The Harper Family Blog

Summer Lovin' Scrapbook Pages

2011-12-07T22:33:00.000-08:00

Family Pictures

2011-11-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

October fun!

2011-11-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

The summer is short, but sweet, for certain...

2011-10-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not finished yet, but here are some photo's and memories I've scrapbooked from this year's summer season...

No Tube In My Nose, Mom!

2011-06-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

Pre-Surgery.

Just waking up, post-surgery.

Feeling better after eating for the first time with her new G tube.

Arrived at home from hospital.

Celebrating her happy nose, that no longer has a NG tube in it!

Sitting on the couch with big brother Brodey.

Hazel just recently had surgery, this Monday. She's been home from the hospital now for two days - and has been recovering really well. She had, what's called a peg tube, placed in her stomach because she's still struggling to eat by mouth, even after seven months of feeding therapy. The peg tube is more permanent, but also more comfortable, than her pervious NG tube. Overall, she is responding very well to her new tube, despite the still painful dressing changes. We're are so happy, and grateful, that everything went so smoothly! I know many of you wanted details on our stay at the hospital, so here you go!

After checking in at Primary's same-day surgery, Hazel instantly began the “squeezy – eyelid – sad – face”, with the big bottom lip frown, the second we were called back, while she was just being weighed. She’s totally onto the trend of hospital and doctor’s visits (been there, done that), so she nervously fussed and held onto me pretty tightly during most of her initial assessment and surgery prep. She knew something was coming, and was so nervous at some points that she was shaking :( Luckily, her anesthesiologist was the cutest grandpa ever! He was playing with her toes, barking like a dog, and giving her toys. He was the only doctor she’s ever warmed-up to like that. In fact, Hazel was so comfortable with him, that she let him pick her up and carry her into the operating room. I would have been a mess, standing in the hallway, if she would have been really scared, and crying with separation anxiety. But, she did great with him! I was so relieved.

The procedure only took an hour and the doctor quickly came out to tell us that everything went really well. The doctor also told us that Hazel’s stomach looked beautiful and healthy. She also gave us a copy of some of the images she took while scoping the stomach. We have an image now of what the peg tube looks like on the inside. Modern technology – amazing!

Hazel was pretty grumpy and sick to her stomach, coming out of the general anesthesia. I was asked to go back into the post-op room to help calm her down. She seemed scared, like she didn’t know what was going on, or where she was, and when I finally got her into my arms again, she seemed much more relieved. A soft rock-a-by, pacifier, and the blanky Grandma Tiffany made, helped calm her down a lot.

Her grumpiness lasted until late afternoon then, with some good pain medications, she finally fell back asleep and took a good nap. When she woke up, it was time to start feeding her. The food in her tummy, worked! She tolerated it well. The food also gave her some energy and put some sparkle back in her blue eyes. She even smiled a few times, which made her mom and dad smile, too.

Jared and I are feeling confident that she will continue to progress and recover really well! After so much deliberation, worry, stress, prayers, and fasting, it just seems like a huge miracle. We are full of joy and gratitude. We have offered many prayers of gratitude that Hazel is alive, healthy, growing, and can still be raised as a part of our family. We need her strength and example in our home. What a bright little spirit she is. What a blessing.

Zion

2011-05-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

One of these pictures is of Hazel licking a Dorito chip. We were so excited that she was "self feeding" herself, that we had to take a picture! The crowd at the Subway down in Beaver, UT, probably thought we were crazy...ha ha! But, no one could be more excited about Hazel's progress and overall health, than her mom and dad :) Speaking of which, she's in the 5% now on the growth chart, and catching up in her development. Her "g tube" surgery is scheduled for June 6th. We are hoping that she will feel more comfortable and willing to eat - post surgery. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. She did really well in Zion - the whole week was like heaven. We felt like a whole new family when we got home. It was amazing!

And this is our joy....

2011-03-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

Well, here's a little "collage" of what we've been up to the past few months!

The P90X Man and the Octopus Man

2010-11-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

As of recent, Jared and I have been trying to stick to the P90X program. Brodey has been observing, with wonder, I'm sure. Right before I took this picture, he said, "Dad is weal, weal strong, Brodey is weal strong, and Mom...(pause for sad-face display) you're not strong" . That should give you an idea of how I look in comparison to Jared during daily work-out sessions....ha ha! This is a picture of Brodey showing me how "weal strong" he is...

"Mom, O is for octopus"....

Last Day of the Lagoon Season!

2010-11-17T05:43:00.001-08:00

So we thought it would be cold, rainy, and miserable, but it turned out to be warm and awesome! There were NO lines! In fact, most of the rides had empty seats. It was a blast. Brodey isn't going to understad why he has to wait in lines the next time we go back :)

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

Lake Powell

2010-10-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

"Funny Faces"

2010-09-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

Brodey just started preschool with five girls in our neighborhood. All of us moms take turns teaching about once a month, or so. Today, preschool was at Brodey's house! He could hardly wait for his class to arrive :) We learned all about the letter F! We had so much "fun"! Here is Brodey, and all his "friends" doing "Funny Faces". We also made some "fish" out of paper plates, sang Old MacDonald had a "farm", played with "farm" animals, had some "fishy crackers" for a snack, played the "freeze dance" game, traced some "fall leaves", and decorated "frames" for our "funny faces" picture...and to top it off, all the girls got to take home a "fancy bag" full of the crafts/art they had made and some "flower stickers". It was a blast to watch Brodey learning and discovering new things today. His little brain was running a million miles a minute! It is always so rewarding, as a mom, to watch your own children grow and learn. What fun.

Heritage Park

2010-07-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

Brodey, Hazel, and I, had lots of fun at Heritage Park today. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the pioneers and all they have done for us. I am grateful for their faith and self-sacrifice which has brought me, and my little family, so much happiness.

Summer Fun!

2010-07-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Brodey has 4 stapels in his head...

2010-06-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends just moved to Chicago, yesterday! As we hugged each other goodbye, I promised that I would update our family's blog often and consistently :) That's going to be a large commitment for an "only-post-once-every-four-months-person", like myself. But, however, the commitment has been made....so I'm going to give every effort to keep it! And, luckily, as of recent, I have a pretty good story to kick off my new commitment!

Sundays have become Brodey's favorite day of the week because on Sunday, his dad isn't at work or doing homework, and therefore spends oodles of one-on-one time with Brodey; Brodey soaks up every minute! Yet, on this particular Sunday, as my husband and son were wrestling (with their usual intensity), Brodey jumped onto Jared's stomach and fell backwards, leading with his head, right into the corner of the return vent adjacent to the baseboard. OUCH! Brodey began to whimper, and Jared quickly picked him up, giving him a few "toughen-it-up-pats" to help Brodey brush it off like a man, but suddenly the blood came gushing, and Brodey's orange shirt had now turned red. Jared yelled for a gauze...and that's when I came running to the scene (with great distress in my voice and half of my chest exposed having leaped to the first aid kit right in the middle of nursing Hazel). About 3 hours later, after a quick trip to the instacare, the wide gash, atop a plump goose-egg on the back of Brodey's head was numb with litocane, and fastened back together with 4 staples. Brodey did a great job at the doctor's office, though. I was very proud of him for being so strong and brave! He even said thank you to the staff, on our way out the door...ha ha! I've posted the evidence below...

Brodey's Special Birthday Present...a sister!

2010-04-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

There was only one day during the entire month of February that I did not want to have a baby on, and that was Brodey's Birthday....February 18th. Fittingly, at about 3:00am, the morning of February 18th, my water broke! Yes, you guessed right, Brodey recieved quite the birthday present that afternoon...a baby sister! And boy, was he excited about it :) Whew! No tounge can tell the joy that a family feels upon the arrival of a new addition. There are no words to express the amount of love and gratitude that have filled our hearts these past several weeks. Our deepest apologies for not posting updates sooner; we have been completely and utterly consumed in enjoying our new baby girl, Hazel. Here's some highlights from the last 6 weeks...

Here we are waiting patiently...

Introducing Hazel Maryln Harper....born Thursday, Febrary 18th, 2010 at 12:57pm. Weight: 7 lbs 5 ounces. Length: 19 inches.

This is a picture of our "little glow worm". Hazel was on the billy reuben lights for two weeks after she was born in order to help cure her jondice.

Here is a picture dipicting the Harper Family's effort in adjusting to a new sleep schedule...

Hazel loves bathtime!

And lastly, here's a picture of Brodey finally getting to celebrate turing 3 years old with the whole family...just about 2 weeks postponed!

Oh, Baby Girl, why haven't you come yet?

2010-02-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

This picture pretty much sums up all of my feelings at the moment. I haven't slept at all during the last several nights, my hips, pelvis, and back are screaming, and too many random sessions of false labor contractions have lead me down an emotional roller coaster of excitement, frustration, anticipation, and disappointment. Our baby girl is being incredibly indecisive...oh, my poor, poor husband.

Pink Packages...

2010-02-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

My good friends, Mother, and Grandmother offered to throw me (and soon-arriving-baby-girl-Hazel) a shower last weekend. It was wonderful! Except, of course, that opening up all the darling pink gifts made me even more impatient for her to get here! It was so fun to open each item. I am so grateful for supportive friends and family...it is truly a blessing. I wish I could adequately express my gratitude, not only for everything we received, but also for the excitement, friendship, and joy that was shared. Thank you, everybody!

To be 2...

2010-02-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, I had made the bed that morning. Yes, I had dressed him that morning, as well. And yes, he is holding two butter knives and somehow managed to get that enormous umbrella through my bedroom door. Why? Because he's two! I am so happy I was able to catch a few of these "Brodey Boy" moments. Though, we are unbelievably excited about the arrival of Baby Sister Hazel, I have recently noticed a strange sad feeling in my heart when I think about the fact that in the weeks to come, it will no longer just be Brodey and I hanging out together during the day. Things are about to really change! It is very weird to be feeling sad, on occasion, about how grown up my little baby boy is becoming. I'm so proud of him, and love watching him grow and learn...but as he grows, I am finding there are many things I am beginning to miss. I know, without a doubt, that there will be a day when I genuinely miss the messes he makes, the faces he pulls, the hugs and "snuggles" he gives me, the way he talks, the songs he sings, the way his eyes look into mine, etc, etc, etc. It makes me cry. I can't wait for Brodey to assume the responsibilities associated with being a big brother, but at the very same time, I will terribly miss and cherish every memory of Brodey as my first little baby boy. I have never felt such fascination, love, tenderness, fatigue, frustration, and joy until I became a mother. I can only imagine what kind of joy Baby Sister Hazel is going to bring into our family. It is overwhelming to look into the future with such great gratitude, excitement, and anticipation. It's a good thing that it never ends...I love knowing that families are forever!

Take A Tour...

2010-01-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

Since receiving many requests, I reluctantly decided to post some pictures of our new home. I wouldn't be so "reluctant" about it if our temporary sheet-blinds weren't still hanging in the windows, and the rest of my pictures weren't still waiting to be hung on the wall, and etc, etc, etc. But, since I have lately been trying to remember that life is about the journey, I've decided to be more compliant. This is just a captured memory of where we are in life, thus far...and frankly, I've decided to be happy about it. But, just so you know, if I had a lot more money, my house would look exactly like an advertisement from Pottery Barn :) Having given my disclaimer, are you ready to take a tour? Here we go...

This is what you would find upon pulling up to our house. Favorite Things: the fact that it's ours, the huge maple tree, the porch, Jared's shorter commute, and the big side yard. I'm hoping that when spring comes we'll be able to finish the fence line, and put a swing in the tree. Fun little 1960's starter home, eh?

Next, is the living room and our beautiful media center...with no media on it :) that's ironic. Favorite Things: the open layout, the brand new paint and carpet, the big window, the recently installed recessed lighting, and enough wall space for my piano.

The kitchen is next! Favorite Things: I love the new tile! (You should have seem the blue linoleum that proceeded it). I also want to jump for joy over the dishwasher and disposal! Yahoo!!! A few other favorites include, the "nook" for our desk, the separate dining room, the "openness" of the layout, the vast amount of storage and counter space, and the sliding door that leads to the back yard. Oh...and the fact that I no longer have a washer and dryer next to my kitchen sink...glorious! After baby Hazel comes, I'll be anxious to finish the baseboards, re-stain the kitchen cabinets, buy a new dining table/chairs, and replace the stylish 1980's light fixtures. As my father would say, "All in due time, my dear!"

Ready for the bathroom? Favorite Things: the easy-to-clean-counter, the adjustable shower head, and newly installed soft-water system which makes cleaning the bathroom feel like heaven.

Here's the master "suite". Favorite Thing: I didn't have to squeeze our desk into it...it's just the bed, the dresser, and the night stand. It feels good to go to sleep at night knowing that the claustrophobic clutter isn't going to fall-in for an attack (I just sighed with relief). Next on the list for this room, is a bed frame and new bed spread. The lovely bed spread currently on display has been mine since my sophomore year of High School. Anybody have a match? Jared would never know.

Next is the Nursery. Favorite Things: the fact that each kid has their own closet, and that Grandma Tiffany is making matching bed spreads for both Hazel and Brodey. I've seen the fabric...they are going to be darling! Thanks mom :) I'll have to post another picture of this room after I have made all the "final touches".

At the far end of the house, you'll find the laundry room. Yes, there is a separate room for my laundry. Whoever designed such a thing, should get a big gold star. Favorite Things: I almost cried when I realized I could shut the laundry room door and the dryer noises would go away during dinner time. I also love all the shelves and cabinet space...it almost felt weird to have so much room to organize with. Someday, this laundry room will also serve as my glorified craft room. Jared is going to build a counter-top for me...I'm sure he can hardly wait :)

Last, but definitely not least, is the garage. Favorite things: it stores all the clutter that I don't want in my house, the scraping-the-snow-off-the-car-days are now over, it provides for easy grocery unloading, and my car is warm when I get into it. Somebody pinch me.

Well, there you have it; a full tour without even having to drive all the way to Salt Lake to see it. You are welcome :)

Yes, we are alive...

2010-01-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

Our friends and family have expressed concern, asking us why we haven't posted anything on the Harper Family Blog since July. Well, the good news is that we haven't died! Yahoo! We are still alive and well :) But to answer their questions, let's see if I can summarize a good "excuse" for not posting regularly in one single sentence: we were busy deciding whether or not to buy house, applying for a mortgage, walking through lots of houses, finishing up Jared's school semester, finding out the gender of our soon-arriving baby girl, completing 60 clinical hours, teaching voice lessons, preparing voice recitals, putting an offer down on a house, signing our closing contract, packing up all of our junk, relentlessly cleaning our apartment to assure a full deposit refund, remodeling our new house with new tile, interior paint, dishwasher, disposal, lighting fixtures, carpet, etc, making time to eat a few bites of Thanksgiving dinner, hooking up our cable, phone, and internet, transferring utility services, loading the moving truck, unpacking and settling into our new home, fixing the plumbing and heating issues we discovered shortly after moving into our new home, sending out Christmas Cards, celebrating Christmas, savoring every minute of the short and wonderful break, starting a new school semester, and frantically preparing for our baby girl to arrive! I missed several details, but I think you get the idea :) I am sorry for not posting updates more regularly. All in all...we are happy, healthy, and have much to be grateful for. I love our new house and Jared's shorter commute; I am grateful for such a wonderful, hard working husband, love being a mom, and can't wait to deliver this baby in a few weeks. Expect more pictures soon!

Camping Trip Over the 24th

2009-07-26T17:12:00.001-07:00

Can you tell my little Brodey is "all boy"? He had so much fun playing in the dirt while we were camping. He came home with bruises, scratches, and burns all over his legs. I couldn't figure out the burn mark. I have no idea where it came from because he never cried about it. Crazy boy! The Pattens were a blast to hang with! We loved the good company :) Brodey, especially loved playing with Avanlee. Not to mention, the food was awesome! Jared makes mean dutch oven. You should beg him to make you some! It's good stuff.

Jared's Father's Day Gift

2009-07-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure the word is out, but if you haven't heard the big news...listen up! I gave Jared a positive pregnancy test for Father's Day. He was really surprised and excited. So was I!

Young Women Camp

2009-07-26T16:55:00.001-07:00

Can I just say, coolest bunch of girls ever! I had so much fun with them during camp. I love being a Laurels' Adviser!

Hogle Zoo

2009-07-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Finally Caught Up!

2009-06-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, I just posted about four months worth of postings in one day! There's a bunch of new pictures...in other words, if you want to see them all, you'll need to click on the archive links! Sorry about that! I'm going to get better and better at this blogging thing, don't you worry!

The Flash Flood That Almost Killed Us!!!

2009-06-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

So aside from all the fun we had, we also experienced a pretty scary situation during our first night down in the canyon. At about 1:00 in the middle of the night, we were nearly washed out by a flash flood! If we would have camped about two feet lower, we really could have drowned! The initial "boom" of the water rushing through the canyon was so loud and "crashing" that at first impression, I didn't even think it was water. About three seconds later, the entire gorge underneath the cliff's overhang was entirely filled with water. The small creek had become a wide rushing rapid river! So wide in fact, that we couldn't risk crossing the river in order to get to higher ground. We were trapped! Not to mention the fact that it was pitch black! It was pretty scary looking out over the black water with our small flashlights, unable to see the opposite bank. Luckily our prayers were answered and the water didn't rise! These pictures and video were taken about 12 hours after the flash flood. By now, the water has dropped about 2-3 feet. These huge muddy deposits of sand are what the water left behind. We hiked through thick mud the whole way out of the canyon :)

The Wrath of Mike

2009-06-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

We laughed so hard when we realized that we had caught these three photos progressively, in a row. Here's the explanation: After taking the first picture, I said, "Come on guys...can't you give me something better than that?". Their response was clear, though slightly extreme :)

Escalante

2009-06-04T16:05:00.001-07:00

Over Memorial Day Weekend, Jared and I, plus Jared's sister Hannah, and Jared's Brother Mike, and Mike's girlfriend Dayna, went to Escalente on a back packing trip! As you can see, we had a ton of fun. Jared was impressed that I wasn't as much of a wimp as expected :) I even did okay in the wilderness without indoor plumbing...ha ha!

Our Hike Up To Stewart Falls

2009-06-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Brodey loves being outside! I couldn't believe how much he enjoyed the hike. It was a blast!

Surprise!!!

2009-06-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

One day, while out on our deck, Jared heard a chirping sound coming from our BBQ grill...look what he found!!! A whole nest of baby birds! We were so surprised! Brodey was especially fascinated. We have had so much fun watching them grow to maturity these past few months. Just recently, we found that the runt of the family, had died. We were all so sad (including Jared!) We felt like he had been our very own :( Fortunately, the other three birds have grown-up strong. They now, have all flown away! I don't know if we'll be willing to use our grill any more, though...talk about bird flu! Ahhh!

Brodey's Big Boy Bottoms

2009-06-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Brodey began showing interest in the potty about a month ago. I dived right in and tried the whole potty training thing for about a week. It was a complete failure! Ha ha! After a week of washing out carpets, sheets, clothes, and big boy pants...I finally decided that he wasn't quite ready yet. I had been forewarned about boys being slower than girls, so I quit and decided to try again a little later...although, I have to say he looks pretty darn cute in his tighties!

Brodey Loves The Tub!

2009-06-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

3 Years And Counting!

2009-06-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!!! Yep, Jared and I have been married for 3 years. Time flies when you're having fun, eh?! Each year that we return to Little America (our traditional anniversary suite), I am surprised to find that my love for Jared has grown even more! How could this be when I already love him so much?! Each year has brought new challenges and blessings that have brought us even closer than imagined. It just keep getting better and better! I sure I have a lot to look forward to :)

The Easter Bunny Came To Our House

2009-06-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

How did the Bunny know Brodey loved chocolate so much? :)

Rolling Easter Eggs

2009-06-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

It was raining during our famous family tradition of "rolling Easter Eggs down the hill" - but do you think Brodey cared? NOT AT ALL! He was so excited about throwing the eggs down the hill (and not getting in trouble for it) that he didn't even notice the rain! Everyone else was cold and miserable, except for Brodey. He wouldn't quit for the entire hour. It was pretty fun to watch him. He was throwing the eggs really far! Jared was pretty proud. The only problem is that now Brodey thinks its alright to throw the eggs from the refrigerator! Crazy boy :)

Easter Lunch With The Domans

2009-06-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Brodey loved the Easter Egg Hunt! Of course, after eating all the chocolate, he just wanted to throw all the eggs! Jared gets the blame :)

Dressing Like Daddy

2009-06-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Brodey begged Jared to let him put his shirt and tie on a few Sundays ago. You can tell Brodey felt pretty "tough" wearning Daddy's clothes!

Happy Birthday, Brodey!

2009-04-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Brodey turned 2 years old on February 18th, 2009. He loved every gift he received, including his favorite sloppy-joe dinner, 3-hole chocolate cake, a new toddler bed, lots of toys, and even a potty chair...we later taught him that it wasn't just a cool looking hat! (if you're wondering why he's not wearing clothes, the reason is because I made him take them off before he ate his cake...and, of course, he wouldn't put them back on. He was so happy about being naked that I just couldn't force him to do otherwise. I think I said something like, "what the heck - it's his birthday!")

We Didn't Want To Leave Maryland!

2009-03-23T14:55:00.001-07:00

The last stop of our vacation was Woodbine, Maryland. We wanted to see Nick and Amanda's brand new baby boy...Brady! It made for a pretty awesome "grand finale". Isn't he so cute? We had such a hard time leaving after spending time with the Long Family. As you can see, Brodey was sure excited about his new cousin! We can't wait to see them again.

Our Trip To Virginia, DC, and Maryland

2009-03-23T14:17:00.001-07:00

During our stay, we visited several Civil War Trail sites and museums within the Shenandoah Valley and D.C., including Gettysburg. We also visited the Johnny Appleseed Restaurant, bought souveniers at some authentic and very cool antique shops, ate burgers at the famous Snow White Grill, hiked through the Lurray Caverns, drove over Skyline Drive, and saw most of the monuments, libraries, and museums, in DC! To top it all off, we even got to fly in an airplane! We had so much fun!

Jared's Christmas Gift to Tricia

2009-02-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Now, get this! For my Christmas gift, Jared gave me an I.O.U for, what he called, a "Princess Date". At first, I was kind of bugged that he felt alright about giving me an I.O.U for Christmas, but I quickly changed my mind. Jared asked me to dress up "really nice" in my wedding dress (so I curled my hair and even painted my toenails...that probably hasn't happened since...well, probably since the day I got married). He picked me up, right on time, in a tux! He slipped a corsage onto my wrist and off we went! He surprised me by pulling up to our reception hall. I was really nervous about going in, until I finally realized that the whole thing was probably planned! (I know, I'm slow). In the large room of the reception hall, there were pictures of the two of us all over the place and there was familiar music playing in the background. To make a long story short, he asked me to dance, then he sang to me, and then I cried. How did I get such a romantic guy? He, then had me change into a brown cocktail dress (and even a pair of matching shoes!) and surprised me even further by taking me to Ruth's Chris in Park City. I almost died, the food was so good. Following that, we walked into a Jacuzzi-suit hotel room and stayed for the night! I kept asking him over and over, "There's still more?" To top everything off, he let us watch "Sleepless In Seattle" and "You've Got Mail". Big deal for Jared...two chick flicks in a row?! It was so fun, relaxing, exciting, sweet, wonderful, and happy, all at the same time. Definitely, one of the best Christmas Gifts I've ever received :)

Playing In the Snow

2009-02-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

It doesn't matter if Brodey is hurt, tired, starving, or in just a plain bad mood...no matter what, if you take him outside to play he instantly gets a huge smile on his face. He loves to be outside...even in the cold! On this day, Jared helped Brodey make a big snowhill in the back yard for our big tractor-wheel-sized inner tube. They were out there for hours having a blast together.

Rub-a-Dub Dub! Fun in the Tub!

2009-02-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

Brodey and Mr. Potato Head

2009-02-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

Brodey received a Mr. Potato Head from Santa Clause. Good thing it came with a pair of glasses...they really helped him to assess his new patient! He can now name most of Mr. Potato Head's parts such as his "nose", "eyes", "ears", "hands", and "toes". He's saying many other words too, like "fish", "juice", "ball", "bat", "mitt", "sky", "hoop", "light", "baby", "stop", "plane", "what's that?", "where'd it go?", "sky", "bike", "car", "boat", "bug", "eat", "mom", "dad", "bubbles", "cookie", "maama" (like "Grandma"), "bumpa" (like "Grandpa"), "giraffe", "watch a movie", "hot" and "cold"... just to name a few! Mom doesn't know how she feels about her little baby Brodey growing-up so quickly. He sure is a lot of fun!

Jared's Birthday - January, 23rd!

2009-02-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Jared turned 25 this year! As you can see, he's thrilled about it. He spent his entire birthday opening 25 clues which helped him to finally guess the "BIG SURPRISE" Tricia had been planning since October of 2008....a trip to Maryland and Northern Virginia!