The Christensen Clan

10 Days In

2012-01-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

Well we have had Traegan home for 8 days now. It has been so much fun cuddling him and loving him so much. Oh but wait.....

This is what our bathroom countertop has looked like for the past 7 days. NOT the way I'd dreamt of starting our new life together, thats for sure. Not one of us has gotten by this last week without being medicated.

Braden: cough strips, nighttime cough meds, tylenol, delsym, ibuprofin

Devin: NyQuil, Robitussin Cough and Cold, Tylenol Cough and Cold

Traegan: gas drops.... wondering if he will do better with Sensitive, low lactose formula??

Ashley: Ibuprofin, Stool Softener, Seizure meds

Poor Braden caught a cold over last weekend, and had a terrible cough. It was so hard having Braden so sick and trying to protect our sweet little newborn from getting sick. Braden loves Traegan so much, and it was so hard to keep Braden away from him. We loaded up on hand sanitizer every 5 seconds, and really had to crack down on Braden coughing into his arm and wiping his nose on a tissue. It has been a really hard transition for me with Braden because he has been acting up, which I presume is normal, but in addition he has been super sick so I have had to be so strict with him being around the baby. He just wants to love on Traegan all the time, but when he was contagious, I was so paranoid about Traegan getting sick. It was really hard. Not to mention, Devin had to go back to work on Monday so I had to ask for a lot of help from my Mom. Thank goodness she has made herself so available to me. She has been the best ever.

We decided on Tuesday night, after Braden ended up sleeping half the night in our bed, with a high fever and an awful cough, that we should probably sleep in seperate rooms. So Devin and Braden have slept in our bed for the last 4 nights, and I have slept in Bradens room with Traegan to hopefully prevent myself from getting sick and to hope that we all would get a little sleep with only one kid waking us up. Welcome to having 2 kids right? It has been quite the emotional week for me. Now of course since Devin was sleeping with Braden, Devin has caught a cold and is in the brunt of it now. I really hope that we can keep little Traegan healthy. We will see.

However, on an up note, we really are loving our new family! We feel so blessed to have been able to bring another healthy little boy into this world. I recently realized what a blessing we have brought to Bradens life by deciding to have another baby. Until a few weeks ago, I hadn't thought about the fact that we were giving Braden a sibling, a brother. Devin and I both come from big families and are close with our siblings so it has really made a big impact on my heart to realize that we have given Braden a lifetime friend. And they are already best buddies. We are so excited as parents to watch these boys grow up together and play together. We love our new life and are really looking forward to our future together.

Presenting Traegan James Christensen

2012-01-19T18:33:00.001-08:00

I DID IT! I am not pregnant anymore, survived another labor and delivery, and we have our little Traegan outside here with us. He was born Wednesday January 18, 2012 at 6:30pm, weighing 7lb 14oz, 19in long. He is so perfect. Honestly. I have only heard him cry when 1) he was getting his pictures taken and he just wanted to be cozy and sleeping and 2) when he gets his diaper change and he isnt cozy anymore. He loves to be all wrapped up and cozy. We are so in love with our little angel boy and we feel so incredibly blessed. (labor story to follow, skip ahead to pics if you so choose)

On Monday morning, I went into the OB nice and early to find out that I was dilated to a 4 and had my membranes stripped. I was hoping that it would kick start my labor as it had with Braden, but after several hours of mild contractions, I decided that the baby probably wasnt going to arrive and prayed hard that I would be able to get a good nights rest, which I did.
I went back into the office on Wednesday morning hoping the Dr would say "I'll see you soon at the hospital. Lets have this baby today!" He did. Yes!! I called Devin and told him that his work day was over and called my Mom to have her go and get Braden from playgroup and headed to the hospital. I got checked in and then all hooked up in my delivery room and the waiting game began around 11:40am.
We were waiting for my Dr to come and break my water in the hopes that only that would be needed to get my contractions started. Around 1:30 my Dr came and thought he broke my water, but wasn't quite sure since my body did not have the usual reaction. I was a little bugged, but he said he would be back in an hour to see if my contractions had gotten harder. An hour later, things had progressed a little, but contractions still were not yet painful, and I was dilated to a 6. He "broke my water" again and that is when things started to happen for me.
My contractions got stronger and I couldn't talk through them anymore and really had to breathe through each one. As I was walking around the labor and delivery floor they started to become more and more painful and difficult to breathe through not to mention they were around 2 minutes apart. My labor with Braden was very slow and I didnt want to get an epidural before I was dilated to a 7 this time, so I waited as long as I could stand it and asked for the epidural when I was almost a 7.
I'm so glad I asked when I did because the anesthesiologist got tied up in the ICU for about a half hour and my contractions continued to get stronger and closer and I was more and more ready for that pain relief. It was quite the struggle to remain still during the three hard contractions that I had while the anesthesiologist was administering the epidural, but once it started to kick in, I was grateful for it.
I can't decide which is worse, enduring contractions or the annoyance of epidural side effects. For me, I get very nauseated, groggy, and I get the shakes really badly. I also really dislike the tingly feeling in my legs. However, I also really dislike having strong contractions 2 minutes apart so which is the lesser of two evils? I don't think I would try to labor and deliver naturally, but I sure do dislike the side effects that come along with that relief.
Anyway, after my epidural I very quickly went from a 7 to a 10 within 40 minutes and could tell that it was time to push and was in a lot of discomfort. With Braden I feel like my epidural had been too strong and I could not feel anything, but with Traegan, I was grateful to have that "need to push" feeling because it was quite motivating being able to kind of feel what was going on. So I had Devin call the nurse in to come and check where I was at and she came in and had me do a practice push, and then left to call the Dr.
He had come over around 6 and was just waiting for me to be ready and had to pick his daughter up at 7 and sounded confident that he would make it. As soon as the nurse came back in they started prepping the room for the delivery. With Braden it was hours before they brought the necessary tools in and got things ready for the baby, so that was another thing that was very encouraging because I could tell that the staff knew things would go fast.
So after just 2 and a half contractions and a few pushes Traegan came into the world. It was the most relieving feeling just realizing that he had come so quickly! Devin had called my mom when I realized I needed to start pushing, and by the time she got to the hospital, Traegan was already getting cleaned up. She couldn't believe it since my parents live only 10 minutes from the hospital! I was thrilled when she walked in to tell her that she had missed it!!
Another part of the delivery that was different, was that the Dr stuck Traegan on my chest right when they cut the cord. That was a very special moment that I really enjoyed, just seeing that little angel fresh from heaven.
It was such an amazing process and I feel so blessed and grateful for the huge answer to prayers this delivery was. I had been praying that things would go quickly so that I could recover quickly and take care of my little guys. With Braden and I had been so exhausted for days afterward, but this time, I am feeling so good other than being sore. I had also been praying that this boy would arrive before my siblings were coming for the weekend so they could meet him when he was new! And as it turned out, I was home from the hospital before either of them got here. What a tremendous blessing this delivery was and we feel truly blessed.

Braden is so in love with his little brother and is even a little possesive. I have a feeling we are going to be reminding him often that Mommy and Daddy are in charge. However, Braden loves giving Traegan kisses and holding his hand. Today while they were laying down Braden said to him "Come here buddy!" It was so cute. We are so excited to have given Braden a little buddy to have by his side forever!

Traegan loved his time under the heat lamp after his bath and stretched out his arms and legs nice and long. He has the same round belly that Braden had, same big hands, same long toes. I think their bodies are going to be very similar.

Yesterday morning some ladies came in to take insanely overpriced photos of Traegan. They turned out really cute, except for the ones she insisted on taking with me, having not showered or even brushed my hair yet that day.

Swimming in January

2012-01-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

During my first trimester in the summer, I would often just put my swimming suit on and take Braden out to the pool and lay in a chair an watch him swim. Turns out in my third trimester I should have been doing the same thing, just inside. I assumed that the drain on my tub wouldn't let the bath overflow, but it got pretty dang close and Braden was almost up to his neck in water. He loved it. He was literally swimming in the tub.

Then somehow the swimming turned into acro-swim and he starting doing all kinds of tricks. I was laughing my head off. He is such a little goober. And yes he still has his tan line that never goes away. :) Lucky boy.

38 Weeks

2012-01-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Well the time has come for the arrival of numero dos. We are eagerly anticipating his arrival and are as giddy as can be. Poor little Bradens world is about to be rocked so hard, but eventually he will get used to it and will love having a brother. I am going to be induced on Wednesday or Thurs so I wanted to get some final pregnancy pictures. It is a little sad that strangers won't be telling me how darling I am anymore, but I will get over it. Why don't strangers tell non pregnant women that they are cute. What is it about being pregnant that makes people think they should be my new best friend? Just one or two more days of that for this time around.

As you can see when it comes to love, Braden and Mommy are forever, but when it comes to fun, Braden and his Daddy are best buds. Braden gets a little crazy around Daddy cuz they are always being so wild and wrestling all the bad guys and playing monsters and such, but they are so cute to be around. Braden and Dad had a blast running around at the park the other day running down the hills and jumping up in the air. I couldn't believe I captured them both in the air, but they sure had fun.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012-01-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2012! We are very excited about this year, as it is promising lots of changes for our growing family! I have made it my goal to blog once a week this year, and while I am two weeks behind so far, I hope to catch up and stay caught up despite becoming a mother of 2 wild boys any day now. :) So for catch ups sake I will share a little something that is BIG NEWS in the Christensen household.

Braden is potty trained and is pretty much independantly so although he does need help getting up, I will help him get up forever as long as I am not changing his nasty poopy diapers or cleaning his gross accidents up. Don't remind me that I am starting over with diapers any day now. Its a lot easier to do when they are babies in my opinion. This post may be TMI for some of you, but since my blog is sort of a family journal, I am documenting it anyway so skip ahead.

I had tried once before to see if he was ready and after a day of tantrums and fits it was very apparent that he didn't care. However, less than a week before we were to leave for Arizona for thanksgiving, he expressed interest and who am I to turn down a kid who wants to go in the toilet so the potty training began just in time for a trip out of town. It may have been a little pointless considering he wore pull ups the whole time we were out of town, and then Devin and I had to leave town a few weeks later and left him with my family on a very busy weekend for them, where he wore pull ups most of the time again, but by New Years he was just about completely potty trained after a lot of effort to get him to poop on the toilet consistently. He is quite the champ and will tell himself "Good Job Braden" after he gets off the toilet. I am crossing my fingers that he will want to keep being a big boy after boy #2 arrives and that we won't have any back tracking. Way to go Braden! We are so proud of him and the big boy that he is becoming.

On another big boy note, last week, I decided to teach Braden the letter "Bb". We did an activity with the letter every day and went to the library and got a few books with lots of B's in them. My teaching style worked well and over the weekend as we were headed out and passing the stores around our house, Braden was spotting B's all over the place. It was such a fun feeling as a parent to see that important part of learning click in his little mind. This week we decided to stay on B since baby boy is coming, although I do want to switch letters every week. We love our little man and we think he is such a little smarty pants!

Christmas

2012-01-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know who took the pictures on Christmas, but it wasn't me. Unless they are on a different memory card that I can't find. Which could be a possibility, but since I hav

e the pictures from Christmas Eve, who knows. Anyway, Christmas was delightful. I will say that I am never again going to have a January baby, simply because December is far too exhausting to be 8 months pregnant. I barely made it through and took lots of naps forcing Braden to nap with me. I was actually a little relieved once Christmas was all over.

My thoughts turned often to Mary, the mother of Jesus. With all of the car and airplane travel that we did in November and December, I just cannot imagine how she rode a donkey, or probably walked at times, the road to Bethlehem. She must have been blessed to be somewhat comfortable to make it all that way in such conditions. My heart turned often to the amazing blessing of being able to be a mother and care for these little spirits that our Father in Heaven sends to us, and I was grateful for that perspective this Christmas season.

So while I didn't get many pictures, I did get a few on Christmas Eve. Braden was a shepherd in his first every Nativity re-enactment and he did a marvelous job, until he got his cane stuck in his mouth and had to be rescued. It was cute funny. We all got a good laugh at his poor expense. And yes he does have red eye really bad in this picture. When I make my blog book I may go back and edit it, but today I am 9 months pregnant and having a baby any day so I am in a rush to update until today. :)

We all got some sweet loot for Christmas. Bradens favorite I think is his basketball hoop that Santa gave him. He likes to pretend he is Jimmer and is quite the little ball player. Daddy is currently working on teaching Braden to dribble although I'm not sure how well that is working out. He loves shooting baskets and always brings his hoop into the living room when Daddy is watching BYU or Kings games and shoots and tells us "Mommy cheer for me". He is such a funny kiddo. We love him!

Uncle Chad

2012-01-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

This past fall, my younger brother Chad began attending UC Davis Law School, just a quick 40 minute drive away. It has been so much fun seeing him so often and Braden just loves him to death thanks to all the wrestling matches and tickle fights. We drove to visit him one day to see where he lived and to have lunch together. It was a lot of fun even though we only spent a quick hour and a half there. Braden mimics Chads every move and really looks up to his ever so studious uncles.

Thanksgiving

2012-01-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

This year we went to Phoenix for a Thanksgiving reunion with the Christensens. It was Bradens first plane ride and despite the fact that we had to leave our house at 4:45, he was wide awake during our 6am take-off and was having the time of this life. He asks if we can go to the airport every now and then and when we can go on an airplane again.

We had so much fun visiting with the Christensen cousins, and Braden made lots of new friends who he still talks about. Braden also got to meet his Gigi Christensen for the very first time. He was so in love with her and would not leave her alone. He always wanted to sit on her every time we went to her house and showered her with hugs and kisses. She was so sweet to him and would just laugh at his crazy antics. We fell in love with the 80 degree weather and wonder if Phoenix would be a fun adventure if we ever decide to move away from our favorite home. On our drive back we got caught in traffic and at a dead stop for a half hour with people getting out of their cars and walking around, I had to take a potty break and did so in Pregnant Stealth Mode. It was a long drive home, and I learned that traveling in the third trimester is a bummer, and confirmed that fact a few weeks later in December when we drove to LA for Devins cousins wedding.

Halloween

2012-01-16T17:10:00.001-08:00

On Halloween, we had a few friends over for soup and bread, followed by trick or treating. Braden took a few houses to get the hang of asking for candy, but eventually he got it and wouldn't leave any house without a handful of candy. As a side note, the weather was so warm that night that all of the kids who had come in layers took all of their layers off before we left and we all trick or treated in t-shirts. It was lovely!
Braden was in a pirate phase for a little while so we decided to be pirates. I must say that Braden made a dang cute pirate!!
Braden was not into even touching the pumpkin so Devin did the entire thing himself. However, he LOVED seeing his pumpkin every time we left the house and was very sad when we threw it away.

Did You Know?

2011-10-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

Baby #2 is a boy. The day that we found out it was a boy, Devin and Braden came inside with handfuls of dirt and worms and dumped them on our kitchen table. I had intense flash forwards to craziness, messes, and dirt all over the place and thought of my friends who have multiple boys. I don't know how it will be done. Braden has enough energy to knock me out cold at nap time so I can't imagine what two of him will be like, but bring it on boys. It is going to be so fun to have an automatic friend for Braden. January won't be here soon enough! Here is baby boy at 20 weeks.

Bishops Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Yesteray, we went and picked up Daddy for a long lunch break and a trip to the local pumpkin farm. We had such a good time, especially being with Daddy. We sure love having him around. And yeah thats just a pumpkin I am smuggling out under my shirt. No big deal.

Yup cutest 2 1/2 year old I know.

Braden loved, and was terrified by the goats. Sometimes he was squealing with joy, and the next minute he was cowering under our legs. It was so fun feeding the little goats.

Braden finally braved up and put some food in his hand to let the goats eat. I think that was the part he liked the most as long as there was only one or two little goats eating from his hand.

Daddy and Braden got sent to jail instead of to time out.

Tahoe

2011-10-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

In October I got to go on a 3 day girls only trip to South Lake Tahoe. It was amazing to say the least. I got a ton of projects completed and enjoyed time with good friends, great food, lots of laughs and good sleep. It was such a blast. Then to top things off, all the girls left and Braden and Devin came up and met me for a little mini vacay. We had such a good time together seeing some of the sights and just enjoying a little time together away from home. Thanks to our friends the Prices for letting us stay an extra night. We had such a good time.

Sunday morning we spent some time at a lake front park feeding the ducks, geese, and obnoxious sea gulls.

Braden and I had a little movie date while Daddy watched the BYU game. It was AWESOME!! We should have gone and rented a movie though cuz I think I changed the channel like 40 times.

Ok seriously look how cute Braden is!!

Braden and Gigi

2011-10-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Braden is very lucky to have Gigi, my grandma, living close by to be able to play with often. He sure loves her and she enjoys him too. During General Conference, Gigi came over to watch with us and Braden "helped" her knit an afghan.

My Boys

2011-10-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

In September we bid farewell to the beloved Bumblebee to make way for a new to us car that will be arriving after Thanksgiving. Yes its true. After 4 years of sharing our trusty '98 Accord we are taking the plunge and getting a second car. Hallelujah. Having one car is tough man!! After a month and a half Braden still asks every day when Devin leaves for work "Wheres your motorcycle Dad?"
Braden is into "dress ups" of sorts lately. There are always shoes all over my house. How he even manages to walk in Devins size 14's I have no idea. Somehow he does it though, and always declares as he is tromping down the hall that he is "going to work."
This summer we got Braden some sunglasses because he was complaining about it being "hot" in his eyes. For some reason he prefers them upside down.
I think that Braden will have a love of reading like his mommy. Every now and then when he isn't wrapped up in motorcycles, trains, cars and airplanes, I will catch him having quiet time with a book. Thats my boy!! I dream of one day having a reading room in my home with lots of comfy chairs and shelves full of books.

Grandma, Cranpa, and Genzelle

2011-10-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

In the beginning of August G&G Christensen paid us a visit for a few days and brought Bradens new found buddy, Genzelle, Devins older sister Chantel. She was the perfect playmate for Braden, allowing him to climb all over her and harass her like crazy! Only a few times did she get annoyed with him. She was very sweet and now Braden asks where she is and when she is coming over again all of the time. We had a blast with G&G here and loved showing them our stomping grounds and having them in our home.

We ate a ton of great food and always enjoyed eating outside on "our patio"

We had lots of fun at the swimming pool on the days that we were home and really frieked Grandma out with Bradens crazy pool antics. She got nervous every time he jumped in by himself.

Braden has a thing for belly buttons and bellies and Chantelly was no exception to his fetish.

We had a great day in San Francisco, even though it was pretty cold and really windy. We did a lot of things that we had never done before so it was really neat.

Oh Cranpa!

Grandpa took us to Fairy Tale Town their first day here while Devin had to work. We had so much fun!! Braden and I had never been there before.

Look at that chubby face. And no I am not talking about mine. Braden is growing up so fast and is getting so skinny and boy like. I can't resist these pics of him still looking just a little bit like a baby.

San Francisco really is so enchanting. Even if you do see a crazy homeless woman licking the guardrails between the sidewalk and the sea.

January 2012

2011-07-21T14:34:00.001-07:00

After everyone we know asking us when we are going to have another baby, here is the long awaited announcement!! Baby #2 will be joining our family on January 25, 2012. We are super excited about another baby, and Ashley is especially excited about getting through the next few weeks to hopefully get over this phase of morning sickness. Blech! Here is a pic of baby at 13 weeks, giving Dad a wave when he made it to the ultrasound. So far baby is looking healthy and happy and has been moving around A TON in both of the ultrasounds we have had so far. We look forward to this sweet little baby joining our family. After getting to know Braden, we feel even more excited about meeting baby #2. Braden is such a joy and has such a fun and spirited personality so we are so thrilled to see what this baby will be like. Babys head is in the top right of the picture, and his hand is in the middle there kind of above his mouth. YAY!!

Goose Pond

2011-07-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Braden watching not to closesly as Emily tries to catch a crawdad

If we ever live on a large property I would love to have a pond with geese. I don't

know why, but I absolutely love geese. I think they are beautiful and so amazing to watch.

Braden and Joaquin were both a little apprehensive about feeding the geese,

but with my help, they both warmed up to the idea and had a lot of fun.

My mom had been wanting to find a local duck pond since the beginning of the summer, and she somehow discovered this gigantic regional park and pond in Auburn, about a half hour from us. We took a picnic, and some bread and headed up one Saturday afternoon. We couldn't believe how big the park was, and how many geese and ducks there were. We quickly realized that we didn't bring nearly enough bread because as we began to throw out our bread, more and more geese came flying in. It was crazy!! They were hungry and excited and a little too brave at times, but we had such a blast at the park and enjoyed perfect weather in the 80's. If you are a local, with kiddos, check out Auburn Regional Park on Richardson Dr. It was so much fun. And don't forget to bring LOTS of bread!!

The Ultimate in Bathtime

2011-07-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

When my brother Chad was babysitting, while Devin and I took a quick trip to the grocery store, Braden got a pretty awesome bath. When I give Braden a bath, it is usually quick, with only a few inches of water right before bed time when I am in a hurry to get him in bed. But Chad filled the tub all the way above Bradens armpits!! I think there was more than a foot of water in that tub and Braden was in HEAVEN!! I think he felt like he was swimming. Lucky boy to have such fun uncles who let him do things mommy doesn't ever think of.

SAFETY FAIR!!!

2011-07-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Braden is a boy through and through and love police men and firetrucks. Although recently he stopped saying fire truck and it turned into firework truck. Too funny. Anyway, the local police and fire departments put on this safety fair and we decided to brave having 3 toddlers, and took the kiddos to get in on the action.

Bradens first ever time sitting on a "real" motorcycle. Dads scooter, the bumble bee as Devins coworkers call it doesn't exactly count, although Braden can't yet tell the difference.

In heaven with a fireman hat and sitting up high in the fire truck

The best picture we could get of these three kiddos, Sofia(2.5), Joaquin(3.5), and Braden(2)

I started watching Sofia and Joaquin a few months ago and love these two little angels to death, although having the two of them plus my little rascal is a lot like having triplets and can be a lot of work at times. But mostly they are so kind to each other and are a lot of fun!!

Exploring

2011-07-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

I thought I knew a lot of what there was to see around here, but we found a hidden gem yet again. One weekend, the boys and I took a little walkabout near a park in Roseville that I had been too quite a few times. We were pleasantly surprised by the sights we saw off of the road less traveled and will probably go visit again next spring. When we came home, I decided that when we look for a house again, I would like to look over there because the wetlands are huge over there and there are a lot of walking paths, which are so lovely when one likes to run. :)

Cute right?!

Braden love his uncles oh so much!!

And they love him even more!!

This picture makes me want to cry because Braden is such a big boy now!!

Six Flags

2011-07-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

In June we went with my Mom, sisters, and brother to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom about an hour and a half away. My family got season passes and can get us in for free a few times. Sweet deal for us. Braden had a great time riding the few rides he was tall enough for and especially seeing the animals. The zoo in Sacramento is pretty lame and although we have been there a few times, I don't think Braden had ever seen elephants, lions, or tigers in real life, let alone dolphins, seals, whales, walrus, penguins, etc. etc. He had a really great time and surprisingly did well all day even without a nap and didn't even fall asleep on the way home. Can't wait to take him again later this summer.

Braden is really into real trains, since we live about 200ft from the train track, so he was thrilled to actually be able to ride in one, and kept saying "All aboard!" which he learned from an amazing segment on the Disney Channel called "Choo Choo Soul"

He is really into it being "Bradens turn" so he was excited to do all the rides he could by himself!

Braden was in love with all the animals. We had a fun time going to all of the shows and sitting in the shade to watch.

Dont ask why I let him touch a snake. Now that I look at the pictures, I think it is disgusting, but he is a boy right?

Bappy Hirthday

2011-07-06T13:25:00.001-07:00

We can hardly believe our baby is not a baby anymore. He is two!! What the!! And man can we tell. He is so delightful though. We are sure loving watching him grown and develop as his kittle personality is exposed more and more every day. We celebrated his birthday in style and inside. It was pouring rain for several weeks in May and June, and what a bummer it was for a supposed pool party. But it kept things simple for us and we just ended up having family over for pizza and homemade ice cream. We took Braden to donuts for breakfast, watched Kung Fu Panda and ate popcorn, all took naps, and then enjoyed pizza!! What a relaxing day! Love our little man!!

Braden and Grandma

Blowing out his candle, he loves blowing out candles, so he was excited that it was all for him!

Something made us feel like Em was more excited about the gifts than Braden was.....

The party planning commitee

Too Cute

2011-07-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

One afternoon after church and lunch the boys were so tired they both just conked right out. Braden doesn't ever sleep in our bed. He always thinks its tent time, or jumping time, or book time whenever we are in bed, so I was so in love with them sleeping there. So cute. Love my boys!

Maui Wowee

2011-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Pictures are totally out of order. I cant figure out how to move anything. Its been a long time since I have blogged and I have already spent a while getting this post together so Im not going to take the time to figure it out. Just read and view and enjoy.

Our last night in Maui, hence the amazing tans!!

In front of Cheeseburgers in Paradise. A bunch of the restaurants we ate at had windows that opened all the way, or no windows at all, so it was basically open air and so much more enjoyable that way.

Our last stop at some waterfall on the road to Hana

A view at the Seven Sacred Pools

Seven Sacred Pools

The Beginnings of the sunrise on top of Haleakala Crater

Mr Muscles

Amazing sunrise above the clouds at Haleakala Crater at 10,000 feet

Devin took a little walk and found these vines to swing on. I got video, and was just praying the vines wouldn't break and he wouldn't fall into this 6 inch rocky creek bed.

This waterslide was so fun it was hilarious!!

The Gazebo: Best breakfast ever, including fried rice at 10am

Our sweet off roading shot

A picture near the blow hole and tide pools

The jungle was so dense it was amazing! It reminded us of Guatemala!

At the lava rock beach

At the beginning of May Devin and Ash got to go to Maui with some of our good friends, Mike and Jess. It was amazing to say the least. Whenever we get asked what our favorite part was, its hard to pin down just one event that could have been our favorite just because every single thing was so incredible!!

We arrived in Maui on Saturday, and were immediately struck by the perfect weather. The airports in Hawaii that we stopped at were both mostly outdoor and it was so fun just smelling the clean air. We read somewhere that air in Hawaii is more clean than almost anywhere on earth because it is surrounded by so much water that the pollution from big cities far away gets wiped out. And we could sure smell the clean air. We were instantly in love. We took an evening swim in the ocean right outside our hotel and couldn't believe how warm the water was. We all just walked right in!! It was nothing like the freezing California ocean water we are used to. We also went to the grocery store and spent more on a weeks worth of groceries, than I do in an entire month. It was a little depressing, but it was still cheaper than eating out for every meal, or at least thats what we are thinking. We also found this random little beach with these round lava rocks all along the shore. It made a sound kind of like one of those GIANT rain sticks every time the water would go out. It was fascinating!!

Sunday we went to church, and then did a little sightseeing. We traveled around the west end of Maui, about a 3 hr drive with a few stops along the way. We enjoyed the amazing sights of being the only people around!! We saw a couple of really neat blow holes, where when a wave comes in, the water shoots up really high and fast through a hole in the lava rock. To celebrate mothers day, Devin took me to what quickly became my favorite restaurant ever. We got dessert at a small place on the beach called Leilani's. We got my new favorite dessert, Hula Pie. An Oreo crust, macadamia nut ice cream, a thick fudge topping, whip cream, caramel, and more macadamia nuts. OH MAN!! It was amazing I think we went and got it 3 or 4 times. Devin made it for me again for my birthday and it was just as amazing as I'd remembered.

Monday we spent the day acting like kids! We had one of the best breakfasts ever at a little place called the Gazebo. If you go to Maui, go there. It was so yummyWe swam pretty much all day long in the ocean and in our pool. The pool at our hotel was INCREDIBLE!! We went down the water slide probably 30 times and sat around watching people go down and were just dying laughing at how much fun grown adults, and silly kids, were having going down this little 30 or 40 ft water slide. We even learned all the tricks to make the slide faster. It was so much fun.

Tuesday, we got to do one of the most amazing things I have ever done. We got up at 2am, a little crazy if you ask me, and got in a van and drove to the top of this mountain to watch the sunrise around 5:30am. It was quite breathtaking being there above the cloud cover. We then got to ride bikes down the mountain from 8,000 feet and down. We hardly had to pedal at all and just got to FLY down the mountain at 6am. It was so much fun until Devin ate it trying to jump a 1 inch curb. He scraped his shins up pretty good and got bonked on the head by the sidewalk, but we weren't going too fast at that point and he was able to ride on. It was honestly one of the funniest things I have ever seen. AFV worthy. And I couldn't stop laughing, even to ask him if he was ok. It was a little scary when he wouldn't respond because I was laughing so much. It was such a beautiful experience, and although I was exhausted for the next 2 days, it was definitely worth it. We enjoyed long naps that afternoon, and just relaxed for the rest of the day. We went to dinner at Cheeseburgers in Paradise and fell in LOVE with coconut shrimp. Yum Yum!!

Wednesday we enjoyed some snorkeling which was so fun. The ocean is so beautiful. We really had a fun time just being out in the open water. Wednesday night we went to a magic show called at a place called Warren and Annabelles. It was not only hilarious, but mostly impossible. We were sitting in the front row, and I still cannot imagine how in the world this guy pulled 2 bowling balls out of a hat right after he put it on Mikes head.

Thursday Devin and I did a little snorkel and kayak trip. We saw an octopus, that our guide decided to stick to my leg. It stuck really tight and hurt so bad when the guy pulled it off. I thought it was going to rip my skin off, but it didn't. Somehow on Devs stomach it didn't stick as tight. By the time we kayaked over to "turtle town" I had gotten seasick, forgot to take the Dramamine, and didn't want to swim anymore so I didn't see the turtles. But we snorkled at another spot later in the day where we saw a few turtles. It was so fun. They seem to be as relaxed as Crush in Finding Nemo. I still haven't developed the underwater camera, but I think Braden will want to look at the pictures all the time.

Friday we drove the road to Hana. We took a few stops along the way at some beautiful pools and waterfalls. It was a long and tiring drive, but it was so beautiful. By the end of our trip, we were excited to go home and see Braden, but very sad to leave the perfect weather and atmosphere of Hawaii, not to mention the amazing vacation.

As a sidenote, when we came home it rained for like a month and a half and wasn't really warm enough for swimming so we lost our Hawaii glow. It was really depressing!!

Hello?

2011-03-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

First the bad news. In two segments.

There is an explanation for the intense lack of blogging which would make my life appear like 1) busy crazy madness with no time for blogging or 2) something intense going on.... Glad to say it is neither. The explanation though is a tragedy in my life for the time being.

The first problem: I broke my camera before Christmas, and never bother to get pics from my phone to my computer, which brings me to another point.
And the second problem: I currently dont have a computer either. My computer had a broken mouse, and we had only had it for a year. So since it was still under warranty we decided to sell it and get another one. So we dont have a camera or a computer, but are working on both. So good luck to us. For the time being I am grateful for my blessed i-phone, which is conveniently also on the fritz.... sounds like a bit of bad luck. Anyway, I am going to get back to my regularly scheduled blogging. I have done loads of projects and its been a little sad to not be blogging a thing. Especially when my CUUUTE little boy is almost two and nobody's seen any pics of his cute face. So check back in a few weeks and I will probably have blogged a thing or two by then. XOXO!!

Ketchup

2011-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

What is it about Ketchup that will make a child eat anything? ANYTHING!! If there is something I really want B to eat, I just put some ketchup on it and its instantly gone. I don't understand. Maybe its because I don't love Ketchup. Before Braden came along BBQ sauce was the most used condiment in our home. But thanks to Braden Ketchup is making a comeback. There's something about Ketchup.

Anyway, this post is really about "catch up". I have a million things to blog about. Of course I broke my camera right before Christmas. Sad day. So I have to get a disc of pictures from Christmas off my father in laws camera. So Christmas might be a while. But in the meantime, enjoy some other things that have been waiting around to be blogged about. :)

Disneyland December '10

2011-01-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of December we got to take Trent with us to Disneyland. It was so much fun, despite the horrific crowds, and the quick trip. We spent one day at Disney and California Adventure and spent a load of time in the car trying to get to the American Doll Store to get some Christmas gifts. Went once, dont need to go back kind of experience. Anyway, we had such a great time at Disneyland. Disney at Christmas really is amazing. I couldnt believe how much it was decorated. I was very impressed that they played religious christmas music. Silent Night, Away in A Manger, etc. It just reminded me of how much I love Disneyland, and what Christmas really means. It was Bradens third time and it seems like he finally gets it. He said "Yeehaw" and "Whee" a lot during the rides. I am dying to take him again this month because I think he will love it even more! Such a cool kid. Unfortunately I was horrible about taking pictures since we were dashing from ride to ride hoping to ride everything Trent wanted two or three times. It worked, but no pics to show for it. Oh well. Thanks for escorting us Trenter!!

Its super hard to see, but Braden is full on smiling during King Tritons Carousel ride at California Adventure. They rode it a few times while I waited in line for Toy Story Mania for 50 minutes. Longest line I have ever waited in at Disneyland. NO JOKE! It was worth it though that ride was so much fun!

By the end of the night at 10:00 we were so tired and had zombie eyes. We had gotten into our hotel at 1:00am the night before and of course Braden was awake when we got there, so he and I left early and Trent and Dev stayed until 12am. CRAZIES! I couldnt wait to get back and go to bed!

Best Buds

2011-01-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Chelise (my neighbor and SIL) and I have been waiting for the day that Braden would learn how to play. In between Thanksgiving and Christmas, he figured it out. His cousins have become his best buds. They run all over the house screaming and growling and making boy noises (pow, bam, pop, etc) and laugh like crazy at each other. It is the cutest thing ever. After 10 months of being neighbors our boys are finally friends, just before Eric and Chelise will leave us in February. (tears). So here's to the buds who get to be together forever. Lucky guys!

And for good measure, I asked the boys to look at me and smile and this is what I got. Kalem smile made me laugh so hard. Silly boys. Pretty sure they were watching Finding Nemo.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-17T09:45:00.000-08:00

One day in October, with a bunch of Mommies from church, we went to the pumpkin patch. It was pretty fun, worth the free admission and getting out of the house at least. Braden forced us to do our own thing half the time, but he is so cool and cute that it was fine with me.We got to play here for about 5 minutes. Braden loved going up all of the stairs. When big kids came it was time to go. I could tell they wanted to run all of the little kids over. Braden loved looking at the animals and especially loved when they made noise.
Not sure if he thought this was a real animal, but he wanted to give this chicken a love.

My little buddy and I.

Dress Ups

2010-11-16T13:59:00.001-08:00

I got our dress up box out to see what we had for Halloween and when I walked away, Braden walked in and found a new treasure! This kid loves shoes.

Death by Wiffle Ball

2010-11-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

Devin has all these golf size wiffle balls in the trunk. Braden saw them and wouldnt stop grabbing for them. This is what happened next. I think if he had swallowed it he could have breathed through the holes right? (I'm joking! I was terrified and after about the fourth time he put it in his mouth I decided that it needed to be taken away. I am a pretty good mom. I swear!!)And look at Bradens cute friend Zachary in the background. These two are TROUBLE!!!

Halloweekend

2010-11-15T23:05:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Halloween. We went to our ward trunk or treat and then to my parents. Braden loved being Nemo. He would say "Memo" every time he saw his costume and would even cry sometimes when I would take it off of him. Of course his favorite part was the suckers. He had never seen so much candy in his life. Trunk or Treating at PaPa's car.
Our cute family. We won second place in the ward costume contest.

Braden and Pax getting their sugar high on!!

Check It Out!!!

2010-11-15T22:12:00.001-08:00

My mom pal and I made these for our front door!! I LOVE how mine turned out and it was so easy and cheap!! Yahoo!

Little Braden

2010-11-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

This is a double wammy post. I wanted to show a pic of when Braden pulled a tie out of our closet and put it around his neck. It was so cute. Braden loves his Daddy so much, even though most of the time he calls him "Momma". Then I realized that the pictures showerd two classic Braden looks. If you have seen Braden, you have seen him make both of these faces. He is so funny!!

BICYCLE BICYCLE!!

2010-11-15T12:54:00.000-08:00

We finally got ourselves some bikes! We'd had them on our wish list for two years and finally took the plunge. After too many dates to REI, and Braden learning the word bike and knowing to walk there on his own when we got there, we finally found two bikes that suited our taste. For me, I just liked the look of mine. It's a beauty!! And Devin did his research for his and got the exact bike he wanted. We have enjoyed many family bike rides when the weather was nice, and before daylight savings. Braden and I have had a great time riding around the neighborhood and on various errands close by. Devin has gone on several biking trips and has enjoyed having two flats in two trips. We have lots of beautiful paved and unpaved trails around and are glad that we finally did it!!

Devin took an amazing bike trip to the Flume trail at Lake Tahoe. Check out that view!!

One rainy weekend, during a break in the rain, we decided to get out and go to the park. While we were at the park of course it started raining so we had to ride the mile and a half home in the pouring rain. Braden didnt make a peep while we were riding home, but he doesnt look to thrilled either.

Guess What?

2010-11-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

Did you know..... I wanted to get a second car. Instead devin got this! A non-carseat carrying, bachelor style scooter. His co-workers call it the bumblebee! Braden thinks its the coolest thing in our garage and loves every motorcycle he sees. Wonder why?! The fun lasted from Aug to Nov. Now its too cold and dark most days. Cant wait until April!!

Disneylandia

2010-11-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

In October, we got to go to Disneyland with three of Devins siblings and there kiddos. We had such a blast!! Braden and I also got to spend a day in San Diego with the other Christensens, and we had such a fun time with them. They left their little brother Carter with Grandma and Grandpa and since they missed Carter so much, Braden took his place. It was so fun! We had such a fabulous time at Disneyland and loved being there with the fam bam!! Braden loved it this time and we are pretty sure his favorite ride was the Buzz Lightyear ride because he started saying "Buzz" while we were there. Cant wait to go back!!

Braden loves his cousin Pax. They are best buds!!

When we came in August, we brought an umbrella stroller and Braden had a mega friek out around 2pm from being so exhausted. We ended up having to leave the park and missed out on about 4 hrs of Disney time with my family. So this time we brought the BOB and it was the best! Braden fell asleep twice while we were walking and he stayed asleep for a good 45 minutes both times!!!

Braden had a great time on the Dumbo ride. It was pretty crouded while we were there so my arms got really worked holding Braden so much while we were in all the long lines for our favorite rides.

Little Swimmer

2010-11-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

I put Braden in swimming lessons over the summer. He was frieking me out by diving head first into the water so I decided he needed to learn to swim. It took 2 twenty minute private lessons and now he can swim like a champ. (with floaties) Next summer the floaties are gone and he will be doing it on his own. This summer he was only kicking hard enough to propel himself forward, not to get his head out of the water so the floaties were perfect! We had a fun summer full of pool time every day.

It Starts!

2010-11-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yup! We have a toddler. I am learning slowly, and surely how to deal with the new Braden,but its tough man. Braden was such an easy baby. When I say easy, I mean it. He slept through the night from about 3 weeks on, he has never had any trouble eating, obviously, he has been super healthy, I think he has been sick like twice, and has been so delightful. But those days our gone. I have a toddler in my home. He is still delightful. I love spending my days with him. He makes me laugh all day long and is the cutest little guy ever. He is the best and I love having a boy if it means having a little one who does popcorn popping, who sings to me while I change his diaper, who will break out dancing when any beat catches his ear, including at church, who calls himself Baby, who gives the best hugs, who has begun to laugh at himself, who finds any phone and puts it to his ear and says hi, who has the cutest little voice ever, who has turned our world upside down and we wouldnt have it any other way. We love our Braden!!

At 14 months he figured out how to climb onto the kitchen barstool. I was mortified!!

But imagine my horror upon finding "this" inside my toilet. Yeah scary!! This happened in a 2 minute period where I was changing the diaper of the boy whose feet are pictured in the corner.

FINISH!!!

2010-11-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

My Partner and I Pre-Race. Can you tell Braden woke up early to come see us off?

I started running in HS. I joined the track team and that gave my Mom a good laugh. I did hurdles. I kind of enjoyed it, and even set a few school records, that got broken the next year by a girl who was really fast. Bummer for me. When I started running again after Braden was born, I set a lofty goal. I wanted to run a half marathon. I started training and run 7mi, but then hurt my foot, and got sick in the same two weeks and then new that I missed the boat for that race. Again, all summer I ran almost 5-6 days a week to keep my body in shape for a race I wanted to do in November. Of course the race was cancelled. It is really hard to find Saturday races around here. Its a bummer. So my options were few. 1) I could run a race out of town, but the cost started to get too lofty. 2) I could run a local trail half marathon, which basically means I can run a 13mi hike. I chose option 2. It was insane. I cant even describe the power I felt after having accomplished that! On every uphill stretch, which was probably about 75% of the course, I kept telling myself "I can do this. I have had a baby. I pushed for four hours." But towards the end, it was not keeping my motivated. By about mile 11, I decided that the race was more exhausting than pushing for four hours and I just had to keep telling myself I needed to finish. It was so killer and I do not ever want to run a trail half ever again, but I look forward to running a street half marathon sometime next year to see how much my time can improve on the street! On a sidenote, my brother and sister at BYU did a half the following weekend and they were so amazing!

My Love and I post-race. Surprised I was standing! I was sore for about 4 days!

The Redwoood Forest

2010-10-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am only a month behind on this post. But sitll have not updated from our Aug disney trip. Ha Ha. Oh well. For Labor Day Weekend, we (us, my sis Emily, and Bairds)had the chance to drive up to the Redwood parks near the Oregon and California border. What a beutiful and AWEsome part of California. It was amazing to see how beautiful another part California is and to remember how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful state. While in our neck of the woods and south, it is a bit crowded, there is still a ton of un-inhabited land that is so amazing to see!! The sights were amazing, and we had a truly awesome time.

Fri: Like magic, Braden got sick the night before we were to leave and I had to wash his carseat and Winco had to wash their floor (we left without our groceries). Oh and did I mention I had to wash Bradens sheets. Perfect start to any family vacation right?! Fri was such a busy morning, and we got off to a very late start. After a few stops for some more carseat cleaning, and then a stop for me too, we finally made it to our campsite in the Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, at the Mill Creek campground at 10:30pm. Yikes! It was an exhausting day and I couldnt wait to sleep in a tent. My favorite!!

Sat: Surprisingly all 8 of us got a wonderful nights sleep, and we even all slept in until almost 8, which if you are a camper you know that is super rare since the sun comes up at 5am and when the sun is up usually so are you! Since we arrived in the middle of the night, we missed the majesty of the drive and the beauty of our campground. It was so lush and beautiful all around us. There were trees and ferns everywhere and it was like a fairy village. We had an awesome breakfast of all you can eat oatmeal and hot chocolate. Dev brought his Jetboil and we had hot water in like 2 minutes. That thing is rockin!! We took a slow start that morning and made it to our first destination around 10. We hiked around Stout Grove. The trees were so gigantic. I could hardly believe it. We really felt so small walking around. It is hard to imagine how tall they are because we couldnt even see the tops of them. There were so many trees that were all so tall, that we couldnt see very high because the forest was so dense. It was so beautiful. We really enjoyed that walk.

This is the root of a fallen tree

This disgusting banana slug makes his home in the forest. Kalem said "Ewwww poooop!" when he saw it. It was just as gross that is for sure.

After Stout Grove, we headed to the beach for a some tide pool viewing. It was really neat. There were a lot of anemones, hermit crabs, and starfish all over. We saw a lot of crab shells, but no live ones. Dont know what happened to all of them. We took a hike up to Battery Point lighthouse. It was a great view and interesting to hear that the lightkeepers are trapped there most of the time because the tide comes in and prevents them from leaving. It is up on this island cliff that can only be accessed during very low tide. We went on the right day. It was such a beautiful view of the ocean right next to the forest. I could not get over the ocean views every time we saw it. The ocean so blue and really beautiful up there.

After doing some laundry, and stopping at Safeway, we headed back to camp for some chicken kabobs, french bread and smores! YUM!!! Dinner was delish and warm and just what we needed to end the great day.

Sun: Braden graced us at 5:30am with another gift from the puke fairy. Poor kid. Little ones throwing up is honestly the worst. It just comes without any warning and usually never makes it into anything disposable. Somehow hardly any got on his jammies, and I could just wipe it off, and only a little got in his hair. So we had to pull out a nasty barf blanket out of the tent and steal a blanket from under Dev who was just sleeping on the floor in the car. (After a nap in the car, I dont feel bad because it was silent and warm in there.) Then he threw up again in the morning at breakfast. Oh the joy. But again, Sunday was a marvelous day. Braden may have been sick, but he sure wasn't acting like it. He was pleasant and fun the entire trip. :)

We headed down the coast to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and to our final resting place of the trip. We switched campsites, and that was a great idea because our new campsite was just as beautiful as the first, and even a litttle quieter, although we were not near the bathroom, which later proved to be a problem several times in the middle of the night. Our first stop in Prairie Creek was Fern Canyon. I swear Disneyland gets all of their decorating ideas straight from nature. It really felt like we were somewhere manmade. We hiked into this canyon that was probably about 30 feet wide, and the canyon walls were sheer cliffs about 50 feet tall. They were completely covered in moss, and ferns and at some places had little waterfalls dropping over the sides. The canyon floor was basically just a stream where we walked over bridge after bridge. The bridges were basically just slats of wood laying on the stream floor so somtimes they barely made it over the top of the water. It was so incredible and one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. After that hike, we took a quick walk down to look at the ocean for a few minutes. But I could see Bradens eyes staring at the sand, and knew that we wouldnt stay long. :) We then went back to our camp for dinner and bed. Lucky for me, I got sick that night and couldnt wait to go home.

Mon: The troops cleaned up camp while I slept in the car since I had a rough night, and then Braden fell asleep on a bike ride with the nanny (Emily) so he came and joined me. It was a fabulous nap and I was a little jealous that Devin got to sleep in the car all three nights. It was great in there. After we were all ready to go, everyone went on a bike ride and I stayed behind and read MOCKINGJAY for a little bit, and then took another short nap since I was feeling pretty crummy still. We got on the road late again, but at least made it home around 8:30 and still had time for a stop to drive under a tree. Sweet. It was a fabulous trip and if you can stand camping and driving, I would definitely recommend it. It was well worth all of the craziness just for the majesty of Gods creations that we got to see.

Here are some interesting facts about the Redwoods National Park Area:

The weather averages about 58degrees the entire year January through December.

The average age of the Redwood Trees is 500-700 years old and can live up to 2000 yrs

The Redwood trees can have bark that is up to 1 ft thick, which contains a chemical making it fire resistent and virtually indestructible to insects and disease

The Redwoods can grow up to 350+ feet and average about 250 ft

Their roots grow only 6-12ft deep, but spread out between 60-80ft

Multiple trees can grow out of one root, on a knot from the side of the original tree, called a burl

FISH TACOES!!!

2010-09-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Holy Smokes. I had the luckiest day ever yesterday. I had fish tacoes for the first time over the summer and they did not disappoint. So since I had some Halibut hanging out in the freezer begging to be devoured I thought I would try and make some home made fish tacoes. I will admit, it was a little risky finding a fish tacoe recipe online, but I had my greatest cooking success ever! It was the most delish recipe I have ever tried, and is now one of my all time favorite meals. It was so yummy and super easy. I dont know if I have ever cared enough about the spreading of a recipe to share it on my blog, but this was honestly the most delicioso meal I have ever made. I am not even exaggerating. I was even lucky enough to have just enough left over for one for lunch today. I mean man were these some good tacoes. So here is the recipe. You had better try it out. If you like tacoes, it will not dissapoint. Even if fish is your favorite, I think you would still like this recipe. (the recipe is for about 8 tacoes, give or take)

Spicy Blackened Fish Tacoes

FISH

1lb firm fleshed fish (halibut, salmon, mahi mahi etc)

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C flour

2 tbsp vegetable oil

desired number corn tortillas

avocado

lemon juice

Heat oil on Med High in a skillet. To get the skin off of the fish, I just fry it skin side down, and when it gets cooked, the skin just peels off. Mix chili powder, cayenne, sugar, salt, and flour. Dredge fish in flour mixture. After skin has been removed, dredge fish in flour mixture. Fry on both sides until cooked through. Serve on warm corn tortillas (I put mine in the microwave for about 40 seconds on damp paper towels so they stay moist) with avocado chunks, charred salsa, and aioli. YUMMI!!

Charred Corn Salsa

1 C frozen corn kernels

2 diced roma tomatoes

1/4 C diced red onion

1 minced jalapeno, seeds removed

1 tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

Preheat broiler and put oven rack in highest position. Toss all ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer mixture to shallow baking pan. Broil about 5-8 minutes until tomatoes and onions are soft and mixture has browned a little bit.

Cilantro Aioli

1/4 C mayo

1 tbsp lemon juice

a few sprigs of cilantro

I just put all the ingredients in the food processer, and it minced the cilantro and blended it all together. Super easy. On a side note, while I was taking a pic of the tacoes, Braden said "Cheee". Didn't know he could say that. So I snapped a shot of my little Cheeser. Love this kid! Also I am still working on a post from our last Disney trip and from our Redwoods trip.

A Child of God

2010-09-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, when Braden was just a few weeks old, he and I shared a tender experience that I never had a chance to record. Recently this memory was brought back to my mind and I wanted to record it.

"I am a child of God, and He has sent me here, has given me and earthly home, with parents kind and dear. Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way, teach me all that I must do, to live with Him some day." These are the words to one of the most common of all primary songs, sung within our church. I learned this song, probably as a three year old, when I started going to primary, maybe even sooner. For twenty plus years, I sang these words countless times, but they never had as much meaning as they did when I had my sweet Braden. The meaning of the words changed.

I was not the one being referred to as the "child of God" but rather the one who would "teach Braden all that he must do to live with Him someday." As I sang these words to Braden one night, as I was rocking him to sleep, tears welled up in my eyes as I realized my purpose as Bradens mother. Our Father in Heaven has sent me and angel and it is my responsibility to take my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and of our Fathers plan, and teach it to my sweet son. The veil has been placed over his mind, and although I am sure he is still close to heaven, time will wear, and he will forget the memories of his past life. It is my job to remind him and to teach him of the Plan of Happiness that will take him back to our Savior, Jesus Christ. As I sung, I could not finish because of the emotion that I felt. I thought I would just move on to another song.

I chose "Families Can Be Together Forever". I sang "I have a family here on earth. They are so good to me. I want to share my life with them through all eternity. Families can be together forever. Through Heavenly Fathers plan. I always want to be with my own family. And the Lord has shown me how I can. The Lord has shown me how I can."

Once again, I could not make it through the song. It had new meaning for me as now I had my own child, and my own family whom I wanted to be with forever. Our Heavenly Fathers Plan of Happiness has new meaning in my life as a mother and wife. I am so thankful that through my Savior, Jesus Christ, who atoned for my sins, I can repent and better myself so that I might return to live with him again. I am thankful that I can live with my family for eternity, as long as I teach my children correct principles, and teach them to follow our Savior. I am so thankful to be a mother to my sweet, hilarious, wild, boy Braden, and the wife to such a faithful and righteous Priesthood holder. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family, and epsecially wonderful parents who taught me the truth and shared their testimonies with my siblings and I. I always want to be with my family, and I am thankful for the knowledge that I can.

Lake Hikes

2010-08-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

We love Folsom Lake. In most parts of it, it is not very beautiful and is pretty muddy and nasty, without a boat its kinda lame, but we love it just the same. Especially when we can hike around and enjoy the beauty of the earth. When Lo was here visiting Braden and I chaperoned a hike with her and her pals. We had a great time and Braden loved spending time with all the ladies. We took another trip a few days later for a little skimming and swimming. It didnt turn out the best, we picked a bad spot, but we still had a good time with Braden Raden providing our entertainment.

If Braden didnt sort of know how to swim, I think he would drowned himself out of sheer bravery. This kid has no fear when it comes to the water. Yikes!!

The sis, me, and Boo

Braden enjoyed a little mud bathing after our hike to Avery's pond.

Preview

2010-08-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we went to LA to hit up Disneyland and the beach with my family. We had a fabulously exhausting time. Braden loved the beach. It was so fun!! There will be more to come on that whenever I get the pics from my sis. Yay for sisters.

Should We?

2010-08-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

So I think after all of these chinese comments that have begun to overtake us that maybe it is time to make our blog private. What do you think? If you have a private blog, does it seem to be going well? If you dont do you just hate the idea? Any ideas other than making this thing private?

IDERHO

2010-08-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

We went on a 2 week hiatus from life. It was a grand ol' time. We drove to Rexburg, 14hrs, something I never want to do again, although I know we will, then spent a few days in Provo before we came back home. We had a lovely time creating lasting memories with our family at the Christensen Rendezvous. :) Loved it. I even got to spend a little lunch date with McCall at Mill Hollow. Our trip was the best. Oh how we miss thee Idaho, you will never be forgotten!

Braden wasnt too sure about the PB&J I gave him from "Lunch in the Park", even though he eats it at home all the time. I guess he knew it was free for me so he thought he would rather spit it all out and then eat something we had paid for. Go figure. Bathtime was so much fun with all these little ones to play together. I dont think Braden ever had to take a bath by himself the entire time we were in Idaho. It was so much fun!He was unamused by the carosel ride that Chenae paid $1 for him to ride. I thought he would love it for sure, but he just seemed to be confused and bored the whole time, and maybe a little dizzy. Or was that just me?It was so dreamy finally having all these little boy cousins all together. It had been three years since we'd had a reunion, and half the boys weren't even born then. They had such a blast following each other all over the place and getting into trouble.As usual, Pax and Braden followed each other everywhere and went straight for the electronics.Check out the legs on this one. This was Devins costume of choice for the variety show!! Woohoo!!Pax was not to excited about the Big Judd burger we ordered him, although we knew he could handle it.While in Provo, we got to stay with Katie and Brady. Braden and Marshall got along great and we had fun watching them interact with each other. Marshall was so cute and it was so much fun to see them!

Braden also got to meet "Uncle Rick", Devins roommate from college, for the first time. Rick was often our chaperone on dates and was one of the first ones to know when I was pregnant! Braden was fascinated by the hair on Ricks face. Rick always gets his 5 o' clock shadow about an hour after he shaves and Devin struggles to grow facial hair so that was all new to him. It was so funny! He kept touching and rubbing Ricks face and just staring! So cute!!

Another Haircute!! And yes it was a haircute!!

2010-08-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

So haircut #4 happened in the sink. And was it ever a success. And yes I do keep track of the number of haircuts this one has had because I have never heard of a 1 year old already having had this many. Look how dang cute this guy is!! I think he is on the 6 week plan just like the rest of us, although it has already been 9 weeks and its looking shaggy again. Should I just let him grow it out for a while? I think he would look so so darling!

Its Only June

2010-06-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Braden just loves the computer. I think that he thinks he knows what he is doing when he is pounding on the keys. Oh and the tan line. Right. Thats what this post is all about. Man alive. I cant even imagine how dark this kid is going to be come September when we have to pack our swimmers away. The craziest part is thinking that his whole body was the same color as his bum just a few weeks ago!!

Lake Day

2010-06-15T22:21:00.001-07:00

We took a little trip to the lake today to beat the heat. We had such a fun time. The weather was perfect, I finally put sunscreen on Braden like a good Momma, and we were both feeling good all day after several days of illness around our house. We love living so close to the lake and cant wait for Daddy to buy us a boat. (We wish!)

Why do boys eat rocks and dirt?

I wasnt worried about him getting too far into the water, but the crazy kid stands on top of a beach chair when I am not looking. Honestly. He is such a boy. Oh and check out his belly!!

Braden just plopped himself down on the beach and enjoyed the shallow warm waves.

This kid is a water baby through and through. Nothing makes him happier.
Tried to get a cute pic, but somebody was a little mad that I picked him up. Whoops.

Horseshoe Bar Hike

2010-06-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

So thank goodness for Eliza!! We finally got out of the house and had an outing, and have plans for many more. We took a quick drive to the top part of Folsom Lake in Loomis, and hiked around a path between Rattlesnake Bar and Horseshoe Bar. The trail was beautiful and we hiked right along the lake for the majority of the trail. We even got to see an old fat man running shirtless with his sweaty dog. Awesome!! Afterwards we had a picnic by the car of strawberries, watermelon, rice cakes, and sandwiches, and changed diapers on the perfectly flat giant rock. It was awesome!! We had so much fun Wellmans! Cant wait for our next trip!!

Bradens Birthday Partay!!

2010-06-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Bradens party was a ton of fun. We bbq'd and swam and ate popsicles. The weather finally got warm enough for swimming and lots of Bradens friends came.

He got loaded with gifts and some havent even been opened yet because I am trying to keep order to Bradens toys in our house. What a spoiled kid. Braden loves living so close to Grammie and Pop Pop.
Braden got so so excited when his buddy Charlie showed up.
He cant wait to have a pup of his own someday.

Best Buds! Braden and Rozzi Girl!

They are already in love. I swear!!

THE STATS

2010-06-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Look at our big boy. Devin is good about taking pictures of Braden when he is sleeping.

Braden was looking so gigantic, oh because he is.

So at Bradens 12month appointment, in addition to getting his wonderful shots, we learned a thing or two. First it was confirmed again, that my kid has a giant head. What?! 97 percentile what?! Shocker right? Second learned my kid is tall?! What? Yeah 33in man. 94 percentile. The dr was kind enough to tell me what that meant in case I wasnt smart enough... -to be read in sweet dr talking to potentially clueless mother- "That means that in a group of 100 children his age, only 6 will be taller than him." Thanks Dr Delmar. True story. I have a huge child. The real shocker though was his weight! How much did I think he weighed? At least 30 lbs!! Maybe 40! But the little peanut weighs a mere 24 lbs. Such a little sweet. Thats the 66 percentile. So while he does have a humongous noggin, and is taller than 93 kids his age, he is barely above average for weight which made me smile to think that he is still in some ways, just a little guy. Love him!!

Party Over Here

2010-06-06T21:15:00.001-07:00

Bradens birthday was quiet and fun. It was just the three of us, which doesnt happen often. We wanted to wake Braden up for his birthday, but he doesnt like to be woken up, and we dont like to wake up early enough to wake him up, so it worked out for all of us and Braden woke us up to make him our Christensen birthday tradition, Strawberry Waffles. They were yummy as usual, and Braden experienced ice cream for breakfast for the first time. Daddy left for work, and after a good run, Braden took a nap, and then we headed to the park for lunch and playtime. We had a good time, and the weather was nice, until it started getting hot and humid...what the?! Then it was off to the store for a last minute birthday buy. Yup, bought my kid a present last minute. We couldnt decide what to get him alright. (It seems as if at this age, we pick what we want him to have. It works out great for us, and we end up with all of the cool baby gear we want!) Then it was back home for another nap, and waiting for Daddy to get home. When Dad got home, Mom took a nap and Braden and Dad went to get Papa Murphys, our favorite, Yum!! And Braden didnt complain. Then off to the park for some birthday play time, and then home for presents and Bradens first ice cream cone!

I have a ONE year old!!

2010-06-06T20:52:00.001-07:00

Stop the presses! My baby turned one. June 4. I cried. Its a fact. Ask Devin. I just cant believe that my baby isn't a baby anymore. I am thrilled that he still wants a bottle at bedtime, and that he wants me to rock him in his bed. Thrilled that he loves to cuddle when he is tired. Thrilled that he is becoming independent, and oh so much fun with an amazing personality. Thrilled that he is so dang cute!! Thrilled that I just bought "What to Expect With Your Toddler" because I I have no clue what to do when he thinks its fun to bite and pull hair and hit and throw his food, or what he should be eating, or how what developmentally appropriate things he should be doing... you have all been here right? I can hardly believe a year has already gone by, and even more cannot believe how much I love my little one. I am a mother. I have a child. I love being a mommy..... except when the things happen that I didnt sign up for (getting puked on multiple times already, chunks of hair ripped out, poop smeared on floor, things broken, messes all over the place, screaming, crying.... everything else) Motherhood is not what I expected it would be, and although it is challenging, and exhausting, it is better than I ever could have imagined. I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven for blessing me (us) with little Braden Boy. He is our angel and he is one!!

Yosahmighty

2010-06-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day Weekend, as has been our crazy tradition two years running, we went camping. Last year as you dont remember, but I do, we went camping two days before I had Braden. It was insane of me, but a Unisom knocked me out for the night and I slept like a baby. It was a lot of fun, and my stomach is showing in just about every pic we have because I was so large. This year, we were also insane. We took our three days shy of 1, crawling baby boy to Yosemite. It was nuts, but it turned out fantastically and we cannot wait to go back. Braden was such a dream. He fell asleep instantly in his pack and play, didn't get too dirty, (although underneath his fingernails were black from letting him crawl around), loved loved loved being outside so much, I dont think I have ever seen him as hyper as he was on the trip, and he loved everything we ate, (pure junk except for our foil dinner, and then breakfast). I dont think I have ever given Braden any of the stuff he ate on the trip. Dorito's, M&M's, Starburst, Hot Chocolate, and the list goes on. Bad Mom of the Weekend award right here. But he was so good and thus we had such a wonderful time! The weather was beautiful, it wasnt cold, or rainy, as has been typical May weather around here, and the scenery was breath taking. Thank You Yosemite. Can't wait to see you again soon. (We bought a season pass! Anyone wanna go?)

The drive into the valley was so beautiful. You fall in love with Yosemite the second you get there. Here you can see Half Dome in the background, with Bridal Veil Falls in the foreground.

Braden was all for playing in the dirt. He was ready to get messy, and boy did he ever.

We thought it would be fun to take a early evening hike. It turned into a hike in the dark with a lost camper, who ended up turning back and staying at our camp. It was a little ridiculous of us. In the morning, we retraced our steps doing the same hike we had done in the dark. It was beautiful and we enjoyed it much more the second time around. Braden fell asleep within the first 5 minutes. It was great.
Our hiking took us to mirror lake where we stopped to take lots of pictures, play in the water, and relax in the shade.
Braden loves playing with Dad, especially when Dad lets him get wet when the water is icy cool.

It was a long weekend and so we decided it would be best if we let Braden drive us home. He thought it was a good idea too!

Reason 1357634200345 We Love Braden

2010-05-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Love this guy. He didnt even wake up when we were laughing in his room. So dang cute.

Hiking Club

2010-05-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

So we have enjoyed a few hikes in a row this month. It has been so lovely. Mother Nature has luckily cooperated and although it has been cold all month long, somehow we survive our hikes in shorts and t-shirts and have even managed to break a sweat. It has been so dreamy. Anyway, Devin has been a hike researching maniac and has found some really sweet hikes that we plan on going on, so I thought it might be fun to start a hiking club. For some reason having a club sounds awesome. I was in a Bunco group once and that was cool, but being in a *Hiking Club* sounds really COOL!!! This weekend we are going to the Sequoias I think, so no local hike for us. But seriously would anyone be interested in going hiking with us every now and then?

Recently our Hiking Club took us to the confluence of the American River. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the hike even though it was purely uphill and we couldnt go all the way to the supposed pond because the trail was overtaken by poison oak. LAME! But it was so fun anyway, we had a beautiful view of the river much of the hike, and we had a great time.

After our hike we traveled down to the river to enjoy our snacks and water. Devin kept dipping Braden into the water upside down to get his hands and hair wet. I didnt get any great pics of it because I wasnt aware of the situation until the end and I made Devin stop. The water is freezing.
I am a spec here on the left side of this pillar. We got to go underneath the Foresthill Bridge to see just how gigantic it is from the bottom up. It was enormous!!

A surfer on the river? Who knew. Jeff you should try it out. Your new passion right here in Sacto. LoL.

I'm Melting....

2010-05-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is me blabbing. I'm not melting because I am hot. I was melting like the Wicked Witch of the West. Just withering into the floor into a small puddle of water that was gathering outside my patio. Yup. It rained AGAIN today. The sun is my anti-depressant and I have noticed that I have had too many -BLAH- days as of late due to the outpouring of love the clouds have had for the earth. Its been raining like crazy and I cannot stand it one bit. I am ready for swimming, tans, bbq's, and the like. Isn't it May after all? I have a problem with the weather controlling my mood. It is certainly one of the side effects of my seizure meds. There should be a warning on the bottle suggesting that severe changes of mood can occur as a result of the weather. So I cant explain the Debbie Downer feeling I have. But I can explain the lovely band-aid I put on my mood. Her name is Regina Spektor. She is the best. She has the peppiest music. I LOVE IT!!! I havent gotten a good listen in on Regina in a long time. She reminds me of my love McCall and the ridiculously wonderful time we had in Rexy. Then thinking of McCall lifts my spirits and I feel happy. McCall is one of those friends for life kind of gals. She was the best roomie a girl could ever ask for. We were soulmates. One couldnt deny it. Especially when we would walk out of our bedrooms wearing the exact same WalMart sweats (still can't believe how much I ever bought in the clothing dept at WalMart when I lived in Rexburg), hideous white puffy coat, and ridiculous rainboots to walk in 1000 feet of snow to the boys apartments. I love you McCall you are like a ray of sunshine in this sunless life. So thank you Regina for helping me think of my McCauley. Thank you not Rain in May.

Cod Liver Oil

2010-05-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning we set out around 8:30 for Foresthill. We were off on another hike to a new destination. The drive was gorgeous, we spent too long on a dirt road, we eagerly jumped out of the car into the heat of the morning. We hiked to a place called CodFish Falls.... or something. It was gorgeous. We hiked along the American River for about a mile and then headed into the forest for another mile to a beautiful little waterfall. The hike was perfect, pretty flat the whole way with tons of shade. It could not have been a better morning. We got there early enough to miss the morning traffic on the trail, and also to miss the heat. As we were on our hike back to the trailhead, I could smell the sun on the earth around us. It was truly unforgetable. We kept talking about how much we love it here in Sacramento and how perfect it is for us and our adventures. We are very blessed.

Braden is obsessed with anything that is outside. As much as I thought he would hate the cold water, he kept walking back in, with Dads help of course. Maniac!

Bradens first assisted rock climb

My Baby

2010-05-16T14:41:00.001-07:00

We all know I wish Braden was still a baby, but come to find out, he wishes he was still a baby too!! Too bad his head and feet hang off the ends of his once gigantic infant bouncy seat!!

One Busy Day

2010-05-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

We had a crazy day yesterday. We spent a busy morning at the grocery store, and then took a quick trip to the fabric store before nap time. Then after Nap 1, we had lunch, and then took a quick trip to the pool. We have been loving on the pool for the past few days since the clouds and rain have decided to take a vacation. We have been loving it. Braden is dying to learn how to swim and tries to get me to let go of him. After we were done swimming and trying to dry off, Braden let go of my chair for the first time ever. It was so awesome. He was loving it and kept doing it, and trying to clap, and was getting so so excited! I LOVED IT!!

After Nap 2, we took off in the heat to go to Emilys track semi finals. She is so fast, and even though we were melting we had fun.
Then we went straight to Ryans last baseball game. Braden had a blast playing in the grass and when Devins boss showed up with his kids just for fun, Braden loved playing with them.
But things got even better for Bradens awesome day when he found the dirt. Devin scraped a gigantic lump of mud out of Bradens mouth. Typical boy. He could have cared less, and when I gave him a drink of water, there were still traces of mud in his mouth. So sick. We had a busy and fun day and came home to the lovely taste of buffalo chicken pizza. Mmm Mmm!!!

Spring Carnival

2010-05-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was missing my sissie BAD!! We are 6 years apart and that has been a big gap until now. We get along so well and have such a beautiful time together. She surprised me last Friday with a phone call asking me if she could come over. I cried!! We had such a fun weekend with Lo and Chadder in town. We went to the school carnival, Chad had a spend over as usual, he even watched Braden on Saturday so I could go on a long run! Then off to the lake, Costa Vida and then enjoyed a lovely first Mothers Day. Love my sibs. They rock the hizouse!!

Braden and Pax playing bouncy twister. Right foot RED!

Braden and Pax playing a game of Twister at the Carnival. Right Foot Red!!

One of Bradens stink faces!

Me and my Boys!!

Me and Sissy and my new BFF Johnna! Yeehaw!

Johnna and Lo became friends on accident when Lo was 14 and J was 12. Now that J is 16 and all her friends have moved and gone to college, she and I are going to be besties. We are going to hit up a Celine concert if she wins us tix!! Booyah!

Bradens first time playing in the sand. I am not sure if any made it to his mouth.

Boo got me these lovelies for Mothers Day with his allowance. Such a sweetie pie!! And yeah Braden is whistling in this picture! Ha ha!!

Our Nanny

2010-05-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

We love having my family closeby. Braden loves being close to his cousins, and loves having Grammie and Papa, and Aunties and Uncles around all the time. We are especially attatched to Emily, who has deemed herself "Our Nanny" and has even made up a song for us about how much she loves watching Braden. Braden loves his Auntie Emily and they are really in sync. :)

Bradens New Toys

2010-05-12T22:07:00.001-07:00

Now that Braden is all over the place, he has found new toys all over the house. He has learned that the bookshelf is off limits. That or the books with only words got boring. But I do let him play in certain areas of the kitchen. I dont know how many times a day I put away the pots and pans, but man does he love them.

Already Addicted

2010-05-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

There are no words.

This was my bottle. Braden didnt get a drop. He just a drinker!!

Did You Know?

2010-05-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

Devin has finally turned 25. Much to his surprise, he found out a few months ago that he was only 24 so turning 25 has made things much easier for him. Not to mention that we just got a better rate on our car insurance!! We had a great day. We had a lovely breakfast of strawberry waffles, then got to go to our first lake day which was totally awesome!! Then took a wonderful trip on to Lucilles, our favorite bbq and birthday tradition. Braden even had his first sampling of the best ribs ever!! Oh its good.

HONEYMOONERS

2010-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Devin and I got the chance for a little getaway. My mom took Braden for 5 days! It was amazing! We had such a fabulous time, even if the time away had just been a drive, we still would have loved every minute being together. Our trip however, was more than a drive and I fell so hard for Devin again, having him all to myself. We drove down to LA one afternoon and checked into an amazing hotel in Anaheim, the Hilton. Hello!! We hit the pool as soon as we got there and then tucked in early, for we had an early morning Thursday at DISNEYLAND!!; My favorite place, and it seems as though I have now convinced Devin of the necessity to have Disneyland in our family life. We spent two magical days at Disney. Day 1: Rode every ride we wanted at Disney and California Adventure, some rides more than twice. We were maniacs. The lines were short, we walked fast, our legs were exhausted, my feet were aching, but we loved every minute. We held hands, we hugged, we looked at each other all day, and talked about important things. We loved being alone, although Disneyland is an awful place to go if you dont want to miss your adorable baby at home. Day 2: Back to Disney and California. Rode every ride 2 or 3 more times. We lucked out big time with the low waits. The weather was fabulous on both days. It was the best. Day 3: We took time to go to the Newport Beach temple for sealing sessions. It was a very tender experience, I think for us both, but my heart felt very close to my Dads as we were in the temple. Devins Dad has recently been called to be a sealer in the Rexburg temple, and my Dad was just called to be the bishop of his ward. My heart was so thankful for our Dads. For their worthiness and faithfulness, and especially for their love for me, and my boys. I have the best Dads a gal could ask for. After the temple, we of course headed to the beach and spent a few hours there enjoying once again, our time alone. I had almost forgotten what it was like to be so in love. There was no baby toddling around us, putting sand in his mouth and trying to crawl into the ocean. It was just us. Although when we saw babies, we of course couldnt wait to get home to Braden. Funny how we love love loved the alone time, but missed Braden so desperately. That evening we headed to Fresno to stay with John and Karlena, Devins aunt and unlce, and to go to church with them on Sunday morning before we were to head home. It was so fun seeing them and we had a sweet experience with them. We loved our vacation and I cant wait to get away again. We decided that we need to do that often, even if it just means a quick trip to Tahoe. It was good for us. And we especially cant wait to take Boo to Disneyland!!!

Picture Time

2010-04-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Braden will be 1 in about 6 weeks. Yup my baby boy is almost one. Makes me sick to my stomach!! I cant believe how fast the time has gone. I am getting dizzy just thinking about it. Anyway, that means that it is time to get his pics taken by a professional, not by me in my semi pro way, and we need to take some formal family pics. Any ideas of great photographers in the area who wont cost me an entire car payment would be most helpful. Let me know! :) Who takes your family photos?

A Boy After My Own Taste

2010-04-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

This morning while I was getting some things done, I put Braden down in my room, and found him a couple minutes later just enjoying my taste in shoes. Gotta love this boy!!

Check out Bradens chompers!! And there are more on their way!!
Daddy put a raisin strategically up Bradens nose and it didnt even phase him. Ha Ha.

Charlie!

2010-04-19T11:01:00.001-07:00

Our cute neighbors upstairs, Jamie and Jeremy, have the cutest dog Charlie. Charlie and Braden love each other and both get so hyper when they get to play with each other. Braden loves dogs, and Daddy hopes to get him one some day. :)

Happy Valentines Day

2010-04-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Look what my sweetheart got me for Valentines Day!!! A BOB REVOLUTION!! Valentines Day came and I got the promise, and then in March I got the real thing. I must say that I love it more than anything. And while Devin made me part with my other travel system, I was happy to say goodbye as soon as I got this machine in my hands. It really is the best. It is so light and so easy to run with, and Braden loves it as much as the other stroller. :) And dont worry, Braden got a new big boy car seat to make up for the one we sold. He was getting to big to haul around in that thing. :)

Mr. Conductor

2010-04-15T15:44:00.001-07:00

We got Boo these SWEET overalls when I was pregnant at Devs favorite store....DI. We have actually found an occasional must have, obviously based upon the looks of these babies. So being a size 18m, we assumed they would fit our sweet baby this summer. Obviously not. Devin could barely snap the crotch, and the straps are let out as far as they can go. Bummer right? Imagine the hilarity of seeing this little toehead walking around in these Daisy Duke overalls. Although it was not shorts weather I decided that I needed a pic of him sporting the coveted train conductor overalls. He looked great and I wish he was short enough for them. His chubby knees in shorts are one of my new favorite things about him! Love this guy.

Bath Time

2010-04-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

I dont give Braden bubble baths very often, but it seemed like a fun idea once. He loved the bubbles, and ate as many as he could. Bath time never seems to go as well anymore now that he can stand up. I used to let him play in the tub while I did my hair, but now he wont sit down for more than 2 minutes and it makes me nervous when he stands up since the bath is slippery. But look how cute these little buns are. Am I really posting a pic of my babies buns on the internet?! HA HA!!

Date Afternoon

2010-04-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is Braden and his lady friend Rozzi. She is darling, and since I love talking with her Momma, Rozzi and Braden get to spend some quality time together too. He sure likes her and they are both such good little babies whenever we get them together!! We love play dates with the Wellmans!

He's a Beauty and A Beast

2010-04-14T13:52:00.001-07:00

Well well well. Braden is 10 1/2 months. I can hardly believe that in like 6 weeks he will be one. Or can I believe it? Its hard to say. Anyway, he is a riot and makes me laugh all day. Even when he cries I laugh because he does this whiney cry thing where he throws his head down and gets all pouty. He is hilarious. I cannot believe how much he is learning. He is so smartAnyway, I have several videos of him that I would like to post, but I haven't been able to figure out how to get them off of my camera. Braden is almost walking and is crawling, scooting, and getting into anything that is near the furniture he uses to walk. He is all over the place and into everything. For some reason he is very drawn to the bathroom, and of course the toilet. Disgusting. He hasnt put his hand in yet, or figured out how to get the lid up. I have finally started putting shoes on him, considering he is wearing out his socks. He thinks shoes are fascinating, and wont stand up after I put them on him because he wants to touch and look at his shoes. Braden recently got his third haircut. It breaks my heart everytime, but he looks so handsome with his short hair This is a picture of him right before we cut his hair. It was so so long. I am thinking that I am going to grow it out this time until the end of the summer when I get my hair cut short again. He is fat as ever, and I think getting fatter. We got him a new highchair, and he gets all sorts of food and slobber stuck within the rolls of his neck and belly, if he is without a bib. Isnt he the stinking cutest kid ever?! We sure think so!!

We Are Alive

2010-04-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed. We made it through this week. I have been deathly ill and have remained in bed for the majority of the last 4 days, but Braden and Devin are still alive and we are now in recovery mode. Yahoo!! We are doing great and are so happy in our new home. Braden is growing up to be such a big boy and I can hardly believe all that he can do. He is such a smart little boy and I cant wait to see the kind of kid he turns into. This is going to be a long chain of posts in order to update on the events of the past 6 weeks so buckle your seat belt.

Our Cute Class

2010-04-09T11:03:00.001-07:00

Since moving, we really miss teaching these crazies every Sunday. It was a wild two hours, but oh so fun. Each kid brought something wonderful to our Sundays and we will miss them dearly. Love you kiddos. Guess who were the three crazies in the class just by their "silly" pose.

A Hiking We Will Go

2010-04-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

Missing from picture is GiGi, Cherise, Kaleb, and Paston, but dont worry Dennis is in the background like a Dingo jumping all over the rocks.

My sibs came to town from ol Provo a few weekends back and we had a blast. We took a hike to Hidden Falls, where else do we go hiking? And had a wonderful time, although it was HOT!!! and we were not prepared for heat. Lauren looked smashing as always, in her hiking boots, shorts and tye-dyed shirt, all an accident of course, and we laughed the day away. Braden loves his auntie and uncle who come to visit from afar, although Braden never can figure out why Chad is always laughing around him. LoL. Cute little man. We love you Chadder and LO.

Chadrack carried Braygan the entire way!! Whoa man!

Warren and I in all our hiking glory!!Does Braden need a haircut?

As a side note, Chalonn came to visit us the weekend prior, but naturally we did nothing to document our adventures then. We had a lovely time resting, shopping, eating, hot tubbing etc. It was so lovely. We sure missed her when she left us to go back to Seattle and back to life.

Whoops!!

2010-04-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

Braden and I came home from an errand one day to see this in the backyard. It was quite exciting and we enjoyed feeling the spray on our faces in the hot February sun. :) What an adventure. We just stood outside for about a half hour watching the crew try to figure out what to do and watching this giant river that the street had turned into. The fountain started out gigantically, but by the time I decided to go get my camera, it had dwindled, but was still huge!!

Quickie

2010-03-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

So heres the deal. My computer needed to be upgraded so for 3 weeks, I have been waiting. In the mean time I have been sewing, organizing, playing with Boo, running, enjoying the weather, playing with Boo etc. Boo has been sprouting teeth like there is no tomorrow. 5 this month. INSANE!! He is such a dream and I am madly in love with my little man. He is so much fun. He has started scooting all over the place and pulling himself up on everything and has considered being brave and venturing out on his feet all on his own. We have been taking billions of pictures, and loads of video, so get ready for a mega post whenever I get my computer back. BRADEN IS THE BEST!!

Guess What Y'all?!!

2010-03-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

Yeah Yeah Yeah. We did it. We did it. Ok so no we are not expecting nino #2, and no we did not buy our first house as was the plan, but we did move out of my parents house into a place of our own, hence me not blogging forever. I have been so busy with the new home details of painting the entire place, unpacking, organizing, unpacking, organizing, cleaning, decorating, etc. SO SO BUSY... all the while trying to entertain and please my baby who has since moving 10 days ago sprouted three new teeth and gotten a cold. What the?! Yeah so two more bottom teeth and the first top tooth have been causing a racket over here. But we are so happy at our new condo. We moved out of our beloved Rocklin 5th ward and were sad to leave our primary class, but cannot wait for the new adventures that await us in the new part of Rocklin that we moved to. It is closer to Devins work, which is great, and about 300 steps away from Eric and Chelise via the road that passes under the freeway between our apartments. SO Awesome. We love our new place and cannot wait to feel completely settled and get back to our regular lives. XOXO. More blogging to come and pics of our place. :)

The Life and Times of Boo

2010-02-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share the comings and goings in Bradens life for my upcoming blog book. He is rolling all over the place and has taken a few spills here and there, but has come out of his falls with only one injury, seen here.

Braden has started eating human food and is slowly being weened off of formula which is a miracle for our wallets. He is really loving sitting in his high chair and eating along with the rest of the family and I think he is very proud of it too. He will eat anything that gets put in front of him, including crab, spinach, beans, string cheese and of course chicken nuggets, as evidenced by his big round belly. Oh did I mention he loves eating paper and wipes? YUM!! It is so much fun taking him on dates because we can just enjoy ourselves while he eats with us. Just enjoying a little string cheese! Look how grown up he is. SAD!!

He refuses to even attempt crawling, which is annoying and a blessing at the same time. Annoying because he whines and fake cries whenever he wants to move and that gets old really quick, but since there are 8 people in this house who are in love with him, he pretty much gets whatever he wants much to my dismay. Even when I am trying to hold out, he gets it from someone else. A blessing because my moms house isnt baby proof and I am not interested in making it that way. So he can hold out until we move out and then he will be all on his own.He loves standing up and I fear that he will just start walking before he crawls. He is much more interested in being a big boy and I can just leave him holding onto something and he will just stand there talking to himself andsit down when he is tired and ready to do something else, or whine. I have seen him eyeing the couch and thinking hard about the effort it would take him to pull himself up. He is very sensitive and Devins sisters and mom say that Braden reminds them of Dev because he was very sensitive when he was younger. He gets his feelings hurt really easily, which I am hoping will keep him from being a snotty older sibling later. He is cuttin tooth #3 on the top left and I dont even want to think about how grown up he will look with top teeth. He recenlty learned to clap and wave and he steals our hearts every day. Braden has happy feet (hands, and mouth too). He rolls his hands and his feet nonstop when he is happy. It is the cutest thing and I just love it. He also clicks his tongue when he is happy. How he figured that out, I have no idea. He is so cute. He is getting to be so much fun and I love playing with him and talking to him because he is so interactive now. We feel like he is getting so big and is practically a little boy. I am really enjoying him especially when he gets a good nap in! He is the best and we heart him!

The GaZOO

2010-02-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of free museum day and then got fenaggled into taking 18 kids to the zoo with us. Ok so we took three extras, plus my sisters came and were so helpful and Chelise and the kiddos came too. It was actually a lot of fun, and totally worth the free admission. I am glad to have gotten the Sac Zoo out of our system because it was not worth the $11 adult admission we would have had to pay. But who knows, maybe someday Braden will beg us to go to the zoo and we will give in. It was a little rainy, but we dealt with it and had a ton of fun.

The Whole Gang
Cute Braden had so much fun seeing the animals and was fascinated by the monkeys who screamed just like he does.

Just enjoying a little plastic between the ol chompers.

My favorite animal, the giraffe, was all tucked inside with his buddies, but we did get to sneak a peek at them inside while they were spying and eating. By the end of our trip, Braden was exhausted and fell asleep sitting up. So funny! Notice the huge bandage covering Devs neck? He had a cyst cut out of his neck the day before complete with a few stitches. I am surprised Braden didnt rip that bandage off but instead nuzzled right up to it to sleep. SICK!!!

Projecto Mundo

2010-02-06T16:48:00.001-08:00

I made this darling banner for a friend of mine as a thank you gift. I love how it turned out for the most part and can't wait to make one for me.

They're Here

2010-02-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to have Devins older sister Chelise and her family here. Devin is working hard to get jobs for all of his siblings here in Sacramento and he started with Eric who will be working at PCI with Dev. We feel so blessed to have them here and we have had so much fun with them already. I have been so giddy just thinking of all of the fun that Chelise and I can have together....oh and I guess the kids can play together too. Braden and Kalem have particularly enjoyed their daily "salon time" where Kalem has been thrilled to help Braden wash and style and Braden has enjoyed the chatting time. Also, notice what a fatso Braden is. He has fatter arms than Kalem who is 2. LoL. I love my little chunkster.

A Visit From Mom and Dad C

2010-02-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun time when Devins parents made their way up California to see us. After their mission to Guatemala ended two weeks ago, they have made a trip around the world to see all their siblings and kids. We were the second to last stop and the visit could not have been better. Braden loved being with grandma and grandpa and wouldnt stop giving them a show. He was so good and didnt throw a tantrum the entire 48 hours until we were on our way to the airport. On Friday night when they arrived we took them to one of our fave restaurants, Lucilles Smokehouse. We dont go very often because it is expensive, but whenever we have a special occasion we try to go. We all ate too much and were hardly even hungry for breakfast on Saturday morning. Friday night after dinner, we just visited and had a good time together. Saturday, we made breakfast and then took off on our adventure. We took a drive to Devins office and then up to the temple where we walked around. We then took them to see the houses our offers are pending on, one in Lincoln and one in Rocklin. Then we took them to another favorite eatery, Plutos. Our salads were to die for and I think Mom and I could eat there every day. After that the boys did some shopping for new shoes for Dad, and Mom and I took off to the grocery store to get fixins for bbq chix pizza YUM!!! Saturday night Devin and Dad browsed the internet for property dreaming of a way to get Mom and Dad C to relocate to sunny California. The weather the entire weekend was perfect for everyone even though Mom C was still cold. Devin kept saying that all of the great things that happened were a sign from heaven that they should move here. :) Sunday before church we took a drive and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the hills in another effort to get them to fall in love with Nor Cal. Braden was super cuddly with Grandpa and I think that may have been the icing on the cake. Now we just have to get the rest of the fam here and they will be done for. We had so much fun with them and cant wait to visit with them again. :)

I Am Itchy

2010-01-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

And why so you might ask?! Well did you know that we have been looking for a house to purchase for almost 9 months? And did you know that we have been living with my parents for almost 6 months? AND DID YOU KNOW that we have been waiting to hear back on two homes that we have offers on, one for 4.5 months and the other for 2 months? So yes I am itching. Itching for my own space. Itching for home decorating projects. Itching for remodeling. ITCHING ITCHING ITCHING. And it doesnt help the itching when we cant even go outside because there is practically a hurricane here. Honestly. When will the itching stop? But aside from the itching, I have babysitters on call always. My cute sissies come home from school and I get to see them everyday. We have hilarious dinner conversation with things discussed such as "I dont want a wedding ring, I would rather have an American Girl doll." -Sarah (10) We all get to triumph in one anothers accomplishments, and spend more quality time together than we ever imagined was possible, so while I am itching, I am also loving this time that hopefully will never be repeated in my lifetime, unless one day they all move in with us. HA HA HA HA HA.

Just thought I would throw in a pic of my little booga. He is so funny and getting more so every day. And check out those gigantic chompers in his little mouth. Love this kid. And a quick shout out to Mom and Dad C who returned from their mish to Guatemala on Saturday. We cannot wait for their visit next weekend.

Happy Birthday Twinsies

2010-01-18T16:35:00.000-08:00

On Thursday we got to celebrate my Gran and her twin brothers birthday. We had so much fun with them and enjoyed watching hours of old Sherlock Holmes black and white dvd's and eating home made carrot cakem which as you can see Jimmy was thrilled about. YUM!!! Happy Birthday!

Love is In the Air

2010-01-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

So with Valentines Day just around the corner, and me still being inflicted with the ol' craft bug, I turned Rachelles project into my own. Thanks to only having one child, I was able to get this amazing wreath done really quickly. The picture doesnt do it justice. It is so beautiful and I am thrilled with the results and I want to make a few more to add to the beautiful-ness. Yay for crafts and Yay for Rachelle for showing me this beautiful idea. If you want to make one too, the idea came from http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/2010/01/felt-heart-wreath.html. I found some great hints to make things a bit easier. I just bought 1/3 yd of red felt and 1/3 yd of the maroonish felt. I cut as many circles as I could squeeze onto the felt, which turned out to be about 75 on each piece and I used almost all of them. Instead of cutting a circle to trace, I just traced a cup. It made things go much quicker. It was easy peasy and so fun. Also, if you are interested in making the Christmas pillows, send me an email and I will help you figure that out! :)

My Baby!!

2010-01-12T23:03:00.001-08:00

He is 7 months old now. Exciting for him, embarrassing when I think about how I was supposed to have lost all of his weight by now. Oh well. Totally worth every pound right?! So you all know we think Braden is the best, which he is. But lets just do a little re-cap on some current events in Braden Land! Braden loves the shower, but he cant figure out why he can never get the water to stay in his hands. Maybe some day he will give up, but for now its the cutest thing ever watching him grab the stream of water over and over and over and over.

The many faces of Braden Raden. He makes some of the silliest faces! Also, his jumpy seat is his bff. They spend lots of time together while I sew and I cant help but laugh my head off when he is bouncing because he is such a spaz! Love this kid!
Uh how stinking cute is this kid? Now that he is sitting up really well, I decided it was time for him to get a real bath without his whale pal. For the first time ever, he cried when I got him out. I havent done it since, but man did he love it. He splashed water everywhere!!

Check out this nappy hair. Booga was due for haircut #2. Once again, it didnt even phase him. All of his dark hair is gone-zo and he is a full on toe head. Will it last?
Check out the belly on this on! Oh my gosh! Will he ever be able to crawl or will this belly weigh him down forever?! Devin put him on his hands and knees the other day and Braden thought it was pretty funny until he discovered how tiring it was to be that way. Lucky for us though because we are trying to get him to hold out until we move.

The Forgotten Pillows

2010-01-12T22:51:00.000-08:00

I did it folks. I made my pillows. I wasnt sure if they were going to make it to this life, or if they would remain wilted 1/4 yds of fabric forever; However, I put the pedal to the metal and whipped out these babies in a mere few days! I finished my set, and even got started on a set for my mom. I am in love with the end result and cant wait to get started on my next lovely project which is already in the works...... Rachelle!! I still have the "give" pillow to make for my mom, and the extra set that I may or may not do, but regardless of what else gets finished, my set is complete and my money was well spent! Yahoo! So while my poor sicky husband is snoring up a storm, and the humidifier is ready to explode like old faithful, I will sit here and rest knowing that my Christmas pillows got done one month too late.... or did they get done eleven months early?! (Note: The lighting is terrible. The colors are red and green, and I didn't stuff the pillows for the sake of saving space in my parents already stuffed to the max garage!)

*Shout out to Ali, Kristi, Heather who are all having baby boys in May and June! Braden is pumped for all his new buddies! Also we cant wait to find out the identity of Baby White who has chosen to remain anonymous for nine months!*

FINALLY!!!

2010-01-06T12:25:00.001-08:00

I am a project fanatic. Sometimes it gets a little out of control and I bite off way more than I can chew. I just finished such a project. A homemade, without a pattern, book for my Boo. It turned out darling and I am very happy with the end result, but the journey was so obnoxious. I started the book in October and finished in January. No kidding. It was intended to be a Christmas present, but didnt get finished in time. I didnt secure anything well enough and Braden will probably end up ripping all of it off, but oh well. Right now, he loves it, and especially loves scratching it and putting it in his mouth. Now on to my Christmas pillows that were also supposed to be done in December. :)

Mustache Man

2010-01-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who is oddly obsessed with mustaches. I never understood until today... during sacrament meeting.... while Dev was bearing his testimony.... when the RS Pres reaches over and plants this on Braden. I couldn't wait to get home and take a picture! HILARIOUS! I LOVE MUSTACHES!!! Alicia, I wanted to show you at church. I was dying to show you at church. But then I realized that a blog post dedicated to you would be an honor! So hear it is lady! Muah ha ha ha ha! Is this not the best mustache you have ever seen in your entire life? HILARIOUS!!

Once There Was A Snowman

2010-01-03T00:33:00.001-08:00

Braden is an early riser and in a three bedroom cabin stuffed with 19 people, that can mean big trouble. So early in the morning on a beautiful day in Tahoe, Braden and I went and explored in the snow. He was fascinated by all of the whiteness and by his new snowsuit. He couldnt figure out where his hands where and tried and tried to get them free. He was such a sweetie but I couldnt get him to look at me. The snow was way more exciting than ol momma! It was before 7am and he and I were the only ones outside, he was just so happy to be out that he smiled at the trees! What a little bumpkin. I love my little hootie bootie.

TAHOOOOOOOOE

2010-01-02T23:53:00.001-08:00

We love Tahoe. It all started for us in the summer with hikes, bikes, bathing suits, and bbqs. Our love has since expanded to snow, snow, snow, fires, after ski boots (ha ha ha). Last winter I was prego. No ski hill for me. The two winters before that, I was in Rexy, and skiing in -10 temperatures sounded worse than working in a potato warehouse. So I havent been skiing in like 8 years, and havent been snowboarding in almost 4 so imagine what the scene looked like when I was forced to spend two days at the most breathtaking resort in Tahoe. Picture me rolling, sliding, careening out of control down the mountain a mass of green and black. I have bruises all over my legs; my calves, my hips, my bum, my thighs. EVERYWHERE!! I fell getting off the lift all but two times in the two days we were there. I got my lip zipped up into my jacket and was sobbing off the lift and crashed before I had even stood up. I cant even count how many times I crashed. At least 20 times each run. Poor Devin got me the whole set up for Christmas and I was awful and ready to throw in the towel. Once on the lift a woman told me she had been skiing for 4 days trying to improve, but instead was starting to hate it. I just laughed because I didnt need 4 days to hate snowboarding. I didnt even need one. The first day, I got the wind knocked out of me a few times when somehow I landed flat on my stomach backwards. Really?! I must have been hilarious to watch as I am rolling down the hill with my board rolling over and over with me. FHV worthy I am sure. Where is the video camera when we need it? I hate the dang "easy" runs that are 80% flat and if you arent going fast enough then you have to take a hike whilst all the skiers slide by with their poles to assist. Lucky ducks. Oh and nevermind snowboarding down, I can just slide on my bum because I am terrible at standing up and the hill is so steep that I cant even stop myself when I fall. And when I have to take a little hike because its too flat, and then suddenly its not flat anymore, but I cant tell and then there goes my board down the hill... without me, thats even better. WHOA WHOA WHOA!! Who let me go snowboarding?! But I will say that I finally learned how to carve. And figured out how to keep my left foot in front. It took me an entire day to decide which way I was going to ride. And then another day to figure out how to ride toe-side, but I did it. And I actually had fun for most of Day 2 despite the snow/rain. I cant wait to go again! And the view of the lake was the most gorgeous site to see!! Yay for Tahoe!! Thanks Devy for the sweet get up and the awesome lessons! What a great teacher! Dev had a little bit of a crummy day one too when he woke up with the flu. Poor kid. But he toughed it out and got a little lift sick, but kept truckin and enjoyed himself until we got home that night when he crashed until dinner. By day two, his system had been cleared of whatever junk had been making him sick and he was happy as can be and ready to show me the tricks of the trade. Thank goodness! We had such a fun time on the mountain and cant wait for our next visit. (I gave Dev tickets to another great resort for Christmas so we get to go again)

In addition to the crazy days on the hill, we had so much fun at the cabin with my family and with our friends the Rawlings. The twins and Myles couldnt get enough of "baby Bwaden" and we watched enough of the Hallmark channel and Spongebob to make us crazy. We ate delicious food, played ticket to ride 500 times, and had a wonderful time! WE LOVE TAHOE!!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T19:21:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas. It was so fun being here at my parents house already and just being able to wake up and all be together. My brother Trent woke us all up at 7:15 when he called from his mission in Houston Texas, so we had to go wake Braden up in order to get Christmas started, since he had already gone back down for his morning nap. We had a huge surprise for my mom, and it couldnt have gone better. We had zero surprises for each other, but were both thrilled with what we got. :) Braden got a billion presents, and of course enjoyed the ribbons and wrappings the most. We felt the spirit of our Savior and enjoyed this Christmas season.

The Annual Christmas Jammie pic.This yea,r ALL BYU ALL THE TIME

Who needs toys when you can eat the box instead?

Oh never mind my presents because I can play with this ribbon.

Braden gripping his new BYU football in his sweet jammies made by Grammy.

Give Thanks

2009-12-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

We got to take a trip down to Fresno for Thanksgiving to Fresno to meet with the Gonzos and the Bairds. We had such a fun time. When Braden met Kalem for the first time it was the funniest thing Chelise has ever seen and Braden could not have been happier with his cousins. Chelisey and I got to go running twice, once without any babies. We went to see NEW MOON!! Chelise and I got all giddy over it in the back seat of the car on the way home, while the boys made fun of all the girls who get all giddy about Jacob and Edward, and in case you were wondering I am not on Team Edward or Team Jacob because I am the #1 fan of TEAM DEVIN!!! oh yeah!! We ate too much delicious food including a thanksgiving feast fit for a king. We played a thousand hilrious games with El Presidente and couldnt get enough of the laughter we have with each other. We decorated the mission home for Christmas. Chelise and I did an awesome craft. We got to do some Black Friday shopping. We did a photo shoot with Braden and Pax. We even got to have a magic show finale!! It was the best thanksgiving money could buy!

Mewwy Chwismas

2009-12-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

Our good friends invited us to their annual Christmas party. We were of course honored, and Devin was especially thrilled when he learned that we would have to dress up. We took a trip to DI where Devin found a lovely red womens blazer with matching cumber bun. He looked stunning. As for me, I hot glued about 40 poinsettias onto the front of my shirt. Also stunning. We had a great time and loved laughing at the hilarious things people had showed up wearing. Thanks Dave and Ashley!

The always lovely Janell and I posing in our Holiday garb....mind you her shoes have christmas trees on them and she is wearing parachute pants and if her jacket is pulled down it looks as though she is wearing a one piece suit. FABULOUS!!

From the left: The Henries, The Christensens, The Jones'

Typical

2009-12-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

Braden is, unfortunately for us, an early riser. Devin and I are not really morning people. Our mornings usually end up looking like this....

Braden lies in between us, trying to get our attention, pulling our noses, and my hair with his bottle dripping all over our bed because we have both fallen back to sleep. Will we ever get used to our 6:30am wake up call?