Family Pictures 2009

We got our annual October family pictures taken a few weeks ago, but I haven't wanted to post them until everyone knew that I was pregnant in the pictures. Yeah, its pretty obvious, and I hadn't told my whole family until Friday, so now I can post them. My friend Stephanie West did them, and did such a great job. Now if only I could learn to stop getting pictures taken when I am pregnant! I always look like such a cow! The empire dress doesn't help much. Oh, and Nixon pretty much refused to smile the whole time. What can you do? Anyway, thanks Steph, and I will definitely be coming back to you in 10 years or whenever you're ready to pick it up again!

Black Island Farms

Jace's preschool class got to go on a field trip to Black Island Farms last week. I went along, and brought Nixon. It was freezing, but the kids didn't let that stop them from having a BLAST! They got to go on a "Hay Ride" which didn't have any hay around the farm, and look at all the things they grow. Then they stopped at the pumpkin patch, and each got to pick one pumpkin to keep. Jace got to pick 2 since Nixon didn't really get what was going on. It was so funny because all the kids got off the trailer and ran as far away as they could searching for the perfect pumpkin. Jace got off, walked right up to the first one he saw, and picked it right off the vine. Then he needed one for Nix, so he found the one right next to his and got that one. We were the first ones back. Then it was off to the fun play area. They had a bouncy house, a cow train, slides, and even some musical instruments. The kids all had so much fun. We were supposed to eat lunch out there on the picnic tables, but it was so dang cold that we decided to eat on the bus. All in all it was a really fun field trip!

Go Utes...in Las Vegas!

We decided to go to the Utah game against UNLV in Vegas this year with Brock's family. It was a lot of fun. We shopped, ate, walked the strip, went to the football game, and saw lots of things, but I mostly just got pictures of us swimming. It was a beautiful 80-90 degrees the whole time we were there, and we took full advantage! Pictures below.

More Parties for Jace

Jace is one spoiled little, excuse me, BIG boy! After his party with his friends we had a party with Brock's side of the family, and then my parents came in from Kuala Lumpur so we had a party with my side of the family for him, and two of his cousins Leah who will turn 5, and Giada who just turned 1. Here are some pictures.

Jace's 4th Birthday!

I can not believe that I have a 4 year old! Jace is such a big boy, and such a blessing to our family. I am so glad to be his mother. He woke up yesterday and got to eat J-A-C-E pancakes, yes unfortunately, that is as creative as I get! We then got ready during conference and had a bunch of his friends over between sessions for a fun pirate party. They had pizza, played in the backyard, took turns pinning the treasure on the map, hitting the pinata, and then it was inside for presents and cupcakes. I tried to have order during the present opening, but while each present was being opened the kids would jump off their seats to try to help Jace to see what it was. Then they all wanted to play with the toy before the next one was opened. After each present, I had to tell them all to sit back down, and then it would start over again. It was so funny. Then we had cupcakes. The kids all had a blast, and Jace really is so glad that they all got to come. He thought it was so fun to have all of his friends at his house to play with him. I look forward to many more birthdays to come!

This is a funny picture. Jace was napping upstairs, and I was downstairs. I had to come up to do something, and I found him like this. He is so cute!


And here are the pictures from the party.

Lake Powell 2009

We were invited by some of Brock's best friends to go to Lake Powell a couple of weeks ago. They have a time share on a beautiful houseboat, and we had such a great time. We were a little too stressed out about bringing an almost 4-year-old, and an 18 month old on a boat, so we left them at home with Brock's parents. Brett and Lisa brought 3 of their 4 kids, and Lance (who is Brett's twin brother) and Mikki brought their 4 year old son Boston. I know Jace would have had such a blast with all the kids, but I would have felt even worse if Nixon had to be all alone. Anyway, after a little vehicular delay (the tire flew off the boat trailer in the middle of nowhere and it took about an extra 4 hours to get there)we made it. We spent a fun filled week sun bathing, wake boarding, knee boarding, tubing, hiking, exploring, mouse killing, game playing, eating, reading, and enjoying each other's company. We were so sore after the week was over though. I guess we need to do more boating than once a year or so! Thanks so much to the Bradshaws! We'll be expecting an invite yearly now!

Preschool

Jace started his second year of preschool on Monday, and was so excited to go back and see all of his friends he has missed this summer. One of his very best friends, Cole, was gone though having graduated and started kindergarten this year. He still talks about him, but he didn't seem too upset when he got there and didn't see Cole. It was really cute that morning while getting ready, he asked where Nixon and I were going to go while he was at school. I told him that we were just going home. I continued getting Nixon ready and when I looked back at Jace his eyes were watering, and his chin was quivering. I asked what was wrong, and he started crying. He said he really wanted Nixon to stay with him at school. I tried to explain that Nixon isn't old enough. You have to be 3 years old, and Nixon is only 1. He was pretty upset about it. That is, until we got to school and he saw all of his old friends and totally forgot about Nixon. I guess I was glad. I set Nixon down so that I could take pictures and he started crying. He thought I was going to leave him. This is the same place that he had daycare for 9 months, so he figured I was leaving him too. I was happy to be able to console him, and take him home with me. Jace, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier to see me go, and only broke down when I picked him up to take him home. He did NOT want to go! School is way more fun than mommy and Nixon at home! Well, that may be true, but sorry! Gotta go. He was screaming! He has school now on Mondays and Thursdays, so I guess we'll see how it goes tomorrow. Here are some pictures.

Putting on his own "pack-pack". "Is this right mom?"


He is so cute, if I do say so myself! Every day when I finish getting him ready I tell him how handsome he is. This day, he grabbed my handheld mirror, looked at it for a while, and said, "I AM a handsome boy!" He's so funny.



Here is Nixon, looking up to his big brother.


And walking in. I love how their backpacks are almost as big as them at this age!


And here he is inside. It was like they had never been apart! As soon as Jace walked in, they all came running to him yelling his name. It was really fun.

GO Red Hawks!

Sorry, I have been so lazy about blogging lately, but we have, as always, been very busy around here. Jace got to start soccer this year, and has been having so much fun. It took a little while for him to really get the hang of it, but since he scored his first goal he has been unstoppable! Game one was kind of anticlimactic for us since Jace just kind of followed the main pack and stayed out of the way. We kept telling him to go get the ball, kick it, score a goal, get in there, etc. And he was so confused. Okay wait just a second. My whole life has been filled with comments like, "Share the ball." "Don't take that from him, he had it first." Don't be mean, wait your turn." And now you want me to go against everything I've ever been taught?!?! "Take the ball away!" "Use your elbows!" "Push him down!" Okay, we never said that, but you get the idea. Game one ended with our team having scored one goal, and we all stopped counting how many the other team scored! Then came game two. It was looking like it was going to be the same thing. Jace was a few steps behind everyone, letting them have their turns, and waiting patiently for his, when he looked to the sidelines and saw my brother Justin cheering him on. His eyes got really big, and he had a huge smile on his face, and it was like he really had someone to impress now. Sorry to Brock's family who has been there at every game. I guess we're just not good enough! It was Jace's turn to do the kick off, and he just stayed right with the ball the whole way down and scored his first goal! We were all so excited! He scored 4 more in a row after that, and the end result this time was our team, who knows? Seriously, I counted 5 for Jace, another little boy scored 9, and another two scored at least 5 each. Sorry for the green team this time. They only scored 1. It is so funny to watch these little kids play. They fall all over the place, try to grab the ball with their hands, and boy do they cry. I'm proud to say Jace only fell apart for a few minutes game one, and has been fine the rest of the time, but that poor green team this week. They were all crying most of the game. Poor kids. Anyway, it has been so much fun for all of us, and here are a few pictures.
This is game one against the yellow team. Even though he didn't win, he sure looks cute!





Here he is against the green team.

Having a 3 Year Old Sure Keeps You Humble!

We have a scale on our bathroom floor that we all weigh ourselves on just about daily. Jace loves to get on, see the 34, and yell "Sirty-four!? I am such a big boy!" Well the other day I got on to check myself out, and Jace asked how much I was. I told him 99 pounds (okay, we all know that's not real, but one can wish). He looked at me and said, "WHOA! That is a lot of food! I've never eaten that much food!" No Jace, you haven't. But one day, you just wait. You will have eaten WAY more food than that! Then, the other day after weighing myself, he asked again, I told him the same, and this time he said, "You sure are a big girl!" Gotta love my Jace.

S'mores in the Backyard

We bought a little firepit a couple of years ago with the idea of sitting out on our back deck relaxing underneath the stars in the light of a beautiful fire. Until Monday night, it had never happened! We decided that we should have Brock's family over for some yummy s'mores. Once Brock and Dale got the fire going, it was chocolatey, graham-crackery, marshmallowy goodness. Thanks to his family for supplying the goods! It was a beautiful night.

A Capellastock 2009

My sister Julia is in a group called Mountain Blue. They are an a Capella group that sings religious songs with a bluegrass kind of feel. They are really really good, and were asked to open for A Capellastock this year. They did a really great job, and the concert was a really good time. Here are some pictures.

Here is one of the emcees introducing them.


Here are some of the group in action.






Jace snapped this close up.


And this was about the cutest thing ever! We were sitting there chatting away after Julia's group had just finished, and this cute little boy came up to her with his program and said, "You sing real good. Can I have your autograph?" We all just about died! The first of many to come! Justin even told the little guy to keep it safe, because its going to be worth a lot of money some day!

New York, New York!

I just got back from a fun-filled, jam-packed trip to New York. My mom, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for work had a week-long training course in NY, so my sister Julia and I decided to make a trip out of it. We flew into JFK on Saturday around 3:30, and took a cab to Grand Central Station, then a train to New Canaan, CT where my mom was waiting with my cousin Jamie who lives there. My mom had arrived Friday morning, and was still adjusting to the 12 hour time difference! We had dinner at Jamie's house, spent time with her family that night picking raspberries to put on icecream, jumping on the trampoline, and just chatting. We went to church with them on Sunday, and it was fun to have Sunday school with Glen Beck, and the owner of Jet Blue who are both in her ward!), had a delicious dinner, and then it was off to the city. Thanks so much to Trent, Jamie, and all the kids for letting us impose. You were all such gracious hosts!

Here we are on the porch in the backyard. They have such a beautiful home.


Sunday night my mom had a meeting she had to be at, so Julia and I called our cousin Jessica to come see us. She lives in New Jersey with her brand new husband Bryan. He plays football for the Giants, and had just left that morning for a three week training camp in Albany. She took us all around the city (whether that was on purpose, or because we couldn't figure out how to enter addresses in her GPS, you'll never know!). We went over the Brooklyn Bridge, saw some beautiful sights, and then got to even see the Bronx. Oops. Then we met my mom in Manhattan for dinner at Cafe Lalo. Best carrot cake ever!

Here are Julia and I with the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York skyline behind us. And some other pretty shots of the bridge.





Monday Julia and I went to Central Park. Here is a picture of us with the beautiful trees behind us. Oh wait, our big heads take up the whole picture! It was after we had done this a few times that we decided to take a picture of just one of us at a time so that we would actually see some background!


Then we made our way to Time Square. Julia hadn't ever been to NY, so we decided to pack in as much as we could. Here is one of Julia in front of Trump International Hotel.


We found a Sephora on our walk, and came out looking a little different.


Then, after a little more walking, and a quick stop for a pedicure, we made it to 42nd street!


We saw a bunch of these guys on the street, and Julia has always wanted one, so we stopped. Too bad it doesn't really look like her! Oh well, it was fun!





We then had to go to the M&M, and Hershey stores to pick up some gifts for people. At the Hershey store they have this really cool machine that poors out every kind of candy they have into a bucket. You buy the bucket, and then they push a big button, and it starts pouring all kinds of candy. The bucket was overflowing at the end and a bunch fell to the ground. All these people ran over to get whatever they could. I kind of wanted to yoink it out of their hands since, technically, I had paid for it. But I resisted since most of them were kids!




Then it was off to the Metropolitan Museum. My boys would have loved it there. I got some fun pictures in honor of them. In front of a huge whale, Julia with a giant squid, and me, sitting pretty in a clam shell. Real mature.




Here I am daydreaming while looking out the window. The truth is, I was imagining Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer all having a conversation in one of the apartments.


That night, we went to dinner in Little Italy, and then Julia and I rode the Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island and back. It was really pretty at night.


Tuesday was mostly dedicated to shopping. We got a cab to SOHO and spent most of the day walking the streets there. Once again, we found a Sephora, but this time we went a little crazy. Julia wishes she could go there every day before work to get ready.






Then it was off to dinner and to see Mary Poppins. We had heard such great things about the play, so we decided to go. I will just say, it was pretty good. I love to go to the plays in New York and be blown away. Covered head to toe in goosebumps, and marvel at the dancing. None of that happened. At intermission I said that I was kind of disappointed, and the others agreed. (the others being my mom, Julia, and my cousin Jessica who came to see us again) I will admit though, that the second half of the show was really good. And it has a really great message. "Anything can happen if you let it."

Jessica had to wake up early the next morning, and we still had one more stop we wanted to make so she went home. Serendipity 3. I'm sure you've all heard about their famous Frozen Hot Chocolate. Well, it didn't disappoint. It was delicious! My only complaint is that it was like 11:30 at night, and we were not very hungry so we all just wanted to share. The waiter, oh so pleasantly, pointed to a tiny square on the HUGE menu that said each guest has to spend $8.95 minimum. LAME! Well, we forced ourselves to try a Frozen Pineapple Lime, and my mom ordered a seafood crepe.

Here we are behind the GIGANTIC menus.


Mom and Julia enjoying the drinks.


Me sipping away at the very tart pineapple lime, followed by a massive BRAIN FREEZE! Okay, so this one was fake, but you can imagine!




We got home around 12:30am, and packed up since our flight left at 6:30am the next day. We went to bed around 1:00, and our wakeup call rang at 4:00AM! We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, and then sat on the plane for an hour while they tried to fix some electrical problems. We were finally off, and now we are back home in the real world, missing our mom who had to stay there for training through the rest of the week, and then will return to Malaysia. We had so much fun, and miss you already mom! Love you both so much, and lets do this again!