Fun in the Sun

They all love Aunt Jenni.

Mom & Abby.

Abby's new kissy face.

The girl had as much fun in the rocks as in the pool.

Mother's Day Fun

All the Allen Girls went on a little vacation to St. George for Mother's Day. Jenni got a great time-share for us to stay in at Green Valley. The condo was super nice, the pool area was awesome, the hot tub on the deck was relaxing... overall, it was needed and fantastic!

Before bedtime, we all read books to the girls. Jenni is the favorite aunt, and she had fun reading The Tooth Book at least 5 times.

This & That

You've got to love it when Ken changes her diaper and the onesie ends up outside her pants. She could be a super heroine.

Heading out for our daily walk. The sunglasses lasted maybe 3 minutes, and I can't even find one of the arms.

She climbed up all by herself. Thanks again John & Lianne for the T. It came all the way from Pamplona.

Carseat Fun!

April 20?

Spring Pictures

We had friends over yesterday morning to take pictures. Our friend, Kate, studied photography in undergrad. I think she did fantastic. She's going to Photoshop some and lighten them up a little. We had a good time!

Abby and her girlfriends: Hallie & Cami.

Congratulations Dad Allen!

Congratulations to the new postmaster of Annabella, Utah, my dad, the fisherman!

We are so happy and excited for you and mom. I think you should put one like this in front of the house even though you only get a p.o. box.

Abby congratulates you too! Got to love the socks!

The Walking Chicken

Abby's Newest Find

More Easter

On Sunday, we went to Reno to be with family and had a great day. Thanks Mom & Dad Lund for a great dinner and hunt.

Happy Easter!

Thanks Grandpa & Grandma Allen for the Easter gifts!

The Beginnings of a New Stage in Life

Abby has finally decided that walking is the cool thing to do. She also cut her third tooth the past couple days. What a week for her! Oh, and Happy 14 Months Abby!

Moab... Day 1

We arrived in one of our favorite places in the whole world, and it was Abby's first Moab experience. We were also able to share the beauty with my mom, Jenni & Jarom. Our first stop was Canyonlands. My mom had never been in the Island in the Sky region of the park, so Ken enjoyed being the tour guide.

Of all the times we have been to Arches together, we have never done Delicate Arch together. Ken hauled Abby, which was a lot to ask the day before the race, and my mom and I still trailed him. Abby enjoyed the pack. That was an amazing E-bay buy!

Maybe our 2008 Christmas card?

The trooper!

It couldn't have been better!

Moab... Day 2

Race Day. Saturday morning, Ken boarded the half-marathon bus, and I boarded the 5-mile bus. The race was down a beautiful red rock canyon. We had a great time!Ken crossing the finish line.

A racing family.

What better than Zax Pizza after a long race. We were so glad to spend time with Jenni & Jarom in Moab too. Thanks guys!

The Staheli Family

On March 1, my sister, Julie, got married to Travis Staheli. We are glad that we made it because I've never seen her happier in my whole life. Congratulations!

It's Been Awhile

All I can say is... 3 trips to Utah in a 2 week period. Ken took the bar, my sister, Julie, got married, and we ran in Moab. It was all good! Ken downloaded the pics onto his laptop, so when I can get him to transfer them, I'll post them.

Thanks Grossman Family!

Abby got a package in the mail today. She loves the bag and especially the jeweled beads. Thanks for thinking of us!
Love, Alicia, Ken, & Abby

The Happenings:

This is what Ken has looked like for weeks now, and even more so the past few days. He has had "baritis" and been home for the past couple days. We ask each other everyday why we are putting ourselves through this, and we still don't have an answer. We are super excited to live in Las Vegas for a long time, but we figured he'd never take Utah unless he took it now.

It is hard to tell from this picture, but I have been beaten up by my physical therapist! I tore some muscles in my foot and have been getting treatments. I am only doing this torture so that I can run the half-marathon in 2 1/2 weeks. Thank heavens for "painful therapy".

Abba, as she calls herself, was actually being cuddly the other night. Ken caught a cute picture.

She discovered balloons this Valentine's Day. She loved them so much that she wouldn't let us take it away even for bath time. Thanks John & Lianne!

Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Lund!

Abby received a package yesterday from G & G Lund. She had a great time going through all of the goodies. Thanks so much!!!

You Know You're in Winnemucca When...

A John Deere slowly rolls down the street to smooth out the ruts. The mud is out of control!!! The other day I went out to open the gates, so I threw my flip flops on and was out the door. At one point I sunk so deep in the mud that it grabbed my flip flop, and I was barefoot before I knew it. This is the last time that we don't live on pavement!

A day in the life of Abigail

Abby's newest Sunday dress. I thought she looked so- cute!

So, a day in the life of Abigail...

Climbing onto and into everything,

and ripping books when mom's not looking.

Playing in the Tupperware cupboard.

The flashlight has been a favorite since the power went out this past week.

This week has also been full of bumps and bruises. She got two huge goose-eggs yesterday on her head. She's trying to balance on her own, but she gets scared and falls. We try to keep her in the middle of the room where there is empty space, but good luck! We just pray that she doesn't have any brain damage.

Belated Christmas Break Pics

Merry Christmas everyone! Abby loved all the toys and being with family.

We visited Aunt Debbie in Vegas. Thanks again for letting us stay.

We went hiking in Capitol Reef NP one afternoon. Abby loved it even though it was freezing outside. We forgot a carrier for her, so we got a great workout.

I love this picture.

This is how we all felt after 2 weeks of travel, but we had a blast!

I got tagged...

We promised Mom Lund that every entry would have a pic, so this is Abby's after dinner hair. She has to run her fingers through it when she's done.

My girlfriend, Karen, tagged me, but I think she'll regret it as I am just not that exciting.

So, 10 things about me:
1. I took a watercolor class a few years back, and my final painting came out alright. I would like to do more.
2. I got my bachelor's degree a couple summers ago from the U of U and majored in economics.
3. I like to travel with Ken. Sometimes I complain because he would drive all over the country if I let him, and it is hard now with a baby. When this stage is done, we'll be blogging from who knows where.
4. I never thought I would survive this long in a small, Nevada town, but it has become home. That doesn't mean that I don't look forward to moving to Vegas in July, but I'll miss our friends.
5. Even though I loved being a career woman, I love mommying more- even when it is hard. Abby pooped in the tub last night! GROSS!!!
6. I enjoy missionary moments.
7. Family is everything. Sometimes I am the mean, big sister, but it is all out of love. I really love both of my families and want everything and more for all of them. They deserve it!
8. I am training for the Canyonlands Half-Marathon in Moab on March 8. I am doing it with Ken, my sisters, and my bro-in-law. This is the first time in my life I have run further than maybe 2 miles. It is killing me, but I've set a goal and it will be accomplished!
9. My grandma taught me how to cook. I love it, and I have fun making meals for family and friends. It makes me happy when others like my cooking. (I don't really bake though.)
10. The best decision I ever made in my life was marrying Ken. It took some time and patience, but the best really was saved for last!!!

I am supposed to tag others, so... Julie, Jenni, Shannon, Jenna, and Erin. I think all of my other family members have done this already, but if not, I tag you too! (Katrina and Meagan)

Are we Serious?

300 million people in the United States, and John McCain is the best we can come up with? I'm not enthused.

Some of our favorites...

Here are some of Abby's favorite gifts. Mom and Dad Lund had Abby's first year scrapbooked by a friend and it was done by ABC's. It is a family tradition, and I was definitely looking forward to it. Mom and Dad Allen gave Abby this zebra ride, and today she really went for it. She received lots of other toys that she loves too. Thanks again to all for your gifts. We love you!

Happy 1st Birthday Abby (Yesterday)!

We had such a great day yesterday while we celebrated Abby's 1st birthday! Mom and Dad Lund, Mom and Dad Allen and Jeanne came from afar to be with Abby. Other family and friends also stopped by, called, or sent a gift. Thank you all for thinking of Abby on her special day.

She loved playing with the ribbons and paper. Part way through the party, she decided to poop. It just happened to be a blow-out, so we got her ready early for cake.

She got so many great toys and clothes. It is heaven now here in our house for her. This morning she woke up so excited to play.

This is the beginning of the cake. By the end, she was covered head to toe, and she loved every minute of it!

She was taken straight to the bathtub to clean up afterwards.

We love you Abby!!!

Adventures in Caucusing!

There are about a million things that we want to blog about...we are a bit backlogged. First of all, Happy Birthday to our little baby girl! We'll get some photos up within the next few hours.

Alicia and I had our premier venture into the world of caucusing this morning. There were a ton of people there, but the precincts were a lot smaller than I expected, so we ended up participating quite a bit. I gave my piece on behalf of Romney--I wasn't planning to, but it's just kind of worked out that way.

Gov. Romney won our precinct pretty handily. Not surprisingly for a town like Winnemucca, Ron Paul took second (our precinct is just a small part of Winnemucca--I don't know what happened elsewhere in Winnemucca).

Anyways, I was pleased that everybody was respectful of each other in our precinct. I was worried it was going to be slug-fest between supporters of each candidate. It was pretty civil, however. Alicia and I were elected delegates to the county convention, so I guess we've got more politics in our immediate future. So much for trying to stay out of politics.

Ken's Color

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Brown

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

Take this test >

What a month!

I've been putting this off because I knew it would take a little while. Bear with me because our blog is also my journal, so if you get bored... just don't read any further.
It all began the week before Christmas. A friend in the ward asked us if we were interested in managing a storage unit facility and we would get free rent in return. Free rent? ABSOLUTELY! So, three days later, we moved.
We were planning on leaving for Utah that same weekend, so we moved all the stuff Saturday, and left for Utah on Sunday. We were in Utah for Christmas, and then we were off to Las Vegas on the 26th. Ken had an interview which went very well, and then we headed back to Utah on the 27th. We stayed in St George that night, and then went back to Richfield for the New Year. Our time with my family was wonderful! Then, on the 2nd we went to SLC to catch a flight to Denver. Ken's cousin, Mark, got married. It was really nice to be with Ken's family too. Back to SLC on the 6th (barely made it in because of a huge snow storm), and then drove home to the Mucca. Came home to the new place... flooded! Anyway, it has been busy and interesting.
Ken did get the job, and we are heading to Vegas mid-July. The house is now dry, but we are still in the middle of it being put back together (carpet, sheetrock, etc.). I am managing the storage unit facility, and it is going well. All in all, I think we are back on track! Whew!!!
It was busy, but best of all... Lots of family!!! We love you!
Most of our vacation pics are on Ken's laptop, so we'll post some more soon.

Alicia's Color Test

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Black

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

Take this test >

Thank's Lars... I don't know if it is totally correct, but it was fun!

Awesome Ornament

We met Mom and Dad Lund, as well as Aunt Jeanne in Lovelock, Nevada (where I was finishing court--it's halfway between Reno and Winnemucca). They got a tour of the Pershing County Courthouse and then we had dinner at one of Lovelock's finest eating establishments (and that's saying a lot). We had a fun gift exchange. Although we will not open most of our presents until Christmas (although we did eat the candy-canes, Jeanne), we did open this present. How cool is this ornament? Thanks Mom and Dad!

Dancing Queen

We went to the doctor today. Abby weighs 24 lbs and is 28.5" long. That puts her in the 92nd percentile for weight and the 39th percentile for height. The doctor was impressed with her skills: her nunchuck skills, her bowhunting skills, her computer-hacking skills... We were proud!

Saturday is a Special Day

Mom and Dad came for a visit this weekend. They even stayed overnight with Suka in the kitchen! On Saturday, Ken & Dad went up north to meet up with some guys to fly, and mom and I made Christmas Cookies. We had a great time, and we've already had rave reviews on the cookies.

We also had our annual office party last night at The Martin. They serve amazing Basque, family style, food. It was fun to get with friends and celebrate the holiday. Abby was great, and she enjoyed the kidney beans, mashed potatoes and green beans, all infused with loads of garlic. Ken: I wasn't intentionally trying to take a photo of the back of your head, John.

Congratulations, Robbie!

Robbie just took a job in Seattle. Congratulations. Very cool city.