Playing Catch-Up: 2016 Highlights  

Posted by Amber

Ta-da! I'm back! At least for now ;) So to bring us up-to-speed here in 2018, I'm bringing you some highlights from 2016, post-Andrew's birthday. Enjoy!

03 18 16 - We went to St. George and Grandma Glory got my kids Easter baskets so they could participate in their ward's Easter egg hunt. They are still using the same baskets :)

03 19 16 - Tía Mari gave Henlie her first haircut!

03 19 16 - We also had a birthday party for Andrew with my step-siblings.

03 25 16 - Ward Playgroup Easter Egg hunt

03 25 16 - Charlie's 4th birthday party!

03 27 16 - Decorating eggs on Easter

03 28 16 - Matt had to light his own birthday candles. Henlie picked the heart sprinkles on his cake. 31!

03 31 16 - Andrew wearing his Cuy Kids shirt from Peru.

04 01 16 - Michelle and Braden Elquist got married in the Payson UT temple.

04 04 16 - Andrew had an ear infection. About the 2nd to last day of amoxicillin, he broke out in hives. He doesn't get amoxicillin anymore :)

04 08 16 - Dr. Henlie is in the house.

04 15 16 - Indoor s'mores

 04 16 16 - Walmart cart nap

04 21 16 - wearing my Arkansas outfit. Henlie also wore it once or twice when she was little.

 04 23 16 - Biggs girls' day. Chinese food and surprise cupcake fondue for Camile's birthday!

04 23 16 - John and Lynell appreciation party!

04 30 16 - Annabelle was born!

05 02 16 - Andrew in his La U shirt and daddy's La U hat. Daddy's hats are always fun to play in!

05 04 16 - We wrote lots of letters to friends and cousins. Henlie also started writing her name!

05 06 16 - They made the styrofoam "snow" at Great-Grandma Hadfield's.

05 21 16 - Lynell had glass blocks that she offered to us if we wanted to use them. Kayla and I came up with this craft for another Biggs Girls' Day.

05 26 16 - Zoo day with Camile and the kids

05 28 16 - The kids and I went down to St. George for Andressa's wedding.

06 04 16 - We met up with Devan and Kayla who were camping in Payson Canyon for breakfast, some fishing, and a hike to the Grotto.

06 07 16 - Manicures!

06 08 16 - Henlie's reward for finally potty training was getting to take ballet lessons. She started in the summer with Lime-Light Dancers in Payson.

06 09 16 - We spent a lot of time playing outside. This is my kids' ghetto water table :)

06 10 16 - Andrew helped tune Daddy's drum at the Utah Scottish Festival.

06 13 16 - Asleep in his new car seat. We actually upgraded him on 05 01 16.

06 28 16 - Jennifer and Braden Richards got married in the Payson UT temple.

07 04 16 - We celebrated the 4th of July at Shawn and Roxanne's house for dinner and fireworks.

07 09 16 - Henlie loves tenor drums - at Payson Scottish Festival

07 10 16 - Grandpa saved a special snack for one of his and Henlie's many tea parties.

07 10 16 - Mom helped Matt get his hammock sewn for scouts, too.

07 16 16 - Matt got in an accident after the Payson Scottish Festival.  Fortunately, I was able to pick up my new car that same day so we were not without transportation. A week later, we went to Volkswagen Southtowne where Matt picked himself up a new Jetta on lease.

07 17 16 - We had a windy picnic at Squaw Peak.

07 23 16 - Mapleton parade

 07 23 16 - My cousin Zach was running the mini ambulance in the parade.

07 23 16 - Erdmann get-together.
Not pictured, after this, we had a Hadfield get-together at Grandpa's old house.

07 27 16 - One of many trips to Salem Pond. Henlie is feeding the ducks some corn.

07 29 16 - Grandma planned some fun activities since Camile and the girls were coming to sleep over. Henlie also slept over. They made pool noodle horses and galaxy/time out bottles. We also burned our Christmas tree and had hot dogs. After we left Henlie, Devan and Kayla went with us to play at Salem pond.

07 30 16 - After breakfast, it was time for outside play, water, and popsicles!

07 30 16 - In the evening, we went for a short hike/walk in the canyon.

07 31 16 - Henlie and Uncle John on the four-wheeler at an impromptu family party because everyone wanted to see the baby horse :)

08 04 16 - Devan graduated the academy and became a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper.

08 05 16 - Camping at the Robinson reunion. Fun fact, Andrew got his first bloody nose when he tripped over a large rock/piece of concrete next to our campsite in the dark. Fortunately, the Hutchings were next to us and had paper towels because we didn't :/

 08 07 16 - Andrew's first ponytail!
08 12 16 - Hadfield family camp
08 14 16 - Danica's 2nd Birthday party!
08 17 16 - Andrew trying to get the last drops of homemade rootbeer at the ward's Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer party.
08 18 16 - Elisabeth and I went to the women's expo at AF Hospital. I also ran into my Aunt Carol there!
08 23 16 - Kayla and I had a girl date to see Bad Moms. We were the only ones in the theatre.
08 24 16 - We went with the youth to tour the Church's Bible Videos set. They asked us not to share interior pictures online, so here's one of us in the parking lot beforehand :)
08 26 16 - We played at the park. A LOT. Henlie loves to play on the stage.
Sometime in August - I finally downloaded Snapchat. My kids loved to "play" it. Puppies are Andrew's favorite.
09 02 16 - I took Henlie to the carnival during Payson's Onion Days.
09 03 16 - Henlie had her first ballet performance in the park for Onion Days.
09 04 16 - Henlie in her first parade!
09 04 16 - Andrew and I waiting for the parade to start.

 09 09 16 - Henlie became a model for my cousin's play dress Etsy shop.
Here she is as Ariel.

09 09 16 - And here is one of the professional shots of her as Anna.
09 10 16 - Henlie getting to hold new baby cousin, Benjamin.
09 12 16 - My kids LOVE to help in the kitchen.
09 14 16 - Playgroup took over Library story time.
10 01 16 - Grandma and Grandpa Erdmann visited over conference weekend.
10 02 16 - An attempt to get Henlie to listen to the conference talks :)
10 04 16 - Hookers were up from Peru for conference, so we went to visit them.
10 18 16 - My old friend Gers and I got together and let our kids meet and play.

10 28 16 - Spider Princess and Ursula (Henlie and Auriel) at the Elder's Quorum Halloween Carnival.

 10 29 16 - Carving our Jack-o-lantern
10 29 16 - Matt and I at the Hadfield Halloween Party

10 29 16 - Devan & Kayla (Pumpkin Pi ;)), Grandma, Firefighter Andrew, Jennifer, and Matt at the Hadfield Halloween Party.

10 30 16 - Henlie drew the face of our Jack-o-lantern. I just adjusted the teeth a little.

11 01 16 - Visiting Great-Grandma Hadfield

11 05 16 - Henlie's 4th birthday party was Ever After High themed.

11 08 16 - Henlie got her 4th year birthday photos done.

11 17 16 - Snow day!

11 19 16 - We went to see Roots of Knowledge at UVU.

11 24 16 - Thanksgiving

12 10 16 - Christiansen Christmas Party

12 12 16 - Henlie's Christmas Recital

12 14 16 - Andrew napping in his bed that Henlie made for him.

12 17 16 - Hadfield Christmas Party


12 18 16 - All the nursery kids got to go sing Sunbeam in Relief Society for the graduating nursery kids' moms. I happened to be helping in nursery that day.
12 22 16 - Mikey and Elizabeth were visiting and had a birthday party for Nathan while they were here.
12 23 16 - Henlie went to a UVU basketball game with her dad and got a picture with Santa Willy.
12 24 16 - Two of my favorite Guys at the Wilson Christmas Party
12 25 16 - Christmas happened at our house.
12 25 16 - How many grandchildren fit in Grandpa's new wheelbarrow?
12 25 16 - Momentarily up-to-date family photo
12 26 16 - It snowed the day after Christmas, so we played in the snow at Grandma's house.

12 26 16 - More fun in the snow.
12 26 16 - Visiting Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Erdmann with Grandma and Grandpa Erdmann.

 And that wraps up our 2016!

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Andrew's 1st Birthday Party!  

Posted by Amber in , , ,

**EDIT** Hi ya'll - guess what, I haven't died. I also had some partial posts. So now Andrew is almost 3....I'm mostly just gonna slap some pictures on here and forget about writing more. We are sooo behind ;)

 You know, Walmart has some decent party supplies. I got a cute rainbow garland there for Henlie's second birthday, and then we found some awesome decor to go with Andrew's vintage space themed party. It makes me happy. But first, the invitation!


Okay, so Andrew's party theme was inspired by Owl City's song Alligator Sky. The video is whimsical with very vintage space influences. When I was pregnant with Henlie, I wanted this to be the theme if I had a boy. Well, she wasn't, but my hopes didn't change when Andrew came around :) 
 Those rocket drinks? They're actually pretty gross.
Shoutout to my aunt Koreen for making Andrew's cake!



 Andrew shared his cake.




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Little Tidbits - March part 1  

Posted by Amber in , , ,

03 01 16 - Teddy bear love
03 02 16 - Andrew getting teeth!

03 02 16 - Piano duet. Henlie wanted to go through the songs in the Children's Songbook and sing them all. Well, all the ones with pictures anyway. :)

03 03 16 - Henlie wearing her Peru hoodie.

03 03 16 - Watching Sis play at the playground.

03 03 16 - nap time!
03 05 16 - Matt's cousin Josie was baptized. This is at the luncheon afterward.
Henlie naturally chose the pink table for us to sit at :)
03 06 16 - Me and my little Guy.
03 08 16 - Andrew got my phone and took a picture :)
03 12 16 - Andrew is also booking my social events now. lol
03 13 16 - Watching something on the computer together.
03 14 16 - Daddy found a snuggle-bug. :)

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Andrew's 1 year Pictures and Cake Smash  

Posted by Amber in , , ,

I used a new-to-me photographer for Andrew's 1 year photos, and I'm in LOVE! Jennifer of J.Lyn Fotos is freaking amazing, reasonably priced, laid-back, and the FASTEST turnaround time in the history of ever. (Heads-up, her business Facebook doesn't have anything from this year posted. She basically just puts teasers up on her personal page. Both are linked.) She does all sorts of photos, but I'd seen thousands of cake smashes of hers and opted to message her. She's a freaking cake smash pro, guys! Seriously, I can't sing her praises highly enough. Anyway, here are some shots from Andrew's session.

Obviously I took this during the shoot, but her setup was so fantastic that even my phone camera got some great shots with no edits at all :)
Also, at the time, she had purple hair. Awesome!

Shout-out to my aunt, Koreen, who did Andrew's cake.
Left: Pinspiration, Right: Koreen's cake.
Fabulous.

Some pre-cake cuteness.
She also gave me this in a black and white, which I totally framed for his room. LOVE it :) And I'm picky when it comes to B&Ws :)

I love that she had a little bench. Henlie had some with her Piglet on a bench at her 1 year photos, and now Andrew has some on a little bench with his Osito. Not planned, but totally cool :)


And this is the one hanging in the living room :)

Cake, pre-smash :)

"What is this?"
Jen and I were talking while we were waiting for Koreen to bring the cake and I predicted Andrew would have no issues with cake smashing. My boy proved me right. He dug in :)


I absolutely LOVE that she captured this. I was just swinging the rocket back around for better pictures, and he nommed it. Jen was awesome and got the shot :)



mmm those baby blues :)

I think the cake was definitely a "smash." ;)

Koreen opted for a smoothing buttercream. It was her first time doing it. I think she nailed it. She wanted it to be yummy and to make a bigger mess haha. Andrew was definitely a fan. The cake was a little dense for him to actually dig into, but he enjoyed his frosting all the same.

Also, you can see the progression of his tie. That frosting had a lot of fats in it. I tried hand washing it with laundry detergent, but it was still very oily. Next, dish soap. Dish soap is the answer, my friends. The tie is like new again. :) 

Shout-out to Littlest Prince Couture, where I found his tie. LOVE them. I've also since bought him a long-sleeve onesie there, and it's great. (No, I'm not compensated by them, I just really appreciated their selection, quality, and everything, so go check them out! Also, join their birthday club, and your little prince can get a free tie for his b-day!)

It was a truly great experience. Henlie played with Jen's daughters while we were taking Andrew's pictures. Jennifer was amazing to work with. And seriously, the FASTEST turn around time ever! Plus, I love her editing. I can't say that about a lot of photogs these days. (Sorry, I like bright and vibrant, not the faded vintage-y look that seems super popular. Though I'm sure she'd do that for you too if you wanted!) So, big thanks to Jennifer!

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Grandpa Hadfield - Viewing and Funeral  

Posted by Amber in ,

The viewing for Grandpa Hadfield was Sunday, February 21st at their church building. We met early to help set things up and for the grandkids to rehearse the song medley we were going to sing for the funeral. Brian and Melody graciously opened their home if anyone needed a break or needed somewhere else to take their kids for both the viewing and funeral. The also provided dinner for the family on Sunday. Those Hadfields sure make for an awesome family :D

This floral arrangement had each family grouped with everyone's names on seed packets. Grandpa was well-known for his gardening.

 Grandpa's kids sure did an amazing job with the display. It was definitely apparent Grandpa's many skills, talents, and passions. He lived a full life.
Display - family photos, quilts, crafts, music, and so much more.


The grandkids spend most of their time in the nursery. Melody also came prepared with some crafts to do.

Part of the Family Night song that is tradition in the Hadfield family, which was included in the medley during the funeral. This recording is the third verse.

Matt and I with his Great Aunt Karen.
Henlie finally decided to make a frame. Matt picked the generation picture we took at family camp when she was just a baby.

Grandpa touched many lives. The line extended down the hall, around more halls, and through the chapel. We heard of people who actually came in and then left because the line was so long.

The funeral was Monday, February 22nd. We started with another viewing. We just hung out while the siblings greeted people. Then we moved to the chapel for the service. It was rather eventful. Grandma wasn't doing so well. We actually called 911 and they took Grandma to make sure she was okay. Mostly the stress of everything and then not eating well took its toll on her body. She was okay, though.

Waiting during the viewing prior to the funeral.
Henlie finishing off some cookies from Peru
Devan and Michelle reading to Henlie and Charlie.
Daddy and Andrew taking silly selfies :)

 After the funeral, we headed to the cemetery to lay Grandpa to rest. It is also the cemetery where Matt's stillborn brother, Joshua, is buried, so we visited his grave as well.




After a lot of family and such a tender time, we wanted to still keep our family close. What turned into a couple siblings over for pie turned into the whole family joining us for dinner, pie, and FHE Monday night as well. It was good to hang out with them all a little more, even though it wasn't anything "special" per se. Hanging out with family is what makes anything special. 


We are so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family. We are also very blessed to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ to guide us and offer us comfort with the knowledge it brings that our family can be together forever.

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