We are a happy family!

Summer and Fall in 2011

2012-01-15T00:43:00.000-07:00

I have missed blogging. A bum computer, broken camera, lack of wifi, and being just plain busy has kept me from any form of journaling; but no more. For Christmas this year Jared bought me a new computer which is wifi capable and my phone is serving as camera right now. I have high hope of blogging on a much more regular basis. The draught is over. :) So, because I will sleep better at night if this blog continues to follow in chronological order I have a lot of back tracking to do. Prepare yourself for many pictures. :)

In August we made a few more trips to the zoo before the dinosaurs moved on. We LOVED having the dinosaurs visit and hope they will visit again.

We (and I use that term very loosely) enjoyed playing with bugs, particularly large attacking moths, ugh!

We took another trip to Idaho Falls and visited the temple visitor center while we were there. They had a beautiful exhibit featuring statues of Christ. They were amazing!

Love this temple and the history it holds for our family, I especially like the view of it with the river - Wonderful!

The zoo is much more fun when riding on Grandpas scooter, even if it distracts from the animals we intended to see. :)

Brandon began preschool. I was so nervous that Brandon would not have a good experience, but with a lot of positive talk and a fantastic teacher Brandon is doing very well. We had a few rough starts at the beginning, but now Brandon looks forward to it and wishes he could go every day.

Brandon celebrated his fourth birthday. The day itself was very casual and pleasant. We opened presents in the morning before Jared left for work. McKell spent a large part of the day with us, we played with Brandon's presents, had a picnic lunch at the park, and made a birthday cake.

Brandon loved his whale cake - I thought it was disgusting. But if he is happy, then I am mostly happy, ;) that night we Skyped Grandpa Wyn and Grandma Dee Ann, they got to sing to him and watch him blow out his candles. Brandon had a great day!

The following Sunday we invited my family and the Brosnahans over for another birthday celebration. For this one I made this whale cake. I am so proud of this cake - probably too proud. But let me explain. I do not like fondant - YUCK I also think a birthday cake should be made of cake, not ride krispies and what not just to make it look cute. So when I was able to pull this off with out those yucky things I was pleased, it was delicious!! However the best part of this cake was the surprise when Brandon blew out the candles. If you look closely. I rigged this cake with two straws; one vertical in the center of the cake, another horizontal coming out the side of the whales head. When I blew on the straw on the side of the head sliver sprinkles came shooting out the straw in the head looking just like the whale had blown water out of its blow hole, It was so cool and so much fun that we had to do this several times before we could eat it. I still can not suppress a giddy grin when i think of how fun this cake was, and what a great surprise it was for Brandon. :)

For Brandon's birthday he got this great Whale swimming pool/sprinkler/and slide. He loved it. we were so happy we were able to get a few warm days before it got to cold. While the boys were relaxing in the pool as shown Brandon kept saying "Ah this is the life" It cracked me up. So funny.

This boy loves his whales!!

We have also been enjoying play time with toys, especially trains and animals. :)

We visited Gardner Village during the witch festival - so fun! Love pumpkins!

Brandon went on a very disappointing field trip to our local grocery store - the only highlight was the "pumpkin patch" and straw maze, which they walked through in a matter of minutes. lame or not the kids still had fun. :)

My boys are true boys - give them a body of water and lots of rocks and they are in heaven, just another one of those moments where I wonder why we take them to places with hefty admission prices when they enjoy activities like this just as much or more. :) They would have happily stayed for several hours had we let them despite the cold, but Jared and I could only tolerate it for so long. Come next summer I think we will do this on a regular basis. :)

Jared had a day off a work, so we decided to take advantage of it and drive nearly three hours to vernal to visit the newly opened Dinosaur National Monument. It was worth the drive. The boys loved all the dinosaurs, rocks, and new museum! It was one of those day when Jared and I looked at each other and felt like a real parents raising a real family doing real family activities. So often we feel like we aren't old enough for this to be real or we aren't good enough or qualified enough to be real. This was a good day. :)

the Stegosaurus - My favorite dinosaur.

The T-Rex - Brandon's favorite and the Triceratops - Jared's favorite.

The diplodocus - we'll pretend this is Grants favorite. :)

During October we also went to Thanksgiving Point to visit Cornbellies. I had no idea it would be this fun. we were there for several hours, in the surprisingly warm weather (we even got sunburned - who knew that could happen in Utah?) These wooden vehicles to play on were so cool - we would have been content if this is all we did.

But there were also several tractor rides, hay rides, and train rides.

there were fun children's mazes. Cute brothers working together. :)

towers of hay to climb on

more wooden play structures

Large play grounds to climb up and slide down

And funny cut outs. We also enjoyed playing in the corn box, jumping on the giant pillows, playing in water for mining treasures, racing ducks, looking at and being terrified of the "Creature" and enjoying all the pumpkins. I LOVE FALL!!

naughty boy - why does he have to be cute when he his being so naught?

Playing in the leaves - one of my favorite parts of fall. I am so glad the boys finally enjoy this activity.

Being buried in the leaves - funny:)

Picnics in the back yard. Notice the way Brandon is holding his glass. we train them up young to handle their drink with class. :) apparently he learned this from The Incredible - thanks Disney. :)

More fun in the leaves with Chandler for our a super fun Halloween party. favorite part of the party having a no hands donut eating contest with my Grandma, mom and sisters.

This picture does not do the LARGE amounts of leaves we get each year - fortunately I have finally learned how to stay on top of it all - Steal - I mean Borrow our neighbors trash can.

Liberty Part - breathtaking! I have not been here for so long - it was beautiful. I will deffinatlly be visiting again soon.

Whew - that was a long post - more long posts to come. :) It's good to be back!!

Saturday in the Park - I think it was the Fourth of July!

2011-07-18T16:02:00.008-06:00

You know the song from Chicago called Saturday in the Park - we listened to that in the car on the way to Idaho Falls over the Fourth of July - then that Saturday we lived that song - it was great! (You can hear the song on my playlist to the right) We began the day by sleeping in and relaxing the morning away, then we went crazy - we visited the zoo and saw some fun animals, then we went to the mini amusement park across the parking lot from the zoo. We enjoyed watching Brandon and Grant ride on many of the rides and then we joined them on the Farris wheel - so fun! Then we walked a little ways to a great play ground enjoyed slides, climbing and tunnels. We shared REALLY yummy ice cream cones and then headed back home. That night we had fun swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool - first time swimming for Grant and first time solo swimming for Brandon (we really do need to swim more often!). After the pool we had a family BBQ - yum! Such a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!! Here are a few of the pictures from the day.

On Sunday we continued the fun by visiting Grandma and Grandpa Bowman, (little did we know that it was for the last time - so glad we made the visit!) visiting Ryan and Violet in their new home, having another family dinner with everyone and doing LOTS of fireworks in the alley behind the condo - the boys loved it and enjoyed the time with their cousins. Brandon even had his first "girlfriend", which made us all laugh - a lot! He was SO attached to this cute friend of the twins (Brandon's cousins). Should I be concerned that she is 13 years old - ten years his senior? :)On Monday despite it being the holiday we spent the day driving home - Grant was a happy passenger (amazing in and of itself) Thanks to Jodi for the fun holiday sparkle-light which kept him entertained. We made it home in time to watch a few fireworks by the neighbors in the rain. What a GREAT holiday weekend!!!!!!

Provo Freedom Fest Balloon Festival

2011-07-01T14:35:00.006-06:00

I LOVE hot air balloons!!! I also really love my sleep time. So I surprised even myself when I decided to wake up at 5:45 in the morning today to go see the balloons in Provo. I am so glad I did - it was such a fun morning!When we drove up to the park with the Balloons Brandon was thrilled and could not get me to go fast enough to see them.We loved the smokey bear balloon and Darth Vader balloon, but our favorite was the piggy bank balloon.The Coke bottle balloon was amazing - the tallest in the world at 187 feet, I just wish it would have gotten off the ground.Love these pictures of Brandon and Grant!Really love this one of the boys!We had to go visit the fire engine, and ambulance after the balloon show :)When we left the balloons, Brandon was upset and said he wanted to go do more fun stuff - I didn't have anything else planned, but then I thought of Bridal Veil Falls, it was the perfect way to end the day. It was a bit cold at first, but we got to watch the sun rise over the mountain and then it was fine.We found a great rock pile and gathered rocks into the stroller - then we had a great time throwing them into the pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall. We filled the stroller at least five times before the boys had had enough. :)Grants first time throwing a rock into water - He LOVED it - the giggles were so worth it!Brandon kept finding bigger and bigger rocks to throw in - I love boys!!!The river and surrounding were beautiful - a bit scary because of the high water - but amazing just the same.To think that this is just 20 minutes from where I live - I am so lucky!

Brandon Reciting Scripture

2011-07-01T14:22:00.002-06:00

I have been wanting to teach my boys the gospel with a little more effort on my part, so I started posting the Primaries monthly scripture and theme, with a picture to match, on our garage door in the kitchen. Each time we sat down for a meal I would say the scripture and theme to the boys. It got to where every time we sat down at the table Grant would point to the picture of the First Vision and say ah da (translation - say it again mom - or at least that is what I decided it meant:)). Well after about two weeks of doing this I was loading the dishes and Grant pointed to the picture and said ah da - I didn't say it right away so Brandon chimed in and said the whole scripture from memory - I was SHOCKED - seriously - did my three year old just recite a scripture word for word? From then on Brandon would say the scripture - and occasionally he would say it for others.

Well while I was at the church setting up for a YW?YM activity he wanted to talk in the microphone - I told him he could if he would say the scripture and theme - he agreed and lucky for me I had my camera in my purse. It is hard to hear - and he forgets a few sentences in the middle - but I was still super happy! Yeah Brandon. I guess the scriptures are true when they say by small and simple means great things come to pass. :)

The scripture he recites is Joseph Smith History 1:17 which reads "I saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air, one of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, "This is my Beloved Son, Hear Him".

Fun at the Zoo with the Kellers

2011-07-01T13:16:00.006-06:00

We had so much fun at the zoo while the dinosaurs were here. Our favorites - the dinosaurs that squirt water, the T-Rex, the jaguar, watching the crocodiles eat dead rats, riding the carousel, and watching the bird show - love the bird show. Enjoy the pictures - I think they speak for themselves!

Where is the Pause Button?

2011-06-09T16:19:00.020-06:00

Seriously time is flying out of control, if only I had a pause button to get things back together, I would feel a lot better.

I blame my lack of posting on my great new camera which holds far more than 60 pictures and allows me to go much to long without uploading photos and thus updating my blog. I was feeling sorry for myself that we don't do nearly the fun things the rest of you do as shown on your super cute blogs that I love to read and than I went through my pictures and realized I really do have a lot to be grateful for. I think that is why I blog/journal to help me realize all of the wonderful things I have to be grateful for even when life seems crazy. So without delay here comes way more pictures than you probably want to look at. :) Grant is such a joy!!! He loves to look at books, if I am sitting on the floor he will back his cute little bum right into my lap and happily sit for as long as I will let him, he especially loves sitting with a good book in mom or dad's lap. He is also my great musician - he loves to play the piano and he doesn't mind it when I sing (unlike his brother who, as soon as I start singing, will often say "Mom, stop your mouth"). Grant also loves playing catch with his dad, much to his dad's delight. The Rice Krispy Treat commercial during the Easter holiday had an impact - I just had to make these little eggs with treats inside - they were so cute. The boys had fun making them and enjoyed the treats inside but were not overly thrilled with the rice krispytreats.The Saturday before Easter we went to Zermat for their Easter celebration. For $20 we enjoyed a wonderful buffet breakfast, free carousel rides, and the Easter egg hunt. This might become a great new tradition!Brandon was so excited to go on the Easter egg hunt is was really hard to wait in line. Then they finally gave the go a head and he panicked, cried and refused to pick up even one egg - but he did still enjoy playing on the mini golf course. Grant on the other hand enjoyed finding eggs with Jared's help a lot.On Sunday we celebrated Easter at my parents house with a yummy dinner and a fun Easter egg hunt. Brandon was much more enthusiastic about that one. There were more then enough eggs for each boy. Cute Uncle Taylor was so fun with Grant!This is Grants bucket after the hunt, his cousin Chandler was so cute to unload all of his extra eggs into Grants bucket, such a nice cousin!Brandon had his first complete dentist appointment - and it was a success! HOORAY! His first appointment was a disaster, complete with a full on temper tantrum, it was embarrassing and I was really nervous for the next one. But after a lot of pretend dentist playing and dentist story books, and a bit of bribery, Brandon cooperated. He was even willing to put on the pirate hat, eye patch and sword. I love our fun dentist, the children's theme days make the dentist so much more fun!!!At the beginning of the year I was called into the YW's. HOORAY! I have wanted to serve in YW since the time I left as a youth. I have really enjoyed the calling, but I find once again that I underestimated all the work that was done on my behalf as a youth. This is a BUSY calling, but I do love it. We had a really fun activity with the YM - Minute to win it - so much fun. I have never seen the show, but the activity made me think maybe I wanted to.On April 30th I had a piano recital for all of my students. I don't know why this always becomes such a big undertaking but it does. I really need to learn how to simplify. I was very pleased with everyone's performance and their efforts.Another activity with the YM - we had the Temple Riders come for a visit. They showed us their cool bikes - which Brandon loved, and then spoke about putting on the whole armor of God and how that relates to riding bikes. Brandon was so happy he got to spend the first few minutes with me and the cute boys who took him all over and played with him.What more can I say about this darling boy - Oh how I love him!!!!!!! Grant is at such a fun age! He has a contagious laugh - which we will do just about anything for the privilege of hearing it. He is a great eater (unlike his older brother:)). He loves for anyone to hold him. He is also a great snuggler (if you are standing up) I love it when he rests his head on my shoulder. What I don't love about Grant - but find it endearing anyway is the way he boxes me out when I am trying to work in the kitchen. He wedges his way in between me and the cabinets and then pushes me with all his might away from the counter - making dinner and lunch has become a real chore. ;)I got a new bike trailer for my birthday (looks a lot like the one Grandpa Ron has) I have enjoyed using it a lot, unfortunately I am much more out of shape than my dad, brother and sister; and Brandon is not very happy about the short and slow rides we go on. Then Grandpa Ron had the great idea to attach the trailer to his motorized scooter. The boys LOVED it - no how can I compete with that?Happy Birthday to me - the weather was actually warm and sunny!!! I loved this picture and I am loving all of the blooms on the trees and flowers.This was the view of Mnt. Timp. while we were driving to Provo to get my b-day present (I got a cricut (used) and I am loving is and using it a lot!!) I wish this picture did justice for what we really saw - it was breath-taking, reminded me why we live where we do.Went to the aquarium with Chandler, Natalie and Grandma Julie - we had so much fun - I love that place!Grant got his first hair cut from Grandma Dee Ann - I am so grateful she is patient with my squirming boys. He looks so much better.Our most recent visit to Idaho Falls was lots of fun- it was great to see family again!LOVE this picture of Grant with Aunt Jodi!It rained most of the weekend we were there - surprise surprise - but the rain made Wyn and Dee Ann Japanese garden even more beautiful than it all ready is - I love their garden!For the last day of our neighborhood preschool I did a teddy bear picnic - the kids had so much fun taking their teddy bears through preschool - teaching them letters, singing, and helping them enjoy their snack. I am looking forward to a less structured summer - but I am going to really miss this preschool - and so will Brandon.Love these happy smiles!!!

Well that wraps up this terribly long post - wish I could say that is gets me caught up - maybe next week - I am off to youth conference and girls camp - YEAH

Happy 10 Years Jared!

2011-05-05T07:39:00.001-06:00

Jared and I celebrated our ten year anniversary last year, so I made a slide show of the past ten years - it is long - but it is for us and we don't mind. :)

Grant is Walking!

2011-04-12T12:21:00.003-06:00

Scripts Bearch Aquarium and Playgroung

2011-04-12T11:24:00.008-06:00

We made the most of this aquarium - it was not as great as I remember it - the Living Planet Aquarium in SLC is SO much better. Our favorite part was the water table to play in - I have got to figure out how to make one at home - we seriously played there for 45 minutes - and Brandon had a huge melt down when we had to leave he was having so much fun - I don't know why I did not take any pictures of the water table :(Brandon loved the huge grey whales and water fountain!Jared loved the coral and fishGrant enjoyed walking around the large fish tankBrandon in the sharks mouth - I was surprised he didn't like that more? While Jared and I were packing to go home Wyn and Dee Ann took Brandon and Grant to the playground next door - I think they might have had more fun there then at any of the other places we visited - Grant and Brandon both loved the slide. We had a great vacation even if it was cold and rainy all week we were still able to enjoy some fun activities, family and a few visits from the sun.

Wild Animal Park

2011-04-12T08:45:00.007-06:00

Our zoo membership includes the Wild Animal Park - we had a good time! Brandon was so happy to ride a cheetah - one of his favorite animals. Grant did not enjoy riding the carousel at all - oh well maybe next time :)If you are not a die hard animal lover like we are you might not enjoy this park - the enclosures were massive which meant you did a lot of walking for only a few animals. I was so impressed with the huge elephant enclosure, there must have been 20 plus elephants in there and I counted at least 7 baby elephants, they were spread out all over it was amazing to see!The petting zoo with various deer was so cool - Grant loved that he could try out walking once again and Brandon loved feeding the deer.Feeding the lorikeets is always fun - they are so noisy!The train/bus ride around a large part of the park was very neat. We enjoyed these animals looking and acting a little more natural. There were so many rhinos and they were in the same space as the giraffes. This baby rhino was very cute!Favorite part of the park was the large animal play ground. There were rhinos, lions, jeeps, and other things to climb on and in as well as a large play tower with slide, and trees to play on, and the view of the park and the real animals from the play ground made it that much better. The boys loved it!

Sea World

2011-04-11T18:07:00.007-06:00

I am thinking that Brandon is really spoiled to have visited Sea World twice in a year and he is only three - very lucky boy! We had a great time in Sea World. I always get giddy when we go here - as the boys were loaded up into the stroller and we set off they both started giggling as well - I think it was the memory of our running around at the zoo that did it. It made me happy to see Grant pumping his arms up and down in excitement! We visited the polar plunge first. As if seeing an active polar bear at the zoo wasn't enough we were also able to see three polar bears roaming around their enclosure. One of the polar bears also jumped in the water and attempted to catch the fish swimming around - that was super cool! Grant's favorite was the Beluga whale they are so fun to watch!

We always enjoy the sharks - Jared has transferred his crazy interest in sharks to Brandon - I am waiting for the day when I find out they both went shark diving - it would be a dream come true for Jared. :) Last time we were at Sea World we had a great time feeding the dolphins and rays - but that was not an option this time but that did not stop us from having lots of fun interacting with the seals and sea lions. Brandon loved feeding them fish - Grant was terrified of how load they bark and how close they get.We took a break from all the animals and played in the Sesame Street play ground. Brandon loved Elmo's flying fish ride with dad!He thought he would love Oscars garbage ride - but neither of us enjoyed that one much :)We didn't have time for all the shows we would have liked to watch - but we were still lucky enough to see the dolphins do a few tricks :) I love dolphins!I love that kids are friends with all other children no matter where they are or who they are. Brandon and his friend had a great time running all over the aquarium looking at the large fish and sea turtles. So cute - wouldn't it be great if we could all be this kind and friendly - I wish I was!We waited for a little less then an hour to get the best seats in the house for the Shamu show. Jared found great seats in the very center and just close enough to get a little wet but not drenched. We thought this would make it more fun for Brandon because whales are his big thing right now - we are getting quite a collection!. We we began the Shamu chant - which Brandon will still do from time to time, and then Shamu splashed us. Grant and Brandon both cried - Grant got over it real quick but Brandon was furious that Shamu got his pants wet, maybe that has somethings to do with all of his hard work in potty training?Despite getting wet I think Brandon loved Sea World - and he certainly does still love whales - he know a LOT about them!

The San Diego Zoo

2011-04-11T16:56:00.006-06:00

We went on vacation to visit Jared's parents and family during March. Every time we go we have to visit the zoo! In fact we enjoy going to the zoo so much we finally got a zoo membership - courtesy of Wyn and Dee Ann - thanks you guys!!! This particular trip started out very rainy - we were worried the day would be a bust - but the sun came out and we were able to enjoy a lot of active animals - it was an exhausting day but so much fun!

Jared playing with the King Cobra - so cool!This is Sunny the Komodo Dragon - did you know that their saliva is so toxic and full of bacteria it will kill you - Yikes! Brandon loved that Sunny came to say hi and got up to walk around - it was like a good omen for the day - it had been raining before we saw her and then after playing with Sunny we enjoyed cold but sunny weather :) Thanks Sunny!I do not like Hippos - I think they are disgusting - for example did you know that when they poo they flick it all over with their tail - gross!! But Brandon thinks they are awesome!! This one sure did put on a show for us - eating, showing off its tusks, pooping - yuck!, and swimming - Brandon was thrilled!The Okapi is one of Jared's favorites - they are so cool looking - and related to one of my favorites - the giraffe.Dee Ann and I also really enjoy looking at all the amazing plant life in the zoo - so pretty!The polar bears were active - eating, scratching, and walking all over - that rarely happens.The jaguar took a special interest in Grant - Grant was fascinated by the jaguar - it was so fun to see it so close!Love all the giant animals that you can play on!

We loved watching the elephants walk all over, eat, and drink from the pool - but our favorite part was watching Grant continue with his attempts at walking. For weeks he had been showing signs of walking but it took being stuck in a car seat for 10 plus hours to get him moving. When we went to Dave and Jill's for dinner the first night in California he started walking all over - he is doing really well now - walking everywhere - it is so fun - and crazy!The camel and the prong horn appeared to be fighting with each other, butting their heads together - weird!As we were leaving the zoo we saw at least four different peacocks show off their feathers - they are so beautiful!

I think one of my favorite memories from that day was near the end of the day, Brandon was tired of being in the stroller so he ran ahead while I pushed Grant in the stroller and we chased Brandon down - Grant and Brandon were both full of the honest belly chuckles that make me laugh and make me so grateful to have fun children who like being with each other. It was a great day - perhaps my favorite day of the trip! More vacation pictures to come - lucky you ;)

St. Patricks Day

2011-04-11T16:41:00.003-06:00

I LOVE celebrating St. Patrick's Day with little children - I know you're thinking what could you possibly do with kids on a drinking holiday - well - We begin our morning eating Lucky Charms, then Natalie, Chandler and my mom came up for a visit. We were eating our green pasta for lunch when Grandma Julie noticed a leprechauns hat poking up over our fence, Brandon and Chandler naturally had to get their ropes and run to chase it. After a good 10-20 minutes of chasing the laughing leprechaun I went inside to find that my house had been turned upside down and there were little green foot prints all over the walls, furniture, and floor. I yelled for the boys to come in and see. We figured the leprechaun must have been inside the house looking for the perfect place to hide his gold treasure so we quickly began hunting and soon found the gold behind the fireplace. The gold was delicious!!! After all the excitement we snuggled on the couch to watch "Finnians Rainbow" with Fred Astaire - love that movie and the music! It was a super fun way to celebrate the holiday. I think Brandon believes in the leprechaun more then Santa. :)

Trains with Grandpa Ron

2011-03-10T21:15:00.006-07:00

Grandpa Ron called up last Friday night to invite us to the train expo in Ogden - it was GREAT! Grandpa Ron, Grandma Julie, Lindsey, Natalie, Chandler, Brandon, Grant and I (Jared was judging a mock trial ;) ) all rode the Front Runner up there, which in and of itself was lots of fun - it's double decker ;) Then we had lots of fun watching LOTS of model trains on amazing tracks of all sizes, looked at amazing Lego trains and Lego cities, operated our own Train, rode on a large train representing the Jupiter train (one of the trains at Promontory Point) and riding on a super cute and fun little train that went on a track, but my favorite part and probably every one else's favorite part was the train playground which consisted of 5-10 retired train engines, cars and cabooses which you could climb on and in. We had so much fun finding photo ops and exploring the trains - I never appreciated just how huge they really are - it was actually pretty frightening being up on the top, and I don't get scared easily with heights. We also enjoyed a yummy Subway lunch and then the trip home on Front Runner. It was a GREAT day - I was so grateful Dad invited us to go. I know my boys had a great time. The only thing that could have made the day better would have been if Jared, Scott, Taylor and Kevin could have joined us. We had so much fun and took so many photo's that I only put a few here - the rest are on the slide show - enjoy ;)

The Joys of Cardboard

2011-03-10T21:07:00.003-07:00

Our bedroom furniture came in many very large boxes with lots of very sturdy packaging - so for five days we were swimming in cardboard - it was everywhere - but we had a great time. We made forts and played in them, built towers just to knock them down again, and after saving toilet paper rolls we made a ping pong ball maze on the cardboard - (that was Grants favorite - he would put the ping pong balls in the toilet paper rolls and watch then come out over and over again:)). When I hosted preschool you should have seen the kids entertain themselves I was tempted to not even bother with the curriculum because they were having so much fun. Loved playing with the cardboard, but I was grateful my neighbor wanted it for her kids - I couldn't just throw out all the great cardboard - but I couldn't have it in my house any longer either - I am sure her kids had a great time with it as well. :) LOVE CARDBOARD :)

New Bedroom Furniture

2011-03-10T18:31:00.003-07:00

Jared got his new TV and I got new bedroom furniture - we share :) I love this new bedroom furniture - we have been wanting to replace the hand me down furniture from our childhood and after nearly ten years of marriage we finally have a beautiful set - guess where we got it?

Costco :) We had to rent a Home Depot truck to get it all home - then we stayed up until 3:30 setting up our new room. The next day when Brandon woke up and came into our room he kept commenting on how great our new room was - after Jared showed him each new piece he started running around in circles saying "It's Tantastic!" (Fantastic :)). I Agree! :)Two new nightstands, a new head board new bedding new pillows, a new dresser and a new book case. :) YEAH!

Camp Out (In) With Daddy

2011-03-10T16:41:00.003-07:00

In addition to the dinosaur museum for Presidents Day Jared had the wild idea to have an indoor camp out with Brandon. They set up Brandon's toy tent and the kitchen table with blankets laid out bedding and spent the night in the living room facing the fire (which was never turned on :)) When I went to bed around midnight I could still hear them talking ;) I don't think they got a lot of sleep :) but they sure had a great time. Brandon thought it was awesome. A few days latter I was reading him a book called "I Love You Daddy" part of the book was about a dad who takes his kids on camp outs. Brandon saw the picture of the tent outside and said - "that's weird - you don't camp out side silly" - hmm? Father's and Son's will be interesting this year. :)

I love this picture of them peeking through their little windows and chatting with each other. :)

DINOSAURS!

2011-03-10T15:31:00.004-07:00

For the President's Day Weekend Jared took us to the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point - we had so much fun! Brandon loved looking at the dinosaur bones and Jared was a great teacher - explaining what everything was. We all had a great time playing in the water and sand with the dinosaurs and trees - we could have spent all our time there. Brandon is really into sharks right now so he was all smiles when he saw the megalodon compared with the Great White. Grant even had fun playing with the toy dinosaurs and crawling around the baby triceratops. We love dinosaurs - this was such a fun outing. After treating the boys to a fun activity we dragged them all over Provo and Orem while we did errands. Jared finally got new glasses (it's been six years) and we finally purchased a new TV - YEAH! Jared and Brandon think it is wonderful - I just think it is a bigger and flatter TV that takes away decorating space on the entertainment center - but a big picture is still lots of fun :)

Cookie Cutters

2011-03-10T15:16:00.004-07:00

We were told about this fun hair cutting place for children where the kids get to ride on a vehicle while they get their hair cut, watch their own movie, and then get a balloon, cookie cutter, and sucker when they are done - and while they wait they get to play on a slide. Well it sounded like the perfect idea - because I hate the battle that ensues when I try to cut Brandon's hair and I had not yet cut Grants hair - so off we went. Overall I think we had a great time and the boys would probably like to go back - but they still fussed - they just do not like getting their hair cut! But I was sure happy to not have to do it and to have them actually look good when the battle was over. I am also mad at myself for forgetting to keep a few clippings of Grants hair for his baby book :( Oh Well. The jury is still out about whether we will go again, but the pictures are still lots of fun. :)

Teddy Bear Birthday Party for Grant

2011-02-11T15:34:00.008-07:00

We had a Teddy Bear Picnic Birthday Party for Grant with my family - and it was possibly the most fun I have had at a birthday party! My cheeks and jaw muscles are still sore almost a week later from smiling so much. I woke up the follow morning hardly able to open my jaw it hurt so much - who knew? We decorated with LOTS of teddy bears, a picnic blanket in the middle of the room, a picnic basket, and balloons. In addition to celebrating Grants birthday we also celebrated my moms birthday. She chose enchiladas, corn salsa, Spanish rice, and a salad for dinner - it was yummy!! I don't think we can have a family dinner without moms corn salsa. :) The Guests of Honor!

We played a teddy bear trivia game with questions like what is the largest species of living bear? How many species of bear can you name? How many fictional bears can you name? What sports teams have a bear for a mascot? And who in our family is nick named Bear and why?

We also played teddy bear dress up with lots of Build a Bear dress up clothes from Dana (Thanks Dana!). Natalie's Everything Teddy Bear - which included - hockey skates, a skate board, underwear, a super hero cape, and a helmet - and possibly more - I can't remember. :)Lindsey's Bat Man Bear - I thought for sure she would go for the soccer bear. :)Hannah's Cinderella Bear

Scott's Jazz Bear and Taylor's Buzz Light year bear. - They were mostly good sports about dressing up the bears. :)

We colored pictures of teddy bears, looked through Grants baby scrapbook and enjoyed each others company. But the best part of the party was probably the opening of the presents and the birthday cake!!! Mom is a master DI treasure finder (she inherited the gift from her mom and I hope to some day develop the gift as well) and she found this wonderful baby grand piano for Grant. Grant LOVES music, dancing, and singing, he would happily spend hours sitting at my piano if I let him, so this gift was delightful. The smile on his face when he opened it and began playing it was one of sheer joy! I wish I could have caught it better. He has not stopped playing it! I am hoping to get a video of him dancing away while he plays and sings along to the piano. :)I saw the directions for this teddy bear cake on line and it was love at first sight! I was so pleased that it turned out. Couldn't have done it without Dana's cake supplies (thanks again Dana). Each time I make a cake and it turns out I am happily surprised and I feel like doing a little celebratory dance - I did it. Okay so that's me tooting my own horn. Please forgive me. Oh and not only did it look cute it tasted wonderful (hooray for store brand bargain cake mix and frosting! :)

Grant liked the cake as well - even after I decapitated it. And he was not at all disturbed about having only the head to smash and make a mess of. (until Hannah told him that I chopped the head off. Thanks a lot Hannah :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANT AND MOM!!!!!

Grant's Smash Cake

2011-02-11T15:23:00.005-07:00

I think it is safe to say that when it comes to birthday's I have little control - I saw a photo collage of a baby with free range of the birthday cake and loved the pictures so I attempted to create the same thing. The result was me creating three birthday cakes in addition to his birthday pancake - no child should have that much cake - but don't worry I helped - I know also terrible, but I am happy with how these pictures turned out, so I guess it was worth it.
Love this darling face!!!

Happy Birthday Grant

2011-02-02T12:23:00.002-07:00

There will of course be many more post to come of this darling little boy! but for now I hope you enjoy this video. :)

Brandon

2011-01-07T12:08:00.002-07:00

Brandon cracks me up on a daily basis. I wanted to be sure I recorded some of his latest antics.

#1 During Christmas we had all of our Christmas book out - Brandon loved reading all of them and Jared and I were happy to oblige him. Well he let his curiosity get the better of him and he ripped apart the foam cover of one of our children's books - I was so upset and I wanted him to understand the damage he had done so I told him to fix it - the conversation continued

B - I can't

M - I can't either

B - take it to Dr Berg

M - he can't fix it either

B - HE CAN!!

If only the doctor could fix everything :)

#2 I love watching Brandon play with his toys - he is starting to show his imagination and give the toys personalities. The other day he was playing with his Lightening McQueen car and Mac trailer, Mac was apparently the dad and McQueen was the son
Mac - I love you son
McQueen - I love you dad
Mac - Always and forever
McQueen -Always and forever
and it continued from there, I thought it was darling seeing through the toys and Brandon's eyes the way he view his relationship with his dad - I am so grateful for their cute relationship!

#3 There is a disagreement between Jared and me about what Brandon and Grants first words are. Jared is convince that they both said Dad first. Yes they both make the da da da da sound first but I don't think it counts as a word. Well a few days ago Grant was on the changing table and Brandon was "helping", Grant began saying da da da da and Brandon looked at him and said 'Dad's not here - then he went to the door, opened it up and said "see he's not here". I guess I am outnumbered on that one.

#4 He is in the process of potty training - I know - we should be done by now, but he and I are taking our time - anyways while potty training he spends a good portion of the day partially or completely undressed. Which in and of itself is funny to watch, but for Christmas this year he got a pair of spider man boots that he loves - he wears them all the time regardless of whether we are outside or not. So the other day he was running around in his underwear and boots - so cute! Then he draped a blanket over his shoulders and told me he was prince charming - boy is he ever!! ;)

#5 We were watching Homeward Bound the other day - Love that movie - if you do not remember it is the one with the two dogs and the cat that run away and find their way home through the mountains. Well at the very end of the movie - Shadow falls into a hole and brakes his leg and the audience is left thinking he is gone for good. Then one by one the animals come over the hill to return to their people and just when you think Shadow will not be returning he hobbles over the hill as well. I cry every time - I'm a whip! Well while Brandon and I were watching it I could tell that Brandon was also touched - and the conversation went as follows
M - he came back
B - he came back to life
M - he did?
B - he was resurrected
M - he was?
B - Jesus was resurrected and he came back to life just like Shadow
What could I say? I love that he is understanding the basic concepts of the gospel, and I am so impressed with his memory for vocabulary! Cute boy!

#6 Brandon has had a terrible cough this week so I got him some medicine yesterday - it is helping. Well I got pink eye - ugh! I was laying on the bed this morning putting the drops in my eye, Brandon wanted to know what I was doing so I told him I was taking medicine. He promptly went to the bathroom and got the little medicine cup and filled it up with water and administered it to me - then in his grown up way said there is that better - I said yes thank you - he said your welcome and told me I needed one more - well of course I did ( I wish I could convey the manner in which he talks and acts when he is being big and helpful - it is just too sweet!) Five cups later he went to the living room to get a blanket and then tucked me in with the blanket. Then he asked me if I needed a story before my nap - well sure that would be great. So he got my scriptures of the nightstand and asked if I would like a "Scripture Power" story - of course I did, he told me to read the whole thing - yeah right :) so I opened up to the marker where Jared and I have been reading and read the highlighted verse -And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God- 2 Timothy 3:15-16 I was so touched. I read it two ways the first; that since my childhood I have been taught the scriptures and now here was Brandon a child also being taught from the scriptures. The second way I read it was that from a child (Brandon) I have known the scriptures - or been given the scriptures and then encouraged to read. Such a tender moment!

I sure do love being a parent and a mom especially - and a stay at home mom to boot. Don't get me wrong - it is HARD!!!! But these moments make it worth it.
Brandon just peed in my snow boot - not kidding - gotta go! :)

Merry Christmas

2010-12-29T23:50:00.004-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas

Things I hope to remember about this years Christmas

KFC for Christmas Eve dinner on our fancy Christmas dishes with just our little family (maybe it's tacky but it was so tasty, easy, and truly a fun meal
It was Grants first Christmas - he enjoyed the excitement and loved the decorations on the Christmas tree (I must have decorated that tree nearly every day this month) he likes gingerbread cookies and chocolate covered pretzels almost as much as I do, and he was more than happy to let Brandon "help" him open all his presents. Oh he is so darling! His favorite gifts were probably the gear toy that lights up and plays music, and the push and ride Winnie the Pooh car from Grandma Julie.
Brandon agreeing with me that we had too many presents under the tree so Santa should probably not bother coming to our house, of course I was kidding but I think Brandon was actually (if only for a moment) disappointed Christmas morning that Santa still came.
Spending Christmas Eve in our home with our little family opening pj's and scrapbooks from the past year
Doing the 12 days of Christmas Advent calendar with the stories and ornaments each night - Brandon loved it - and I was very happy to be able to read so many great Christmas stories.
Watching Brandon open up his Giant T-Rex and Shark and the whale book from Grandma Julie.
All of the other fun activities that made this holiday and this season so much fun Things I hope to have learned this year:
Stop spending so much money on toys - and start buying the toys from thrift stores and KSL - the kids can not tell the difference and they do not care about quantity
Do not fight over clam chowder and do not burn the clam chowder - and do not try a new recipe on Christmas Day!
Use a better camera (all of our Christmas morning pictures are blurry) like the one I got this year for Christmas
Take more pictures - Grants first Christmas and I do not have any great ones of him opening presents or playing with his presents

Here's to a new year and the anticipation of Christmas in 2011! :)

Cute Grant

2010-12-29T23:47:00.002-07:00

I love it when children fall asleep in their high chair - but that rarely happens at our house. This is the first time Grant has done it - he did it while I was (very loudly) singing and playing from the Wicked songbook that my sister let me borrow. I had a great time belting out the songs while both of my children slept on - kinda funny :)

Surprise Resident

2010-12-29T23:40:00.002-07:00

On one of the really cold and snowy days this little bird took up residency on our bird feeder. It stayed the day and night, but was gone the next day. It was so cute to see this little bird all puffed up to keep warm - part of me really wanted to bring it in for the night but I knew that was not practical, so instead we enjoyed its company during all of our meals, as it was right next to our dining table. The following day my back door neighbor called me to ask what I was feeding the birds because it looked like our house was being attacked - I looked out side and sure enough our trees had turned black with all the birds that were perched on them - it was a little freaky - but they only stuck around for an hour. So what was I feeding them - nothing - see the empty bird feeder in the picture, since then I have filled all of our bird feeders and I hope we have many more visitors this season. :)

Fun Times In The Snow

2010-12-29T23:25:00.003-07:00

It seemed to take winter a long time to finally arrive - but when it did we were ready. Brandon could hardly wait to play in the snow and make a snow man. Maggie also LOVES the snow - she runs like a mad dog in the snow and gets snowballs stuck to her fur - she looks pretty funny. I am so impressed with the snowman that Jared and Brandon made. When it was all finished Brandon asked "what should we name him, should we name him Harold, should we name him ... (I can't remember the name) I was thinking it was pretty funny all the name he was coming up with then I realized that once again he was quoting the Frosty the Snowman movie, I thought it was pretty cute, and yes - our snowman is named Frosty - what else?Just look at those poor paws.Grant tolerated the snow - I think he would have enjoyed it much more if it was not his nap time. :)Brandon loved Jared's Buzz Lightyear coat. :)

This is The Place - Candlelight Christmas

2010-12-29T23:12:00.005-07:00

We had a great time at the Candlelight Christmas in This is The Place State Park. Brandon loved the reindeer, the live nativity, and the train. Grant probably enjoyed playing with the sheep and the goats the best. We also enjoyed meeting Father Christmas, making icicles and food for the reindeer and birds, and playing in the elf's work shop.

Buddies

2010-12-16T13:49:00.002-07:00

We have been enjoying watching Christmas movies. Brandon's current favorite is Frosty the Snowman, he even quotes it - his favorite line is "Let's make a party out of it, let have a parade", we have been having a lot of parade's at our house lately. :) I love these two boys - especially when they are being kind to each other. :)

Library Storyhour Christmas Party

2010-12-16T11:21:00.002-07:00

I LOVE our libraries story hour. This year they have taken us on a train ride, had a Halloween costume party, had a summer reading party, and have great weekly story hours with Ms. Sally who is awesome. This year for Christmas they took us to the Heber Valley Handspringers where the kids got to meet Santa and Mrs. Clause and then run wild in the gym, jumping on trampolines that were a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials, playing in the foam pit, and enjoying wild freedom. Brandon was in heaven. After all of the playing we met for songs, and stories and the kids got to take home a bag of goodies. All of this fun and adventure cost us $1.00. LOVE IT! I hope that I can take Brandon back many times - it is just what my high energy little boy needs. Even Grant had a good time. :) So much fun!

Yummy Baking

2010-12-16T09:53:00.004-07:00

I love Christmas baking - my favorites - GINGERBREAD COOKIES they are the best, and cathedral cookies, and chocolate covered pretzels. What are your favorite? Each year my sisters, mom and I ahve a baking day, this year was just as fun, but I forgot to take pictures. We aslo had a baking day on monday at home, Brandon enjoyed maing his own little cookies and Jared even got in on the fun when he got home from work.

Happy 101 Birthday Grandpa Bowman

2010-12-16T09:28:00.002-07:00

Grandpa Bowman turned 101 on Sunday the 12th. I am always amazed when I think about the life he has lived and the many things he has witnessed in his life. We sure do love him!
Wouldn't it be interesting if he lived until 12/12/12, I doubt many have celebrated two birthdays with the day, month and year being the same number?

Temple Square

2010-12-09T14:14:00.004-07:00

We went as a family to Temple Square to see the lights last Saturday. We got there early so we could enjoy the visitor centers and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building before it got to crowded. We were also fortunate to go right up to the temple before they close the gates. It was pretty special. I loved the model of the temple in the south visitors center - if you have not seen it - you really should go - it is amazing!!I love this picture of our Eternal Family at the Temple - very cool!I love this temple and the amazing architecture!We took Brandon to see the Christus before heading out to see the lights. While we sat at His feet I explained to Brandon why there were holes in His hands and in His feet. I explained that Jesus is Heavenly Fathers Son and that He died for us so that we can live with Him again and we can live with our families again. The following Monday we gave pretty much the same lesson for Family Home Evening. It must have made an impression because last night after reading stories with Jared. Brandon told the whole story to Jared and testified that Jesus died so that we can be happy. It was very special - and so good to know that somethings are sinking in and he is learning. I love the large nativities displayed all over the grounds.I am so happy to live back in Salt Lake so that we can see the lights every Christmas, it is such a great way to start the holiday season with the right focus, and the lights are so beautiful!Brandon loved all of the water features - no surprises there. :)We watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional on Sunday, while it was not super reverent at our house and it was really difficult to pay attention with two little children. Brandon did enjoy the film of the temple. He kept telling us - "we went there" - "that's the temple". I think he is learning to love the temple too. :)I really enjoyed the luminaries.

What can I say - we LOVE to see the temple! :)

Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-03T13:29:00.003-07:00

Aunt Jodi gave us a gingerbread village this year to create - it made for a very fun, challenging and entertaining FHE. I have a whole new appreciation for the really fancy gingerbread house people create (like Dana - wish I had a picture to show you hers). Once we got the hang of it they started to look a little better. :) I hope that we can make this a new tradition - it really was fun! Brandon had a great time - sharing the candy with Grant, eating the frosting every chance he got, and braking a few of the walls - :) Grant enjoyed the treats and worked really hard to try and grab the houses when they were complete. Love these crazy boys.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T15:08:00.003-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year with the Bowman's. It was so fun to see the family again - perticularly Trevor who we have not seen for so long. We celebrated a mini Christmas while we were there too - since we would not see anyone during the Christmas season. I love Thanksgiving - not so much the food - but the oportunity to remember all of the wonderful things we have to be grateful for. Some of the things that are at the top of my list are - two darling little boys, one great husband, a beautfiul home, a talent that earns me money and brings me joy, good health, four grandparents and five great-grandparents to dote on my children, a reliable job for my husband, and living in a great location! I love the song - Count Your Many Blessings - lately the first verse has been coming to mind frequently.

When upon lifes billows you are tempest tossed

Do not get discouraged thinking all is lost

Count your many blessing name them one by one

And it will suprise you what the Lord has done.

I really do have much to grateful for. Hope you also enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The North Pole Express

2010-12-02T14:46:00.004-07:00

We have lived in Heber for a little over four years and we have never been on the Christmas Train. Well finally this year we went courtesy of our good friends who were able to get free tickets. We had a great time. The hot chocolate, chocolate chocolate chip cookies, the carols, the lights, the company, and meeting Santa all while on a train made for a great memory and a great way to start the holiday season!!

Brandon was happy to see Santa and he was not afraid to go up to him - Hooray! Maybe we will try to do Santa pictures this year?

YEAH UTES!

2010-11-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

How To Choose?

2010-11-23T18:06:00.004-07:00

When I was a child a family tradition was to go "help" my dad at his office scrapping aluminium off of old automatic doors. When we finished "helping", my dad would reward us with a small treat from the 7-11 next door as well as a hot dog and drink. Each week my sister and I would spend what felt like hours studying the candy isle trying to make the best choice - it was so hard to choose! Well my inability to choose when there is a large and great selection has not improved - point in case - the Shutterfly Holiday Greeting Cards - there are so many to choose from. See for yourself.

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationary/christmas-photo-cards

Okay - so I narrowed down my selection to these five which would you choose - seriously - I need your advice!

1 2345Did you notice a theme in my selection of cards - they all have the option of featuring multiple family pictures. That is good news! I will only need to narrow down my picture choice to 4 or 6 pictures instead of choosing just one - ;)

Thank you Shutterfly - and thank you to Shutterfly for storing all of my pictures - so my computer does not become overloaded. Thank you for helping me create a fun Christmas present for someone special (can't say who - wink wink). Thank you for all of the great deals and give aways. I love it when that orange box comes in the mail!!! :)

Speaking of great deals - you can get 50 free greeting cards from Shutterfly with a post on your blog - that is a great deal!!! :)

http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Halloween

2010-11-17T14:06:00.004-07:00

My mom bought Thomas and James costumes last year for Brandon and Grant. Fortunately for me Dana kept the train box that I made for Brandon's birthday last year so I was able to use it for Grants costume - the result was three super cute trains with little effort. When grandma, mom, Natalie and chandler came up they came trick-or-treating looking like this - pretty funny! We went to the Homestead to see the scarecrows and took the boys in their costumes it was a fun afternoon.Halloween night was cold and rainy so Grant only went to our house to trick-or-treat and Brandon only visited five homes for treats. But they did not seem to mind - besides with all the trick-or-treaters staying in we had lots of left overs.Do they come any cuter? I don't think so!Brandon went trick-or-treating with McKell and Nicole - how cute are they. :)
Thus far I have not had to spend a penny on costumes - I wonder how long that will last?

Hooray For Fall

2010-11-17T11:13:00.004-07:00

I adore autumn, hands down it is my favorite season. The Friday just before Halloween my grandma, mom, sister, and Chandler came up for a visit. We had a great time playing in the leaves and taking fall pictures. I think it is pretty funny that Natalie and I both bought the same matching shirts for our boys without realizing it. They sure do look cute! I just love this picture of Brandon and Grant I could stare at it for hours - Love these boys!Grandma was a good sport and let us cover her with leaves and the boys enjoyed finding her and pulling her out. What a fun Grandma!!The fall colors mixed with a beautiful sunset make the season that much more enjoyable. This was taken in my very own front yard. I love my home!It is pictures like this that make grateful for where I live!

Disney Land

2010-11-05T17:51:00.007-06:00

I have always found it amusing that the Happiest Place on Earth is where you experience some of the biggest melt downs and disappointments. This trip was no exception. I knew that taking two VERY little children on this trip was going to be difficult - I was prepared for crazy, but my goodness I underestimated the level of difficulty. I could go on and on about all of the not so wonderful moments of the trip, but I wont. This is why I am so grateful for photos. When the trip is done and you have had time to adjust to normal life you can look at the pictures and all you see are the happy moments, and suddenly the trip was worth it and it truly was wonderful. See for yourself. :)I loved Brandon's reaction to Tigger. He jumped right on over to meet him and then the two of them spent some quality time jumping together - Super fun!The wait to meet Mickey Mouse was long and I began to wonder if it was worth it - it definitely was! - Yeah Mickey!Did you know that Disney Land has a petting zoo? I didn't but they do and it was decorated so cute for Halloween. We loved watching them carve pumpkins into Disney Characters. While we were watching the carving we wandered into a nearby barn. Guess who was inside - Woodey - Brandon was ecstatic - however when it came time for him to meet him he was shy again, go figure. But when Jessie came around the corner he was ready and thrilled. YeahEven Grant enjoyed a few of the rides.I was so grateful to have my Mother-in-law with me - She loves the crazy rides as much as I do and Hooray for a Father-in-law to take care of my kids while I went on the rides with either Jared or Dee Ann. So fun.We loved the Pixar Play Parade - Finally a parade that was great for kids. Brandon and Grant had a front row seat to all the action. All of the great characters were in the parade, and they even got to meet Mr. Potato Head and Nemo. SO MUCH FUN!!!Brandon probably had the most fun at the Children's forest near Grizzly Rapids. Finally here was a place without lines, or crowds where he could just run free and climb, slide and explore. Jared and I also loved it for this same reason. It didn't hurt that we were also able to meet both Coda and Keeni from Brother Bear.Brandon had no fear on the rides he loved the hills on the roller coasters and going fast. he however was not a big fan of the monster on the Matterhorn - can't say that I blame him. :)And then there was Radiator Springs where we met Lightening McQueen and Mater - WOW!!! What more can I say about this but that Brandon was THRILLED! Unfortunately he is shy with his emotions so when he was so excited and happy he did his best to keep it in - thus the pictures were not what I was hoping for. Then when we watched the Pixar Parade and Mater and Lightening were at the tail end and they were actually driving - WOW WOW WOW was Brandon happy - so happy that Jared agreed to chase them down and follow then to the end of the parade. Boy oh Boy was Brandon a happy camper!Look at him squishing his cheeks in to hide his smile - so silly.This is probably the way I felt most of the trip. He and Grant were such troopers!!The Dumbo ride was also wonderful although the wait was ridiculously long.Monstro the whale - Brandon is still talking about this and playing with his Monstro the whale - every day! This was so fun!My super cute little boy!

Highlights of Disney Land (according to Brandon):

Meeting Lightening McQueen, Mater, Woodey, Jessie, Tigger, Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse.
The Pirates Ride, Dumbo Ride, Monstro Ride, Autotopia, Finding Nemo Ride, the two Buzz Lightyear Rides, The Jungle Cruise, Gadgets Go Coaster, the Peter Pan Ride and the two train rides.
The Pixar Play Parade
Playing on Pirates Island and in the Grizzly Forest

Other memorable moments:

The second night in Disney Land (Sunday) I forced my family to stay late in hopes of watching the World of Color show despite our fatigue, Grants fussing due to lost bottles, blankets, and nursing cover up and the crazy long line and wait to see the show and the rain. Finally I accepted that it was not going to happen so we took off for the hotel. Grants fussing turned into screams, Brandon's protests increased, I was near tears and we were wet and tired. As we raced down the street to our hotel we passed a mother who just understood and shouted out to me "Your doing good Mom" - Yes, I cried. Sometimes we just need someone to champion us on. So to all you mom's "Your doing good!!!"
We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Blue Bayou Restaurant. Yummy Monte Cristo Sandwiches are a must when we go to Disney Land. While we were there Jared taught Brandon manners, it was so cute watching them use their napkins, hold the utensils just right and so on.
Grant devouring the broth of Wyns' French Onion Soup

All in all it was a great trip with many wonderful memories and many lessons learned. We look forward to our next visit.

The San Diego Temple

2010-11-05T17:14:00.003-06:00

One of our favorite things to do when we visit another city is to do a session at the local temple, time and time again it proves to be the peace amid a crazy and busy vacation, as well as a highlight of the trip. The San Diego temple did not let us down - it is magnificent!! It ranks high on my favorite list!!! The entire week we were in California Jared's family was trying their hardest to get us to move to Cali. This temple would definitely be a big perk. I love going to the temple!!! Oh how I wish I could put into words how much I love being in the temple, I only wish I could go much more often!

The San Diego Zoo

2010-11-05T16:23:00.006-06:00

We never miss the zoo when we go on any vacation - so of course we could not miss the world famous San Diego Zoo. We went to the zoo with a good portion of Jared's family; Jill and Dave, Rebecca, Neveah, and his Parents. We had a great time! Brandon was finally able to see on e of his favorite animals - the hippos, and they were swimming right in front of the window. We were also able to enjoy the rare treat of watching a mother Panda play with her cub. We were lucky enough to see the koalas when they were active and awake. We loved all of the animals! Brandon really enjoyed having a friend to play with for the day, and we were fortunate enough to get some great weather - despite the forecast. :)I absolutely adore this picture of Rebecca and Grant - Oh SO cute!!!!Yucky hippos that Brandon loves - he was even able to see the hippo open his large mouth. :)

The Beach

2010-11-05T16:14:00.003-06:00

I was looking forward to the visit to the beach more than Disneyland - if you can believe it. I was so excited to see Brandon's reaction to the sand, waves, and the whole experience - I was not disappointed. He loved it. Dave and Jill took us to a beach near their home that had both tidal pools and lots of sand to play in. The tidal pools were very cool but the freedom of miles of sand to play in the rush of the waves crashing into you was even better. The weather was just warm enough to make the beach tolerable and the sun set was wonderful - I wish we could have spent much more time there and that we could have stayed closer. Grant even enjoyed getting his feet wet. I was able to build a sand castle which lasted all of two minutes, but it was still worth it. But best of all was the free for all playing and splashing no lines, crowds, or loud false noises. Loved it. Heavenly Father sure does make the best play grounds!!!I LOVE this picture - does Brandon look like he could be any happier?

Sea World

2010-10-29T15:21:00.004-06:00

Sea World was everything I expected it to be! There were minimal crowds and weather was terrific, and I LOVE those animals. I actually get choked up when the dolphin or Shamu show starts. Brandon loved the animals as well. We were able to feed the dolphins as well as the sting rays, both were very neat experiences. I could happily visit Sea World again and again and never tire of it. Brandon has not stopped playing with his whales and dolphins since then and we found a stuffed Shamu from when Jared was a kid that Brandon is now sleeping with. Sea World made a lasting impression. Maybe Brandon will fill Jared's and my dream of becoming a marine biologist?This picture captures is all - I love Brandon's face!!!

We love Sharks!!!!

I think that it is safe to say that this was the Grand Finale to a crazy and busy vacation! We love you Southern California - till next time!

Nap Time

2010-10-29T15:18:00.001-06:00

My favorite time of the day!!!

HELP- tips for traveling with an infant

2010-10-09T11:11:00.002-06:00

We are planning a trip to California to visit family, we are of course very excited, however i am very nervous about the drive there and back. Brandon has always been an outstanding traveler - every time we make the drive to Idaho he would sleep for the whole drive. Grant on the other hand has scream every time for at least two hours of the drive. Feeding him only slightly takes care of the problem. What he really wants is to get out - that is not an option! So what am I going to do with a twelve hour drive? I am planning on taking balloons, bubbles, treats, a mirror with lights, and toys, but that wont help when he is tired. Benadryl? The label says it is only for children who are six or older, and our doctor advised against it? I just don't know - so, I am pleading for any advise or tips from all of you. :)

Preschool - Dinosaurs

2010-10-09T10:36:00.003-06:00

This week it was my turn to host and teach Brandon's preschool.
Our theme was dinosaurs - in my opinion this is one of the best themes! Our letter was T so we each had a Treasure box full of T items: toilet paper, tissues, Thomas the Train, train tracks, treats, telephones, ties, triangles, and a picture of the temple. We had lots of fun opening up and discovering our T treasures.We made volcano treats for snack - they were so easy and yummy!We made our own volcano and dinosaur land - then we took turns destroying the dinosaurs by shaking it like an earthquake, throwing asteroids (toy plastic rocks) at them, making the hot sun beat down on them, and last and best of all having the volcano erupt on them. It was a very fun week for preschool!

West Jordan "City" Park with the cousins

2010-10-08T17:27:00.005-06:00

We finally managed to get together with our cousins for an outing to the park. We had a great time! And this park is amazing - well worth the drive out there - I do wish however that it was not so far away I would go all the time. It was great to see our cousins again and see how their darling kids are growing!

The Utah State Fair

2010-10-08T17:23:00.002-06:00

We went with Natalie, Chandler, Grandma Julie, and Grandma Johnson to the state fair. It was so much fun despite the heat. We enjoyed the pig races, tractors, animals, and yummy food, but the highlight was defiantly the sea lion show - it made me that much more excited for our trip to Sea World and Disney Land!

Brandon's seccond 3rd Birthday - the offical day!

2010-09-16T11:59:00.004-06:00

We woke Brandon up on his birthday by singing Happy Birthday to him - he demonstrated to us just how old he was by rolling over and telling us in so many words to go away because he was still sleepy - What three year old sleeps in past his normal wake up time on his birthday and tells his parents to leave him alone and that he doesn't want presents? Weird - well after a little coxing he decided he really did want to open presents. Most of his presents were clothes but his big present was a Cars Garage - which he loves!!After preschool we invited his preschool friends over for cake and ice cream - very casual, but lots of fun I had a lot of fun making his Lighting McQueen cake - he thought it was great - unfortunately it did not taste super great - the chocolate zucchini cake recipe was not the best - Oh Well. I am always terrified at undertaking a new cake, but I am also amazed when it actually turns out and is pretty cute - I actually really like this one and I plan on making it again for his birthday with my side of the family.

We continued celebrating his birthday that night with our immediate family and a pizza dinner with a movie. I think he had a great day! Happy Birthday Brandon!!!!!!!

More Labor Day Fun

2010-09-16T11:56:00.001-06:00

In addition to having a great birthday party for Brandon while we were in Idaho we also enjoyed feeding the fish, feeding the ducks, playing with Cooper and Alexis, and enjoying the company of family as well as a lot of rest and relaxation.

Brandon's first 3rd Birthday

2010-09-16T11:47:00.002-06:00

We went to Idaho Falls for Labor Day and while we there we decided to have a last minute birthday party for Brandon since that was the only time we would be seeing the Bowman side of the family. The birthday took on a Toy Story theme - Brandon got Toy Story 2 on DVD, two great Toy Story books, and Woody, Jessie, Buzz, and Bullseye dolls, as well as the game Memory with the Toy Story pictures. It was so fun to have all of the family together for his birthday - Thanks to everyone for the great gifts!

Happy Belated 6 months Grant!

2010-09-16T11:40:00.002-06:00

We just love this little boy! I am so grateful for his addition to our family!!!

Anything for a laugh!

2010-09-16T11:36:00.002-06:00

Brandon loves to make baby Grant laugh- Crazy kid!

GOT MILK?

2010-09-16T11:28:00.001-06:00

My son loves chocolate milk - who doesn't? Well I was apparently taking to long to fill his order for more so he took care of it himself - Great! :)

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2010-08-30T17:38:00.004-06:00

I have been wanting to visit these gardens for years now so I finally managed to get there courtesy of $2:00 Tuesdays ! Yeah for a good deal. Now I am hooked and wish I could visit the gardens every week, or at least once a month - they are beautiful! Our good friends the Keller's joined us on our outing. Brandon and Jack loved running all over the place!I love this picture of Grant - he is so cute!The boys loved the bear caves and everything about the children's gardens!They especially enjoyed playing on Noah's Ark!Nate however did not love the water - poor thing he looks like he is trying to break free :) - He is also so cute!!I am not a germiphobe - but really? YUCK!I loved the building area - fun idea!Cute brothers ;)Oh I just love this kid - YUMMY cheeks!This water fountain was amazing - this is only half of it - of course the boys had to dive right in. :)Look at how cute these boys are. This picture is in the Secret Garden (one of my favorite books, and now it is one of my favorite gardens within the garden).Brandon loves Nate - I hope that he enjoys Grant this much when Grant gets bigger. :)Of course we had to play with the water again - we went through three outfits for Brandon.

Such a fun outing! Thanks Allison for coming with us and for bringing your cute boys!

Summer in Pictures

2010-08-25T17:37:00.013-06:00

I inadvertently took the summer off from blogging - so rather than go back and tell every little detail of our summer I am just posting the pictures with a few thoughts.Our summer has been kind - just enough time to enjoy our own beautiful yard and just enough time to get out and enjoy many other busy activities!We went with Natalie and Chandler to the Children's Discovery Museum for Natalie's 1/2 birthday - such a fun place - I would love to go there at least once a month. Our favorite was the construction zone, magnet marble works wall, grocery store and water table, none of which I have pictures of. :(I enjoyed getting together with close friends for birthday luncheons - Dana hosted my birthday, I hosted Karen's birthday and Karen hosted Dana's birthday - So fun to have good friends with children the same age as your children!Love this picture of the kids in the sprinklers! So cute!!!!!Grant and his buddy Daimen - they look so cute in their matching outfits - even if Grant is super grumpy!We spent the 4th of July in Idaho Falls and enjoyed spending time with ALL of our family members (minus Trevor, Michelle, Tashia, and Neveah) We enjoyed a trip to the zoo, fireworks (one of the largest displays in the West, right on the river next to the beautiful temple), fireworks at home, and a beautiful tribute with a field full of flags!Jared celebrated his birthday with family parties, cakes and fun gifts. I love this picture of him with the boys - he is such a great daddy!!!!! These are the moments I live for!I think he enjoyed his Yankees - cake - even though it was definitely not one of my best.Scottie gave the boys a great ride at Jared birthday dinner - so fun!The boys tried really hard to reciprocate - funny!One of Brandon's new favorite games is to be wrapped up and pretend he is a present - it is so fun to open him up over and over again - he loves it!Grandma Gi Gi is so photogenic - I just love this picture!Grandma Osborn loves her three cute nephews!We spent the 24th of July at Buttlerville days - they put on a great party! The parade was great - the firetrucks sprayed everyone with water, we had at least half of the floats from the Days of 47 parade, and the kids were rewarded with lots of great candy!This is the float my mom helped work on with her stake - I think it turned out beautifully!Our red cheeks are evidence of how terribly hot it was!The highlight of the parade may well have been these cool four wheelers - I must confess I would love to get these for Brandon's birthday - and give rides around the neighborhood in them - they are so cool!!!!!The festivities included a great car show, bounce houses, yummy food vendors, entertainment, a firetruck water fight, helicopters to tour, and a great firework display for the finally! I love being able to spend time with family and old friends from my childhood ward! While we were looking at the helicopters we even ran into one of Jared's close cousins - small world - it was so fun to spend the rest of the day with them and we were even fortunate enough to watch the helicopter take off - WOWGrandpa with the boys for fireworks - HAPPYLove these smiles!!! When our summer began to get a little boring, and I got a little desperate for a break from a busy toddler - I got creative with grass clippings, cooking utensils, and plastic animals - the combination was great and gave me a good 2 hours of freedom (and the mess was minimal, just a quick sweep:))We also froze various toys in water and then chipped away at the ice to rescue the toys - Brandon loved it! Brandon has been collecting these Cars figures from the movie Cars - his collection is extensive, and has cost us and his grandparents a small fortune, but since they are the only toys he plays with I don't feel to bad. Well we have gotten a little wrapped up in finding ALL of the characters, but Sally and Red were impossible to find, unless you wanted to bid for them online and spend at least $20.00 per car (we weren't) so imagine our joy and surprise when my good friend Alana from Oregon sent this little treasure in the mail! I think I might have been more excited than Brandon, I wasn't even sure I wanted him to take them out of the box - I know that is terrible - but he earned them by pooping in the potty (sorry for the language) so they are out and enjoying hours of play time! -- Thanks again Alana - we love them!!!!!!!!!

We enjoyed a few trips to the zoo on our own or with friends - it was so much more fun with friends!Love this carousel!

When it was free National Parks weekend we made the long two hour drive to Promontory Point to see the trains. Jared and I appreciated the history of this great place but it was lost on Brandon, not a place I would recommend for little kids - it is dry and boring (aside from when the trains blew their whistles and drove on the tracks for a short distance.We were lucky enough to have one of Lindsey's soccer tournaments in Park City so we enjoyed a few of her games - this HUGE chair was so funny!Our garden has done very well this year and Brandon has especially enjoyed helping his dad plant and care for the garden. He was so proud of this zucchini he carried it all over the house, watched movies with it, and carried on a few little conversations with it. Then he enjoyed helping me turn it into yummy chocolate, chocolate chip, zucchini bread - YUM or "dewishish" as Brandon would say :)We also enjoyed a great visit from Wyn and DeeAnn in the motor home - Brandon loved sleeping out in it each night - I wish I would have taken pictures - next time!!!

All in all it has been a great summer - I am excited to see what surprises await us with fall! Hope you have all enjoyed your summer as well!!!!!!

I'm a wanna be

2010-06-17T18:56:00.004-06:00

I really wish I was a great photographer! But alas I am not! I just don't have the patience to learn all of the technical aspects of photography, but I do love the artistic side of it. Here is my lame attempt at taking great pictures of Grant. I am actually pleased with how a few of them turned out. I am so grateful for digital cameras that allow me to take as many pictures as I want and not feel bad about it.My beautiful boy! I love his GQ pose here - so funny!I love his happy little face!I love this picture so much! I just wish I could get the lighting and the color right?Yummy hand. :)

Great Grandparents

2010-06-17T17:58:00.001-06:00

I am so happy that my children have been able to meet five of their eight great-grandparents. Here are four of them with Grant - I love these pictures!Grandpa Bowman - 100 1/2 years old!Grandma BowmanGrandma Osborn (my paternal grandma) 90 1/2 years old.

Grandma Johnson (my maternal grandma) (not pictured is my Grandpa Johnson)

I sure do love these grandparents!!! I feel so lucky to have such a great relationship with each of them!

Fun Friends

2010-06-17T17:46:00.003-06:00

Last weekend was so much fun!!! I was able to spend Friday night with a bunch of girls from my neighborhood eating yummy treats, enjoying great conversations, and best of all playing a very amusing dance game on the wii. I love these fun girls and I really hope we get together more often!.

Then on Saturday I had my ten year reunion, I opted out of the dinner but enjoyed the park outing with the families. It was so fun to see so many friends from high school and to see their families and how we have all grown up. This is another group that I wish I got together with more often.

I would be so happy if every weekend was spent enjoying the company of one group of friends or another. Friends are so important! I am so grateful that I have been blessed to have great friends in every stage of my life!!

ADVERSITY MAKES US STRONGER

2010-06-10T11:42:00.002-06:00

Last year I had a couple of these pansies growing in a pot, they are not supposed to come back the next year, so imagine my surprise when this little guy poked through the stones on my patio. Not one flower came back in the pot with the rich soil and safe growing conditions but this little guy came back through stone, thus - adversity makes a stronger - so when challenges come your way today - remember the little flower that did. :)

Wonderful BIrthday Present

2010-06-10T11:40:00.001-06:00

I am LOVING my birthday present, and so are my boys. I love having a hammock to relax in even if it is only once in a while. These boys are so super cute!!!!

Mission Impossible

2010-06-10T11:30:00.003-06:00

Your mission should you choose to accept: Rescue the baby bird that you watched the wind blow out of the tree onto the ground.

Each year a pair of robins builds their nest in the tree in between Brandon and Grants windows. I love hearing them chirp in the early morning hours while I am feeding Grant and throughout the day while I am taking care of the boys. Well last night I had the blinds open while I was rocking Grant to sleep and I saw the baby bird blown out of the tree from the wind, then I watched as the helpless mother nudged her baby under the daisy bush for protection and then flew away. Of course I had to help it, so I recruited Jared (an eagle scout who knows how to handle these sort of things :)) to help. He was great to make sure the baby bird was safe and that he did not leave his scent on the bird so the mother would not reject it. Well the mission was a success, this morning I heard the baby bird chirping from its nest and saw the mother feeding it a worm, YEAH! I am so grateful for my hero Jared - helping and not thinking I am crazy. :)

The bird is the darker blob in the dirt - it really was so cute!

My Little Brother Graduated

2010-06-10T11:05:00.005-06:00

I am so proud of Taylor for graduating high school - I know it was not an easy road, but he did it! HOORAY! It was so fun to be able to go to the graduation with my grandmas, parents, and Natalie and Scott. I was so happy that Grant was agreeable through the whole thing. YEAH TAYLOR!!!!

Farwell to the Cabin

2010-06-10T10:30:00.003-06:00

We spent Memorial Day Weekend packing up our belongings and saying goodbye to our family cabin. I will miss this place terribly, but it was time for us all to move on. I am however very grateful for all of the wonderful memories from the cabin. This is after all where Jared proposed to me nearly 10 years ago. We have enjoyed four-wheeling, snow-mobiling, fishing, hiking, SLEEPING (my favorite thing to do there - its like a drug at the cabin:))and spending quality time with the family. I will miss this room LOTS! Brandon, Grant, Cooper, and Lexi were all great sports about us being so busy with packing, in fact I think they had a great time riding in the Jeep, going on walks, playing on the swing set, and playing in the kids room.I am happy that Jared was able to get in one more day of fishing and I was able to enjoy the peace and read one more book. I am also so happy that while the cabin is gone. The place where we got engaged will never be developed so we can still visit ofter, and the fishing and camping will still always be there for us to enjoy, I hope we still make the occasional trip to Island Park and West Yellowstone - it is a magical place!

Story Time

2010-06-10T10:16:00.002-06:00

Brandon loves reading stories to Grant and doing pretty much anything with Grant. So cute!

The translation is:

"Go Dog Go

One little dog going up, one little dog going down

I squish Grant"

Bath Time

2010-06-10T10:14:00.000-06:00

Love these cute boys!

Day Out With Thomas

2010-06-10T09:59:00.004-06:00

Thomas the train came to Heber over Memorial Day Weekend - We of course had to go and see him. We went late Thursday night and Jared was just barely able to make it there in time - then he had to go back to work right after. I wish I would have known that the ride itself was only about 1/2 an hour long and very boring, I would not have paid for the tickets, but the activities were lots of fun. The best part of the night was when we arrived and Brandon saw Thomas for the first time - HE WAS SO EXCITED!!!!! All in all it was a great night made even better because Jared was able to be there!

For Good

2010-05-27T21:48:00.004-06:00

I love the song from Wicked titled "For Good". The words are:

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives

For a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you....

The song finishes with these thoughts;

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

I do believe I have been changed for the better.

Because I knew you....

I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD.

I have been listening to this song nearly every day for a year now and I have pondered all of the many people who have come into my life for one reason or another and have changed my life for good. I could never in a million years list all of the wonderful people who have blessed me but this week I had the opportunity to reminisce two people who have meant a great deal to me.

Jim and Paula Mortimer. Paula was my piano teacher so it goes without saying that she had a great impact on me but I learned so much more from her than just piano, I learned the truthfulness of the gospel from her through her testimony and example which she shared weekly with me. I learned patients and unconditional love. But what I gained the most from her and her husband was a feeling of self worth, for some reason I was special to them and they loved me and went out of their way to care for me. Whether is was attending recitals, wedding dinners, wedding ceremonies, bridal showers, or just a kind word on many occasions they loved me, and I was only one of MANY piano students and youth receiving a patriarchal blessing from Jim who was our stake Patriarch.

Jim passed away due to old age and many sickness last week on my birthday. His funeral was yesterday and I was so grateful to be able to attend. Jim worked for the Deseret News for nearly all of his life, they did a large article about him and his MANY accomplishments last week (I wish I knew how to post it here) and his obituary was the longest I have ever seen because of all he accomplished with his life. He was also a close friend with President Thomas S. Monson. Because of this friendship President Monson attended the funeral and spoke. I can't even convey the spirit that was felt there; when the entire congregation (which was very large) sang all seven verses of How Firm a Foundation I knew I was done for, then each of Jims seven children gave remarks about his life which kept emotions running high. Their testimony of the plan of salvation was so special. Then President Monson spoke and I was overwhelmed with the testimony that he IS a true prophet and man of God. Then the closing song was The Spirit of God I could not even sing due to the lump in my throat. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true!!!! I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and it is correct! I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and I know he restored the fullness of the gospel to the earth. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, that we are His children and that we can be with Him again and there is life after death! I love and am grateful for this testimony!!! I am grateful for how it blesses my life.

When President Monson spoke he said (referring to Jim) "When the Lord provides a model, are we smart enough to follow it?" I hope that because Jim and Paula have blessed my life FOR GOOD that I will be able to follow their example of love and compassion to others, that I will be of service often, and that my hands will be used for good every time the opportunity arises. I love President Uchtdorfs General Conference talk titled "You Are My Hands" when he talks about the statue of Jesus Christ in a German town that was destroyed during WWII, the town was able to restore all but the hands of the statue, after some debate it was decided to leave the hands off the statue as a memorial, under the statue are the words "You Are My Hands" meaning that we have to be Jesus Christs hands here on earth. I hope that I can be! Maybe in that way I can follow the model that Jim (and Paula) have set for me.

Of course the grand highlight of the day was when Grant and I were able to meet President Monson. President Monson put his large hand on Grant and said he looked like a very good boy (I said he was) and that he looked like a future missionary (I sure hope so!) I sure love my boy and I love President Monson!

What a special day!!!!

Odd Thoughts

2010-05-20T08:56:00.002-06:00

I find my day is filled with strange little thoughts - Yesterday I had two that I thought were a bit amusing so I would share.
The first was while I was putting on Brandon's shoes and he was telling me that his shoes had tongues- So I thought, if our shoes have tongues does that mean the hole they come out of is the mouth of the shoe? and if so does that mean that every day we are putting our foot in our mouth?
The second thought was while I was sitting on a chair outside and Brandon was pulling the wagon around the chair, the wagon wheel got caught on the leg of the chair, which made me wonder, if our chairs have legs does that mean they have feet? and if so does that mean we have been on our feet all day regardless of whether we have been sitting or standing?

Sweet Grant

2010-05-13T09:40:00.004-06:00

Reading Railroad

2010-05-06T09:06:00.007-06:00

Our library story time is the best!!! Miss Sally is so much fun to read stories, sing songs, play games, and do crafts with. Yesterday for story time we took a trip on the reading railroad (Heber Valley Railroad). Normally a train ride would cost anywhere from $20-$40, we got tickets for $6.00 YEAH!I was babysitting McKell while Dana is on a trip to NYC so having three kids was a bit of a challenge but I survived and I must admit I was pretty proud of myself. ( I know most of you have more than three kids but I don't - yet - so it was an adjustment)Not only did we get train tickets but they also gave us snacks and conductor hats, Brandon and McKell looked so cute!The kids were so excited when they saw the conductor outside so when he came inside I thought it would be fun to get a picture with him - the kids did not care for that idea much - Oh well.The train was packed - I am not sure where all these people came from, but we filled all 5 train cars. We had fun singing train songs and pretending to be trains, but we couldn't do stories because it was too noisy.We loved the beautiful scenery outside; barns, animals, the river, lakes and mountains!The kids had so much fun poking their heads out the window - and boy did they look cute!We rode the train with our friends Brock, Allison, and their mom Lorraine -so fun!This is Brandon's excited face every time we heard the train whistle. :)Love living close to the train!We had such a fun day - CHOO CHOO!!!

NEVER disturb a happy baby

2010-05-05T20:07:00.003-06:00

Last night Grant went to sleep at 6:30 and was still asleep at 10:30. So I thought I would be proactive and wake him up to feed him so that he would not wake up me up just after I went to sleep. Well that was a mistake. Grant did not wake up happy and he did not go to sleep - at all! Finally at 5:00 in the morning he was asleep so I laid him in his crib and went to bed, at 5:50 he woke up screaming again, he was back asleep at 6:30, unfortunately Brandon decided that would be a good time to wake up. I convinced him to sleep for an extra hour and at 7:30 McKell was at the door ready to have me babysit her for the morning. Needless to say I am tired!! I have learned my lesson - if your baby is sleeping - Leave them alone!!!! Here's to hoping we have a better night! This is Grant sleeping last night just before I woke him up - what was I thinking?

Happy Anniversary

2010-05-05T16:15:00.003-06:00

Nine years ago yesterday Jared and I were married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. I love reminiscing our wedding day and celebrations! This year for our anniversary we left our children with Wyn and Dee Ann and went to The Anniversary Inn, it was wonderful! I got a full nights rest without any interruptions, and a nap!!! It was so nice being pampered with breakfast in bed and luxurious accommodations! It was a great way to celebrate nine happy years! Love you Jared!

Grant's Baby Blessing

2010-05-04T14:42:00.007-06:00

Jared blessed Grant this Sunday in our ward. We were so grateful for the wonderful men who came to stand in the circle; Justin Keller, Grandpa Ron, Grandpa Wyn, Grandpa Johnson, and Uncle Dwight. I love these good men and I am so grateful for the influence for good they are to our family and my two boys! Thanks Guys!!!Grant was a very good baby for the blessing and for the party afterward - Love that boy, Thanks to Dad, Natalie, Jodi, and everyone else for holding him and feeding him so that he would be agreeable and I could enjoy the company. :)Taylor is such a cute uncle and I was finally able to get a picture of him holding Grant and with a true smile - YEAH! I was so grateful to Wyn and Dee Ann for coming up from California and Jodi and the twins for coming down from Idaho Falls. They were such a great help - vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, dusting, bathing Grant, and preparing the food - Thanks for coming and helping and being so wonderful to us!! We love you!My Grandma Osborn, Uncle Dwight and Aunt Chris also came - I think they are wonderful! My Grandma Osborn had hip surgery recently but it hasn't stopped her from making our family feel special and loved, and it was so thoughtful of Dwight and Chris to come out of their way for me (one of their many nieces)!! We love the Keller's! Thanks for making the hour long drive - I love that our families match (husband and wife with two boys ages 2 and 0) and get along so well!! And of course the party would not have been a success without the yummy turtles!! Now would you please move to Heber!!!My parents and Grandma and Grandpa Johnson also made the trip for which I am very grateful, and the food you both brought was SO yummy!Love my siblings Scott, Natalie, Taylor and Lindsey! Thanks for coming and thanks to Lindsey for providing entertainment to Brandon, Jack, Chandler, and Nate - they had a great time!!!!The boys also provided us with a great impromptu ribbon and stick program full of pokes in the eyes and slaps on the back. :)The random game of fishing was also a lot of fun! It is a lot of work to have to entertain your family and friends but so worth having the fun company! I would do it again and again! I love my family and friends so much!!!!!!!

Brandon's broken arm

2010-05-04T13:41:00.002-06:00

On Sunday the 25th of April we had a family dinner at my Aunt Kris' house. Less than 1/2 an hour into the dinner Brandon fell off the slide and broke his arm. The other kids came running in to tell Jared and me that Brandon was hurt and we both shrugged it off thinking he would be fine quickly just like he always is - well after another 10-15 minutes or so he was still crying hard so Jared went to comfort him with little luck. We finally loaded him into the car to watch Finding Nemo (Yeah for cars with built in DVD players!!) and drive home. That night he seemed to be much happier and he moved his arm occasionally so we hoped that maybe it was just sprained and it would be fine in the morning, it wasn't, he woke up holding his arm like it was in a sling so I scheduled an appointment to have it checked out. The poor kid dealt with a broken arm all night and we did nothing to help him - mean parents! He was so tough!!! That morning before our appointment he was still climbing on the bed and up on chairs, and he was still playing with his toys only occasionally complaining about his arm.He had a soft cast put on until Friday and then Friday he got the hard cast. He was such a trooper while getting his arm exrayed and getting the soft cast on. While Dr. Berg was putting the cast on he told Brandon how cool the cast was because it was red like lightening McQueen, Brandon was quick to respond - "It's Not COOL!" - I thought it was funny.Friday when we were getting the hard cast was better, he was just interested to see what the doctors were doing and didn't cry or seem bothered at all, it was great.So now we get to endure four weeks of a nasty little arm cast and baths with bags on his arm - no fun, but at least it happened before the weather improved and summer came. :) I love my tough little boy!

Getting Cuter Every Day

2010-05-04T13:37:00.002-06:00

I just love this little boy, and we are having so much fun now that he is starting to smile and giggle! My favorite thing about this cute boy is when he smiles just before he falls completely asleep. The other night during one of our midnight feedings he not only smiled before falling sound asleep but he also did a full belly chuckle in his sleep it was so cute - I wonder what he was laughing at?

Love the Zoo - Miss the animals!

2010-05-04T13:34:00.002-06:00

We have always loved the zoo and we have always had a membership. The last time we went we were not able to see the elephants, rhinos, bears, zebras, and penguins - fortunately we did see the baby Giraffe just before he passed away. We will be so happy when the arctic exhibit is finished and there are lots of animals again!

Who Says You Can't Build a Snowman in April or May?

2010-05-04T13:26:00.002-06:00

I love our colorful spring snowman! Just when I thought we would not be able to build a snowman this year it snowed - AGAIN - and we got a second chance. Brandon loves his snowman!

He makes me happy!

2010-03-24T13:09:00.002-06:00

I just love the little grin that Grant gives just before he falls into a deep sleep. I also love the big smile he shows us when Jared plays his games with him - if only I could get the cute smile on camera! Oh he makes me so happy!!!!
I wish I could be so cozy! Why do they have to grow up so fast?

1st visit to the dentist

2010-03-24T12:32:00.004-06:00

I think Brandon enjoyed his first visit to the dentist. He got to wear a necklace (paper napkin) he got to squirt the water, have his teeth counted, look at his teeth in a mirror, and ride on the chair. I hope that when we have to go for the real deal he will still like visiting!

Story time with daddy

2010-03-24T12:24:00.002-06:00

Jared has taken over the bedtime routine with Brandon. I love the time they are spending together reading fun stories but I especially love that Jared is being introduced to the wonderful world of childrens literature. I love hearing them both laugh when they read a funny book - like the one Grandma Johnson gave Brandon "A Porcupine Named Fluffy" there were some noisy giggles coming out of the bedroom the first night they read that book. ;) Some of their favorites are; "The Red Ripe Strawberry, The Little Mouse, and The Big Hungry Bear", "Giggle Giggle Quake", Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale", and "The Very Busy Spider". So what are some of your childrens favorite books? We would love suggestions for when we go to the library.

How to turn your bathtub into a love seat

2010-03-24T12:08:00.002-06:00

Step 1 - find a comfortable overstuffed ottoman
Step 2 - place it in the bathtub
Step 3 cover it with a large blanket and WA LA!! you have a very comfy love seat in your bathroom perfect for POTTY PARTIES!!

I am sure there are much much better ways for potty training little boys, but this is what came to me and I went with it. I don't think overkill explains how ridiculous our Potty Party was. We ate our meals in the bathroom (I know - gross!) We watched hundreds of movies in the bathroom, we read a whole lot of books, and played with lots and lots of toys. Every time Brandon went in the potty he got a sticker on his chart, a sucker, and a present. (don't get to excited, the presents were toys he already had, rewrapped, but he loved the wrapping paper :)) We also played instruments and did a dance and cheer for every success. To top it off, if he went #2 in the potty he also got to pop a balloon. We had a lot of success the first week while we were stuck in the bathroom, but as we ventured out things became a little more tricky, however I am happy to say that he is mostly potty trained - we are just working on #2 and potty training away from home. I am happy with the progress Brandon is making but if anyone has tips for these last few steps I would love to hear them! Yeah Brandon!!!!

Special Visitors

2010-03-24T12:03:00.002-06:00

Grant has some wonderful great-grand-parents! Three great-grandmas, and two great-grandpas who are so wonderful! It was so wonderful to have Grandma and Grandpa Johnson come with Aunt Christy to visit! I love this picture of all of them - their smiles just make me happy!!!

Brotherly Love

2010-02-25T14:59:00.002-07:00

I can not say whether this Brotherly Love extends both ways, but Brandon sure does love and adore his little brother! Grant I suspect tolerates his older brother right now, but hopefully they will become fast friends as they get older. I love how happy Brandon is when he gets to hold his little brother.

I need to video tape my swaddling methods because I have learned they are very funny (or perhaps a little disturbing. :) ) but for whatever reason both of my boys love to be wrapped up tight - VERY TIGHT! Brandon has outgrown the tight swaddling but it was still fun to pretend to be a baby again. :)

Brandon loves to show off his little brother to everyone, and must be close by at all times. He is also careful to make sure that Grant is never left out of anything; anytime I mention something about Brandon, Brandon will always add "and Grant" for example if I say "mommy loves Brandon" I hear "and Grant?!", or Brandon is such a big boy! - and Grant?!, or does Brandon want to play with McKell - and Grant?!. I hope this desire to always include his younger brother continues to be fun and important as they get older.

I love these boys!!!

WELCOME BABY GRANT!!

2010-02-07T15:34:00.005-07:00

Baby Grant entered our little family on Tuesday morning at 8:31. He was 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. He has the same dark hair and funny cowlick as his brother Brandon.Jared was a great daddy from the get go! Grant's first bathThis delivery was so much better than it was with Brandon. After he was delivered I was able to see him and give him kisses before they took him away for the bath and more testing. With Brandon sadly I did not get to see him until a few hours latter because I was in shock - literally. As soon as Grant was done with his tests and bath I was able to hold him and feed him - I am so happy this delivery was so much better!!!!!Dr. Berg! Yeah for having a great family doctor!! For the past month Brandon has been telling us "Dr. Berg, Baby Grant, Out mommies tummy, Now!" I love that Brandon knows the doctor who delivered him and his brother and that he gets to visit with him often!Brandon spent the week at Grandma Julie's and Grandpa Ron's house sharing a room with Aunt Lindsey while I was in the hospital! Thanks so much mom and dad for helping us out!!!! They brought Brandon up Tuesday night to see his little brother. It was love at first sight! Brandon loves his little brother, and Jared and I were surprised by the gentle side Brandon showed to his brother.Grandma Julie and Grandpa RonAunt Lindsey with her third nephew - she is such a darling aunt!!!!Aunt Natalie - also a great Aunt!Baby Grant gave Brandon some more Thomas TrainsOur new family!Baby Grant all bundled up to go home!

Top Five Reasons For Not Blogging

2010-01-29T19:50:00.006-07:00

It has been well over a month since my last post - I hate getting behind but I feel I have some good reasons or at least some interesting excuses.

#5 The Holidays -

We enjoyed every minute of our very long holiday break - Jared was able to get a lot of time off so we spent nearly two weeks enjoying each others company and the company of friends and family. Brandon was of course spoiled by all who love him. His favorite toys were; the large tunnel and tent system from Grandma Julie and Grandpa Ron, many new trains and track for his Thomas the Train set from Grandma Dee Ann and Grandpa Wyn, and lots of new plastic animals from me and Jared. Jared and I also enjoyed many new fun gifts and money to pay for them from Parents and Grandparents. We were richly blessed! Feeding the ducks was deffinatly a highlight to our trip in Idaho Falls! Brandon would have spent hours chasing the ducks and feeding regardless of how cold it was.

#4 Having Too Much Fun Playing with Brandon

Brandon and I have kept busy playing in the snow, watching fun movies, visiting family and friends, and going on outings to the library, aquarium, and store (it really is a lot of fun). I love spending time with him - his personality surprises me every day, and the speed with which young children learn astounds me!!!

Brandon surprised me when we were waiting in the parking lot at Toys R Us while Jared went to hunt for some "CARS" toy cars. From the back seat I hear "T" it took me a few minutes to realize what he was pointing at then I replied "yes Brandon that is a T. Shortly after "O" , and then "S" I was not at all surprised that he skipped Y I have never taught that one to him but only a few seconds later he said "Y". Imagine my surprise! He may not have had them in order but he still knew those letters, I was so proud! Unfortunately I can not take all the credit Super Why and Word World are some great TV shows that help with the letters, and he loves them!!! I never thought I would say it - but HOORAY FOR TV!

#3 I am in my ninth month of pregnancy - enough said!!

This pregnancy has been much more difficult than it was with Brandon. I have been far more tired, had many more strange and lasting sicknesses (which I wont go into) and general discomforts. But I only have two more days to go. We have scheduled the C-section for Tuesday morning bright and early at 6:00am. We can hardly wait to welcome our second little boy into our family!

#2 Transitions

In an effort to make room for baby we have moved Brandon from his crib into a big boy bed and a new room. The transition was surprisingly easy and pleasant. Brandon had lots of fun helping me assemble his bed and get his room ready. He really did help me build the bed, he even started on one of the steps without my assistance and did it right - yes is was easy, but I can still be proud right! :) Brandon loves his room so much he never misses a chance to show off his new room and new bed to all visitors. I must admit I am also very pleased with the turn out of his new room - it was done with a budget, and so I tried my hand at painting for the art and it actually looks nice - Hooray! He looks so cute all snuggled in. He likes his room so much he will actually play in it for more that five minutes without me - this is huge! He and his friend looked so cute reading books in his bed with his cars table! I love it!!Because Brandon transitioned into the only other room in our house we had to move the office into our bedroom - Yuck We spent a few weeks with a much too big roll top, then we sold the roll top and used a card table, and now finally I am writing to you from our new desk which brings us to Excuse #1 for not blogging.

#1 NESTING

This instinct always hits hard for me the last month and this month has been no exception. Just this week I have: scrubbed the kitchen floors (they changed colors), scrubbed the stove, oven, microwave, and fridge, organized the kitchen and laundry cupboards, organized the closet in the guest bathroom, washed the sheets for our bedroom, cleaned the major windows inside and out, cleaned the fish tank, and best of all assembled a very complicated desk all by myself - in Brandon words -"I do it!" Yes I am proud of myself - probably too proud- but I have never attempted something like this before. I still have many more things that I hope to finish like; cleaning both bathrooms, giving Maggie a bath, installing safety latches, dusting EVERYTHING, and updating my blog - yes check! ;)

Now I would like to say that I will not neglect my blog again but with another baby on the way who knows? I will for sure post pictures and stats of baby when all is said and done - till then I enjoy reading all of your blogs and hearing all of the good and bad that is happening in your life!

It makes me happy!

2009-12-17T12:47:00.002-07:00

I was sure that last year would be the last year I would be able to put up my two favorite decorations. I love my Dickens Village and my Nativity but with a toddler around I didn't dare put them out. Then we got this lovely entertainment center and I have a perfect place for both of them - It just make me so happy. I know that is silly but it is just so pretty to look at. I love sitting on the couch with my cup of hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music and looking at the village and nativity - it is so cozy!I love that the light on the entertainment center is just above baby Jesus like a star - cheesy I know but I like it.I could spend hours looking at the beautiful details of the Christmas village. My favorite piece however is the newly wed couple in the horse drawn sleigh. Jared and I went on a carriage ride around Temple Square the day we were married (that was in May but I still think it is special!)I love the smell and of course the taste of Gingerbread cookies! These little guys make me very happy. I have already made two batches and I am sure two more will be made before the end of the month. They are so tasty!!!! YUM!

I thought you might like the recipe:

Cream together 1C. shortening and 1C. sugar in a mixer.

Add 1C. dark molasses, 2T. Vinegar, and 1tsp. Vanilla then mix together

In a separate bowl mix 6C. flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. soda, 4 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, and 1.4 tsp nutmeg.

Add flour mixture to the first mixture alternating with 1/2 C. hot water.

Chill for 1 hour. Bake for 7-8 min. at 350*

ENJOY!!! I love this recipe because it makes soft chewy cookies instead of the crunchy ginger snap kind of cookies.

What are your favorite Christmas recipes, and what little seemingly silly things are making you happy this season?

Grandpa Bowman turns 100!!

2009-12-16T09:30:00.004-07:00

Jared's Grandpa Bowman turned 100 on the 12th of this month. What an amazing milestone and accomplishment!

This is part of what was printed in the local newspaper:

"Charles Taggart Bowman will celebrate his 100th birthday Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. Chuck was born Dec. 12, 1909, in a humble home in South Weber, Utah.. His mother Amanda Taggart and her husband, William James Bowman had 10 children. Finances were always a problem, but the family pulled together and worked hard at many different jobs. tow winters were spent in two cabin tents and food was often obtained by hunting and fishing. Chuck worked as a farm laborer, milk collection driver, apprentice cheese maker and semi truck driver. When he "retired," he went to work for BMC West as a custodian and fix-it man, where he earned the Employee of the Year award. He has been an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and has seen this church grow from 377.279 members and four temples to a world wide membership of more that 14 million and 130 temples. He lives with his wife of 67 years, Rodonna Bringhurst Bowman. He has three children, Maureen, Garde and Wyn. He also has 19 grandchildren. 44 great-grandchildren and 39 great-great-grandchildren."

It is so amazing to me everything Grandpa Bowman has lived through and seen. To think about all that has happened in the 100 years he has been alive. Makes me wonder if I ever live to be that age, or even close to it, what will I witness in my life? What amazing advances in medicine, technology, church, and government will I see?

We celebrated his birthday by having an open house with all his family and friends in attendance. People traveled from California, Utah, and Wyoming to Idaho for the big day. This is Grandpa with his wife and three children.This is Grandpa opening up an album of letters and pictures from all of his children and grandchildren - it was so fun to look at this book and see all of Jared's cousins and family that I had never met. We sure love Grandpa Bowman and the influence for good he has had in our lives. I am so happy that Brandon has been able to know this great man. I am also so happy that Brandon shares Grandpa's name. He, Grandpa Bowman, Grandpa Wyn, and Jared all share the name of Charles. I think that is pretty special! This is the four generations of Charles Bowman's Aren't they handsome! :)I love this picture of Grandpa and Brandon. When Brandon was younger Grandpa would take him for rides in his motor chair, it would make Brandon so happy. :)
Happy Birthday Grandpa Bowman!!!

Thanksgiving Sleepover

2009-12-10T14:54:00.006-07:00

Each year Jared and I rotate who's family we will spend Thanksgiving with, that year we will spend Christmas with the other family. Well this year it was my families turn for Thanksgiving. We had originally planned on spending the weekend at my in-laws cabin, so when that did not happen we decided instead to have a big family sleep over at my parents house. Thanksgiving dinner was at Aunt Kris' house - she is so super talented at decorating and making dinner special I LOVE it!! I also really enjoy watching everyone working in the kitchen together to get the food ready - so fun!Brandon and Chandler did surprisingly well eating in their chairs on the floor. They shared and tray and probably all of their food - but they had a good time.Friday morning Jared braved Black Friday while the rest of us slept and then went on a walk to the church to play. That night we went to dinner and then rode on tracks. The only reason for that many people to ride tracks was so that Brandon and Chandler could ride the train. They both really enjoyed it - but it was very crowded and a bit chaotic!We rode tracks to the Temple Square lights. I love the way the lights and nativities are displayed every year, so Beautiful! Even Brandon enjoyed being wrapped in his stroller and blanket to see them! On Saturday we enjoyed playing board games, and watching the Utah/BYU game - it was a house divided Jared and I walked away feeling pretty sad about the outcome of the game but everyone else seemed to be very happy. :) Then we decorated the tree. I love seeing all of the sentimental ornaments come out. I look forward to some day having a tree filled with special ornaments from children and friends like my mom has. My mom even had special ornaments just for Brandon and Chandler to decorate with. They sure had fun! All in all it was a very fun weekend!

Cousin Chandler's Birthday Party

2009-12-08T16:03:00.004-07:00

Chandler's birthday was a trucks and tractor birthday. Natalie was cute to have a dump truck full of brownies, doughnuts and worms instead of a cake - the boys LOVED it!For birthday activities we colored construction hats, and filled dump trucks with cheerios, for the most part the boys liked eating the cheerios, but the pictures were cute just the same.As you may already know I love card board, paint and paper for big project. For Chandler's birthday I found a large three part piece of card board. on two of the pieces I painted a large tractor for the kids to play in, on the third part I put these dump trucks up and underneath there were different things to feel - the next picture show better what I am talking about. I think the boys enjoyed it?They each looked so cute peeking out of the tractors window! This is Will.Here's the birthday boy Chandler!Here is Brandon.and Here is James.The boys loved having Grandma Julie read them their favorite pop-up truck book!But the highlight of the day was of course watching Chandler open his presents! His expressions are so fun!Brandon gave him a train to go with his new train tracks - from his expression I do not doubt that he enjoyed the gift. :) He is so fun to give presents to!This was a gift he received form Grandma and Grandpa Osborn the previous Sunday at the family party - this Fisher Price race track is probably one of the best toys ever made, Brandon loves his so much - we knew it would be a hit with Chandler - sure enough he loved it! If you have a boy this age that likes cars I strongly suggest it as a gift!!!
Happy Birthday Chandler - on a side note. Chandler broke his leg at the end of September, the poor kids was in a full body cast and could not walk for nearly six weeks. We were so thrilled when he got the cast off just in time for Halloween. It took a few weeks to relearn crawling and then walking but he got it. Then on his birthday he had to revisit the doctor because that morning he slipped on some standing water and hurt the same leg (different bone) again. They put him in a splint to wait and see if it was really broken enough to warrant a cast. Needless to say his birthday was not the greatest but he was a great sport! The following week he was allowed to take off the splint and now he is walking and doing just fine - YEAH!! I am so happy it was nothing to serious! HAPPY 2 YEARS CHANDLERS!!! Now no more broken bones!!! :)

BIG MESS!!!

2009-12-08T09:06:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago Brandon and I were planning on going to the aquarium with some friends. I was feeling really pleased with myself because it was only 9:30 in the morning and all ready I had done the dishes, washed the windows, done one load of laundry, made the beds, and picked up the little messes around the house. I sat Brandon in front of one of his favorite TV shows with every door in the house closed, and cupboards locked so that I could have a quick shower. Well 15 min. later when I come out of the shower Brandon greets me with very wet arms and a wet shirt, at first I thought nothing of it, and then I started to wonder how he could have possibly gotten so wet. With further investigation I found a dinning room chair pushed up to the kitchen sink, both stoppers in the drains, and the sink turned on high. The result was a flooded kitchen. I had about an inch of water on the floor of the kitchen and into the laundry room, my kitchen drawers were filled with water, and water was pouring out of the cupboards. Thankfully my dear friend who I was supposed to go to the aquarium came to my rescue with her shop vac. We had the whole thing cleaned up in about 45 min. What more I am so grateful that Brandon was safe and there was no damage to the kitchen. But why oh why do these things happen? From now on Brandon gets to be locked up in his high chair while I have my showers, hopefully this will keep him stationary for a while - at least until he figures out the buckles on his seat. :)

In addition to that mess he has also opened the fridge and dumped all the cheese on the coffee table, pulled the plants out of the fish tank (those poor fish!), stuck his hands down his messy diaper (I suppose it was an effort to prove to me he needed to be changed), and colored all over the walls and piano with pencil (thank goodness for magic eraser!).

I know every mom deals with these messes, and so far I have it good compared to my mom with both me and my sisters Lindsey. Lindsey is famous for peanut butter on the Christmas tree, finger nail polish on the piano, markers on the dressers, and oil on the couches, among many other messes.

So what are some of your BIG MESS stories? Please share, it will make me feel better about my own parenting skills. :)

Family Pictures

2009-12-07T11:50:00.008-07:00

These two boys are so super cute!Yeah for Jared and his crazy antics that made these two boys smile!!!I love my cute family!

All the girls - Natalie, Me, Lindsey, and Mom

All the boys - I didn't realize just how out numbered the girls in our family are. Taylor, Dad, Jared, Scott, and Chandler and BrandonNatalie and ChandlerMom and Dad

My cute puppy dog!

2009-11-03T10:17:00.003-07:00

This was Brandon's first year trick-or-treating! He was sure we were torchering him. :) He did not want to wear his puppy costume for anything! And the whole idea of knocking on others doors didn't sound very exciting. However after a few houses he started to really enjoy himself, although he still did not understand that this was a receiving holiday where you get the treats - he kept taking treats out of his bucket and tried to give them to each house. So cute. :) I wish he was always this great about sharing. ;) His favorite part of the evening was meeting up with his two friends "Little Red Riding Hood " McKell, and "Ballerina" Nicole. They were so cute in their costumes. I wish I had thought to take many more pictures!