Megan, Larry, Allen, & Hayden Balsmeier: 2014 Year in Review

January

We took a trip to Montana to visit Scott and Laura and attended their baby Carter's blessing.

Visiting Montana

Hayden & Carter are about six weeks apart. Here they are when we visited for the first time.

Allen had his annual check up at Shriner's Hospital's club foot clinic. We got the good news that he only needed to wear his brace at night until summer!

Allen at his three year club foot clinic check up at Shriner's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

February

Allen turned three on February 22nd! He was really into monster trucks so we took him to Monster Jam at the Energy Solutions Arena. He loved seeing the real monster trucks at the pit party. And it was a lot of fun for him to see them in action in the arena. For his third birthday party, he had a racing/monster truck theme. The highlight for him was having his cousins Vaughn and Tristan attend the party and play with him outside. Larry made an impressive monster truck cake, complete with giant donut wheels. (It's become a tradition that Larry makes the birthday cake.)

At the Monster Jam Pit Party

Monster Jam

Allen's Monster Truck Cake, made by Daddy

Allen on his third birthday :)

March

I quit my job working from home for a cloth diaper company. As Hayden got older, it became harder to work with all the distractions, especially with an increasingly clingy baby. It was a blessing to work from home for the two and a half years that I did, but it was also a relief to just focus on being a mom to my boys.

On March 15th my mom's sweet dog Kya passed away :( She was in kidney failure and had be put to sleep. (I grew up with our dogs Kodi and Kya.)

Kya

April

We had an eventful vacation in Florida. Larry had qualified for "Pinnacle" with the bank again and this year was the 20th anniversary. The trip with the bank itself was only a few days, but we went out a week early for our own vacation. The trip started out with our new double stroller getting lost by the airline. We had a flight attendant who made friends with us and went above and beyond to help us even helping carry our luggage and entertaining our kids while we sorted things out (all after a long shift when she should have been done for the day). We ended up getting a rental stroller and getting reimbursed for the stroller since they never found it. But the positive from the experience was the service of the flight attendant on our behalf.

We had a fun filled trip. We visited Sea World, which was fun...however, it was more "human oriented" instead of animal oriented...we saw more acrobats jumping around in water than whales and dolphins (perhaps a change they made after controversy there from that documentary, I don't know). We still saw sea animals though and had a good time.

Allen at Sea World

We drove out to the Kennedy Space Center one day and Allen liked seeing the rocket ships. Then we went to Cocoa Beach. It was our boys' first time seeing the ocean. They liked it (and Hayden liked eating the sand). Midway through the trip, we switched to the hotel the bank provided, the Ritz Carlton. The bank put on some events and an awards night while we were there.

Shaking a robot's hand ;)

Sitting in a rocket or something

Allen with his space shuttle

At Cocoa Beach, Florida

Fun digging himself out of the sand

Running in the ocean

So pretty!

Baby Blue Eyes at the Ocean

The boy kept eating sand...

During that week, we went to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Hayden was only 6 months old, so he just liked looking around at things. Allen enjoyed meeting Mickey and Minney (and getting her autograph) and other Disney characters. Overall he was a bit overwhelmed by everything though. We also went to the Wild Animal Kingdom Park. The highlight there was going on the safari ride. After the trip, we went back home to Utah. It had been a fun trip but it was good to be home.

At the Magic Kingdom

Getting Minnie's Autograph!

He loved meeting Minnie Mouse!

Giving Minnie hugs

Mickey is such a show off ;)

I'm pretty sure the ice cream was the highlight of the day for him

Our little Hayden at Disney World

I'm too cheap to buy the hats, so he just tried it on for a picture ;)

Same for baby brother...

All wiped out!

On the safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom

April 20th was Easter Sunday. After church, we had a family get together with my family.

Easter 2014

Annual Easter Cousin Picture

Easter 2014

Hayden on Easter, 6 months old

Allen on the easter egg hunt

April 22nd was our 6th wedding anniversary. That went by fast!

Allen picked me a tulip from our garden and gave it to me as an anniversary gift

May

Early in May, Larry had abdominal surgery to repair a surgical site from one of his surgeries related to his Crohn's Disease. He usually bounces back from surgery pretty quick, but this surgery was surprisingly hard on him. He had to be fairly heavily medicated to deal with the pain. This made for some funny facebook posts of him professing his love to me. (He's pretty anti Facebook, so that wasn't like him.) I found it a little amusing.

Shortly after Larry's surgery, Allen had his own abdominal surgery to repair the umbilical hernia that he was born with. It was at the Primary Children's Hospital in Riverton. It was a pretty straight forward procedure and everything went well. He recovered pretty quickly. He was loopy when he came home and kept dancing around but by the next day he was feeling it. He took it easy until he recovered within a week.

Allen getting ready for his surgery

A little drowsy and headed to surgery in a wagon

All done! Sleepy boy waking up from anesthesia

Recovering after surgery

Ready to go home

Mother's Day 2014

May 19th was a sad day for me. I had to put Kodi to sleep after he had multiple strokes that day. :( The vet came to our house so Kodi was able to go peacefully in his bed, surrounded by his loved ones. I miss him but I'm glad he's with Kya again. I adopted Kodi when he was just four months old. He was there for me through so many life experiences for almost 14 years. There will never be another dog like Kodi. I loved him so much.

"Kodi"
September 27th 2000-May 19th 2014
Adopted January 27th 2001

Happy Kodi

Sweet Kodi in his older years

Allen saying goodbye to Kodi, giving him kisses :(

June

My 26th birthday was June 11th. I still think it's weird that I'm that "old."

Allen had his first visit to the dentist. I felt like a really bad mom when they told me he had several cavities and would need his teeth capped. The culprit: milk in sippy cups...it ruined his teeth. I still kick myself about it. He had to be sedated in two visits to have seven teeth capped, including his front four top teeth.

Before and after

Hayden started crawling at the end of June, at 8 months old.

Hayden crawling

My boys loved sitting and playing outside during the summer.

Hayden, summer of 2014. So handsome!

Painting with water on the sidewalk

July

Allen got out of his brace July 1st! It was bittersweet putting his AFO's and brace on for the last time. Every night for more than three years I said "night feet!" and kissed his feet before putting his socks, boots, and brace on. It was part of our routine for so long. When I took them off in the morning that was all behind us. It was so nice to put him to bed bear foot so he could sleep comfortably! I'm grateful for Shriner's and the medical advancements that made it so his feet work perfectly. You can't even tell he was born with bilateral club foot and he can run and play like nothing was ever "wrong." He handled his journey so well, from the time he was born with his adorable clubbed feet, through the casting, surgery, bracing, and everything in between. He never complained and I'm proud of him.

Allen's last night in his brace and first night officially getting to sleep barefoot!

In July, we did some more traveling and had fun times with family. We spent July 4th at home and did fireworks at home.

You look like the Fourth of July!

Allen liked the colored smoke bombs

sparklers

That weekend we had a camping trip with all my siblings at Bear Lake. Allen enjoyed playing with his cousins and learned to throw mud balls. He's pretty cautious around water so he just enjoyed staying on the beach and playing. Hayden liked laying in the little rafts and being pulled around the water. He'd get so relaxed, he would fall asleep. My sister's family rented some jet skis for everyone to use. We stayed in tents and sat around the fire and had a good time there.

Playing at Bear Lake

Wakeboarding with Dad!

Happy Hayden and Mom

So relaxed, he fell asleep

Later in the month, we traveled to Montana for a get together with Larry's family. We spent the first couple days at Scott and Laura's. Then we traveled to Glacier National Park and stayed in some nice little cabins. Each family stayed in a little cabin house. We went fishing, cherry picking, hiking, and drove up the canyon. It was really pretty.

Also in July, Jordan and Drew were sealed in the Lubbock Texas Temple.

Lake and sunset in Montana

Fishing with Dad in Montana

On our trip to Glacier National Park

Allen wearing a "Get Lost in Montana" bumper sticker

Cherry Picking in Montana

Hayden trying the cherries

At the end of July, we took our boys to the Ogden Temple Open House. Allen loves temples and it was special to take him and Hayden inside.

At the Ogden Temple Open House

August

I think we just spent August enjoying the summer at home and relaxing. My friend Chelsea and her baby Lydia visited us and we went to Wheeler Farm and the Splash Park in Herriman. The Splash Pad was my favorite place to take my boys during the summer.

Fun at the splash pad

At Wheeler Farm with Chelsea & Lydia

September

We went to the Utah State Fair. Our boys had fun watching a dog agility show, looking at animals, and learning about farming. They had a "Little Hands on the Farm" exhibit for kids where they pretend to be farmers.

Allen milking the fake cow

Hayden digging in the garden. Look at this cute little apron ;)

Riding tractors

Fun riding the little tractor

Making a little sheep craft

Visiting sheep at the state fair

On the 31st, Allen was hospitalized at Primary Children's for intussusception. It's where the intestines, telescope, or fold in on each other. It can be pretty dangerous. It was pretty traumatic for him but he was so brave. After the procedure to correct it, he kept telling me, "I was so brave Mom. I was so brave." The poor boy has been through some tough stuff. I was grateful he was okay. He was released the following day and recovered without it recurring. So I was relieved he didn't need major surgery.

Allen recovering at Primary Children's Hospital

October

Our nephew Camden was born October 2nd (Jordan and Drew's baby).

Camden

On October 7th, Hayden turned one year old! I can't believe how fast his first year went. He loved opening his presents and eating birthday cake. That weekend we celebrated with a birthday party and his cousins on my side of the family came. We call him "HayBears" so Larry made him a bear Birthday cake with a block. The block cake was his own personal smash cake. We bought a little bounce house trampoline thing for the kids to play with and he just lit up and had such a fun time jumping in it. We watched his first year video that I'd made (every year I make my boy's a video.) It was special celebrating our little HayHays.

Flashback to little newborn Hayden

A year of Hayden Elijah :)

Playing with his new toy car

Allen helping Hayden open his presents

Playing the drums. He loves music!

Checking out his new phone and toys

Singing happy birthday to Hayden :)

Hayden's Bear Cake made by Larry

Blowing out his candle at his first birthday party!

Having a blast in the bounce house trampoline with his cousins

Handsome Hayden at 1 year old

Cute boy!

Smash Cake

On October 20th, Hayden started walking!

From crawling...

To walking!

Hayden got his first haircut just after he turned one.

First haircut

So handsome!

For Halloween, we had a cowboys and indians theme. Allen was our mellow cowboy and Hayden was our wild indian. Larry was also a cowboy and I was an Indian with Hayden. Zailey was their horse. My boys were so cute in their authentic costumes! I took the boys trick or treating at the mall and that night, we took them trick or treating in the neighborhood.

My Cowboy and Indian

A cowboy and his horse ;)

Cowboys & Indians for Halloween 2014

November

Allen made a thankful turkey craft for Family Home Evening.
He told us he was thankful for Mommy, Daddy, Hayden, Jesus, & Cousins

We went to my Mom's house for Thanksgiving at their new house in Salem (they moved there in June). All seven of my siblings and I were together so we took the opportunity to take family pictures. It was great to be together.

Me and my siblings! I'm the youngest of 7 kids.

My siblings and me, our families, and my mom and step dad (not pictured, my dad and step mom)

Campbell Cousins

December

December 5th (which happens to be my dad's birthday), my sister Heidi got engaged! She and Jeff are getting married in March.

Jeff & Heidi

In December we visited Temple Square to see the lights, went to Zoolights, and Larry took me on a date to see Forgotten Carols.

At Temple Square to see the lights

On December 24th, Larry turned 31

It had been an abnormally warm and sunny December with out snow. Well, on Christmas morning, "Santa brought a snowstorm!" as Allen put it. My boys loved looking out the window and seeing the snow Christmas morning. We took turns opening presents and I loved seeing my boys happy with their gifts. Larry came down with a fever of 102 and Hayden got sick. So we stayed home. That weekend we went down to my mom's to visit though and that was fun.

Christmas wonderment

"Dear Santa, Define Good" Yeah...he removed all the ornaments he could reach

At the ward Christmas party. Yeahhh Hayden didn't like Santa too much.

I dressed up like Santa and took the boys for some Christmas pictures in their pajamas

Ready for Christmas

Christmas morning snow!

Christmas 2014

John and Clara and Scott and Laura's family's came down for the end of the year and new years. We had fun spending time with them but we were sick so I don't think we were very fun to be around ;)
New Years Eve, everyone went to bed before midnight. I like to ring in the new year so I looked at the clock when it hit midnight and then went to bed. Fun times huh?!

2014 was a busy year with lots of trips and family get togethers. It also had some challenges and trials, but overall we had a lot of good times.

Allen and Hayden have grown so much. Allen is so smart and caring. He loves his little brother and tells him every day. He can be pretty stubborn too. His favorite show in 2014 was My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. He knows everything there is to know about all the characters. He loves to play Minecraft and calls it "Blocky Game." I can't believe how good he is at building (and blowing stuff up) on that game. He's not even four. He's such a quick learner and impresses me everyday.

Cheese~

Amazon shopping ;)

Allen photo bomb!

Strike a pose!

Building a temple...he even put the angel on top; building a car wash, and an airplane he built.
He's so creative with his Lego building skills. He impresses me!

He picked some dandelions for me

Cute boy

Such a silly boy

Playing with cars

Cool aviator dude at the Hill Aerospace Museum

Making My Little Pony crafts

So handsome

Allen

Hayden is such a sweet little boy. He's definitely a momma's boy :) I love his personality. He has such a quiet and gentle demeanor and yet he's mischievous! He loves to explore and get into things and he climbs on everything. He'll get on the table, give a mischievous smile and dance. I can tell he has an ear for music (the boy has rhythm). He loves to play on the piano and drums. He also loves to clean and is very helpful with putting toys in bins and dusting with rags. He's just so precious and such a joy to have in our family.

3 1/2 months

Such pretty blue eyes

Nananananana Batman!

Hayden in the early spring time

Cute boy in the summer time

Messy oreos

So precious

Look at that sweet face

Looking at birds at PetSmart

Hayden, 9 months

Hayden, 1 year

He loves bath time

Such a handsome boy!

I find so much joy in being a mom to my two little boys. They are the sweetest, most beautiful little boys! It's so fun watching them learn and grow and seeing them interact together. I'm grateful I get to be their mom and I look forward to all the memories we'll create together this year.