood. Since I am no mechanic we decided that we probably ought to have a professional look at it.

After seeing what the bill looked like, we decided that we would be better off to just get rid of it, so Janna donated it to the American Diabetes Association.

Trusty Rusty off to help a good cause.

Trip to Utah

2011-07-06T15:35:00.001-07:00

The third part of our trip included a few days with family in Utah. As much as any other reason, being able to visit family in Utah a little more often is what lead us to our current home in Arizona. The first two pictures were taken at Cabela's, which is where we went with my Mom for my birthday. I had never been to Cabela's so I have to admit, I was impressed with the what the store had to offer.

This is a picture of Alyssa and Ambrey in front of one of the displays. There's just something about animals with sharp teeth and fangs that fascinates Ambrey.

These pictures were taken at Janna's Grandparents house. We were there to celebrate her Grandpa Johnson's birthday. Grandpa Johnson is picture above in this photo. To his left in order is Janna's Farmor (Danish for father's-mother), Grandma Johnson, and Scott's wife Candace.

Another picture of Farmor, Grandma Johnson, and Candace.

For my birthday Janna got me a new shirt and a new hat. The hat has given me another excuse so that I don't have to do anything with my hair. As for the shirt, I'm still hopelessly addicted to the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately it doesn't look like they're going to be very good anytime soon, so I guess that I shouldn't be too bummed that the NBA is experiencing another lockout.

This is always the best part of traveling when we are on the road.

When we were at the beach we found a coconut washed up on the shore. Ambrey wanted to bring it with us, so when we returned home we decided that we would buy one at the store, thinking that at least we would have one that would taste well enough for the kids to try. Well one of them did taste really good, it just wasn't the store bought one.

Disneyland

2011-07-02T18:31:00.012-07:00

Part two of our vacation at the end of February was spent at Disneyland.

The night before visiting Disneyland we took the girls to Downtown Disney District. We walked around and looked at the shops, and got the girls the little souvenir that you see them wearing on their heads.

Janna taking Anna on the Astro Orbitor.

Alyssa and Ambrey getting themselves ready for the astro orbitor.

The last ride of the day was "It's a Small World." Sadly, Anna really liked this ride so I guess that we'll have to ride it again when we go next time. I also have video of Janna and the girls riding in the tea cups, but for some reason blogger isn't letting me load it.

Before leaving Alyssa, Ambrey, and Anna were able to meet Minnie Mouse and get their picture with her. Anna was a little apprehensive about this at first, but eventually she warmed up to the idea.

The family in front of Mickey Mouse and Disney's train station.

Now here is a scary thought, Ambrey on the road.

Huntington Beach

2011-06-30T16:31:00.012-07:00

So it has been a long, long time since we last posted anything. Sorry. Over the next few posts we will be updating you on what we have done since we left Buffalo. There will probably be no rhyme or reason to what we post until we are caught up to what we are doing now.

At the end of February we took our family to the beach for the first time. The girls loved the ocean. It was probably about 65-70 degrees, but they felt a lot colder after they got drenched.

We only spent about an hour at the beach because of the weather, but the kids had a ton of fun playing in the water and collecting shells.

Anna spent about half of the time that we were there running out to the water, and then running away from the surf as it came in.

We also went to Disneyland on this trip, and to be honest, I think that the girls actually preferred the beach.

Ransom

2011-04-17T16:26:00.008-07:00

Let this serve as evidence that we do not cave to ransom threats!Ha ha, now who's laughing? A real post is soon to follow.

For those who were concerned about the ransom outcome, the blanket was returned to its rightful owner.

Brief Update

2011-01-18T17:36:00.004-07:00

Sorry that it has been so long since the last post, but we would like to give the few of you who still check our blog an update of what's new with our family.

Janna is expecting.

The Holiday Season

2010-11-23T14:14:00.010-07:00

For Halloween Anna went as Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street, Alyssa went as a dead bride, Ambrey went as a witch, and Jayda went as Batman. Our neighborhood was great. The streets were running with kids, people were outside greeting the children that were coming to their doors, and a bunch of houses were decorated. It was the best Halloween environment that I can remember seeing.

This is just a recent picture of our family when the kids decided to come wake us up.
November 13th marked the ground breaking ceremony for the new Gilbert, Arizona temple that is being built. We are excited to have a temple so close!
This last week Ambrey got sick, so we thought we would be good parents and take pictures of her in all of her glory. It was a long night. She ended up spending the night in our closet, which is not as horrible as it sounds. We brought her bed in, which put her right next to our bathroom so we could hear her when she got up.

On Saturday, we put up our outside Christmas lights and sprayed the windows with white snow spray.

On Sunday we put up our tree, and last night for family night we put all of the ornaments on. As usual the girls had a ton of fun hanging the ornaments and dancing to Christmas music. I love the holiday season.

Anna's Quarrel With a Coffee Table and Halloween

2010-10-29T18:15:00.004-07:00

Before running full steam into a coffee table at a furniture store:

After running full steam into a coffee table:
We took her to an urgent care center for stitches. When I told her I wanted to take a picture of her she hid from me under a chair.
This was Anna after seeing the doctor. She did surprisingly well, only shedding a few tears.
Tonight the girls have the wards trunk or treat, so here are a couple of pictures of them.

10:10--10/10/10

2010-10-10T10:10:00.002-07:00

So the main reason for this post is because I wanted to post something on October 10th, 2010, at 10:10 (10:10 of 10/10/10).

This is a picture of Alyssa and Ambrey making ghosts out of cheese cloth for Halloween. I'm still trying to figure out what cheese cloth is and what it's used for.

This picture was taken after they finished dipping the cheese cloth in sugar water and draping it over various objects to form their ghosts.

We were able to visit the Mesa temple last week. Just a recommendation: check the cleaning schedule before dressing up in a long sleeve shirt, suit, and jacket and venturing out in 100 degree weather. Turns out that the temple was closed but it is great that we are so close to one again.

Pictures of the house are coming... just as soon as we find the camera.

Pests?

2010-09-30T14:16:00.002-07:00

So yesterday we got the kids up to get ready for school and found this on our kitchen floor. Welcome to Arizona. Fortunately it was already dead, which according to the nice lady on the phone means that our pesticides are still working. That said, this is not the kind of thing that we want to see hanging around. Needless to say our home is going to be sprayed again on Monday.

Okay, so it has Been Awhile...

2010-09-25T20:45:00.005-07:00

For the one or two of you who have religiously checked our blog for the last couple of months to find that nothing had been posted, sorry. We have been pretty busy.

Janna flew back to Buffalo on August 20th, and on Thursday, August 26th we left Buffalo after I got off of work. We drove our 1989 Oldsmobile (now named Trusty Rusty) making stops in Ohio, Missouri, and then in New Mexico at David and Chantel's new beautiful home, before arriving in Arizona on Sunday August 29th. It was great to see my kids again, I had been without them for just under two months.

After signing papers for our new house on Monday we left for Utah (same day). We spent about a week with our families playing games and hanging out (oh ya, and attending Scott and Candice's wedding) before returning to Arizona on September 7th so that I could take care of some work related stuff. Overall we drove more than 3600 miles over the period of about a week and a half (about 3000 miles in about five days). We moved into our new house on the eighth, and we have loved our time here so far. The house is wonderful.

We have spent our first few weeks here unpacking, getting the kids into school, putting our house together, and swimming. I will post more pictures as soon as we find our camera (we are still unpacking). This picture was taken this morning with my phone. After chores we all went for a dip in the pool. Life is good.

Alyssa is Nine!

2010-08-07T15:32:00.005-07:00

We just thought that we would give you some images of Alyssa through the years.

This first picture is of Alyssa on the day that she was born, nine years ago today at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah.

I believe that this picture was taken just before Alyssa's uncle Richard left for his mission.

These two pictures of Alyssa were taken at her Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Johnson's home. Alyssa spent a lot of time with them while she was young because Janna would visit often.

This is a picture of Alyssa in her dance outfit. She appears to have the Vincent rhythm.

This last picture was taken a short while ago. I don't get to be with her today because she is in Arizona with the rest of our family. Happy Birthday Alyssa. You are a great daughter. You make your mother and me very proud. We love you!

The Trek to Arizona Begins... for Some

2010-07-05T05:17:00.006-07:00

So today is the day that I sent Janna, Alyssa, Ambrey, and Anna off to Utah (and then Arizona) without me. As a result I have added a new timer to the blog which will be counting down until the time that I get off of work on my last day here in Buffalo. I will be leaving immediately after to rejoin my family, and I can honestly say that "I cannot wait!" I would like to thank Renee for coming out here to help them on this journey, Christopher for allowing her to come, and Jayda for being so good about spending time with her extended family so that we could make this trip happen safely. My only hope is that the time on this timer counts down a lot faster than the time on our last timer did....

Lots of Light and Heat at the end of the Tunnel

2010-06-06T11:33:00.005-07:00

Okay, so it has been awhile since we posted any updates on our blog. For those who don't know, we are moving to Arizona! We are thrilled with the way that things have worked out. In less than a month Janna and the girls will be in Utah visiting family and going to Park City. I will remain here in Buffalo to work (looks like somebody got the short end of the stick).
This is a picture of one of the two hospitals that I will be working at. I start work in October.
This is a picture we took of all of us on what I believe what was the first Sunday after I had my appendix out. Anna promptly elbowed one of my incisions after we took this picture.

A couple of nerds.

Ambrey was able to go to the zoo with her class, and we were able to accompany her.

This is a video of Ambrey and her good friend Jenna performing: "I went to a Chinese Restaurant."

Anna... mal?

2010-06-06T10:21:00.008-07:00

Check out Anna posing. We think that she may have a future in wrestling. Any thoughts on a possible stage name? I was thinking Anna-mal. For some reason she loves to wear her swim diaper over her clothes. Look at those muscles!

And that hair!

And what a smile

Aren't kids special?

Anna reading Ambrey a bedtime story. Looks like it worked.

Happy Birthday Ambrey!

2010-05-27T15:25:00.008-07:00

Ambrey celebrated her sixth birthday by having a Dinosaur Train themed party. She has always been enthralled by the monster type creature, but her love for these creatures has increased since she discovered the TV show Dinosaur Train.

Girls with their Dinosaur masks on.

One of the games that they played was musical chairs.

They also had a blast beating a piñata, but had even more fun when the candy spilled out onto the ground! Poor dinosaur, left for dead.

Paige and Haley entertained the girls with their balloon animals. Ambrey's favorite was of course the T-Rex that they made for her.

This is Janna's most detailed cake ever: "The Dinosaur Train."

The end of a masterpiece.

Happy Birthday Ambrey #2

2010-05-27T14:00:00.004-07:00

Anna beat everyone to the cake!

Happy Birthday to Ambrey!

Harry Potter Party!

2010-05-20T11:10:00.002-07:00

In attendance for the Harry Potter festivities (from left to right): Sonya, Maria, Alyssa, Ambrey, and Jenna. For a couple of months Alyssa and I have been reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I promised that when we finished we could have a little party and watch the movie. We had homemade pizza, movie style popcorn, root beer, Bertie Bott's Ever Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Jelly Belly's for those of us not courageous enough to try Bertie's beans.

This is a picture of the girls with Billie the Buffalo in front of Williamsville South High School.

We came here because Flat Jacob needed to have his picture taken somewhere in Buffalo, so we brought him here. We thought about Niagara Falls but we were concerned that all of the water might be hazardous to his health.

Alyssa and Ambrey before church.

Anna's First Dental Visit

2010-05-11T10:57:00.002-07:00

Anna had her first dental check up today. Janna tried to help out by offering the hygienist a second target in case she was unable to clean Anna's teeth.

Here is a little footage of it. As you can see, the visit was really effective... or was it?

All done at the dentist, and what a pretty smile she has.

A Simple Reminder

2010-04-12T06:09:00.018-07:00

Just a reminder that sometimes our kids think about more than just candy, playtime, toys, and friends. It seems like we are typically putting quotes on the blog from Ambrey because she says some of the most random things. This quote however, comes from Alyssa's schoolwork that she brought home last week. It was a little surprising when I read it the other day, but after giving it a moments thought, I guess that I should not have been surprised at all. Alyssa has always felt a connection between herself and Tiffany, partly because we gave her the same middle name (Denise), but maybe even more so because of all of the mornings that she would go sit with Tif and "help" her before we moved to Buffalo in 2007.

In this photo (left to right): Tiffany, Kiersten, Alyssa, Grandma Johnson

Good Eats!

2010-04-07T08:03:00.006-07:00

Here are a few recipes that turned out very good!

You should try them!

Banana Cream Pie

*1 graham cracker crust

*1 c. water w/ 1tbsp. lemon juice

*2 bananas or 3, i like 3

*1 sm. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

*1 1/2 cup milk

*1 (8oz.) sour cream

*1 pkg cream cheese

*home made whip cream

Slice bananas into lemon water, coat them well, drain when ready to use

Mix together milk, sour cream, pudding

( mix the cream cheese , until smooth)

and put in half w/ pudding mix and half w/whipped topping mix)

Make your home made whip cream, now beat in 1/2 the cream cheese

Fold bananas into the pudding mixture and pour into pie crust

top with the whip cream

Make it look pretty

and chill!

ENJOY!

Taco soup

*2 pounds lean gr. beef or you can use choped chicken

we make it both ways

*1 onion, chopped

*1 (4ounce) can diced gr. chiles

*1 teaspoon salt

*1tsp. pepper

*1can black beans

*1 can red beans

Whatever beans you have!

(Our family is not to keen on beans to much so we usually do one can)

*1 package taco seasoning mix

*1 1/2 cups water

*1 package ranch dressing mix

*1(14.5) can stewed tomatoes

brown beef w/the onion

in seperate soup pot

add

chilies, salt, pepper, beans, water,(add more water if need) seasoning mixes and tomatoes

mix together/get it boiling! Hot!

when meat and onion are done add to soup pot

brind to boil, turn to simmer and let it cook for 30 min.

top it with cheese and serve with chips

DELICIOUS!

2010-04-07T07:17:00.007-07:00

Easter

2010-04-05T07:15:00.017-07:00

Here is my basket from Josh!

Ambrey with her sugar egg, she ate the whole thing.

She is crazy about treats! Ambrey and Alyssa with their chocolate from the Easter bunny.

This year he brought

a Chocolate Dino for Ambrey and a Chocolate Cow for Alyssa, Anna had a bunny.

Very cute.
We found Anna in bed with Ambrey
Ambrey was fast asleep and Anna was reading away.
Alyssa and her sugar egg.

My card from Josh, it is a Bar Mitzvah card.

He thought it would be funny to give me a card I would never get in my life.

Very funny!

Look how tired I look! Horrible. And yes Scott and Rich I have the EYE!

The girls and their PEEPS.

So here is Ambrey's sugar egg, eaten!

This was Josh's basket.

Can you tell who put more thought into it?

Josh got a chocolate pirate ship!

I made a pineapple, mandarin, lemon cake,

It was good, and pretty, but not my favorite.

To get out of the house a little bit, we went to take pics of Josh's school.

We walked around the campus.

This is the main building where Josh spent his time in class.

This is the Library.

I got Josh to pose as Mr. Suaveeee!

He tried, I don't know if he pulled it off!

What a good looking nerd though!

Me hugging the building.

This is the bell tower on campus.

You miss Buffalo don't you David?!!!

Ambrey picked some "flowers" for me.

Our lonely Easter Dinner.

We had ham, cheesy potatoes, rolls and green bean casserole.

It was delicious!

We miss you David and Chantel!

Anna found some eggs.

Alyssa and her cow.

Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Daley for the cute Easter outfits!

March Fun

2010-03-29T07:01:00.015-07:00

Okay so this is the Video of me coming out of the Hurricane ride. I hit my head inside the ride, man it hurt. Anyways I got Josh to go on the ride and his was so funny. People come out of this ride either upside down, sideways, or any other way you can think of. So Josh of course had no control on the way he came out. His was so funny. He came out side ways but before that he hit so hard in the ride you could hear it and new someone got hurt. He also got sick and could not see after words.

He is such a BIG BABY!

This is Anna on her way into Splash Lagoon!

Anna and her shake!

Anna at the park, she loves to swing!

Anna and her crazy horse riding!

March Fun

2010-03-29T05:42:00.012-07:00

Ambrey wanted her hair cut like Alyssas so I finally gave in.

It is cute on her.

Beautiful blue eyes like their daddy!

Anna ready for our morning walk to the park!

This is the field that Anna ran all the way across. I had turned my back to her for just a second and off she went chasing a bird. I don't mind chasing her but the ground was soaking wet! The ground here in the spring is like a sponge and all of it is wet and muddy! So all the way across I was almost ankle deep in mud and water.

So much fun.

By the time we got home our feet were freezing!

Alyssa took this pic. I am always finding random pics on the camera.

Happy St. Pattricks Day. We had a green meal. Green milk, Green pasta sauce and a Green pie. The girls loved it!

Looks gross doesn't it. It was good!

Anna being Anna on everything!

Alyssa found her new quiet spot to read.

Josh the night before the BIG test!

We went to splash lagoon. It is a indoor water park. Very fun!

Anna enjoying a bannana shake. As you can see she is such a polite eater.

Hello Elvis!

I have twins!

Too many kids, I would go crazy!

There is a funny story to this ride, the Hurricane I will tell you with the video of it!

This is one heck of a ride!

Josh Passed!!!!

2010-03-24T07:00:00.002-07:00

Josh took his BIG test today at 8am. We both did not sleep well, maybe 4hrs sleep.

He was so stressed this morning he made himself sick. So we kissed him goodbye told him good luck and prayed. At 9:40 he came home and said he passed! I am so glad that is over with!

Love you Josh and good job!

2010-03-05T10:14:00.002-07:00

Josh Birthday

2010-03-05T09:48:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Josh

The girls picked out gifts for Josh.

Ambrey decided on a crocodile and Alyssa a pirate ship and Anna a fish, she loves to say,"Fish".

We made Josh a Bannana cream pie.
New reciepe and Josh thought it was the best he tasted!

I struggled this year on deciding what to get Josh.

Luckily his diploma came in the mail and so I framed it and gave it to him. He was excited.

Good job Josh!

Want some pie?

Anna being Anna, into everything.

2010-03-02T08:01:00.003-07:00

Anna returns from Narnia!

Ambrey and her love of odd creatures

2010-03-02T07:25:00.013-07:00

Josh took Ambrey out on a date. They went to Mcd's and then toys' r us and when they returned Ambrey had a new friend.

Anna wanted to show her dragon too. Really it is Ambrey's of course.

Her pet attacking me!

Attacking Josh!

Ambrey is so happy!

Here it is, oh it is a girl by the way.

We took Alyssa to get her hair cut. She loves to have short hair. I was trying to grow it out, but she was persistant on having it cut so I gave in.

After the hair cut we went to the Mall eating area and had dinner.

She is very happy with the outcome. I am too. You look good Lyssa!

So Ambrey decided her "pet" had to come to church with us. She got her all dressed up and ready to go. She even put a jacket on it and brought it in the car. No she did not bring it in the church building. She did try.

ME!

2010-02-25T09:17:00.003-07:00

Almost every morning Anna wakes up singing twinkle twinkle little star or the Alphabet song so I tried to get her to sing it for me. She wouldn't so I did instead!

February Fun

2010-02-25T08:48:00.015-07:00

Josh got me beautiful flowers for Valentines day and I made him a cake!

The girls helping of course

Anna has her daddys puppy dog eyes, dont you think?

We straightened Annas hair. We put her in front of the mirror to look at herself and she was so excited. She kept patting the top of her hair.

It was a rare, beautiful, blue sky day here in NY, so we went for a walk.

We found this snow mountain and climbed!

Beautiful girls!

2010-01-28T08:37:00.012-07:00

Anna taking a bath

American girl dolls

Mom's, kids really do watch and mimick all you do!

This is Charolette making one of her classic faces. We had the Dicks over for pizza before they left.

All of us saying goodbye!

Anna fell asleep with a orange in her mouth

Okay so Anna is small and still fits in some of her 12 mth outfits. Well, the girls thought it would be fun to stick her into this doll highchair. I could not get her out. She was screaming and crying and I was almost about to call 911 when I thought I might have David come over and help. So he came. We pulled together, hung her upside down and pulled nothing other then Anna screaming and me on the verge of tears. So we decided to get a crow bar and see if we could snap the top off. It just dented it. Then David went and got his saw and yes we had to saw here out. The whole time she was screaming. It was so sad but funny. Thank you David! Anna's Hero!

Friends at Tabitha and Elles fairwell party!

The Evening before Tabitha and Elle and David left. They slept over our house and left at 6am. Off to New Mexico they go. We will miss them so much.

2010-01-28T08:19:00.010-07:00

Christmas in NY

Here is Grandma's Christmas morning coffee cake

Alyssa and Ambrey holding blankets my mom made for their dolls

Their American Girl Dolls
Alyssa having fun!

The Biggest Christmas Ever. So fun! Thank you Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma and Grandpa and Grandma again. So fun!

We went over to the Dick's on Christmas eve and had a special little Manger program. David made some cut outs of the manger scene and the kids got to help him hold them up on a picture frame with light in the back ground. So fun and creative.

Danish Christmas Eve Dinner. We had the Sawyers and the Dicks over. It was fun.

Danish Dinner Setting

The Holidays

2009-12-21T14:04:00.009-07:00

Okay, so Thanksgiving is long gone,but we failed to put anything about it on our blog, so here it is, just under one month later.
As always, Janna got into the baking spirit with a beautiful, and rather tasty turkey.
But she didn't stop there. She also made two awesome pies. The one shown above is her homemade cherry pie, with intricate lattice work.
For the third straight year we had Thanksgiving dinner with our good friends David and Chantel. This year we ate at their house, and then played games and had pie at ours. As always, there was tons of great food and loads of fun!
So now that we are caught up on holidays that have passed, oh wait, we missed some birthdays. Happy Birthday Shannon (12/1), Katie (12/10), Casey (12/11), Little Josh (12/14), Ashley (12/16), Jessica (12/17), and Scotty (12/20). Sorry if that seemed like some sort of rapid fire birthday acknowledgment, but it needed to be done.

Janna had the girls make a gingerbread house. Janna practically had to hide in the corner, plug her ears, and hum to herself to let the girls build this on their own, but they were able to do it. As you can see, Anna ate more than she put on the house, but her print was definitely left in the houses construction. Alyssa is the one that put the army guys outside the door. I thought it was to shoot Santa when he comes out, but she told me she was thinking more along the lines of shooting the wicked witch.

The picture above is of Alyssa and her good friend Tabitha. They both performed as part of their third grade holiday program. Tabitha recited her poem, while Alyssa played the recorder. In the video below, Alyssa can be found sitting slightly off center to the right of the screen. The program contained songs about Christmas and Hanukkah.

Alyssa's Special Day

2009-12-12T08:59:00.004-07:00

We baptized Alyssa today, at the Amherst ward chapel in Williamsville, New York. We decided to wait and do it in December because we were hoping that we would be moving back to the west this month, and Alyssa could then be baptized in front of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. With us making the decision to stay locally, Alyssa was baptized on a Saturday in which many of her member and non-member friends were able to attend. It was a very special day.
Alyssa with Dad in matching white jumpers.

From front right to back left: Charlotte, Anna, Ambrey, Tabitha, Alyssa, and Ellie.

Janna and Alyssa in front of the font after the baptism.

Alyssa and Josh in front of the font after her baptism.

The whole family after her baptism and confirmation.

Celebration!!!

2009-12-11T07:24:00.010-07:00

In celebration of what was a big day for our family, a trip to the Anchor Bar seemed to be appropriate. It was our first trip to the home of the original buffalo chicken wings, even though we have now lived here for two and a half years.All fed and watered with acid indigestion. Good times!

Posing in front of some license plates at the Anchor Bar from left to right: Ellie, Ambrey, Alyssa, Anna, Tabitha, and Charlotte.
It could probably be argued David and I have spent more time together over the past 28 months than either of us spent with our families. And now they are headed to Albuquerque, and we are headed to... Buffalo? Right.
Anna's asthma kicked in when she got sick, so here she is doing her breathing treatment while sitting warmly under one of her new presents from Grandma. Kind of a funny story, but Anna has a favorite blanket. It's another one from Grandma, white with little red hearts on it. Well on Sunday Janna and I were resting on our couches with blankets, and Anna came to Janna so they could lay down together. Janna told her to go get her blanket, so Anna went upstairs to her room. After a couple of minutes Anna came back down the stairs empty handed and agitated. I asked where her blanket was and she grunted in an angry manner and pointed up the stairs. I got up to see what the problem was and found that she had tried to man-handle her big, new, heavy blanket down the stairs and it had gotten wrapped around the rail at the top of the stairs. She had left her "favorite" blanket laying on the floor in her room.

Anna and the girls posing with the birthday cake. Poor Anna wasn't feeling well so she didn't get to blow out her candles.

The "Happy Birthday" video for Janna and Anna

The End is Near

2009-11-07T16:49:00.009-07:00

No, the end of the world is not here, at least as far as I know. The end I am referring to is the end of school. Okay, so maybe the title is a bit dramatic, but I have been in school for what seems like forever. My last clinical day is scheduled as December 11th, the same day that Anna turns 2 and Janna turns 22 (or something like that). That means that I only have five weeks left; only 16 days of clinical. I have thought about this end for awhile now, anticipating it, and now that it is so close, it almost feels surreal.

I had hoped that by this time I would have all of our moving arrangements lined up, and dates finalized for our trip back across the country to some exciting place in the west. That hope however, will not be realized, at least not at this time. No we will be staying here in Williamsville, at least for another six months. I confess that I am a little disappointed that we will not be moving closer to family, but at least we can let the girls finish out their school year, and I will be able to sign with a good anesthesia group that I am pretty comfortable with. So in response to the poll which has been on our blog for the last month, we will be stayin' put.

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-05T09:06:00.009-07:00

Check out these cute girls, they take after Josh of course. (Ha, Ha)
The Family and Ambrey's everyday look. She is so funny. She can come up with the funniest face expressions. (Here she forgot to smile)
Now Alyssa here has a face in the running. And look Ambrey is smiling! Yea!!!

beautiful Anna

This is Jenna and Ambrey at their school dress up show. It was very cute. They got to go on stage and cheer for all the fun costumes. I missed Alyssa's. Sorry lulu.

Tiffany

2009-10-15T07:18:00.004-07:00

Tiffany Denise Moller-Knudsen

1974-2007

Love you and Miss you!

10 things Tiffany loved

1.Pot Stickers

2.Sunflowers

3.Living on her own

4.Playing cards

5.Eating at Denny's

6.Unicorns

7.Star Trek

8.Europe

9.Grandmas potato salad

10.Working at Walmart

Marker Mayhem

2009-10-08T06:24:00.003-07:00

So I am home alone with Anna during the day now and sometimes I find it to be a "little too quiet". I sometimes find her playing in her room, sometimes she is looking at books in Alyssa & Ambreys room but not this day. She found a marker and decided to have fun with it.

Fun Pictures

2009-10-06T08:24:00.012-07:00

Mom, Ambrey, Me, Lyssa, Natalie, and my sister Kiersten!

Alyssa being crazy

Kiersten hiding

Go BYU!!! Neighborhood kids

First day of School

Ambrey at her desk

On the bus

Anna ready to go to school with big sisters

Ready to meet the teacher's

Darth Vader Plays Golf

2009-09-11T14:56:00.001-07:00

This is hilarious, check it out.

Rudy (The Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Story)

2009-09-06T17:25:00.001-07:00

If you have not seen this, check it out. We both got a kick out of it.

Happy Birthday Ape!

2009-08-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

Sorry, wrong ape. Happy birthday Apryl!!!

Thanks for all of the wonderful memories! We hope that you have a wonderful birthday! Click on this link to view some more fun facts about Apryl.

Alyssa's Eighth Birthday

2009-08-07T07:40:00.004-07:00

Eight years ago today, at 10:40 AM (MST), Alyssa Denise Vincent was brought into this world.
She was born on a Tuesday morning, to a couple of new (clueless) parents who love her very much.
Her birth took place in the O.R. at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah. It was a pretty exciting morning. She has wanted her ears pierced for quite sometime, so we told her that for her birthday we would take her to get them pierced. Here is some video. See the next post for the actual piercings.

The Piercings

2009-08-07T07:39:00.003-07:00

Alyssa was amazing; she did not even flinch! Watch if you dare!

Happy Birthday Ty

2009-07-27T03:30:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday Ty!

Dude, You're almost 30!!! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...

Happy Birthday!!!

2009-07-25T06:34:00.004-07:00

Happy Birthday Grandma Farah, we hope you have a wonderful day! Love from Anna, Ambrey, Alyssa, Janna, and Josh

Hey, by the way, who is that scary old guy sitting next to you?

11 Years

2009-07-11T07:30:00.002-07:00

Eleven years ago today Janna and I were married in the Provo, Utah Temple. Simply put, marrying Janna was the best decision that I have ever made. Over the past 11 years we have been through a lot: a wedding day filled with purple and lavender flowers, tons of pictures, a little bit of drama, and Burger King; three c-sections in the last eight years; about 10 years of school (pick a career already Josh); six different cars; and something like 11 moves (very soon to be 12) including one that took us to the other side of the country. I can honestly say that because of her I am a better, smarter, and stronger man than perhaps I deserve to be. Thank you Janna; it may be hard to believe, but I love you now more than ever.

2009-06-26T03:33:00.010-07:00

Ambrey is now 5 years old!

Here are some pics of that day and her graduation from Pre-K!

Check out Anna's scowl and Ambrey's mug shot. So Funny.

2009-06-21T03:39:00.003-07:00

Happy Fathers Day!

You are the best dad in the world!

Love Alyssa, Ambrey and Anna

Apryl, Tyler, Renee, and Jayda's Visit to Buffalo

2009-05-18T08:53:00.008-07:00

The first two pictures were taken at the Palmyra, New York Temple.
These three pictures are from the Hill Cummorah. The first was inside the visitors center, and the second two were from the top of the hill in front of the monument.

This picture is of the Smith family cabin on their farm in Palmyra. Directly 50-100 yards behind the cabin is the Sacred Grove.

The picture above, and video below are both of Anna and Jayda in the pool on what was the warmest day of the year so far. Sorry that the video is sideways, I tried turning it but couldn't get it to work right.

Images From Christmas 2008

2009-05-18T08:00:00.006-07:00

Since we did not get a chance to put pictures on the blog from this last Christmas, I am doing that now.The first two pictures were taken at the Build-a-Bear Workshop in the University Mall of Orem. This was a gift from my mom that the girls absolutely loved. They were each given a gift card and then taken with their cousins to the mall. With the help of Grandma and Grandpa they were able to build and dress the stuffed animal of their choice.

These three pictures came courtesy of a surprise visit to Grandma and Grandpa while we were in Utah. They were very excited to see Janna and the girls.

Okay, so the pictures are not in any particular order. This one was taken at our house after we had returned home to Williamsville. This was our traditional Danish dinner. The picture you are looking at was taken just before we ate our rice pudding desert.

These three pictures were taken in Utah at what I believe is the India Palace restaurant on Center Street in Provo. The food was quite tasty, and the company was even better. The top picture is of Alyssa and Bryony. The middle picture shows Ambrey sitting next to Victoria. The last image is of Janna's father Gunnar with his lovely wife Farah. Thanks for the memories!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T07:35:00.005-07:00

Flowers for all of the mothers in my life. Thank you for all you have done for my family and me.
Happy Mother's Day Janna! Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do for our family and me. I love you.

2009-03-06T15:07:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Josh

The BIG 30

Love you Janna and Tripple AAA

Diabetes Claims Another Life

2009-02-21T11:24:00.006-07:00

I would like to take a moment to recognize the passing of Larry H. Miller. As many know, Larry Miller died due to complications from type II diabetes (aka. adult onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes). At present, the initial treatment for this form of diabetes is exercise, diet, and oral medication. Unfortunately, the disease often goes unnoticed for years before treatment starts. If the disease is not treated aggressively by the diabetic, the end result often includes limb amputations, vision loss, kidney failure and dialysis, and frequently ends with a heart attack. As for type I diabetes (its onset is usually earlier in life), currently the only treatment options are subcutaneous shots of insulin, and pancreatic transplant for the diabetic with severe disease. This form will continue to cut many live short, as it cut our sister Tiffany's life short, until the medical community can find a way to replace the natural production and regulation of insulin. In essence, diabetes often acts like a ignorance. It is always there, and yet the damage that it does can go unnoticed for years, as it slowly and quietly picks apart its prey.

I never had the opportunity to meet Larry Miller, but I have great respect for the manner in which he ran the Utah Jazz. He was an icon of stability, in a business that seems to ooze with instability. The loyalty that he displayed during his years as the owner of the Utah Jazz is unparalleled in all of sports. During the early 1990's, I am ashamed to say that I blamed Miller for not spending more money to bring the Utah Jazz a championship; after all, they had two of the best players to ever play their respective positions in John Stockton and Karl Malone, and yet the team always seemed just one player short of the promised land. The reality is that if it had not been for Larry Miller, the Utah Jazz would no longer exist. The team would have been moved in the 1980's, and we never would have had the chance to watch and appreciate all that John and Karl did together. Larry's Jazz never won a championship, but because of his attributes that have carried over to the way his team runs, they have become known as a well respected, consistent, hard working, and winning organization.I cannot take credit for this, but I heard a fan suggest that they construct a bronze statue of Mr. Miller, and place it between the ones of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Personally I would also like to see the city rename 400 West as "Larry's H. Miller's Way." After all, you know this guy, and I would hate to forget what he has done for the community.

Happy Birthday Tiff

2009-02-10T19:12:00.002-07:00

We would just like to a moment to recognize Tiffany Denise Moller-Knudsen's birthday today. She left us almost one and a half years ago, but not a day goes by that she is not missed. Thank you Tiff for all of the wonderful memories that you left us with. We love you, and in memory of you, we will be having chinese this weekend.

Christmas vacation in Utah

2009-02-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

2009-02-06T05:55:00.023-07:00

Temple square and Freezing! Kids never notice
Build a Bear with Grandma and Grandpa!
Mom and I at Tiffys grave. Looking good mom!

Dad, Farah, Bryony, Victoria and us at dinner. Good Stuff!

Farmor

Grandma and Grandpa

Two good looking, fun, loveable, young men.

Four beautiful young and I mean young women!

Kiersten and Naty

Anna Montana

Squeshing in for a photo

Tripple A!

Can't figure out how to turn the photo, sorry

Fun with dad!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2009-01-21T17:52:00.003-07:00

You can usually anticipate what to expect when Ambrey kneels down to pray. Perhaps the most predictable phrase is please bless the food, regardless of whether we are eating or not. Sometimes she will pray about a recent plane trip (this usually last for 2-3 months following or preceding a flight), or an upcoming holiday that she is excited about. Every once in awhile however, she throws us a curve ball. We knelt down in prayer as a family just a few moments ago, and this was the result: "Father in Heaven (this was followed by what seemed like a thoughtful pause, which was impressive because this is where she usually throws in her bless the food phrase), please bless our bodies so we can be healthy, and not die, like Farfar, but he was old...." For those who do not know, Farfar is Ambrey's great grandfather who passed away before she was born.

So Funny I Cried!

2009-01-10T18:17:00.002-07:00

My brother-in-law Chris showed this to me over the holidays. If you have a few minutes and enjoy a good laugh, then check it out.

Video Recaps Full Episodes Webisodes

11 Months

2009-01-06T19:45:00.003-07:00

This is just a quick update on some exciting news that I just discovered. It looks like I will be finished with school (possibly forever) on Janna's and Anna's next birthday (oh, and Casey's too). Yes, that is right, it looks as though my last clinical day will be Friday December 11, 2009. This means that as of this upcoming weekend, I will have only 11 months left at the University at Buffalo. I just thought that I would share my excitement with the one or two of you who find time to visit this blog on occasion.

Double Birthday

2008-12-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

"My best chosen friend, companion, guide, to walk through life, linked hand-in-hand, two equal, loving friends, true husband and true wife." ~Sir Charles gavan Duffy

"A wife is the joy of a man's heart." ~Talmud

"Of all the home remedies, a good wife is best." ~Kin Hubbard

"My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me." ~Winston Churchill

One year ago today, Janna gave birth to our third child. While this birthday is not going to provide as much excitement, I do hope that it does not cause nearly as much pain. Happy birthday Love!

And happy first birthday Anna!

Two beautiful birthday girls.

Anna recently learned how to dance, check her out.

Side note: Anna was a little more excited about her birthday than I thought she would be. She loved the gift and birthday card that she received from grandma and grandpa Johnson.

2008-11-02T14:12:00.007-07:00

We need to contact A&W, Anna could be their poster child.

Ambrey went this Halloween as Glinda the Good Witch, from the Wizard of Oz.

From the same movie, Anna went as Toto.

We are not quite sure where Supergirl fits in with the theme, but this is who Alyssa wanted to be.

Pumpkin carving with the girls.

Check out Anna's groove.

Let the troubles begin, Anna has learned to crawl.

In Memory

2008-10-15T12:48:00.006-07:00

Tiffany/Just wanted to say we love you and miss you! By the way how is your Fabio? In memory of a dear sister.

1974-2007

Fall Fun

2008-10-14T12:40:00.016-07:00

We were watching conferance and Ambrey fell asleep on me. Josh is sooo paying attention.
In between conferance times we went for a walk. Here we are a Glen Park. Ambrey decided to take on cliff climbing.

Hello I am beautiful.
These next pics were taken at the Pumpkin Farm. The girls loved it.

Ambrey was deathly afraid of this little guy. He would open his mouth and talk to you. Anna did not know what to think of him.

Josh's family photo.

ALL ABOARD!!!! Just for you Grumps!!! Love ya. Alyssa and Ambrey

Sweet Ambrey

Sweet Alyssa

School has started

2008-10-03T07:04:00.015-07:00

Welcome Fall!!! It is cold in NY. This is our neighbors pumpkin, Anna loves to touch it.

Somebody is happy!
Daddy happy about having his picture taken. What is up with that grin?
This picture was taken by Ambrey, she is absolutely professional, if you would like yours done by her let us know she is for hire.

The Triple AAA'S. So cute!

No, I have no nuts in those cheeks.... Why do you ask?

Anna decided to run herself over. Luckily she was happy about it.

Alyssa and Ambrey have started school. Anna and I have 3 hours of just she and I, (heaven). Alyssa is now in 2nd grade and Ambrey has just started pre-K. She loves it. She comes home everyday singing a song and ready to talk on and on about what she did.

Update and Happy Anniversary

2008-09-22T13:48:00.008-07:00

OK, so it has been awhile since we posted anything, sorry. We have kept ourselves pretty busy. Alyssa started second grade this month, and Ambrey started Pre-K (for those of you who are not familiar with the Pre-K program, it is something that New York does to help prepare kids for kindergarten). Both seem to be doing fairly well so far.

Anna is just getting over her first ear infection, which means that we got very little sleep last week. Fortunately we have all recovered. She is not yet crawling, but she scoots around a lot, and is starting to dance to music (hopefully I will get it on video because it is kind of cute).

Janna is enjoying her time with Anna while the girls are at school. She also got called to work in the nursery at church, which she is excited about.

Not much has changed for me. I am still in school (and wondering if I will ever be able to say anything else), and currently doing my third rotation, which incidentally ends this week, at a hospital near by.

---------------------------------------------------------

Since I will likely not have the time to put up extra posts, we would like to wish Jeremy and Shannon a Happy Anniversary. We would also like to wish Tyler and Apryl a very "Happy Anniversary" as well. We hope that you guys are all able take some time to have fun, and reflect on the good times that you have had together.

The Zoo

2008-09-01T17:55:00.003-07:00

For those who check this blog on a regular basis, I am sorry that we have not posted anything for awhile. We do have some exciting news that we would like to share, we have less than 16 months left here!

We went to the Buffalo Zoo on Saturday. It is about half the size of the Hogle Zoo, but we were pleasantly surprised with the variety of animals that we were able to see. It also seemed like we were able to get closer to the animals (specifically the lions, tigers, and bears), which was pretty cool. The zoo has a polar bear that we visited just after arriving (probably around 11:00). When we first saw it we watched it swim laps for about 10-15 minutes before moving on to the next attraction. On our way back out (around 3:00) we stopped back by and found that it was still doing the same thing. What an exciting life.OK, so the train is not as big or as cool as the one in Utah, but at least they have one. The track is laid out in an area that is about as wide as our old back yard in Utah was, and twice as deep. At least the kids seemed to enjoy it.

Check out the bite on this lion.

Happy 7th Birthday

2008-08-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday

Alyssa D. Vincent

Happy Birthday Luu Luu, we love you sooooo much! WOW! You're 7 years old. Man, mom and dad are old! J/K We hope you have a great Birthday. Love Mom, Dad, Ambrey and Anna.

Missing Elders

2008-08-03T18:21:00.005-07:00

Somehow I missed posterizing two of the missionaries that Janna and I have had over for dinner and games. The tradition of having dinner with the elders, and then playing games with them, actually started with Elder Thomas (from Utah), shown in the picture below. Elder Thomas returned to Utah shortly after this picture was taken. We have traditionally played Scotland Yard with them during their first visit, which is a fun four to six player game in which one of the players takes on everyone else as Mr. X, a criminal trying to escape from Scotland Yard.

This is a picture of Elder Durrant (from Arizona). Elder Durrant currently holds the record for the quickest game. He lasted three turns. Both of these pictures were taken in 2007.

Happy Birthday Tyler and Farah, Plus Pictures from Richard and Ashley's Visit

2008-07-25T14:03:00.007-07:00

We would like to wish both Tyler and Farah a very happy birthday. Tyler's birthday is on the 27th, Farah's birthday is today.

Richard and Ashley came out to visit us this month. They were with us from July 15th through July 21st. We saw the Hill Cummorah Pageant on Friday the 18th, went to Niagara Falls on the 19th, and took them to the Eternal Flame Falls on the 20th. They were also able to visit The Sacred Grove, the Palmyra temple, E.B. Grandin Publishing (the place where the Book of Mormon was first printed), Kirtland, Ohio, Wegman's (a really cool grocery store, unlike anything you might find in Utah County), and the Walden Galleria Mall.

These are some of the images from our visit to Niagara Falls, just prior to our very wet voyage on the Maid of the Mist (a really cool boat trip that takes passengers close to the base of Horse Shoe Falls).

This last video is kind of fun. After the girls finished singing "Happy Birthday," Anna decided she wanted in on the act. Here she is playing peekaboo with Janna.

Our Anniversary, The Eternal Flame, and Games With the Elders

2008-07-25T13:13:00.016-07:00

Janna and I celebrated our ten year anniversary on Friday July 11th, and Saturday July 12th. I had to work at the Hospital on Friday, so Friday night we stayed home, ate Pizza from Wegman's, and watched Hellboy (believe it or not this movie was not chosen by me). On Saturday we went to the Eternal Flame Falls, which is a small waterfall that is about 20 feet in height. Behind the waterfall is a small cave that leaks natural gas. Every year in the spring the first hikers that travel to the water fall reach behind the water and light the gas (it is much safer than it sounds). The hike is quite enjoyable. A well marked and shaded path leads the way through some beautiful scenery. It is an easy hike that is about 1 1/2 miles round trip, and only 30 minutes from our home (another reason to come and see us).

After the falls we went out to eat at La Tolteca, which is easily the best Mexican food that we have found in this area. We had a great anniversary, and look forward to many, many more.

As a side note, Elder Wilson from Arizona (companion of the ever boastful Elder Di Iulio, our previous victim) was the latest Scotland Yard victim. The game did not last very long, so we followed Scotland Yard up by beating them both at a game of Settlers of Catan. Better luck next time!

Anniversary

2008-07-10T11:37:00.007-07:00

Happy Anniversary

10 years

July 11, 1998

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband!

Love you and thank you for 10 wonderful years!

Love Me, Janna

To my Dear and Loving Husband

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;

If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women if you can.

I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold

Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that rivers connot quench,

Nor ought but love from thee,give recompense.

Thy love is such I can no way repay,

The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.

Then while we live, in love let's so persevere

That when we live no more, we may live ever.

by, Anne Bradstreet(1612?-1672)

Wanted: A Child in Need of a Loving Family

2008-06-28T12:44:00.005-07:00

The purpose of this blog post is to help some friends get the word out that they are looking to adopt. We met Jeremy and Rachel Richards shortly after we moved here. Jeremy is attending law school at present, and Rachel stays home to care for their three children, Grant, Monte, and Lillian. If anyone reading this knows someone who is considering giving their infant up for adoption, I can tell you that the child would be very fortunate to be able to call the Richards home, their home. If you are interested in learning more about this family, click here.

Softball Season in Review

2008-06-26T13:49:00.002-07:00

Looks like another Vincent trying to take her place where Vincents belong, in the dugout.
Ambrey having a good time.
Alyssa trotting in to third base.
Mom and Anna cheering Alyssa on.
Alyssa sitting with her team.

The award ceremony.

Alyssa in the "Longest Hit" competition.