BEUTLER BEGINNINGS

The ABC's

2012-02-17T18:13:00.004-07:00

Back Yard Snow Slide

2012-02-15T16:28:00.010-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we just got dumped on with snow. It was probably going hard for about 48 hours. Anyway, I finally relented and took Kayson outside. I was going to build him a fort, but that seemed like it was take too long (my rear end was freezing). I decided to build him a slide instead. As you can see it was almost up to the top of our fence. We must have had close to two feet of snow so thankfully it didn't take too long. Take a look.

Diaper Trike

2012-02-15T16:23:00.005-07:00

Meghan went to a baby shower this past week so she thought she'd try something new. Pretty awesome huh?

The Arm Dance

2012-01-29T19:20:00.004-07:00

Check out these sweet moves. They are almost as good as mine when I was young.

Police Beat Junkies Archive

2012-01-26T21:26:00.004-07:00

Today I stumbled across a Facebook group I started while I was still at BYU. I called it "Police Beat Junkies" after the university police's column in the student newspaper. I intended this group to be a forum for people to share their favorite reports. Some of the entries people posted were so funny that I had to share.

1. Police received a report of a 40- to 50-year-old man walking around a parking lot north of Helaman Halls. The man was not doing anything wrong, but was "acting suspiciously". Police responded and discovered the man was waiting to get picked up.

2. A student reported his scooter stolen, but found that his roommate had moved it.

3. A Wymount Terrace resident called police to report that two men were behind building 12C. The caller thought the men might be homeless. Police responded and found the men were grounds employees.

4. An abandoned suitcase was found outside the Richards Building. The luggage was transported to the lost and found.

5. Police followed up on a report of people being loud at 11:30 p.m. at Wymount Terrace. The loud people were asked to be quiet.

6. A male student posted fliers in female dorm halls asking for dates to satisfy a dating requirement for his marriage preparation class. The fliers not only violate BYU policy but were disturbing female residents. Police discovered that the student was not enrolled in that class and the professor he said he had has retired.

7. A BYU police officer observed a 25-year-old male stumbling across a parking lot near LaVell Edwards Stadium. The man, who smelled of alcohol, said he had not been drinking, but when officers asked if he was lying, he said yes. The man was cited for public intoxication and is not a BYU student.

8. A man was reported making a suspicious phone call to a female in Helaman Halls in which he claimed he was doing a psychology project and then proceeded to hypnotize the female student on the other end of the line. The roommate of the female came home to find her asleep on the floor. The female is reported of reacting strangely when certain words are spoken. Incidents of a similar nature have occurred about two dozen times in the past. There are no suspects, but the incident is still under investigation.

9. An unknown person used a washable wipe marker to write obscenities such as "poo-poo" and "poo" on a black Denali parked in Heritage Halls on Nov. 25.

10. An older male was reported for suspicious activity after someone noticed him opening all the washers and dryers in the laundry at Wyview Park. When he was confronted it was learned that he had personal items in each of the washers and dryers.

11. A female student reported that someone was tapping at her window at John Hall in Helaman Halls Sept. 3 and she saw a mannequin head on a pole. There were 15 people in the area with two heads on poles. The case is closed and there are no suspects.

12. A male individual was reported yelling in the Eyring Science Center. When the officers arrived, they discovered he was actually singing along to music playing on his iPod.

13. A parking officer reported an open container of alcohol in a vehicle near the Harris Fine Arts Center. Upon investigation, police determined the container in question was in fact an empty bottle of maple syrup.

14. BYU math teaching assistants called BYU police to report a male student who had repeatedly threatened them. The student said he would pull out a female TAs hair with duct tape and would stab another TAs foot with a thumb drive to infect him with a deadly virus. BYU police are questioning the individual.

2012-01-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

If You're Happy and You Know It...

2012-01-01T19:07:00.003-07:00

This is a pretty cute video. Pay attention to Kayson towards the end. He loves "doing circles."

Xmas on the Homefront

2012-01-01T18:34:00.008-07:00

Christmas morning was awesome this year. Atlee slept through most of it, but now that Kayson is two years old he has a much better idea of what's going on.

He loves daddy's electric toothbrush so we got him one of his own. I swear he'd brush his teeth all day now if we'd let him.

Both the kids got new pj's. They are growing up so much!

No Shame

2011-12-27T21:57:00.002-07:00

So the other day we had a pretty big storm come through. I felt pretty bad for Kayson being cooped up in the house so I took him outside for a bit...in his sister's one peice.

The snow must have been close to a foot deep by the time it stopped.

One Year Older and Wiser Two!

2011-12-27T21:27:00.011-07:00

This year my parent's stopped by on their way to Iowa for Kayson's 2nd birthday. It was neat because he's at the age where he's finally starting to get it. He especially loved all the balloons we had blown up for him the night before.

Meghan spent a lot of time putting this together for him. It's a map of our neighborhood for him to play cars on.

So soft! Thanks G and G!

Aren't these cupcakes cute? They were right up Kayson's alley.

Thanks for making the effort Grandpa and Grandma!

Christmas Craft Night

2011-12-27T20:58:00.004-07:00

Last year we enjoyed making gingerbread houses so much that we decided to make it a tradition. Only this time we decided to actually buy some candy.

Kayson got in on the fun by making some cotton ball snowmen.

Potty Time! Excellent!

2011-12-10T08:09:00.004-07:00

Meghan bought this training potty a couple of days ago and Kayson is already using it. Hooray! We give him little teddy graham type treats every time he makes it to the potty. We are so proud of our little big boy!

Like an Animal

2011-12-10T08:01:00.006-07:00

I never did like raw tomatoes, but Kayson is all over them. Yuck!

Hi 5 Fanatic

2011-11-26T08:41:00.002-07:00

Costume Ideas for Next Halloween

2011-11-25T21:54:00.004-07:00

I know Halloween was not that long ago, but the kids had so much fun this year that they wanted to share their costume ideas for next year.

Conjoined Twins

Daddy

Bed wetter

Jordie La Forge (from Star Trek)

A peacock

Trick-or-Treating, Lumberjack Style

2011-11-25T21:38:00.007-07:00

Just taking a little break next before hitting up the next door. Isn't that skeleton to the left awesome?

Extreme Somersaults

2011-11-25T21:24:00.004-07:00

As you can see, Kayson is becoming quite the daredevil.

"I like her bangs"

2011-11-13T00:26:00.006-07:00

My wife gave me an early birthday present today. I can't wait to watch it...again...and again...and again. It's pretty much my fave...right behind the Back to the Future trilogy.

So, it is gratitude to my beutiful wife that I post this next picture of her most recent haircut. She's thinks it was a pretty big hash job, but I think it's sweet. I especially like her bangs.

Girl Meets Music

2011-11-12T23:16:00.001-07:00

Laughs for Uncle Andy

2011-11-12T23:06:00.003-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Andy made a quick trip out here for a couple of days. It was good to catch up, even if we didn't get to spend much time with him.

October Snow

2011-11-05T18:06:00.004-06:00

Obama! a Modern US President

2011-11-01T20:20:00.006-06:00

3rd Annual Beutler/White Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza

2011-10-23T21:01:00.007-06:00

Yesterday we drove down to Castle Rock to visit some friends the Whites. We've done our pumpkin carving with them every year since we've lived in Colorado. This year they had a get together for their community so we got the kids dressed up one week early.

Checkin' out the bouncy house

I don't know about you but that's the biggest offensive linewoman baby I've ever seen!

Our little lumberjack played so hard he couldn't even make it home without falling asleep!

Picnic at the Park

2011-10-23T20:18:00.006-06:00

Last Saturday we decided we were going to go across the street to have

dinner at the park. It was a great time. Hopefully these pictures do it justice.

Like a Zucchini

2011-10-13T20:17:00.006-06:00

Anyone who has ever planted Zucchini knows how how big they can get if you let them. Well, Atlee grows much the same way. Everyday I come home from work only to be surprised again by how big our daughter is! Last time we measured she was about 25 lbs. Adorable isn't she?

P90Xed

2011-10-13T20:08:00.006-06:00

After much hesitation, I've decided to do it...I've decided to post my "after" picture from P90X. Yes, that's right. I did P90X this summer with my friend Chris. We worked out each morning at 5 am, six days a week for 3 months. It was very difficult, but well worth it. My only hope is that you don't have to wear sunglasses when you see this picture. I am well aware of my pastiness.

Smiles and Giggles

2011-09-02T23:12:00.004-06:00

Here's a couple must see's from tonight. Enjoy!

2011-08-30T22:39:00.002-06:00

This past weekend we took a trip into the mountains to a place called Evergreen. There's this huge lake in middle of town with a path that goes all the way around it. It was so beautiful and green...the perfect place for us to have a picnic lunch.

On the way back to the house we passed through a town called Conifer. Every time we drive though we have to stop and get a coconut cream slushy from the Sonic there. I think it's going to have to be our new tradition!

Splits

2011-08-30T22:35:00.004-06:00

Kayson has learned a few new tricks lately. They include doing the splits, jumping onto his knees, and climbing onto the back of the couch so he can reach things on the wall. I know these types of things can be expected, but that really doesn't provide us much solace.

Western Welcome Week

2011-08-30T21:46:00.005-06:00

The week before last we went to the Littleton Western Welcome Week Parade. It pretty fun for Kayson to see all the local attractions, however he got pretty scared when the high school bands marched by.

Ready for the parade...boots and all!

WWII plane fly over.

Mexican dancing horses (these were awesome).

The Budweiser Clydesdales. I didn't know this until recently, but the Clydesdale training facility is actually in Fort Collins.

Morning Surprise

2011-08-21T06:37:00.002-06:00

Kayson has found a new love (in addition to his Teddy and his blanket). Anytime he sees my hat laying around he'll pic it up and put it on. The other day I let him go to sleep with it. I forgot that I had left it with him so I was pretty surprised when I walked in and saw this.

Hudson Gardens

2011-08-14T19:04:00.008-06:00

Yesterday we went to a place called Hudson Gardens. Its a beautiful place where they showcase all sorts of plants. They've also got some cool little attractions for kids. Here's a few pics.

Just smelling some flowers close to the entrance.

This was a cool feature. It's a toy train set built into the side of a hill. And who else should appear...

Thomas!

This part is called the Hobbit Hole. It was really cute seeing Kayson go back and forth through the tunnel.

It just so happened that there was a wedding going on while we were there. Meghan and I had a good laugh as we were walking a long a path while this guy rides past with the bride and her mom sitting behind singing "Going to the chapel." We especially liked the guys t-shirt tux.

It was sooo hot!
Kayson couldn't help pointing out all the big orange "balls."

Who knew a pumpkin patch could be so fun?

Saturday at Bronco's Scrimmage

2011-08-07T20:39:00.007-06:00

Friday I caught word on the radio that the Denver Broncos were holding a free scrimmage for all the fans. This was the perfect opportunity for us to get out of the house for a while and do something we normally wouldn't be able to. Lucky for us, Invesco Field at Mile High is only a twenty minute drive away.

Kayson looks a little tired in the picture, even though he already had a nap that morning.

The first part of the day was a one hour practice. This was followed up with a short scrimmage between the number ones and their back ups. Sorry for all you Tebow fans out there, he sucked it up big time!

Beautiful isn't it?

Such a long day, but it was really fun. We might have to make this a tradition!

New Stats

2011-07-30T22:20:00.005-06:00

Weight: 23 lbs 7 ozs, 14.4%

Height: 2' 9.5", 73.73%

Head Circumference: 18.5", 23.58%

Weight: 20 lbs 4.9 oz, 100+%

Height: 2' 2.25", 99.91%

Head Circumference: 17.01", 98.83%

Littleton Historical Museum and Farm

2011-07-30T19:48:00.017-06:00

Meghan and I really wanted to get out of the house today so we decided to take the kids to our local museum. It was awesome because they had two separate farms that were maintained as if they were still in the 1800's. It was really neat to see how people actually lived back then with. The farms came loaded with a blacksmith shop, windmill, school house, ice house, residence (about half the size of our basement), root cellar, and all sorts of animals. It was blazing hot, but totally worth it.

Kayson loves fish!

I look like I'm stretching here, but I'm really getting ready to tip the outhouse over. Someone's gotta keep it real!

Checkin' out the root cellar.

The path to the old school house

That's one big cow!

Water Heater Blues

2011-07-24T19:30:00.004-06:00

I know what you're thinking, those Beutlers are such pigs! Well, if you look a little closer, you might think something different. Saturday morning I woke up to Meghan saying "Joe, wake up! The basement is flooding!" Unfortunately our water heater went caput and spewed a steady stream of water into our basement. Luckily nothing valuable was damaged, though we got a good scare for sure. Our maintenance people were really good and got a new water heater hooked up within a few hours. Overall, we spent about four or five hours cleaning up the water and moving our belongings to the back patio where they could dry off.

P90X Kayson Style

2011-07-17T19:11:00.004-06:00

Blinking Machine

2011-07-14T19:06:00.002-06:00

2 months, 17.5 lbs

2011-07-03T22:31:00.002-06:00

We were over at our friends the Tanner's and we weighed Atlee. She came in at 17.5 lbs. Just to put this in perspective their daughter, Addyson, just had her 9 month appointment two weeks ago and she was 19.4 lbs. Our daughter is huge!

Atlee's Blessing Day

2011-07-03T22:06:00.003-06:00

Next on the list were the Hansen family. We were originally going to meet them in Utah so we could bless Atlee out there, but we ran into a bit of car trouble and had to stay in Colorado. Luckily they decided to come stay for a night and we were able to bless Atlee today afterall.

Also worth mentioning, our neice Sarah will be leaving entering the Missionary Training Center on Wednesday prior to going to the Oregon Eugene Mission. She will spend the next year and a half sharing the gospel. We are super exited for her and know she will do a wonderful job representing the Savior. We're so proud of you Sarah!

Thanks for stopping by Hansen's! You really made our weekend!

Notice how you can hardly see Sarah's face because Nolan's melon is in the way.

Cousinly Love

2011-07-03T21:59:00.008-06:00

We had quite a week with visitors. First were the Slonskis. They drove all the way from Oregon to Denver (on their way to Nebraska). Here's the kids catching up with each other. Got to love the olive fingers!

Thanks for stopping by Slonkis! We had tons of fun!

One Sweet Fort

2011-07-03T21:48:00.006-06:00

This week we decided to build a fort. Kayson loved it to say the least.

Loves for Sissy

2011-06-22T20:53:00.003-06:00

Smiley Girl

2011-06-22T20:44:00.003-06:00

Well it's official. Atlee is now in size two diapers and she is only 7 weeks old. You can probably tell by her cheeks, but she is one well fed baby! Every once in a while we'll get her to smile at us. She probably does it because she thinks we're going to feed her some more. Here's a few pics I snapped the other day.

Chalk Art Festival Take 2

2011-06-21T21:06:00.008-06:00

Yes, it has already been a year since last year's chalk art festival. This time we invited our friends the Tanners to come with us. It was much more crowded than last year, but it was well worth the hassle! At least we got some good people watching in!

Skeleton #1

Skeleton #2

This is probably my favorite. I'm not sure this picture does it justice.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you! Yikes!

After browsing for an hour or two we sat down on the grass and enjoyed the music. We had a great time and are really glad we had the Tanners come with us.

Two Chins, No Neck

2011-05-25T21:19:00.002-06:00

Atlee is now over three weeks old. Here's a few recent pics. You will notice that not only does she have multiple chins, she lacks a neck. Not really, but she might as well. At this rate of weight gain, Atlee will all but be 3 years old before she can lift her head on her own.

2011-05-13T21:45:00.002-06:00

Atlee had her two week check up yesterday. Here's her stats:

Height- 22.5" 98th percentile
Weight- 10 lbs 2 oz 96th percentile
Head Circumference- 13.39" 11th percentile
Pooping Frequency- Every 2 minute 100th percentile
Stomach Capacity- Two Gallons 100th percentile
Cuteness Scale- Adorable 100th percentile

Pool Boy

2011-05-13T21:39:00.002-06:00

We stopped by the store today and purchased this cheap little pool for our back patio...I think Kayson likes it, but we might be wrong.

Call Me John

2011-05-13T21:18:00.003-06:00

I would have posted these pictures earlier, but I kind of forgot I had them. A month or two ago I was approached by a friend in the ward about acting in the "Savior of the World" production our stake was putting on. Luckily, they saved me the non-speaking part of Jonathan the apostle. It was a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to see how nasty a beard I could grow if I just let myself go for a week or two.

Still a Chubber

2011-05-08T09:59:00.005-06:00

Our little baby is officially over 1 week old. Crazy! She is one amazing child though. When she's awake she is very awake and loves to look all around. Other times she is so out it is a real chore trying to get her to be coherent enough to feed. So far she has been a great eater and we're pretty sure she's at least as heavy as when she was born. Here's a few pics from the past week.

Look at all that hair!!

Atlee Christina Beutler

2011-04-30T17:00:00.010-06:00

She's here! Atlee Christina Beutler was born this morning, April 30th at 2:34 am. It was a long hard delivery but boy, it was worth it! She is such a sweetheart and we love her so much already!

Here's a few things you may or may not have heard about our little girl:

-Atlee weighed in at 9 lbs 1.4 oz and 21 inches long. She is a total chubber and our doctor couldn't stop talking about how he thought her cheeks held her up in the birth canal.

She has long dark hair. In fact, it's so long it could probably be parted like a missionary.

Newborn caps don't really fit her. And that's an understatement! When we put one on her, it's almost like the elastic is holding on for dear life. What can we say, she's got a huge heed!

The chub around her eyes makes her look like she's squinting.

Meghan had a little mishap with her IV. Unfortunately the fluid leaked into her hand instead of her vein. Can you tell?

This is our nurse Jennifer. She was awesome! We are so greatful for the wonderful people at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Fun with Food

2011-04-30T16:48:00.003-06:00

Kayson has developed into quite the character. He's always loved food, but this brings his love to a whole new level.

Meghan caught this footage a few weeks ago while I was at work. Thought you all might get a kick out of it.

One Trip to the Dollar Store Later

2011-04-10T09:18:00.004-06:00

So we had this ward party last night where everyone was supposed to dress up like someone from a tv show. I originally was going to go as Greg Brady because I have some pretty sweet bell bottoms. I had also considered going as a white Mr T, but I just didn't think I could pull it off. However, I easily changed my mind after a quick trip to Dollar Tree. They had every thing I needed (even a dream catcher that I could make an earring out of)! I only ended up spending three dollars in total, but my costume was quite a hit. One old lady was even convinced that my beard was real! Boy am I glad I took that trip to the dollar store!

This is me holding the VHS and the tv dinner trays I won for best costume.

One Proud Boy

2011-04-10T09:04:00.002-06:00

First Time in Chicago

2011-04-07T06:51:00.006-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted so sorry about that. It seems like things have slowed down around here. That is, until a few weeks ago. Here's some pictures I took on my trip to Chicago. I went out there for only a day, but for me it was pretty exiting. Now I can say I've been as far east as Illinois!

On the shores of Lake Michigan

Diaper Bonanza

2011-02-26T19:57:00.004-07:00

Meghan and I recently became aware of a sweet deal offered through Amazon.com. It took a little work, but we came away with diapers for as low as $5.00 per box for newborns and $8.00 for the others. The deals were so good that we couldn't help rummaging through all the magazines at our doctors office for more of the coupons that we used. Boy did it pay off! We probably looked pretty silly moving from end table to end table, but we don't care, we just got 18 boxes of diapers for less than half of what we spent last year.

First Taste of Snow

2011-02-12T20:41:00.002-07:00

Cut Lip

2011-02-12T20:37:00.003-07:00

Kayson fell down this week. Unfortunately he happened to have a sippy cup in his mouth at the time. He looks sure looks like a Beutler doesn't he?

Like Father Like Son

2011-01-30T17:03:00.002-07:00

After a few months of growth we decided it was high time Kayson experienced the freedom that comes with...a buzzcut! That's my boy!

Boogie Time

2010-12-29T17:19:00.004-07:00

Christmas Morning

2010-12-26T15:50:00.015-07:00

We had a great Christmas this year, despite the fact that Kayson woke up in the middle of the night feeling horrible. We had quite the time trying to get him to keep his fluids down. If he looks a little out of it in some of these pictures you know why.

Thanks Calleigh and Auntie Heather for the hand-me-down pony! Kayson loves it almost as much as these plastic bags!

The Best Pictures You Never Knew You Wanted to See

2010-12-25T10:42:00.022-07:00

I was looking through some of the pictures on our computer the other day and realized how many of them haven't been posted on our blog yet. Here are some of the best of them.

This is Meghan as a tabby cat for Halloween. She fits the part doesn't she?

Me with Chicklets.

This is me on my mission with some prawns. Look how much hair I had!

Speaking of hair...this is my neice Keri when she was younger. She looks like she just survived a tornado.

Notice anything wrong with this picture? Looks like someone was a little over prepared to go swimming.

This is a picture I took of a buffalo while visiting Yellowstone with my family a few years back. I took the picture out of a moving car. I think the camera took a little longer to snap than I had anticipated. I was quite surprised when I got this picture back. Yikes!

The things kids will do for a Cheetoh!

This is a pic I took while in college. I don't know what happened but I came home one day from work and felt a pain in my elbow for some unknown reason. This was the result.

Good thing we were paying attention while packing 'cause we had a stowaway!

This is my roommate John sleeping on our couch at college.

This was the worst sunburn I think I've ever had. Good thing my sister Whitney was there to put sunscreen on me! If you look closely you can see where she wrote my initials.

I know what you're thinking...no, my little brother is not stoned.

Just some horseplay with the neices and nephews.

This is me with my Grandma five days before she passed away.

Yes that is a real cat.

One Year Old and Counting

2010-12-24T08:44:00.008-07:00

This past Tuesday was Kayson's first birthday. It's been quite a year to say the least.
Here's a few things that you may or may not know about him.

1. Kayson is a very independent boy and very curious. If he wants something he'll find a way to get it. Vertical blinds are definately not the way to go with a boy this age!

2. Our little boy is...well, little. We took him to the doctor this week for a check up and he is only in the 10th percentile for weight. It's pretty ironic when you take into account that we gave him the middle name of Grant--a Gaelic name meaning "tall, big."

3. Kayson loves his parents. Sometimes we'll lay down with him and he'll put his head on us or give us kisses (mouth wide open of course). We are grateful to have such a loving boy as part of our family.

4. Kayson is an early developer. He could be heard speaking his first words around 7 or 8 months and pulled himself up against the wall at 6. Kayson took his first steps at 10 months and has been into everything ever since.

5. He loves music and never hesitates to dance. We were pleasantly surprised when we realized our son had rhythm and could pick up the beat in a song. He must get it from his mom.

6. Books are his favorite...at least they used to be. Not long ago Kayson would sit down and make it through an entire book. Now it seems he is resigned to suck on them until they become soggy.

7. Kayson has 4 teeth. He's getting quite the gap on top but we think it gives him character. We only hope they don't develop into Chicklets. I'd rather not relive my past through my son.

Gingerbreadin' Till Our Hands Bleed

2010-12-12T18:05:00.006-07:00

A week or so Meghan and I the 1st annual gingerbreadathon. It was a great success for our first time. However, we did come to a couple of conclusions that we'll be sure and remember for next year:

1. Small gingerbread houses are easier to complete than jumbo-sized ones.
2. Macaroni noodles, cotton balls, seaweed, cheerios and raisins work just as well as candy.
3. Paint should be used sparingly when used on graham crackers (it tends to make the walls soggy).
4. Melted sugar adhesive works better when it is not burnt.
5. Teething bisquits work well as chimneys.
6. Gingerbread house making can be really fun, provided you finish before the wee hours of the morning.

Days to be Thankful For

2010-11-25T11:47:00.017-07:00

As many of you know, Meghan and I recently celebrated our second anniversary. Since Thanksgiving is officially here, I thought it would be appropriate to put a timeline of memorable things that we've been through together and tell you why I'm so grateful they worked out the way that they did. Note: this is no an all-inclusive list so if I miss your birthday or wedding please don't be offended.

Dec 23rd 2004-This was the first time I spent any length of time with Meghan. If my memory serves me correctly, we watched Better Off Dead starring John Cusack. Who would have thought that in another four years we'd be sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple. I love my wife! I have honestly never met another person who is more caring and patient. She is an awesome mom and does so many things that I tend to take for granted. I am so grateful that I was blessed to be able to marry her for time and for all eternity.

Dec. 29th 2009-After spending Christmas in California, we flew from Sacramento to Denver, rented a car, and spent a good 12 hours driving around Denver trying to find an apartment. We eventually found one that we could see ourselves living in and signed a one year lease. This was a really stressful day (especially for Meghan), but I am grateful we went through it. It was a wonderful growth experience and is the reason that we have done so well since that time. We live in a wonderful area of Colorado and love our ward.

March 2nd 2009-This was the day that I started my job. One of the first things we did after moving to Denver was get a library card because we both needed to find work. Looking back, we were kind of crazy to move to a new city in the middle of a recession, but we were very blessed to be able to find work. While I don't plan on staying at my job forever, it has been great for our family. We've got great benefits and all the flexibility in the world for scheduling. I am very thankful to have a job.

Sept 5th 2009-BYU defeats Oklahoma by one point in football. No that is not why this day is so significant. Meghan and I were in California on this day and Meghan had a baby shower from all of her old acquantences. It was crazy how much stuff we brought home! We are extremely blessed to have such good and caring friends to rely on.

Dec 18th 2009-Meghan's mom flew into Denver from California. She stayed with us for a couple weeks and was a great help to us while we were dealing with the shock of being new parents and preparing to move to a new apartment. We count our blessings that we were raised in settings where the gospel was important. We are thankful for wonderful families, both on the Beutler and on the Ricketts side.

Dec 24th 2009-This was the day we brought Kayson home from the hospital. He was a very good baby and was the best Christmas present that we could ever hope to receive. Now that he is almost a year old it's crazy to think of how small and helpless he was on that day. Our lives are so much richer now that we have him. We are so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for bringing him into our lives.

Nov. 24th-Yesterday we had the wonderful opportunity of washing a couple of loads of laundry at the laundromat. What a joy! Yes, that's right...our washing machine broke again. This is the third washing machine in two years! Fortunately we were able to find a new one on sale at Home Depot. Sometimes we lose track of how blessed we really are to have all the conveniences that we do. We are thankful to be able to live in such a prosperous country where we are afforded so many of life's luxuries.

Satisfied

2010-11-25T11:41:00.002-07:00

I love this picture. Kayson reminds me of templeton from Charlotte's Web right after he gorges himself at the fairgrounds.

Toy Crazy

2010-11-25T11:27:00.003-07:00

Meghan took these awesome pictures the other day. Kayson is getting into everything...literally!

Ward Party Graveyard Walk

2010-11-05T17:31:00.002-06:00

I almost forgot to post these pictures. Meghan and I volunteered to decorate the overflow at church for the ward party last week. Imagine these pictures only darker with a strobe light and the theme song from Nightmare on Elm Street playing. The kids loved it!

Less Than One Week Later

2010-11-05T17:07:00.003-06:00

A Halloween Miracle

2010-10-31T17:54:00.018-06:00

Kayson wasn't too exited about wearing his pirate hat this year. However, once we got to our ward Halloween party he was more than happy to be dressed up. It was nothing short of a miracle!

Before the party

During the party

Towards the end of the party

With his daddy

Bishop Schrute and his family.

2010-10-31T17:42:00.002-06:00

Kayson has been able to stand up and lean against things for at least a couple of months now so we knew it would only be a matter of time before he gained more balance. Here's a little video of him in action.

Poppin' Them Out

2010-10-26T20:26:00.004-06:00

It's true! Meghan's prego again! We are super exited to welcome another addition into our little family. Right now we're at about 14 weeks. That puts Meghan's due date on April 26th of next year--the same day as my little sister Whitney.

Here's a couple pictures of how we notified our parents. Just as a side note, the popcorn was just so we had something light to put in the Prego jars and was not necessarily meant to be eaten (let's just say we should have made the altered labels stand out a little better).

Asleep at the Spoon

2010-10-17T22:33:00.002-06:00

Today was a rough day. Kayson only got to take a few short naps. He was getting a little fussy as I was feeding him but I had no idea that he was that tired. I turned away to say something to Meghan and by the time I got back to feed him another bite this is what I saw. Crazy!

Kayson's New Favorite Toys

2010-10-16T21:33:00.007-06:00

The other week Meghan pulled out our Halloween stuff. Kayson found this flag and has loved playing peek-a-boo with it ever since. Sometimes he puts it over his head so that the ghost lines up perfectly with his little frame. He just keeps getting cuter and cuter!

Here's another one of Kayson's new toys. He's been on formula for a little over a month now so we've got some of the empty tins just kicking around. He loves to pound on them like a drum and yell into them so he can hear an echo.

Right at Home

2010-09-18T10:39:00.002-06:00

Kayson is really getting around these days as you can see.

A Week With the Slonskis

2010-09-17T21:34:00.008-06:00

About a month ago Meghan's sister's family came out and spent a few days with us. We had a great time and kept plenty busy. Here's a little sample of some of our activities.

Hiking

Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

BBQ pool party

I don't think Kayson enjoyed it too much!

At the candy factory

Thanks for coming Slonskis!

What's For Dinner

2010-08-22T20:04:00.003-06:00

Kayson has recently started on baby foods. He's actually a really good eater and not nearly as messy as I anticipated. Here's a few pics of him in action.

Oatmeal

Avacado

Carrots

One Bad Song

2010-08-22T19:53:00.003-06:00

Up to No Good

2010-07-18T22:22:00.003-06:00

Kayson is not only 7 months old and is already starting to pull himself up on things. The crazy thing is he just started crawling a week or two ago!

True Love

2010-06-28T15:36:00.006-06:00

Every once in a while Kayson will scoot his little body over to the wall only to find out that he can't back up. Most of the time he gets frustrated and cries out for help, but as you can tell, sometimes he just can't help himself.

So Funny It Hurts

2010-06-28T15:31:00.001-06:00

Plenty of Smiles to Go Around

2010-06-28T15:18:00.012-06:00

6 Months Old

2010-06-28T14:59:00.005-06:00

Our little boy has hit the 6 month mark! Time has gone by so quickly! Some times I think he's a lot bigger than he really is but that is because he is no longer a tiny newborn. Here's his stats from his latest check up:

Weight 16 lbs 14 ozs = 45th percentile
Height 27" = 77th percentile
Head 17" = 39th percentile

He's definitely a Beutler!

A Visit From Katie

2010-06-28T13:30:00.004-06:00

We're a little late posting these but oh well! Here's a few pictures of our adventures with Kayson's cousin Katie. We had tons of fun and were glad we got her for five whole days! We miss you Katie!

Another Failed Blowout Preventer

2010-06-10T22:02:00.004-06:00

So much for diapers! You can see the original line where the poo reached up on his back. Thank goodness this happened just as I was headed off for work!

Denver Chalk Art Festival

2010-06-10T21:38:00.006-06:00

This past Saturday we took a trip to the Chalk Art Festival held in downtown Denver across the street from my school. Unfortunately we arrived before most of the drawings were completed but we still had a great time and got plenty of people watching. Here's a little sample.

Up Down and Around

2010-06-10T21:20:00.005-06:00

Kayson has not officially learned to crawl yet but we think he's well on his way. It was only a couple of weeks ago that he learned to roll over on his own. Now he holds himself up and can get his knees under him. This kid has so much energy!

Memorial Day Program at Fort Logan National Cemetery

2010-06-02T18:28:00.007-06:00

As many of you know, Meghan and I live around the corner from a National Cemetery. It's a pretty awesome place to visit, especially on Memorial Day. There are over 100,000 servicemen and women buried there and the Boy Scouts put American flags by each grave every year. It's a pretty amazing sight.

I honestly have never felt so proud to be a citizen of our great country. Going to the cemetery and participating the program made me extremely grateful for all those that have fought and died so we could live here in freedom.

Just as a side note, this guy had the hugest calves!

Seeing this guy's shirt made me wish I had worn my American flag swim trunks.

Stars and stripes forever baby!

Kayson got pretty exited after the national anthem and thought he'd try his hand at whistling.

New Toy Necessity

2010-06-02T17:52:00.007-06:00

About a month ago Kayson started rolling over on his own and would get pretty cranky if we didn't sit him up so he could see what was going on. Well, we finally gave in and got something for him to stand up in. It surrounds him with plenty of toys and keeps him busy for the most part. Here are a few pics of him taking full advantage.

Made in China? Are you kidding me?

Don't worry, it's only a case of baby elephantitis.

Yum, plastic!

If only that that thing was a little closer!

Our Own Little Chewbacca

2010-05-16T19:05:00.001-06:00

Giving Up on the Pink Chair

2010-05-16T07:46:00.004-06:00

Ever since Kayson got his new pink chair he's kind of rejected it. He'll sit in for a little while but becomes agitated when he can't get out of it. This is progression is the end result.

Finding His Feet

2010-05-16T07:32:00.002-06:00

Kayson has hit a milestone lately. He's finally found out about his feet. I don't think he's flexible enough to sustain this position for very long, but hey, at least he's doing it!

I came into Kayson's bedroom one morning to find him like this. How do you know you've developed a habit? Answer: you do it while sleeping.

You know how some babies live with their feet in their mouth? Well not our boy, he's lucky to keep a hold of his big toes! Also notice his beautiful hand-me-down PJ's. What boy doesn't love kitties with hearts?

Gettin' Dry

2010-05-16T07:25:00.003-06:00

Quite a Character

2010-05-04T21:11:00.004-06:00

Auntie Heather sent us a package last week complete with a pink chair and a furry hat. What more could a little boy wish for?

Eating a fist has quickly become one of Kayson's favorite things to do.

Life's good when you have a burp rag to play with!

No neck in this one!

Giggle Fest

2010-04-14T21:46:00.003-06:00

A Few for the Record

2010-04-09T21:18:00.004-06:00

Sittin' up for dinner

No this is not our son. We had the missionaries over for dinner and I ended up taking them home. This is the tallest of the two coming in at 6' 7". His companion is not much smaller at 6'6".

Kayson has recently learned to sit up but his abs aren't quite developed enough to keep him from bending in half. He doesn't seem to mind.

Just chillin' on the couch.

Kayson looks pretty tired in this picture but we thought it was a good shot of his beutiful blue eyes.

2010-03-29T20:51:00.006-06:00

Ah...could somebody help me out here?

Mmm...bear!

Spring Break Snow Day

2010-03-29T20:44:00.005-06:00

I don't know what it is about Colorado, but we always get snow at odd times. Earlier in the year we had a load dropped on us just before Halloween and now it happens over Spring Break. Oh well, I was hoping we'd get a little more.

Notice the snow was so heavy it brought the tree branches all the way to the ground.

Tummy Time!

2010-03-29T20:35:00.001-06:00

We've been trying to get Kayson to spend a little bit of time on his stomach every day. He generally doesn't like it very well but every once in a while we catch him in an okay mood.

The Happy Spot

2010-03-18T20:24:00.002-06:00

We have this little table we put Kayson in when he smells a little rotten. He must know he's going to get changed because he gets really happy and starts kicking and smiling. I know at some point (probably when he starts eating real food) I'm going to hate changing his diapers, but for now I don't mind it one bit!