Costley Family

Summer was...forever ago...and SO FUN

2011-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

How can I choose which shots to show??? Well, here goes...some of my favorite 2011 summer pictures...
PRESENTING...

Beach Bums on the Oregon Coast
Ode to the men in my fam! Gotta love these boys!One of the only King Crab caught!We have this same shot from when they were 1 year olds...wish I had it to post Catching itty-bitty fish in the tide-pool with Aunt Trace
Our get-away in COSTA RICAWe did not plan the 3 different hand signs--still laughing
Lorin Outgrowing Great Grandma Costley
a childhood fav--notice Granny pluggin her ears :)
Lorin and Ali learning to wakeboard at BEAR LAKE
Izzy dumping Aunt KK and CoCo Such a proud mom!And a tribute to Texas Sun and some of the coolest friends ever found and to finding more in Virginia, our new home.

Graf and Cory share their first birthday together

2011-05-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is ONE YEAR OLD!! I can't believe it! Here's what he's been up to the past few months:

Graf started running (not walking) at 11 months. His first words are uh-oh, all done, and da-da. Peekaboo will make him full-on belly laugh every time!

He loves books!! If I am reading a book to anyone, he will come and push them off my lap until he is front and center and pointing at all the pictures.
Daddy and Graf are two peas in a pod. From basketball to soccer to Cory's favorite game of "punch-punch" (sure you can picture that), these two are all boy!
His sisters...well...I can't decide if they spoil him or torment him more...this shot, to Cory's dismay!

He has learned to get what he needs...fourth child syndrome. He eats a lot!

His specialty? Getting into everything!! The shot with the bubbles...this covered half the kitchen floor and he had a good 'ol time sloppin' around in it for the video camera :)already knows when to ham it up for the camera Happy birthday Graf...oh yeah and Cory too :) (don't worry, he got completely spoiled--a daddy well-loved).

Ryan turns 5!!

2011-05-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Ryan is 5!!! Lorin woke up first on Ryan's birthday and had a special breakfast prepared for the birthday girl complete with her favorite bowl of cereal and a happy b-day note...so sweet!

We partied like there was no tomorrow. Queen Ryan got to hide eggs for her guests. They found them and then had to do what the note said--basically entertain the queen in some really funny ways. It was a good 'ol time. By the end of the day (after Chuck E Cheese) she was exhausted!

Some fun tidbits about Ryan: She says things like "Yes, Izzy is a little more distracted than I am" when I asked why she was the only one with her pj's on like I requested. She also catches lizards and HUGE spiders and tells them how cute they are while petting and manipulating. She's a one of a kind. We love her!!

Graf's Blog

2011-01-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

Check out Graf's new blog (and get a glimpse of the whole family)! grafcostley.blogspot.com His birth, blessing, 2 month photo shoot and a quick peek into his 8 months of life are all there for your viewing enjoyment :) Thanks for being patient.

Summer in a Nutshell

2010-10-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

K, if I told all of the great Summer stories, you'd be here for the next 3 days. So quick captions are what you'll get. The summary is that we are lovin' life and livin' it up! Having such a sweet baby boy around has added a sprinkle of magic to it.

A 22 hour trip ahead....last year, the garage broke when we were trying to leave. This year, a rainstorm from the tropics (picture does not do it justice) while Cory tries to install our luggage rack. The swim trunks were a must.
Graf's blessing day at Grandma and Grandpa Costleys.

One proud papa!Love that Great Grandma...recently turned 90 years old...could be there Love Aunt KK.A pool pyramid of crazy Idaho cousins.................................just kidding....that's us being lunatics. Can't believe I'm showing this pic considering my lovely state in it. We didn't quite get Graf--the cherry on top. Thanks for the help Uncle Bry.
Grandma K and Ryan can float as easy as laying in a bed!!Camping and creek hopping at the Walker Reunion takes me back! If you can believe, Graf slept 9 hours straight that night! What a baby!! The annual Doll Party. Justine and Lorin stitching their initials.Rare to see Cory looking so relaxed on top of a horse. Thanks to Uncle Lane they're well trained.

I can't stand the hilarity of "The Conundrum at Breakfast" an original art piece featuring the 8 and 9 year old girl cousins. Getting to see Grandma Kofoed in action on her mission near Temple Square in SLC was priceless. Carter and Zoey...some cute cousins.Miss my Daddy.

Great Grandma Kofoed let me pick out a blanket for Graf. Can you believe she has made one for all of her grandkids and great-grandkids--we're talking a couple hundred folks!!

BEAR LAKE...need I say more? Summer is not summer without it!

Back to school isn't so bad with some fun friends.

Family Pics

2010-08-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

I had to show off a few more great shots that Erin was able to get of my kids now that I have them all...

Graf at 10 Weeks Old

2010-07-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

LOVE THIS LITTLE GUY!!
(Photo taken by his Aunt Erin at erinkofoed.blogspot.com)

Announcing Graf Paul Costley

2010-05-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

Graf
6.3 lbs
19 in
A family in love!

Swords, Smores, and Silly String

2010-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Between Spring Break and Ryan's 4th B-day, we have been in quite the party mode...

I got a kick out of the girls chumin' around together--breakfast as triplet gangsters!

Then they were Knights at Medieval Times. We were given green crowns and the green knight happened to be the villain. Funny thing is, Izzy couldn't stand cheering for him when she found out he was bad--too pure. So she abandoned our naughty ways and started cheering for the prince. Picture a sparkle between those pearly whites :)

Camping started 75 degrees and swimsuits by the lake. The evening was perfect jacket weather for tinfoil dinners and smores. The highlight for Lorin and Cory was that we got them (and their friends) air-soft guns--not a pop-can unholed! Then night came....duh, duh, duhhhh!! Here's the email I wrote (I remind you I'm 8 months prego) to the mom's who went home before bed that night (aka: the smart moms):

"So....at 5 a.m., laying on my mattress after about 1 total hour of sleep, I was wondering what is worse...a bladder explosion, a disjointed hip, or the soaking wet feet in the freezing cold. Then Cory says to me "come 6 a.m. this tent is going in the trizash" (translation: trash)...I got the giggles so bad that it finalized my decision...exploding bladder takes it."

And yes, at 6 a.m. the tent was sticking out of the trash and we were nowhere in site--Brooks and Matt got a kick out of it that morning and gave us a major award... "Smartest Camper Award: Costley Family for their purchase of a disposable tent."

And finally, my baby-girl turned 4 years old. Crazy! I'll be posting more about that on her blog including a Sample Ryan Prayer that is pretty funny. For her b-day she got to spray whomever could guess her favorite things with silly string...they include oranges, carrots, pink, pizza, Pretty Pretty Princess, and ice cream.

SNOW! pregnant.

2010-03-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

This, historically (supposedly), has never happened here before...

1. 2 days off school and snow that stuck!!...

2. pink tooting (aka: fluffing, passing gas, cutting the cheese, the f#*% word (now, now)) goop stuck to our vaulted ceiling (don't be fooled by the smile)...

3. such enormity at the end of a 2nd trimester (some great lady from the 1st ward "hoped I was due any day for my sake").
Life is good with a mouth full of whipped cream :)(Check out Izzy's blog for a quick post-cancer update.)

"Dammits," Super Fluff Bunny, and Manipulation

2010-01-26T07:09:00.000-08:00

To see a fun update on Ryan click on her blog at the right...here's a glimpse:

...And when Super Fluff Bunny is pushing her own small cart at the grocery store and saying things like "that looks discusting...I would never eat that," people listen!...

Our Colorado Christmas and a Couple of B-days

2010-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

Izzy turned 6!! And I turned .... well .... 30! You might catch a glimpse of me in my 30 year old pregnant glory if you watch the slide show long enough, but I thought this shot of Izzy is great. She really is this happy and sunny just about all of the time.

We decided to get wacky wild with our Christmas plans and drove 18 hours (an extra 4 due to the Kansas blizzard) to Colorado. We met up with my sister's family (she has 3 kids all about the same ages as mine) at a condo. Indoor hot-tub, first time skiing for all the kids, tubing, tons of games, Santa's spoilings, and a two hour nerf gun war Christmas morning pretty much sums it up. We couldn't have had a better time. Enjoy the slide show :)

That Big Announcement!

2009-12-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

IT'S A BOY!!!

So I'm a little crazy--I realized after last post that I haven't even posted that I'm pregnant yet. After a couple of miscarriages, I was a little hesitant...and then forgot. Anyway...the fact that I'm prego isn't the big news. But today we found out the gender!!!

I wish I had time to capture the moment for y'all, but we are headed on a trip today and I've got to get moving. I'll just say there were some tears of joy--not just by the emotional pregnant lady. I'm so excited for Cory to have his boy :)

Loves!

Holiday Highlights...so far

2009-12-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

Neiman Marcus Parade in Dallas. The girls particularly liked "the real batman."
For the second year in a row Ryan has wondered why the present she asked Santa for wasn't what he pulled out of the candy cane basket.

A fabulous Thanksgiving feast--I believe our second turkey ever. The girls were a little grossed out...
until Chef Cory got a hold of it with a special on-line basting technique...
to provide the perfect company with the perfect feast!
Stay tuned for next week's announcement!!! (If I forget, give me a call Tuesday night :)

Boo!

2009-11-02T06:24:00.001-08:00

Give all the face painting credit to Cory--the girls were lovin' it up too! (For close-ups you can check out their blogs listed on the right) Notice how Lorin can't break character for the pic.

Pride and Prejudice Doll Party

2009-10-15T17:21:00.001-07:00

Strolling in the garden, shopping at the General Store, and having tea on the patio...
Ryan
Izzy

Lorin

My Aunt K'Lynn started a marvelous tradition many years ago--a Doll Party--designed to teach our daughters homemaking skills, etiquette, and often a glimpse of history . Months in advance we are sewing dresses and making crafts to sell at the General Store. The girls end up spending a full day as if they lived in a different time period and country. From getting hair done in the morning to learning how to cook scones for lunch to having a charming dance in the evening, our little women collapse exhausted at the end and wondering when we're going to do it again.

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY in......

2009-08-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK!!!

I can hardly believe we pulled it off, but thanks to Aunt Jenny's generosity watching our kids and Cory already scheduled to be in New York for training, we got to spend our 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY in the Millenium Broadway Hotel at Time Square! Within 2 days we....

wait for it...

saw Wicked, the Statue of Liberty, and the whole city atop the Rockefeller Center, ate at a couple totally NY joints (the Nook--yummy!), walked 2 hours (and took a nap) in Central Park, took the Met Museum to its knees (and that's not easy--it's massive!!), went to church with the Manhattan 1st ward where, surprise, my cousin Kirsten and her husband were speaking in church (seriously a cooincidence) as well as some of my favorite Michigan peeps happened to be there on vaca also, saw a Mets Baseball game, and hung out a ton in Time Square.

Nothing like doing New York with your best friend! (ahhh, tender!)

Somehow Jenny survived this ragamuff team! Just one split eyebrow to glue together the morning after I got home :)

Where Did Summer Go?

2009-08-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

It went to the Maynors and Ingmires at the Lake of the Ozarks;
to the Kofoed cousins in MO;
to the pool whenever we came back to TX;
to the Costley crowd in Utah for Lorin's baptism and Oquirrh temple open house and 4th of July celebration;
to the Kofoed clan in ID complete with 2 camping excursions, 3 family reunions, a doll party, staples in Ryans head and game playing til 4 a.m.;
and then back to Bear Lake with the Costleys!
and two 21 hour through-the-night drives to make it all possible.

Aunt Jenny and Baby Caleb were a summer hit!Ahhh, all shiny and new! (full story on Lorin's blog)A bunch of pyro's at play no doubt :)Yes, all Kofoed grandgirls loving their "French Culinary Doll Party"!!!Moments later found saying: "I think this pink kind of looks very pretty on me." (Ryan's blog has a few more details)Still Idaho...poor chicken went into the watering trough a few times before we caught her.
Kelli, Traci, and I trying to stay young like our cute neices and nephews.

I can't believe I forgot the camera at Bear Lake. Let me just tell you, Grandma C took us on some wild boat rides!

Oh The Fun We've Had!!

2009-06-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

Swimming with Capri Sun.

18 rolly-polly bugs in one hand!

Lorin getting her ears peirced for b-day #8! (see her blog for details)

Izzy's very last spinal tap!

Spring Soccer Season!

Gardening in a rain storm with friends.

Fountain fun!

Friend :)

Even clear back to Easter eggs.

Sisters at the Alamo :)

Cory turning old enough to break a hip any day!
We are trying to live it up down here in Texas! School ends tomorrow...let the summer begin!

Costley Family Photos 2009 (By: Mike Baird)

2009-04-27T07:11:00.001-07:00

Baby Plans on Hold

2009-04-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

So we'll have to put the baby plans on hold. I debated whether or not to just delete the last post, but I received so many cute congratulations from everyone--I thought it was better to let you know and take your prayers instead :) I had a miscarriage. It was sad especially after seeing the heartbeat just a week ago, but we're doing well. We're very optimistic that we won't have to delay too long ;). Thanks again for all your love.

Who Wouldn't Want Another? Surprise!!

2009-04-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want another one of these cuties? That's right...

We've got another little bun in the oven!! Due December 8!
Cory says "It's another girl and we shall name her Destiny...because girls are our destiny!" Of course he loves all his girls and we have no clue as to the gender yet. That boy keeps us laughing. :) We all can't wait already for December to come. Ryan: "When's that baby comin' out?" non-stop.

Spring Break with Cousins!

2009-04-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

A storm of visitors left our Spring Break feeling extra sunny!!

Cousin Kaleb actually pooped in the tub on a night when Lorin was in there too--there were no casualties except for maybe Aunt Jenny's feet, but we had a lot of "ew, that was gross," and "do you think he'll poop anymore?" Cute witto guy!The Medaris Family came to spend their whole spring break with just us!!! We felt loved :) We didn't quit partying either. In fact, Kelli, Bry, Cory and I would sleep in until 10 because the kids would crash late and wake up playing early--they really didn't need us.

The zoo...(with the Hardy cousins too :)

The Rodeo! (LtoR: Lorin, Alli, Bryan, Ryan, Lindsay, Tyler, Izzy, Cory)
Dickie's Barbecue!
And Ryan's 3 year birthday! (For some funny Ryan stories and more pics go to her blog listed at the right)

Sharing the V-day Love

2009-03-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

"I lub you too Mommy." Red roses from a busy man. And girls pumped about pink pancakes on Valentines Day. What more could I ask for :)

(If you're up for a great heroic tale featuring the Costley fam, click on Lorin Lovin' Life blog at the right.)

"Come on baby let's play"

2009-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Before I start, I want you to notice the variations (within the same week) of a Texas winter. The shot with the hat and gloves you might be thinking they just wanted to get them out for fun, but no, the weather that day was worthy of the Michigan-like winter get-up. Then, within the same week, panties in the back yard or at the lake--this has been going on for a couple months now.

With Lorin gone all day to school, Ryan and Izzy have become quite the make-believing maniacs together. First thing every morning I hear Izzy say "Come on baby, let's go play upstairs," and Ryan's response is variations of "Yoohoo, that will be fun!" Then if my agenda doesn't interrupt them they can play for endless hours. Here's a few pictures of them hangin' out together:
At the library just maxin and relaxin together! And hangin' out at Lorin's concert.

Some other fun goings on: Izzy's crazy day at pre-school and Lorin's "Flat Stanley" song at the PTA meeting

Christmas pics

2009-01-05T17:14:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas with my brother, Karvel, and his family. It was complete with lots of traditions from my youth: scones for Christmas Eve dinner, sleeping "under" the tree, gathering 'round for the nativity story, and Santa creating his magic!
(Chrissy, Karvel, Summer, Ryan, Lorin, Natalie, Kimmie)
The girls love being teased by their cousin, Stephen. Izzy and Ryan waiting for Santa...Santa can be pretty frugal and even bring pre-owned gifts ;)
Lorin is pumped about her remote-control batmobile!
Wow! Another Christmas down.

Pre-Christmas December Highlights

2008-12-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been an eventful year for us! Cory graduated from the University of Michigan and is keeping busy with a new job. We are excited to own our first home and feel settled here in Texas. Lorin loves second grade. Izzy's cancer treatments continue to be very effective and she is growing up happy and strong. Ryan's got us all laughing non-stop.

We hope you are having a great holiday season. We miss and love you!

Love,
The Costleys
Cory, Kerri, Lorin, Isadore, and Ryan
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
So yeah, the Christmas card didn't make it to everyone's mailboxes, but we do love and miss you all--please accept the blog card as proof :)

Ok, I kind of wish this shot had been taken in time to make it on the card. My brother, Lane, flew in and brought us all cowboy hats--informed us we can't be true Texans without 'em.

So having my Mom here for the first 2 weeks of December was a Christmas wish come true. She brought that Christmas magic that I remember growing up. These are outfits she made for the girls (one of about 49 projects her and I completed).
Ryan, after sitting on Santa's lap (very hesitantly at first) opened up her goody bag and said "There's no Cinderella Dollie in here!" She was pretty sure that the thing she asked him for would magically be in the bag he gave her post-lap time.
The Neiman Marcus parade was amazing!

Izzy's 5th Birthday happened on the 18th. It really hit us that we questioned, last year, whether or not we'd see this day for her--our cancer survivor! (her blog has b-day details and pics)
Here's the rest of the fun shots!

Quick Family Shots

2008-11-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

I had my cousin come and help me with some quick snapshots of the fam hoping for one worthy of a Christmas card--thought I'd post a couple. We have been having so much fun together!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

Comments from the girls after the trick-or-treating (with a plethora of good friends) was that Halloween was even better than they thought it would be! 2 of these costumes have been warn for a couple of months straight now, one was last second...can you guess? :) Love these hooligans!

Lorin has got her poses down to a science--even the eyebrows have to say "Superman" or she's not satisfied.

Highlights 1,2,3, & 4

2008-10-30T12:21:00.001-07:00

#1. Ryan's dress-up Joy School party. I said "show me your pretty make-up" and this was her response. (for full story see Ryan's blog)

#2. Izzy posing and pumped to go on her Pre-School field trip.
#3. After a tag-team effort by Dad and Izzy on Lorin (accused of stealing Ryan's blankie)...to the Insta-Care she went. Not stitches, just some glue. (for full story see Lorin's blog)#4. A peak into Cory and my not-so-distant future. He's 30-sumpthin' and I've got artheritis--we're practically there. FYI not real...apples!

Having Grandma Here...and Ryan again

2008-10-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

Another Ryan story first...so going out to the garage...Ryan waiting for the garage door to be opened so she can go around to the other side of the van...Izzy close by...I push the button and turn back to grab a bag and close the door...I hear a pretty intense wimper...turn to see Ryan almost to the top, hanging on for dear life to the bottom of the garage door...Izzy sucking her thumb almost directly under Ryan as she watches her go up...not saying a word. Luckily I got there just in time to bump Izzy (still staring and sucking) out of the way and grab Ryan before her fingers gave out. I tried to scold Izzy for not hollering (contrary to the norm in our family, we have to actually convince her to open her mouth and say things every now and again), but she just kept smiling with her raised eyebrows saying, "Mom, did you see that?!!"

Anyway...Grandma got to come for 2 weeks and it was awesome. Cancer appointments with help!

Landscaping with a lady who's brilliant at it (and who did most of the work--go mom!). We also decorated my house finally and played lots of games. What a great break she is :)
Going to Chillis at 8:00 p.m. for dessert was a blast!
Izzy started Pre-school today!!! She's so excited!!

Ryan has been going to Joy School for a month now. Loving it!

Lorin loves it when we come to school and have lunch with her...cute sisters! Notice the leftover healthy stuff...saving room for the ice-cream treat I allotted :)
Finally, while my Mom was here, Cory and I got to go on a couples retreat sponsored by Cory's job. A weekend in the mountains of West Virginia hiking, kyaking, getting Swedish massages, horse-back riding, fancy dinners each night followed up by some intense game-playing with our homies, and to top it off the best fireworks (choreographed to music) I've ever seen directly above our heads as we ate desserts around the pool on the golf course. We felt pretty spoiled to get to do that! Thanks Mom...again :)

I should have carried my camera around. But thanks to Katie Baird, my good friend who went horse-back riding with me, I've got this one to show for it.

You want more Texas?! (Funny Story included :)

2008-08-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

We have found some creative ways to stay cool here in Texas. Washing the car seems to be the favorite and it's a win for Dad too :)

Taking cool baths is fun too! Nice positioning of the toothbrush, don't you think? FUNNY STORY TIME: So I loaded up the 3 girls' plates with mandarine oranges which they love. As Lorin, Izzy and I were turned taking care of the spaghetti on the stove, Ryan climbed up and ate all of them much to the other girls' dismay. When I questioned her about it her response was "It's okay, I'm on steroids!" Soaking up her surroundings like a sponge, my friends :)

Lorin started school--she has loved the first 2 days and thinks her teacher is the nicest in the whole school. The first day was like we were going to an amusement park. 900 kids each with two doting parents and maybe a sibling or two made for some excitement at the cross walk and getting into the school. Go Wildcats!! We live close enough for her to ride her bike and be there in about 2 minutes. We are loving where we live!

Proud to be TEXAN!

2008-08-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

I thought this an appropriate time to break from Izzy's blog and make the move to our own family blog, Texas style!...

We set out from Boise with the Quest packed as tight as we could--proud to say Cory agreed to make room for my High School Prize Winning Rodeo Art Piece (note the importance as I capitalized each word :) and my 5-tiered Graples artifact (now holding our fruits and veggies). After a 15 hour day and anther 10 (also within inches of all dying of car stiffness) we finally made it to our new home!
Flower Mound, TX!!!!
From a Michigan winter to Texas at 110 was quite the shift. Nothing that Popsicles in the shade of our hand-me-down trampoline won't fix :)
A Texas-sized rain storm (very common here) welcomed us in along with my cousin, Mindy, and her family (daughter, Claire, in the middle). They live just down the road--yeah!!! Probably won't let them run in the rain during those anymore, however. We're pretty sure a lightning bolt caused some sparks on our back porch shortly after this shot! Yikes!
Oh the Cory poses/faces! We are now the proud owners of all the necessary lawn equipment to weed, mow, trim, edge, till, dig, rake, hoe, and whack! I'm lovin' the yard work--takes me back to my roots :) Cory is loving it too apparently!

So as you can see, the Texas pride is taking root. We are completely enjoying our first home and excited to see what adventures are in store for us down yonder! Lots of thanks to all our peeps who put up with us all summer invading their space. A tribute (in photo form):

Launch

2008-04-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Launching