True Blue Trio

Family Reunion Trip Day 2

2009-07-11T14:30:00.025-06:00

On Day 2, our first full day on our mini-vacation, we drove to Bear World. A very fun place! Michael had fun on the rides, and Momma and Daddy had fun watching the animals.

There were some adorable baby bears that we all had fun watching.

If they weren't playing, they were trying to figure out how to escape.

There was a "petting zoo" area with all kinds of different animals the kids could watch and pet.

This is Stiltz, the Moose. He had a shady spot, and he wasn't about to move for anything or anybody.

Time for the baby bears' nap. Which means time to go find the big bears.

Driving through Bear World, we hadn't anticipated seeing an elk...

...or have it walk down the middle of the street toward our car.

This is the first bear we saw. The worker told us it was kept in an area by itself because it had problems getting along with the other bears (and people) in Yellowstone. Apparently it had "anger management" issues.

Mr. Mellow.

We thought we were going to see one or two bears here and there, then we saw this group by one of the ponds.

These two were headed for the other pond.

Big foot!

He's king of his castle.

Michael's nap time corresponded with the baby bears' nap time, so he took a power nap in his car seat while we were driving.

Time for the rides!

Fascinated by the huge big bear, wondering what it was going to do.

He loved it, and kept wanting to go again and again and again and again. And he didn't even get sick when he went on it right after lunch!

Next up, the bear roller coaster! A little leary at first....

Time for the spinning bear again!

Maybe we ought to take a break from spinning and go watch the baby bears eat their lunch.

Then (since you get to drive through as many times as you want) another trip through to see the big bears! And Bison...

...and an albino elk...

...and the big elk again.

This guy thought he was hiding.

It's Baloo, the bear! "This calls for some big scratchin'."

Time for a swim.

Time to watch the baby bears again.

Enough bears, Michael's ready for more rides!

Flying cars are the best!

Until they stop.

They're even more fun with Daddy...they bounce higher!

Time to run over to the spinning bear again!

Then back to the cars!

Time to watch the baby bears one last time before driving through to the see the big bears one last time.

The elk were just so neat.

On the last trip, we happened to get behind the feeding tour. There were more bears hiding between the trees than we realized!

Michael had a full day, watching animals and running back and forth between rides. He slept good that night!

Family Reunion Trip Day 1

2009-07-10T21:04:00.000-06:00

We had a family reunion this year, and we decided to take a couple extra days and turn it into a mini family vacation. Michael, always the good helper, decided he was going to help us pack. This is what he wanted to wear (onesie, swimsuit, and Momma's belt).

He needed to trim his nails before we left, but decided nails can only be trimmed when wearing Momma's scarf.

Here we go!

Nap time.

After we checked into the hotel and had dinner, we decided to do a little exploring. We found this neat statue/water feature.

Michael wasn't quite ready for bed, and wearing shorts instead of just jammies means he doesn't have to go to bed yet.

More Parades and 4th of July Fun

2009-07-05T14:52:00.002-06:00

We went to a total of three parades this year. Next year, we'll probably limit it to two - the two least crowded parades (Michael didn't have much fun at the crowded one because he couldn't see very well, even when on Daddy's shoulders).

Parade #2:
Eating some snacks and watching for the motorcycles.

I hear the motorcycles! They're coming!

Did you see that? I got a "High Five" from every single motorcycle cop! Now that's how you start a parade!

Love all the horses. Are people that small supposed to ride them?

Hey, look! A cowboy! And is that a cow?

Yup, that's a cow.

And he's waving at me!

What's good after a parade? Stealing daddy's salad.

Maybe I'll let him have a few bites...after all, he thought he'd get to eat the whole thing.

I got to stay up so late, I even watched the sunset! Cool colors.

Parade #3:
There's motorcycle cops, but no "High Fives" this time.

There's lots of people in front me. Maybe I can see better if I stand on daddy's chair.

It's hot. I think I like morning parades better.

There's our friend Kalidawn again. She must like parades as much as we do.

There's the bagpipes. Momma likes bagpipes...too bad the announcer kept talking over them.

Is it time to go home yet?

Maybe if I try to climb in the stroller they'll take me home.

4th of July!
What better way to start the holiday than a flyover?

Balloon hats! I like being like daddy...but I also like popping balloons.

Mini horses??? I won't smile...I won't smile....

That was fun! And look, there's more!

This kind of horse goes in a circle and goes up and down!

Hmm. This train was more fun to look at than ride.

A flying turtle?!? I will not smile...I will not smile....

Look at all those cars!

Haha! I got the blue one!

Uh-oh. Momma almost caught me smiling.

A roller coaster that looks like a bug? This might be fun.

What's taking so long? I'm ready!

This is my favorite ride ever!

These poor girls are scared. Hahaha!

Daddy actually thought I'd be scared on this ride. I want to go again!

Ooooooh...motorcycle.... Thanks, Sponge-Rob!

Grandma and Grandpa's house is fun - Braden and Uncle Mike even brought fireworks!

Braden liked the stinky one.

I want to play, too!

After a short nap, time for fireworks.

It's been a long day, and we didn't want to fight crowds at the park. But we can see the fireworks from the cemetery.

Some of the fireworks looked like they were exploding out of the big house behind the cemetery.

I can make lots of noise, too.

Father's Day

2009-06-27T15:14:00.001-06:00

We had lunch at Aunt Di's. Michael expertly avoided the dog's tongue while patiently waiting for his hot dog to cook.

Later that day we had dinner and fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Michael had fun "helping" Uncle Nate with the tissue paper.

Then decided Grandpa needed help with his.

And of course, we watched Braden's favorite TV show, AFV.

After AFV, Michael decided he wanted to be a big boy and play games. Notice what the controller is connected to? He was having too much fun to care!

Michael's First Parade and Horse Pull

2009-06-27T09:02:00.000-06:00

In June we went to the local Town Days parade and later that night the Horse Pull. It was Michael's first, and with the clouds threatening rain we got front row seats. Michael's favorite part of the parade was all the motorcycles.

The sirens caught his attention - he was trying to see what else was coming.

The first candy from a parade, a yummy sucker! And he thought it was all about the sirens and motorcycles.

What's a local, small town parade without plenty of horses?

Local law enforcement hound dogs.

Yippee! Another motorcycle!

And he's even handing out stickers!

Still watching the motorcycle.

Our friend Kalidawn in the middle - her dad is driving.

Our friend JD - he was in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

It isn't a parade without some kind of military involvement.

Michael's second favorite part of the parade - Cosmo!

Michael wanted to keep watching Cosmo dance.

After the parade we got to take pictures with Cosmo. Michael even let Cosmo hold him to take more pictures!

He wasn't quite sure what to think of the whiskers.

I'm such a good sister, I even took a picture for Mike. Cosmo had lots of people wanting pictures and lots of kids wanting autographs. Swoop had people looking at him like he was a crazy man. Hmmm. What's that all about?

That night was the horse pull. For those who have never been to a horse pull, teams of horses get hooked up to a sleigh that gets loaded down with weights (in this case, packages of roofing shingles). From a complete stop, the horses have to pull the sleigh a certain distance to stay in the competition. More weight is added until teams start dropping out.

Watching the horses - and teething.

What do you do when you run out of shingles and the horses are still capable of pulling? Start getting volunteers from the audience, ask how much they weigh, then tell them to climb up and hold on.

Why the Swing was Dismantled

2009-06-26T14:05:00.003-06:00

Michael hasn't always loved his swing. Liked, yes. Loved, no. Until recently.
When he was a baby and we put him in the swing, he would love it for about five minutes at a time. When he could crawl under it, he liked trying to figure out how it worked - and watching it swing above him. Once he got too big for it, we kept it in the living room to block the rock fireplace (because the paranoid Momma worried he'd hit his head). He ignored the swing for a few months, and recently decided he absolutely LOVES it!

Climbing in...

Buckling up (or pretending to)...

Chillin'...

Climbing out.

Repeat until Daddy gets tired of holding it steady.

I'm Tired!

2009-06-20T15:42:00.007-06:00

Michael is so full of energy, sometimes it seems like he doesn't need to sleep at all. And he's very even-tempered. If he starts getting fussy, either he doesn't feel well or it's time to sleep. But he doesn't always get fussy when he's tired. Sometimes he tells us it's nap time by pulling his lamb and his blanket out of his crib. He runs to his crib to get it, and then runs around with it for a few minutes before he drops it and does a nose dive into it. Sounds like a tired boy, right? Sometimes he even climbs onto the rocking chair and picks out a book (we always read before bedtime and naps).

Helping Make Dinner

2009-06-20T15:22:00.003-06:00

Michael loves helping us make dinner. Currently, his version of helping consists of twirling around in the kitchen, opening and closing the refrigerator, or using the oven mitts to play peek-a-boo.

Big Boy

2009-06-14T16:43:00.013-06:00

Every time we look at pictures, I'm amazed at how quickly Michael is growing up. He's learning to brush his teeth by himself....

He's gotten quite good at climbing on and off furniture...

..including the rocking chair (with toys, shoes, books, or blankets in hand).

He likes chillin' on the couch with Momma and Daddy.

He's trying out "big boy pajamas" (two piece), and still loves talking on the phone.

He goes to time out (even when he's not asked).

He still loves his books (and Cosmo).

And he remembers how the water cooler works, even though we haven't used it since before he could walk (for obvious reasons).

Even though he's too big for it, he still likes to climb into his swing every once in a while.

He's even learning to put his shoes and socks on all by himself...and it's even cuter when he tries to put socks on over the top of his shoes!

My Son, the Superhero

2009-06-06T15:20:00.003-06:00

He runs so fast, you can barely even see him!

Oh, and Uncle Kyle in the background.

Working in the Yard with Daddy

2009-06-02T16:26:00.000-06:00

Michael loves helping Daddy with anything he's doing, but especially loves helping when Daddy is working outside. When Dave was working on the flower bed, Michael tried so hard to push and pull the wheelbarrow.

When that didn't work, he decided to help by bringing Daddy his water.

After Daddy took a drink, Michael decided it was more fun to run around with the bottle than to put it back on the porch.

And then he found the lawnmower! He is fascinated with the push lawnmower, and wants to be able to help Daddy mow the lawn. He doesn't seem to have the same fascination with the riding mower...yet.

He knows you use this handle to start it - he's still working on figuring out exactly how that works.

Telling Daddy, "Come on, let's go!"

When Dave finally took a break, Michael decided to pick up where Daddy left off - gotta get the gloves on, first!

Memorial Day BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa's

2009-05-31T22:37:00.002-06:00

On Memorial Day, we had a BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was such a nice sunny day, everybody wanted to play outside. Michael had fun playing bubbles with Momma.

And playing drums on Momma's back.

When he got tired of chasing after the bubbles, he decided to sit with Momma and learn how to blow the bubbles. Don't you just love the sound effects?

Taking a break to smell Grandma's flowers.

Chillin' with Grandpa.

The cousins were having too much fun playing frisbee, Michael decided to join.

Unfortunately, there were only two frisbees...and all three cousins (and the Uncles) are still learning about sharing.

The frisbees landed in the flowers so many times, Michael thought that's where they were supposed to go.

Tired of taking turns, Michael decided to play with water...or at least the handle where water is supposed to come out.

Asking ever so sweetly for the water to be turned on. Let me think about that....um, no. Momma wasn't too excited about the prospect of being chased by a toddler with a water hose the way Mike & Julie were when Braden was that age).

Trying to get the lady bug to crawl on either of the cousins' arm. The smart bug didn't want to cooperate, and kept trying to get away. This picture was right as the lady bug fell off Grandpa's hand...again...and Kyleigh was trying to catch it...again.

Mr. Photogenic

2009-05-31T15:23:00.002-06:00

These are the "Eighteen Month" pictures we had taken. He looks so grown up!

Ice Cream

2009-05-30T13:31:00.000-06:00

We ate at Sizzler on our trip to Logan (Memorial Day weekend), and Dave decided to teach Michael how to eat ice-cream cones.

Ice-cream cone #1: He didn't want to lick the ice-cream, he wanted to bite it. That worked well when he got down to the cone.

Nice view of the ice-cream he got in his nose.

He thought all of it would fit into his mouth, and wasn't quite sure what to do when he discovered it didn't.

Ice-cream cone #2: He still wanted to bite the ice-cream, but started out with smaller bites this time.

It was so yummy, small bites didn't last long.

And then he discovered what a "brain freeze" is.

Poor little guy!

Ice-cream cleaned out of the nose, no more "brain-freeze," and he's good to go!

Cousin's Sealing, Logan, and Antelope Island

2009-05-29T14:03:00.013-06:00

Jen's cousin Heidi and her husband Sio were sealed in the Logan Temple on May 22nd. We drove up and decided to make a weekend of it. Michael loved the flowers and fountains on the temple grounds, and had fun exploring with Uncle Clyde.

We got to see some cute cousins we haven't seen in years. And some we see more often, but still not often enough.

We got to see Jen's grandparents. They were married in the Logan Temple (just a few years ago).

Grandma's sisters came, too.

It seems everyone had their cameras out. At one point, there were three people taking pictures of Heidi and Sio (actually, four if you include Jen taking pictures of people taking pictures).

It was amazing how long Heidi was able to last before she started making faces.

The family shots....some of Sio's family was there, and most of Heidi's immediate family was there.

And of course, we had to get our usual family pictures in front of the temple and/or the temple sign. This time we had a real live person to take pictures instead of using the camera timer.

Between exploring the temple grounds and the picnic at the park (including playing on the playground), Michael just got plain tuckered out!

To end the weekend of fun, we visited Antelope Island on the way home. Michael picked out a cute little buffalo at the visitor's center.

Yes, we saw a couple antelope while there - one on either side of the island.

There are some beautiful views of the lake and mountains.

Coyotes hunting (rabbits maybe?) and a great view from the other side of the island.

One of the bison (a.k.a. buffalo) Dave thought Jen got too close to (this picture was taken using full zoom).

More of the views from the other side of the island.

This truck was at the Garr Ranch. Jen liked it and is now having fun learning more about photoshop with this picture.

Playing with Sandy

2009-05-02T13:51:00.005-06:00

Michael loves playing with Sandy...

...but does not love getting licked!

Sandy is quickly forgiven, but Michael tends to keep his hands and face clear of her tongue for a while after he's been licked.

This is not sibling rivalry - this is how Michael plays with Sandy. It started when Michael was crawling. He wanted to play with Sandy, but didn't want to get licked in the face - so he would crawl over to her with his head down. This has morphed into a (usually gentle) head butt.

Things In Motion

2009-05-02T13:16:00.002-06:00

This is just a cool picture. Usually Michael is the one that's blurry, because he's constantly running. Incidentally, how do you take a picture of a running child? I tend to resort to video.

Fun With Hats

2009-04-25T15:43:00.011-06:00

My cousin made some hats for us for Christmas. Dave and I each received one, and Michael got two - one red and white (see the Christmas post), and one with blues. Ever since Christmas, when he sees a hat he makes the sign for hat and then proceeds to take the hat and put it on. Then take it off. Then put it on. Then take it off. Then put it on....you get the picture.

He also likes pulling it down over his eyes. With Dave's hat and my hat, he can see through the holes. With his, he has to tip his head back to see.

With this hat, he absolutely has to have his mittens on so he can run around the house clapping his hands.

Hats with a brim must be worn backwards or crooked.

I know, I know - it's getting to the point of picture overload, but it's worth it. Isn't that just the cutest face you've ever seen?

And seriously, who can pass up clomping around in Daddy's shoes while wearing Momma's hat?

And of course, you have to make sure get Daddy gets in on the fun.

Easter

2009-04-18T16:14:00.000-06:00

The night before Easter, getting ready to dye eggs in his Easter pajamas. Dave and I disagree on this one - he thinks Easter pajamas have Easter/Spring colors. I think these are Easter pajamas because they're brown and have footballs on them. It just isn't Easter without chocolate footballs (what some people refer to as chocolate eggs)!

Trying to figure out what Daddy is doing.

Not sure what to think of the "bubblin' brew."

Happy boy, just waiting to see what Daddy's going to do next!

"We're sitting at the table...Daddy's doing something with stuff that looks like food and drink...and we're not saying prayer?"

"Are you done yet? Do we say prayer yet?'

"Pretty colors! Good catch, Daddy."

"You're done now, right? Do we say prayer yet?"

"We're not saying prayer? You're teasing!"

Easter Morning - Easter Basket!

"You're really giving me candy? Before breakfast? And I didn't even have to ask?"

Finding the eyes on the soft, fuzzy chick.

Trying not to smile for the best present ever - bubbles!

This isn't the best picture, but I love it because it shows how excited he was to open the plastic eggs and find Goldfish crackers inside.

More Goldfish crackers!

Being told that breakfast is ready, and not wanting to put his bubbles down to go eat.

Michael's new trick that he learned Easter weekend.

Another thing we were working on over Easter weekend. Michael loves giving fives, high fives, and pounds.

Daddy is Their Favorite Pal

2009-03-15T16:14:00.005-06:00

Both Michael and Sandy like to follow Daddy around the house. When Daddy went out on the deck, both of them just sat at the door and watched him until he came back in. They love Daddy!

My Favorite Sound

2009-03-14T11:05:00.007-06:00

These videos are both from early November, but I had to post them. His laugh is just too cute!

And yes, we stopped in the middle of chores just to make him laugh (hence the open dishwasher, mess on counter, etc.).

The Park

2009-03-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Michael had so much fun at the park last summer, we were anxious to take him for a visit as soon as the weather was warm enough. So, on the last day of February we bundled him up and took him to the park. He had no interest in keeping his gloves or hood on.

He still likes the swings...

...and thinks it's hilarious when daddy tries to swing.

He now likes running down any type of incline (the little hill at the park, the ramp going into the shed, the hill at Grandma and Grandpa's house, etc.).

But his new favorite activity at the park is going down the slides.

Since these videos, he's learned to get up the stairs by himself (on the smaller slides). And it doesn't matter how often we go or how long we stay, he still cries when we leave.

Michael's First Road Trip

2009-02-21T12:13:00.011-07:00

Are you ready for picture overload? Yes, I am finally posting pictures from our first road trip with Michael (only a month late). I narrowed it down, but there's still a bunch of cute pictures I just had to post.

It's hard to believe we didn't go anywhere over the summer, but I badly needed a break before the legislative session started - even if it was only a long weekend.

Th first stop, of course, was the gas station. Michael loves laughing at daddy when he makes faces through the window.

Then we stopped to tell grandma and grandpa goodbye (and pick up the porta-crib that has straps so he can't pull the bottom up).

The only time he slept on the way down, and it lasted less than fifteen minutes.

Shortly after he woke up we stopped for lunch. He got a little car in his kid's meal, and had fun making "car sounds" for the next hour or so. Too cute!

He was tired, but fought going to sleep. He wanted to see everything that we passed, and look at all the cars going by. He even saw a car go by with a dog and started saying "Sanny!"

Momma read for a little bit, so Michael decided he needed to get a book out.

Look! I think I see a palm tree. We're almost there!

Let's go swimming! (no pictures at the pool - too many splashers to get the camera out)

Helping daddy get ready in the morning.

Aahhh, juice! This is the new favorite way to drink orange juice.

He had a lot of fun running around in the parking lot without a jacket.

We stopped by the temple, and Michael had fun running around on the grounds. There were two things he recognized in the visitor's center - the Christus and the picture of the sealing room.

He liked the water, but couldn't figure out why daddy was way over on the other side of it.

After lunch we went in search of a park, and found one by the Tabernacle and an old school.

Michael liked the little kid statues that were around the old school.

We wore him out at the park, but after he took his afternoon nap we decided to go for a walk. That "walk" turned into a little hike. And I was wearing sandals.

Yes, this is where we went. And yes, my feet turned very red.

Pretty views of the valley.

Michael was more interested in watching the other people that were up there.

It did not make him happy when some strange lady took momma's camera, so he refused to smile for the pictures.

It took a minute, but he decided it was ok if daddy borrowed momma's camera.

But then decided it was more fun to try to take momma's sunglasses.

Michael and Pianos

2009-02-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Michael LOVES pianos! It doesn't matter if it's Momma's piano, Grandma's piano, Aunt Dianna's piano, or his new toy piano - he just loves playing the piano. He loves playing Grandma's organ, too (no picture of that yet). He likes to point at the stops, and Grandma changes the registration so he can hear the difference.

Rockin' out with cousin Mason.

Trying to climb onto the bench.

Gotta hit a few keys, even if it's while running by during daily laps (running around the partial wall that separates the kitchen/dining area from the living room).

Check it out! I can open and close it by myself. So far I haven't smashed my fingers, and I really like the noise it makes when it slams shut.

If it's time to leave Grandma and Grandpa's house, stall by trying to climb on the piano bench. Grandma will put you on the bench and let you play for a while, so you get to stay even longer.

Stand at the piano, sometimes trying to climb on the bench, and mom or dad will finally help you up onto the bench to play.

Carefully select what you want to play.

Then make sure you're playing the right keys.

And don't forget about the cool new piano from Grandma and Grandpa. Not only does it have piano keys, it has a drum and a microphone!

You can use it to have jam sessions with dad. Sandy even jams with us sometimes (most of the time she just sniffs the piano or tries to lick my face while I'm using the microphone - yuck!).

No, I haven't forgotten about phones - did you know you can play the piano and talk on the phone at the same time? Way cool discovery!

Christmas with Dave's Family

2009-01-25T16:35:00.007-07:00

Michael needed a snack before the marathon of gift opening (milk and a banana - yummy).

The cousins. And no, I don't know what Peyton is doing. Apparently Mandy and Ashlie don't know what he's up to, either. Silly boy.

I think Mason's favorite present was his Batman t-shirt. His favorite character in the recent movie is the Joker. Frightening. Good movie.
Why so serious?

Michael found plenty to keep himself occupied - he had a lot of fun climbing on this box, scooting over until he fell off, and climbing back on. It was a fun game that lasted at least 15 minutes.

When he got bored with the box, he started taking bows off all the presents.

And who better to collect bows than Aunt Robyn?

Christmas Morning with Jen's Family

2009-01-25T15:33:00.005-07:00

I figure it's about time I post the rest of the Christmas pictures.
We start Christmas morning off at my parents' house. Michael wasn't too terribly interested in opening presents - or even playing with them after they were opened. But he sure had fun with Grandma's little rocking chair - pushing it around, pushing it through paper, climbing in, climbing out, climbing in, climbing out, climbing in, climbing out....

He did play with his presents for a while - and even swam in the paper (he did that right after all cameras were turned off, sneaky little bugger).

He got a couple hats from cousin Elizabeth - he likes the Santa one best.

Visiting Santa

2009-01-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

We went to see Santa this year. We could have gone the weekend before Christmas, but thought it would be crowded with all the last minute shoppers. We thought nobody would be out on Christmas Eve - they're all doing last minute grocery shopping, baking, wrapping, etc., right? Wrong! It took almost two hours to wait in line, get pictures taken, and then purchase the USB. Never again! Next year we're going early, even if we have to take time off work to do it. We did get some fun pictures, though....

Even before he saw Santa, he was a little wary.

Warming up to the photographer.

There's the big smile!

"You can't leave me here!"

"How could you do this to me?"

"I want to go home!"

"That wasn't so bad."

"Yeah! Let's get outta here!"

"Hurry up, mom."

"Don't you know it's Christmas Eve, and we need to get to Grandma & Grandpa's house?"

Decorating the Tree

2009-01-03T12:26:00.010-07:00

It took a while this year, but I finally got into the Christmas mood (long story, but try working on budget cuts that affect hundreds of peoples' daily lives, and contrast that with the excess displayed at various celebrations).
Dave set up the tree (the littlest one we have) a couple weeks before Christmas. It's a pre-lit, and he added my red and green lights. Christmas Eve, Michael and I decorated it. Well, to be entirely accurate, Michael played with the beads and I decorated when he took his nap.

"These beads are fun to drag around the house!"

"Look! They're even more fun to drag across the tile!"

"Check out the cool noise they make when I run through the kitchen."

"I'm getting tired. What do you think we should do with these?"

"I know! You can put them up on the tree!"

The Cousins

2008-12-28T15:13:00.004-07:00

Michael and his cousins got all dressed up for grandma's Christmas picture. Aren't they adorable? Grandma even found outfits for them that match.

Ready, Set, GO!

2008-12-12T20:35:00.005-07:00

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

Go!

Whew! That was exhausting.

Michael loves running around. Sometimes he doesn't have the patience to walk, and sometimes he doesn't even have the patience to wait until he has his balance before he starts moving. Other times he likes to play "Ready, set, go!" That's what we were doing in the doctor's office today, but he was a little "off" because he didn't have his afternoon nap. He face-planted twice, and even has rug-rash on the side of his nose to prove it. That was the first fall - and as soon as he had a little cry, he wanted to go again. And why not? After all, it was fun right up until the end.

Toy Box

2008-12-07T20:12:00.004-07:00

Michael got a new toy box for his birthday (he had to have a place to put the TONS of toys he received for his birthday - after Christmas, he might be able to open his own toy store).

He loves playing with it (or in it).

Sometimes he uses it as a drum.

Other times he opens it, then closes it, then opens it, then closes it, etc. He also likes to open it with his head - he lifts the lid just high enough for his head to fit in, then "head-butts" it the rest of the way.

And sometimes he actually uses it as a normal toy box, putting toys in and taking toys out - mostly taking them out. He likes to see everything before he decides what to play with. He does the same thing with his books - he takes all of them out of the basket before he decides which one he wants to "read" first.

We Love Pictures

2008-12-07T15:16:00.009-07:00

I'm working on the 2009 Family Calendar - yes, still. And I'm running out of time, as usual. But I had to take a minute to post some adorable pictures I've re-discovered while trying to decide what to put in the calendar.

Making the cutest face - and looking a little elfish.

What a stylin' little guy!

He just loves looking out the window.

The hat was just too cute, and we had a lot of fun with it. We bought it big, but he still grew out of it before summer was over.

Sneezing is hilarious!

2008-11-30T16:13:00.004-07:00

In October, Michael got a cold - and gave it to me (we're learning to share). Needless to say, I sneezed a lot. One morning on the way to the babysitter's, I sneezed four or five times in a row. Michael has always thought sneezes (and hiccups) are funny, but he found a bunch in a row especially hilarious. When he was done laughing, he said, "Ah, ah, ah, ah, choo!" Now he loves sneezing and laughing at himself. Every once in a while he says "bessoo" (his cute little version of "Bless You").

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears - Oh, My!

2008-11-23T13:05:00.004-07:00

We decided to start a new tradition - family Halloween costumes! Well, I guess it's actually re-instating an old tradition. Dave and I haven't dressed up in the same theme for years. This year, because we found such a cute lion costume, we decided to go with "Wizard of Oz."

He looks like he's up to something, doesn't he?

He had a lot of fun with his costume. He'd walk and/or crawl around for a while, then stop and clap his hands together. He thought the mittens were a great toy. And he just loved smiling at himself in the mirror when he was he wearing the hood. A couple times we put the hood on, draped the costume over his back, and chased Sandy around. He thought that was the best thing since learning to fake sneeze!

It's Picture Time!

2008-11-23T12:22:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know I've been negligent in posting - but better late than never, right? Here are some adorable pictures we had taken on Michael's 1st Birthday. Our little baby is turning into a little boy - and still the cutest ever!

He's ready to go fishing with daddy and grandpa!

What a little heartbreaker!

The Birthday Cake

2008-10-12T21:34:00.000-06:00

Michael still wasn't quite sure what to think about the candle - which may explain the slow start. He kept poking his fingers into the hole left by the candle.

Once he got going, he sure had fun playing with the frosting. He got a kick out of grabbing a great big handful, eating a little bit, and then squishing the rest between his fingers.

He had a lot of fun with the cake, but I think he had even more fun taking a bath after. That boy loves the water!

The Zoo

2008-10-03T10:03:00.015-06:00

On Michael's birthday, right before we went to the zoo, Dave turned the car seat around. Michael loves being able to face forward, kick mom and dad's seats, and see what's going on. And he loves playing with Cookie Monster while he's in the car (or Elmo, depending on which car we're in).

When we first started walking through the zoo, Michael was busy looking at all the people around us. (They're animals, too, right?) The first zoo animals that caught his attention were the penguins - probably because they were the first animals we saw that were actually moving.

The giraffes were walking around quite a bit. Michael watched one inside that kept walking around and around and around in circles. The zebras were a bit harder to see - there's actually two there.

We stopped and watched the elephant for quite a while. I think it liked being the entertainment. It walked toward us, made sure we were watching, and then started playing with the red ball. Michael liked watching it swing the ball.

When we got to the meerkats, there was one standing up looking out the window. Dave decided to slowly push the stroller up to one, so it would stay right by the glass for Michael to watch. Well, Michael wasn't watching the meerkat - he was paying more attention to the noisy people in the area. Dave got the stroller right in front of the meerkat, so it and Michael were inches apart. If you haven't seen a meerkat, they move fast! When it moved, Michael realized he'd been within inches of an unknown animal, screamed, and then cried. Dave thought it was hilarious. He was laughing so hard he couldn't calm Michael. It was kind of cute. The picture was taken shortly after the scare - notice the grip on the side of the stroller. After that, he paid much closer attention any time we stopped - especially if we were by glass.

Sunday Dinner

2008-09-28T15:51:00.007-06:00

Almost every Sunday, the family gathers at mom and dad's house for Sunday dinner. We also celebrate birthdays - usually the Sunday before the person's birthday. The day before Michael's birthday, we celebrated with cake & ice cream and presents.

This isn't the cake we let him dig into - we did that on his birthday (pictures coming soon). He wasn't quite sure what to think about the candle, but thought the singing was fun.

Michael's new favorite toys are his birthday toys. He got a helicopter from grandma and grandpa that plays songs and makes fun noises. And grandpa and daddy even let him play with it! He has fun taking the colored balls out of the passenger area and putting them in the top - he especially likes the color setting, where it says what color the ball is then plays a song.

Michael also likes his new trucks. He got one from grandma and grandpa that has little balls that pop around in the back when it moves. He likes rolling it on the toy chest until it falls off and he says "uh-oh" (it's sounding less like "ow" and more like "uh-oh" every day).

The colorful dump trucks came from Uncle Mike, Aunt Julie, and cousin Braden. Michael just loves the noises they make, especially the bigger one when you lift the bed up and down. And he loves it when you roll them and they keep going. If you roll them to him and they bump into his feet or his legs, he just giggles and waits for you to do it again.

The Calm One

2008-09-28T15:30:00.009-06:00

Exactly a week before Michael's birthday, Dave was making dinner (hot dogs on the grill) while I was playing with Michael. Dave was going in and out of the sliding glass door - it's an old door, and doesn't slide well on the track. It takes a bit of effort to slide, and it makes quite the racket - no sneaking in or out of that door!

Michael really likes the piano, and loves pulling himself up using the bench so he can play the keys by himself (without me holding him). He was standing at the piano, right next to the bench, when Dave opened the sliding glass door. Michael jumped, then tried to hurry and sit down - not realizing that if he did so he'd do a face-plant into the corner of the piano bench. He hit the bench with his mouth, and immediately had a shocked look on his face - I, meanwhile, was having flashbacks to a heavy table falling on my younger brother. As soon as Michael got over the shock enough to catch his breath, he started wailing - but no blood. Whew!

I picked him up and he buried his face against my shoulder while he cried. When he lifted his head a little, I tried to see if he had a fat lip already, but there was too much blood to see. Again, flashbacks - this time of the bloody trip to the emergency room, trying to hold a towel to my younger brother's gushing mouth. So, of course, I tell Dave, "Let's go. We need to leave right now."

Dave decided we needed to clean the blood off first and see how bad it really was. He tried to gently mop up Michael's face and we got a teether out of the freezer. Lips intact, gums apparently intact, teeth still in place - whew! We couldn't tell exactly where the blood was coming from because Michael wouldn't let go of the teether - but at least the bleeding slowed quickly. By this time the hot dogs were done, and we decided to stay and eat. We didn't think Michael would want to eat much, so we gave him some cold applesauce. When that wasn't enough, we gave him some puffs - he popped 'em in his mouth and started chewing them like nothing happened. He's one tough kid!

Dave's commentary on the whole thing? "Well, we know who the calm one is." This time maybe - considering Dave wasn't picturing a far worse injury that happened years ago and involved stitches and pulling out broken teeth.

Michael cut the piece of skin that attaches his lip to his gum. The nurse said it would heal on it's own, so no stitches or anything - just a teether and some ibuprofen for a couple days. The next morning, you could hardly see the swelling. And now I have a t-shirt that could make a great Halloween costume!

Shortly after it happened.

The next morning.

I'm a Celebrity!

2008-09-26T13:52:00.007-06:00

Ok, so maybe only a local celebrity - I was on the news yesterday. Here's the link to the website - watch the video. You need to watch closely because it goes by really fast. Ok, ok - I'm not a celebrity. But it's still fun to see yourself on the news or in the paper (especially when it's not an embarrassing picture).
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=4359018

During the hearing there was something that needed to be handed out, and I didn't have copies - so I had to RUN down the hall and downstairs to make copies. Got the copies done, but the 3-hole punch wasn't working, so I had to track down someone that had a 3-hole punch. Then I had to RUN up the stairs and back down the hall and then hand out the copies while trying to not sound like I'd just run down the hall. When I finished, I sat down and realized how toasty the room was (although it seemed I was the only one that was hot - it may have had something to do with my short, unplanned cardio workout), so I fanned myself for a few seconds - and apparently that's when they took the video. The first time they panned the room was while I was running. The second time they panned the room was just after I got back and was trying to cool down.

So goes some of the excitement (?) of a special legislative session.

By Way of Explanation....

2008-09-19T21:47:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd better explain the "True Blue Trio" and "Cougar Crazy." I grew up watching BYU sports and wanting to go to BYU (didn't go there, but I can still be a fan). Dave grew up watching BYU sports and pretending to not like BYU. And Michael just looks so darn cute in his Baby Cosmo onesie and t-shirts - we think when he's having happy dreams they're about playing football for BYU. Hence the "Cougar Crazy" - we're true blue through and through.

Go Cougars!

Lovin' the Water

2008-09-14T16:02:00.001-06:00

Michael just loves water - whether it's in his sippy cup, in the bath tub, or in his swimming pool. We let him play in his little pool a couple weeks ago, and he did not want to get out. He had fun kicking his feet to splash mom and dad. Once everyone was properly soaked, he crawled back and forth from one side of the pool to the other. He was in the pool for over an hour (yeah, yeah - lots of sunscreen, well hydrated, etc.), and he still cried when we took him out.

Joining the world of Blogging

2008-09-14T15:52:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have finally decided to join the world of blogging. I tried a web site (which my brothers tried to help me with), but I could never seem to get it going. I tried My Space - but with all the horror stories and then having my password stolen, I rarely log in and I never update my profile. So I thought I'd give blogging a try. Michael's always doing something cute, and who knows - maybe I can even get Dave to blog once in a while.