babes of 2010 !

abbi is famous!! :)

every year the Herald Journal does a insert of the babies from the year previous...

i have always enjoyed looking at all of the pics... names and birthdays!

for a small fee of $15 i submitted abbi's pic and info for this years edition!!

and guess what...

MY GIRL WON A PRIZE!!

made the front page and everything!

(that is her on the bottom with the green bow)

she won a $25 gift card to Lee's market!! i am so excited!! what a babe!! :)

rest in peace...

a co-worker passed away this week. she was a single mom of 5. she was nice, quiet and kind. it is such a shock! we have rallied the last 2 weeks in raising money for her family. we held a bake sale at sam's club and raised almost $1300!! we will miss you colleen...

Colleen Barton (1965 - 2011)

Colleen Barton, age 45, of Logan, Utah, died Jan. 25, 2011, at the University of Utah Medical Center from complications related to acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia.

Colleen was born Dec. 14, 1965, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the fifth child of Clark and Cherrill Barton. She had a happy childhood in Bountiful, Utah. Colleen was always very active in church and was especially fond of Girl's Camp and other youth outings. Colleen moved during her high school years when her father's duties with the U.S. Air Force initiated a move to Avon Park, Fla.; then Holbrook, Ariz. Colleen is a graduate of Holbrook High School. She always enjoyed music, singing with numerous musical groups. Being a member of the Holbrook High School Flag Team was a highlight of her earlier years.

Colleen attended Weber State College in Ogden, Utah, and Utah State University in Logan, where she met her future husband Kelly Dale Kemp. They were married in 1986 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. They had five children, Nathan, Kyle, Allison, Gary and Mellissa. They lived in Kearns, Utah, and Logan, Utah; they later divorced and Colleen continued to raise her family in Logan.

Colleen was a deeply spiritual person who cherished and served her Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Her children were her life and she worked tirelessly to teach them honesty, love for others, faith in God and devotion to family. Her loving example and teaching has made her children unbelievably strong, resilient and united.

While living in Logan she was a very active member of the LDS Church, extremely involved with school and music for her children. She received and gave much support through her affiliation with Heart to Heart.She was a devoted friend, always willing to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. She was universally loved because of her ability to accept and understand others without judgment. It is doubtful Colleen realized the extent of her enormous influence in the lives of her children, family and friends.

Colleen is survived by her children, Nathaniel Merrill Kemp (23), Kyle Riddell Kemp (21), Allison Kay Kemp (19), Gary Allen Kemp (16), Mellissa Rose Kemp (13); her parents, Clark Laws Barton, Cherrill Kay Barton (Oyler); her siblings, Jeffrey Clark Barton, Laurie Kay Anderson (Barton), Alan Glen Barton, Julian Dale Barton; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, family and friends too varied and numerous to mention.

The outpouring of love and support to Colleen, her children and family have been truly humbling and oh so appreciated. Colleen is with her Father in Heaven and knows without a shadow of a doubt that she was loved by all.

Services will be held Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Logan 6th Ward Chapel located at 94 W. 600 South in Logan, Utah. Viewing will begin at 10 a.m., Funeral service at 11 a.m. The graveside service and burial will take place at 3 p.m. at the Lakeview Cemetery, 1640 E. Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah, 84010. Services by Lakeview Mortuary, (801)298-1564.

Online obituary at http://www.memorialutah.com/

6 month photo shoot....

we took abbi to jcpennys for her 6 month photos!!

love them so much!!!

this one is my favorite...
A ... is for Absolutley Adorable Abbi!!!!

this on is Kevin's favorite...

really really love this one with her holding on to kevin and my hands!! so darling!

this was the very first pic he took!! love it!

look at her cute little toes all curled up!

that is my abbi!!

i was very impressed with the pics! i will go there again!

what a sweetie!! she did sooooooooooooo well!

6 months old...

6 months!! so crazy!!

here are some of abbi's wonderful highlights at 5-6 months old!!

* she loves to play peek-a-boo! we put a burp cloth over her head and she can pull it off!

* she has the most beautiful little hand gestures. so gentle and soft.

* KICK KICK KICK!! she moves those legs soooo fast! we are gonna be in trouble when they hit the floor! she kicks so much, sometimes she kicks out of her jammies!!

* santa brought her a play mat that has a criss cross arch over the top for Christmas! she enjoys playing with the chain that links the 2 sides together and the pictures that hang from the arch.

* if she is fussy she will quiet down when she hares music. her singing pillow is the best!!

* abbi is starting to take longer naps every now and again. wahoo!!

* abbi loves to touch momma's hair. she gently strokes my hair...

* she giggles at lots of things! ... tickling & teasing ...

* her favorite toys right now are: the colored link chains, the fabric crinkle toys and pinkie (little stuffed bear that has a ring all the way around it and rattles)

* binky as been a huge comfort ... and play toy. she is not sucking her thumb as much.

* abbi loves to chew on everything! she is enjoying her teething/cold toys.

* she is eating cereal 2 times a day. we added veggies to her diet: sweet potatoes and carrots.

* she is getting soooooooo close to sitting up on her own!

* laying on her back is still much for enjoyable for her... not liking the tummy too much!

* she loves to stand and walk around the room holding onto our fingers.

* "talks" with her jaw... getting ready for baba and dada

* if there is a toy in front of her she will pick it up and start playing with it!

* abbi smiles alot! she is a very happy baby! and we are so happy to be her momma and daddy!

* she really enjoyed the wrapping paper at Christmas! loves that crinkle sound!

* i love to show abbi what she is going to wear... she smiles and kicks her feet! it sure feels like she likes the outfit too!! :) so fun!

* she is eating very well! and is on a 3 hour schedule for her 5 oz bottles

* abbi is such a sweet little girl! while she is nursing she will rub my arm or play with my shirt. she sometimes will lightly pinch my skin. she also will raise her hand/arm that is on top high into the air! so dang cute!!

* "talks" while nursing! "MMnnnn NNmnnn NMnnMn" GASP!! and then do it all again! silly...

* she has a little bit of a rash on her neck from ... SO MUCH SWABBA!!!! :)

* she is starting to reach her arms out to us when we reach for her... love love love that!!

* when momma is drinking from a cup she thinks that she needs to have a drink too! :) she puts her mouth up to the cup and thinks she is drinking! sometimes she will lick it up like a kitty!

* this girl LOVES her bath!! she really gets in to splashing her little legs and feet in the water! momma and daddy usually end up just as wet as she is!!

* daddy loves to wiggle her mouth as she talks... abbabababbbaaabbabababba... pretty fun!

* her toes are still her favorite thing to play with!

* she thinks its fun to flail her arms all around...

* we have to be careful what we put in front of her... because she will grab anything she can!

* she is getting more hair... kinda a honey color!

* her little arms can just barely reach to the top of her head! every now and again she will just scratch her head... it is pretty cute!

* she loves to read books! well... flip the pages!

* it's a good thing she has lots of darling clothes, because some days we go through several outfits!! swabba, spit up or messy diapers!

* she is an amazing little girl! we love her more and more every day!!

momma moment...

this little girl is amazing!

i am so humbled to be her momma! tonight, while i was feeding her before bed, she was so sweet. she just sat there and rubbed my arm up and down as she ate. such a sweet little girl!

i love you, abbi.

you are my favorite part of today!

2011

last year a very good friend of mine told me about a project of service they were going to do a as a family! i loved the idea and decided we would do it this year too!! with her help, i compiled a list of projects i thought would be good for my little family.

i want abbi to learn how to love others and be a compassionate person. i want to be more Christ-like as well. i want my sweet husband to feel the joy of sharing with others.

so i now present to you our plan of service...

The Little Project- 2011

Our Family Mission Statement: “A family with a purpose is a family who knows who they are, what they stand for, and what they want from life. They have goals and dreams and plans to make them happen. They are families who live their lives with a purpose.”
We want to be a family with purpose. We believe that because we have been given much we too must give. We hope that as we find fun and creative ways to serve that we will learn to be more thoughtful and caring people. By serving we recognize and are grateful for all the many blessings that our Heavenly Father has given us.
We know that some of the most rewarding activities our family can take part in together are those designed to help others. We want our family to feel closer to each other as we work together for a good cause and share the satisfaction that comes in helping others.

January~ Donate time and food for a Bake Sale for a co-worker who is fighting for her life. Make different treats to bring and spend the day working the bake sale booth.

February~ "Heart Attack" a friend, neighbor or church leader who has blessed our family. Cut out paper hearts in a variety of colors and sizes. Write special messages on the back. Scatter the hearts (possibly with a treat) on a front door, vehicle, etc. for the person (or family) to find .

March~ Contact the Child and Family Support Center and see what we can do to help them this month. Paint, move furniture, pull weeds, make thank you notes etc.

April~ We will each keep $25 in $5 in the glove compartment and drive-thru any fast food and give the attendant a $5 bill towards the payment of the next person in line. My motto has always been … Random Act of Kindness

May~ Look for a particularly happy or well-kept yard in our neighborhood. Write an anonymous note of thanks and mail it or leave it secretly on the doorstep. Express appreciation to this resident for adding beauty to our community.

June~ Take trash bags with us as we go for walks or go to the park and pick up all the trash we see.

July~ Make “my stuff” bags for foster kids so they have something to call their own.

August~ Donate Food. Each time we shop for groceries, add a few items to our cart to donate. When we’ve collected a bagful we'll deliver it to our local food pantry. We all need a variety of food to live healthy lives and that not everyone gets the nutritious food they require.

September~ Pack school lunch boxes for children in need. I’ll contact a local elementary school.

October~ “Boo” neighbors and friends with anonymous treats.

November~ Contact the Soup Kitchen in Brigham City and volunteer to work one day.

December~ Make Christmas a little brighter for at least one child by helping Sub for Santa.

may your year also be filled with love, happiness and service!!

her first christmas...

kevin had to work christmas day... so i told abbi that santa knew that her daddy had to work so he was going to make a special trip back to logan ... just for her!!

not that she cared ... being only 5 months old ... but it mattered to us!! :)

kevin also had to work on the 26th, but when he came home we celebrated christmas!! we did our traditional opening of the stockings... and then instead of breakfast, we had dinner! :)

abbi loved getting a play mat, teething rings, a book and crinkle fabrics from santa!

please notice her beautiful stocking!! i designed it and my mom made it!! i love it!! it is sooooo perfect!

then after dinner we opened presents!! so fun! daddy helped her... it took her a minute to get into the swing of things... and then! it was like ok dad!! i got this!! give me some more paper to tear!! :) so funny!!


she had a good time! very exciting!!

... have i mentioned that she loves opening presents? :)

i love this little santa onesie! so dang cute!

after all the madness, we piled all of the wrapping paper all around her!

she was such a good girl!

i think she had a good first christmas!!

the little family ... first christmas... 2010

merry christmas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

may all of your christmas wishes come true...

ours did this year....

christmas eve...

i love spending time with friends and family!!

we had our traditional christmas party with the gang on xmas eve and it was so fun!!

this is the 2nd year that we have drawn names for each other. and then everyone bought for abbi! so fun!!

abbi really enjoyed opening the presents... or at least tearing the paper!! she got such cute things from everyone! toys... clothes... bibs... books... stuffed animals... very neat stuff!!

this little monkey is so fun!! he talks! and abbi loved it!!

and she loves her grandma maryann...

look at all of our loot!! we were sad that kevin wasn't able to be there... but he opened his presents later that night when he got home.

love love love celebrating life with these gals!! :)

5 months...

i can't believe my little girl is 5 months old!!

here are some of the highlights of her 4-5 month...

* she is eating cereal! :) she is doing pretty well... but she goes from thumb to thumb after each spoonful!

* she is quite the chatter bug! she love to talk and hear her voice!

* abbi still LOVE LOVE LOVES her thumbs!

* and her toes!! :)

* abbi took her first plane ride! and did amazing! kevin, abbi and i flew out to michigan to see my dad the week after thanksgiving. it was a 5 hour flight both ways... and she did great! we were so proud of her!

* abbi loved spending time with papa! it took her a few days to get used to him.. we are not around many men... but once she warmed up to him, she did great.

* she is starting to find her tongue... she sticks it out all of the time... she even has a super cute grin that she sticks her tongue out!

* she is teething... but no teeth... however, there is LOTS AND LOTS of SWABBA!!! (slobber) :)


* she will chew on anyone's fingers/thumbs/hands...

* actually anything that is put in front of her she will try to put in her mouth.

* she loves the swing... i don't always fasten the bar and she has learned to use her legs and kick it up. she loves hearing the toys rattle on the bar when it falls back down.... ya, i now ALWAYS fasten the bar!

* she is learning to play with toys more... her favorites are: the plastic chain links, her fabric crinkle that nanny made for her and the "love bug" that aunt carol sent her- it has a fun jingle to it!

* we also had our first family pictures taken for our christmas card! she did so well! even though it was getting a little chilly... by the end her nose was a cute pink color...





* when she sees mom or dad abbi's total body is excited!! her face lights up and she kicks and kicks! it is nice to know that she knows who we are... :)

* abbi is such a happy little girl! sometimes she smiles so big that her nose will crinkle up and her eyes will squint! it is darling!

* she has the CUTEST little giggle that she does when she is teased or tickled...

* abbi is starting to notice her hands and their movements.

* she likes to be standing when she is being held. she wants to be up and moving!

* abbi loves her daddy!! it is so cute to see them together! when he is in the room she watches every move he makes! her eyes never leave him...

* she had her first thanksgiving! we all went over to grandma maryann's house! it was fun! she wore her "my first thanksgiving" onesie! so darling!

* she is starting to really blow raspberries and blow bubbles! anything funky with her mouth!

* abbi really squeals when she is excited!

* when we call her name she still will not look over at us... but turns when she hears our voices.

* crying or not... this darling is so cute!!

* socks are really hard to keep on her because she is always kicking!!

* KICK KICK KICK!! one day i went to get her after her nap... she had kicked her pants right off!! crazy girl!

* when i am nursing her or giving her a bottle she will groan or growl a little... it is quite funny...

* abbi will hold her head up really high when she is on her tummy. she likes to look around and see what is going on!

* she really loves her bathtime! she splashes and splashes!! i usually get just as wet as she does!!

* she loves music!! when she hears any music she will usually quiet down and listen. she has a little pillow that you can wind up and it plays "lullaby and goodnight"... her favorite! we usually wind it up when we are getting her ready for bed.

* while we were in michigan we were able to go to the worlds largest christmas store... bronners!! amazing! we were so lucky!! cuz santa clause was there the day we went!! so abbi was able to meet santa for the first time! she did really well on his lap. a blank stare ... but better than crying! :)

* my dad gave abbi a little outfit that says... "santa's favorite"! i love it!! and it is sooooooooooo true!! :)

we love you abbi! you are the light of our lives!!