Tripp's Adventures

Thanksgiving in Vegas

2011-12-31T13:25:00.004-05:00

This year, we had Thanksgiving in Las Vegas at Emily's house. Stephanie had been living there for several months, doing her student teaching at a High School in Las Vegas. So, there were plenty of places for everyone to sleep. We had so much fun. The grandkids especially liked playing with eachother.
Mom and Dad, telling Paige and Rowan a story.

Mac, Tripp, Paige and Rowan eating breakfast pizza, a delicious holiday tradition.

Nate and my dad giving the kids rides.

Emily's back yard has this great cement track all around it. There were lots of bikes and scooters, so the kids had a great time.

My dad found a wheel barrow behind the shed. I can't tell you how many wheel barrow rides I received as a little kid. For some reason, we loved it so much. The grandkids were no different.

Stephanie long boarding around the yard.

Tripp is in the background playing in the sand box. These kids got so dirty every day. But it was pretty much amazing to send them out in the back yard to play in the end of November, without coats and gloves.

Trevor and Avery

We had a great time. Thanks for letting us invade your house, Emily. And thanks, Mom and Dad, for putting this together.

Red Rock Canyon

2011-12-31T13:18:00.003-05:00

Mom and Paige
Dad and Kate

Steph, Mel, Trevor and Tripp

This little hike in Red Rock Canyon, is close to Emily's house. It's just outside of town. It's the perfect level of difficulty for little kids, a prego, and the elderly (jk mom and dad).

Us 5 kids: Emily, Trevor, Stephanie, Melanie, Ashley

The 6 grandkids: Rowan, Tripp, Maclaren, Kate, Paige Avery.

They are actually on a sloping rock and most of them slid down immediately after the picture was taken. Tripp is in the process of sliding off.

Farmer's Market

2011-12-31T13:08:00.004-05:00

Tripp clinging on to me for dear life.
Still clinging.

We went to this great farmer's market by Emily's house. They had a playground that we had to stop at for an hour. They had a santa walking around. It was really cute.

Kate, Tripp, Paige, Emily, Mac, Rowan

Tripp playing on a rocking ship with his cousins.

The face painting lady told the kids to close their eyes and don't move. They were sooo good. Tripp wouldn't do it.

I love how Paige is holding her dollar.

Finally!

2011-12-31T12:57:00.004-05:00

Nate's parent's basement has had this orange shag carpet and brown linolium (spelling?) since, well, I'm assuming the 1970's. We decided to surprise them by putting new carpet and tile down there for Christmas.

As you can see, Tripp and Ryder were very helpful to Nate and Adam.
Nate and his Grandpa laying tile. I love how in the background, you can see Adam dropping a huge roll of carpet.

Ryder and Tripp taking a smoothie break. They are very serious about their smoothies.

It's amazing what you can find on youtube. We just watched a guy show us how to tile and we followed him step by step.

Amber goofing off while I'm cleaning off the grout. I didn't take a final picture, so just imagine the cleaned off tile.

Halloween!

2011-11-05T15:39:00.004-04:00

Before Trick or Treating, Tripp and Ryder had to take a spin on the skateboards. Tripp doesn't have much experience, but Ryder skate boards all the time and is pretty good. He even tries tricks. His Alfalfa costume is making him look not quite as "cool" as he usually looks while skate boarding.

Uncle Adam took the boys for a short ride around the block.

Buzz and Alfalfa

Another Family Halloween Party

2011-11-05T15:32:00.003-04:00

We had yet another family halloween party. Tripp spent some of the time in the basement working on his mad drumming skills.

He carved a sweet pumpkin. Well, he scooped out the seeds, I carved it.

There is the adult table.

I think he mostly liked chasing the chickens with his cousin Kyra.

Corn Maze!

2011-10-26T13:14:00.004-04:00

We went to this cute corn maze last year, and the kids loved it, so we decided to go again. They took us on a hayride to a pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins.

Tripp and Ryder

Tripp and Mel

Nate, Tripp, Amber, Ryder

I love the look on Tripp's face when he is reaching up for the candy Adam is giving him.

Train rides

2011-10-26T13:09:00.003-04:00

Tripp is really into trains now. He has a train set that he plays with for hours each day. He spends forever setting up a track, then drives on it for a little while, then rearranges the track again. Sometimes he says "mama, more track." I guess we better buy him an extention pack for Christmas.

At a park in South Weber, they give free train rides on Saturdays. It's so cute and Tripp loves it. They are having a haunted train ride on Saturday, where they stop and let the kids get off and trick or treat. I bet Tripp will love that.

The annual Halloween Party

2011-10-26T12:52:00.004-04:00

Everyone is filling out their menu, not sure exactly what they are ordering. It's a lot of fun. Can you see Tripp's face, on the very left? He looks confused.

I made cake balls. So, when someone ordered "draculas droppings," they received a red velvet cake ball dipped in chocolate. And when they ordered a "mummy," they received an orange cake ball dipped in white chocolate. I'm addicted to those things.

MacKensie ordered 2 forks as her appetizer. mmmm.

Looks like Nate got green beans (witches fingers) as an appetizer.

Rossi is attempting to eat ice cream without utensils.

Half Marathon

2011-10-03T11:13:00.004-04:00

Two weeks ago, my sister Emily (who lives in Las Vegas) and I ran the Cedar City Half Marathon. It was so great! It was a pretty run down a canyon and through part of the town. We achieved our goal: to finish the race without walking. That was the only goal! We did it in 2 hrs 25 minutes. My other sister, Ashley, ran one in Seattle last month. We all agree that we are going to keep doing them. Hopefully once a year, and hopefully together sometimes. If feels so good to accomplish something you've worked hard for.
My other sister, Stephanie, lives in Las Vegas also (teaching at a High School there), so she was able to drive up with Emily, Ryan and their kids. It was a short trip, but very fun to spend time with the family.

After the race, we went swimming, then to a park, then had lunch. Then we all said goodbye and drove home. I took 8 pics of the boys on this swing. They all looked goofy in each one. This is the best pic I had!

Maclaren and Tripp, swimming in the pool at our hotel

The end of summer

2011-10-03T11:10:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend, we had to have one last firepit extravaganza. It was a lovely night. So sad that summer is winding down.

Rude awakening

2011-10-03T11:06:00.002-04:00

Ever look at a pic of yourself and realize that you are a really short troll? This usually happens when I'm standing near a tall person in a pic. But this time I'm with my 2 year old. I don't like it one bit. Do they have scientists working on growth spurts for adults? I'll sign up for that study.

The last golf post of the year... I promise

2011-10-03T11:00:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, we snuk Tripp onto a real golf course (kids under 5 are not allowed). There were only 2 other groups of people, so they didn't care. Tripp loved it. He did really well. But he discovered golf tees (he now thinks he needs to put a tee in the carpet or grass whenever he hits a ball) and he noticed that Nate, Natalie, Rossi and I were wearing gloves. He insisted on wearing one of our gloves and now, at home, he always wants to wear these work gloves that he found. They are huge and hang off his hands. So funny.
Look at that stance!!

Tripp and his uncle Rossi

At the end of the day, Tripp is still a normal 2 year old, getting easily distracted. In this case, it is "Harold" the Helicopter.

update...

2011-10-03T10:58:00.000-04:00

It's gone a little too far. And Tripp is not happy about it.

Don't let this happen to you

2011-09-02T15:57:00.003-04:00

You probably shouldn't ever put smily face tatoos on your nephew's little boobs when you are babysitting him, because the next time his mom is babysitting your own son, she might retaliate. Now my son has a slightly tacky tramp stamp.

we've created a monster

2011-09-02T15:42:00.006-04:00

My little 2 year old LOVES golf. I'm not entirely sure that is nomal. He likes to watch it on tv or online. He looks at Nate's golf magazines, he putts around the yard for hours, trying to get the ball into the sprinkler holes. He asks to play it on the wii.

He's been mini golfing 3 times and loves it.

He even falls asleep with golf balls in his hand.

He recently started saying prayers at night. One night we heard random babble, then "golf club" then more random babble. So funny.

And when he hits a ball (in real life or on the wii, he shouts "fore!")

4th of July in Huntsville

2011-07-16T16:40:00.006-04:00

Well, I've said it a hundred times, but Huntsville is the best place to celebrate the 4th of July. Maybe I just feel that way because growing up our family always drove from Seattle to Huntsville for the 4th and I just have fond memories. I don't know. But now it's simply a good excuse for my family to get together, since we live so far apart. Tripp and Rowan

Watching the parade. I snatched Tripp off the float as they went by. He had had enough by that time. Em, you look really cute in that pic.

We made a float in honor of Grandpa's store, Leon's Market.

Trevor was nice enough to ride with the little kids.

The menfolk hooking the trailer up to the suburban.

Trevor, Emily, Me, Stephanie, Miguel
Look how happy we look! That's because we haven't run the race yet.

I'm really short, huh? I never fully realize it until I see a pic of myself.

Oh, to go back to the days of college and no kids and little responsibility and the ability to sleep in the middle of the day.

Tripp sure loved playing with Avery

Dinosaur Park

2011-07-16T16:32:00.003-04:00

Just another day hanging out with Nate's family.
All 6 grandkids get along well. They have fun together.

What kind of parents are we?

Tripp and Ryder petting the dangerous carnivore.

The Zoo

2011-07-16T16:23:00.002-04:00

Tripp and his cousins weighing themselves.
Tripp and I went to the zoo one day with Amber and Ryder and Tammy and Shane's 4 kids. It was super hot and crowded and the kid's nap time, but I think they had a fun time.

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

2011-07-16T16:09:00.005-04:00

We started with Nate's birthday. He chose to go mini golfing (big surprise). We figured Tripp would be difficult and running away from us and everything. Come to find out, HE LOVES GOLF! Nate was so happy. He is just planning his next move.

Tripp and Ryder sitting on Grandpa's motorcycle.

Next was Tripp's birthday. Nate made him a basketball cake. He has been loving basketball ever since Grandma sent his basketball hoop in the mail for his birthday.

Tripp and his cousins Kamden, Kaleb, Kayson.

He also loves the train set he got from Grandma.

And finally, we had my birthday. We did dutch oven dinner on the fire pit. However, it rained so Nate had to cover the coals with an umbrella for 45 minutes while people waited to eat inside.

The Dirty Dash

2011-06-10T16:00:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, we ran in a 5K with Nate's family. It was through mud and obstacles and a huge slip and slide. It was really hard (imagine your shoes being so heavy with mud and trying to jump over walls and up hills) and really fun. BEFORE
DURING
(Nate's cousin Zack, Nate, Me, Nate's dad Blayne, Nate's sister Natalie and her fiance Rossi. He proposed after the race!)

AFTER

Nate, Zack, Rossi, Me (yellow shoulder), Sarah, Shane

Not a close pic, but the slip and slide is in the upper right corner.

Tripp's cousins Kamden and Kalob are the muddy boys in the center. They ran in the piglet plunge - a mini kids race.

Tammy, Kyra, Ryder and Tripp watching the race.

Grandmas Tammy and LueDean with all 6 grandkids. They had a bucket of water balloons that they threw at us as we went by.

Sick days

2011-06-10T15:56:00.004-04:00

He fell asleep at my feet while I was making dinner.

It's so sad when they are sick. And it's so weird for Tripp to just sit in one place for longer than 5 minutes. I kinda like it when he's sick because he just snuggles up with me and is super sweet.

random stuff

2011-06-10T15:49:00.003-04:00

He's just constantly organizing and re-organizing. The fridge, the cupboards, my wallet, etc. It's weird.

Not a huge fan of the Terrible Two's. He just throws tantrums for no reason. The other day he was standing up in the tub screaming for 10 minutes. I got him out and he kept screaming. I got out the camera....and he's happy as can be. With huge tears on his cheeks. Dang kid.

Showing off the new mohawk. Nate and Amber talked me into it. I don't think it's him. I think I'll stick with the faux hawk (spelling?)

I want to be big (part 2)

2011-06-10T15:35:00.004-04:00

Just about every time I turn around, Tripp is wearing either Nate's shoes or hat (or both).

And he loves to ride on the riding lawn mower or follow Nate around with the little one.

I'm very glad this kid loves to read. But it's a little annoying when he insists on taking books to bed. I can hear him talking to himself and reading himself a story in his crib. Pretty cute.

In only bought 2 ears of corn, 'cause I didn't think Tripp would try it. I was wrong. He grabbed mine and wouldn't give it back. It was really good corn too. I missed out.

Tripp idolizes Nate. He copies everything (scary). Now whenever there's a Red Sox game on (4 times a week), Tripp climbs up with Dad and eats popcorn and says "Go Sox" when he sees the Boston B.

Easter (a little late)

2011-06-10T15:29:00.003-04:00

What is this thing?
We had all of Nate's family over to dye easter eggs and have an easter egg hunt in the yard. I'm attempting to catch the egg Tripp is throwing at me.

I made these cute little cupcakes. Sadly, only 2 were eaten.

Welcome Home Trevor!!

2011-03-21T12:42:00.004-04:00

My little brother, Trevor, came home last week from his mission to Mexico. We were all so excited to see him after 2 years. He had never met 3 of his 6 nieces and nephews. He was quite grown up and it was a lot of fun spending time with our whole family. We don't get to see each other often and we are really close, so it was so great!! Maclaren, Tripp and Rowan welcoming Trevor at the airport.
He had the biggest smile on his face when he saw us! And my mom burst into tears and wouldn't let go of him. (Trevor is the one on the left)

Mom, Dad and Trev

Much needed family time

2011-03-21T12:32:00.003-04:00

Stephanie, Trevor, Avery, Emily, Dad, Mom, Nate, Tripp, Mel, Kate, Ashley. Front row: Maclaren, Paige and Rowan. Nate is taking pic and Ryan had to work.

Stephanie, Me, Ashley, Emily.

We were watching a water/music show at the Gateway Mall and Tripp kept pretending that he was leading the music! He does that at church too.

Mom, Stephanie and Trevor watching the water.

Tripp and Paige in a helicopter. Maclaren and Rowan are in front, flying it.

Whenever my dad got out his computer, Tripp wanted to sit up at the table with his computer too. He thought he was so big.

St. George, Utah

2011-03-21T12:23:00.003-04:00

Our friends Dan and Anne moved to St. George and we drove down to visit them for a long weekend. It's amazing to me that we can drive 5 hours and all of a sudden it's warm and so beautiful. There are all kinds of little hiking ares and the awesome red rock is everywhere.

Nate and Tripp

The city of St. George

Anne, Jack, me and Tripp

Tripp, Charlie, and Jack.

Breakfast of Champions.

2011-03-21T12:19:00.002-04:00

I think it's perfectly acceptable to let your kid eat a cupcake for breakfast once in a while. I've decided that what my child needs most is for his mother to be less of an authority figure and more of a best friend. That parenting style worked out just fine for Billy Ray Cyrus, Lynn Spears and Deena Lohan right?

Say Cheese!!!

2011-03-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

Tripp and Grandma Tammy and cousin Kalob at the Children's Museum.

Chatter box

2011-02-08T17:51:00.002-05:00

Tripp is at the fun stage where he repeats everything he hears. He also just surprises us sometimes and just says stuff out of the blue. We taught him last week to say 'please' and 'thank you.' We were at Costco the other day, and Tripp wanted more samples. Out of nowhere, he said and signed 'more.' We were both so shocked. It's been months since he watched his sign language video and months since I have signed to him because I became frustrated that he wasn't picking it up. Then, he just one day decides to sign. Kinda pointless, because I taught him to sign so he could communicate 8 months ago, before he started talking. Oh well, better late than never.

Life Saver!

2011-02-08T15:32:00.006-05:00

I got an annual family pass for museums for $35. So cheap. It's good for over 250 museums across the country. Tripp and I go a little crazy being cooped up in the house all winter, so it is so nice to get out and let him play. I love the childrens museum. It's nice to not have to always tell him "no. you can't play with that." or "don't touch that." or "danger!!" Everything here is totally for him to touch and play with. And there are tons of kids for him to play with. I think Tripp's favorite part was the little kitchen.

Tripp refused to wear his apron to play with water, so he got soaked. Notice the paint on Ryder's head. ha ha.

Arts and crafts. They also had a story read to them about their teeth because this is dental health week!

Tripp, trying to eat the paint brush. Ryder tried to brush his hair with it, so he had paint in his hair the rest of the day.

Super Bowl!

2011-02-08T15:22:00.003-05:00

I really don't care about the super bowl. Am I the only one? Even the comercials are not that great. But Nate and Tripp wore their football atire and watched the whole game intently. The highlight for me was that on Saturday night, we went to Papa Murphy's and got a delicious veggie pizza and I really enjoyed in on Sunday. mmmmm.

Not super bowl related, but just a funny pic. He'll drag anything over to what he wants and stand on it. One day, he is going to seriously injure himself.

The other day I was brushing my teeth. He got up to the sink next to mine and grabbed his Thomas The Train electric tooth brush and turned it on. When I spit in the sink, he did too. So cute how they mimic EVERY thing we do. Well, cute and really scary.

playing in the snow

2011-02-08T15:16:00.002-05:00

Tripp doesn't really know what to do in the snow. He just sort of stands there. I tried sitting him on top of a big mound of snow and he just stared at me. Then Nate gently threw snow at Tripp's belly and he started crying. I guess he's not much of a winter guy. Me either. I kinda hate the snow and the cold and stuff. I think I'll move to Arizona.

"I wanna be big"

2011-01-07T14:44:00.002-05:00

It's cute when they want to immitate us. But not when they insist on doing every single thing you do, even at the expense of pricy electronics and gadgets.
He now says "hi" whenever he picks up a phone and holds it up to his ear. It's amazing how closely they watch us.

I came into the kitchen the other day to find that he pushed a box in front of the fridge and was trying to use the ice/water dispenser.

Christmas!

2011-01-07T14:34:00.002-05:00

Tripp got a set of keys that look real and have buttons that beep and stuff. He thinks they are pretty cool. And he puts them in the cup holder of his new car that nate got at Lowes. One day they randomly announced that these cars were $10 so Nate snatched one up as soon as he could.

My little monkey

2010-12-24T14:13:00.003-05:00

These days, Tripp climbs in and on EVERYTHING. I'm pretty surprised that he hasn't broken a bone or required stitches. Every time we open the fridge, he runs into the kitchen and hurries and sits down inside.

Nate's aunt has 2 fish tanks and a bird. Tripp would stand at the bird cage and chirp every time the bird chirped. It was really cute.... at first. Then it became old.

Surgery....

2010-12-24T14:09:00.002-05:00

Tripp had tubes placed in his ears 2 weeks ago. It's a quick and easy procedure, but always a little concerning if your child is going under general anesthesia. It was a little scary watching the anesthesiologist walk away holding my little boy, but everything went really well and he seems happy.

"Leaves are Falling All Around"

2010-11-15T13:37:00.001-05:00

Yikes, I'm singing primary songs in my spare time. Leaves are lovely to look at. Really, they are. Just not lovely to rake. Unless, I guess, this little guy follows you around and throws your piles around. It makes it a little more fun. And check out the awesome coat my mom bought him.

This and that

2010-11-15T13:32:00.002-05:00

I think Tripp and Ryder think they are brothers. They love each other so much. Tripp is much happier when his best friend is around.

The Dr. thought Tripp might have asthma, so he had to use a nebulizer for a few days. He was so sweet. He would just sit there for 5 minutes and breath and relax like a good little boy. Then the mask came off and he was Tripp again! But he doesn't have asthma. Everything is good.

The Hogle Zoo

2010-11-15T13:24:00.003-05:00

Last week we went to the zoo with Dan, Anne, Charlie and Jack. It was the last really nice Saturday of the year.
A baby elephant was born a few months ago. Soooo cute. I love elephants after reading the book 'Water for Elephants.' Such a good book. The movie comes out in a few months. I'm glad Reese Witherspoon is the main girl, not so glad Robert Pattinson plays Jacob. But I digress......

Tripp kept us on track by always being the map reader. Jack and Charlie like riding in the wagon. Great birthday present Mom.

Halloween - a little late.

2010-11-15T13:06:00.003-05:00

Nate just happens to look exactly like the guy on 'Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.' His coworkers used to call him Flint Lockwood when the movie first came out. So that's who we are. Nate is Flint, I'm the reporter Sam Sparks, Tripp is the monkey side-kick Steve.

Nate's grandpa never dresses up. He's a party pooper.

Every year, Nate's mom does a fun Halloween dinner where we order off a menu, having no idea what we are ordering (ie. witches brew, swamp slime, edward's fingers are soup, drink and fork.) Each course is brought out by a waiter and taken away after that round. If you don't happen to get utensils, you are screwed.

Zack, Adam, Amber and Jeff. Ordering their dinner.

Nate is trying to eat his jello without utensils.

Natalie got 2 forks for her salad course. Rossi got a drink and a spoon.

Nate's cousin Mackenzie is eating her hot fudge sundae without utensils.

My dinner. I happened to order almost all my utensils for the dinner round.

Corn Maze

2010-10-20T13:15:00.004-04:00

I'd never been to a corn maze before. They are quite fun. We went in the day time (with Adam, Amber and Ryder) so we could take the boys. If you go at night, there are people dressed up who jump out and scare you. Nate found this one that had lots of additional activities for kids.

Tripp really liked running through the corn. He refused to hold my hand, so we decided to let him run free. He loved it.

Tripp and Ryder picking out their pumpkins.

There were tons of free activities going on before you went through the corn maze. Multiple huge slides that were pretty fun to go down.

Watching a baby goat.

How did he know? When we got to the farm, Tripp picked up a piece of straw and chewed on it for most of the time. Just like a true farmer.

There was a mini maze for the little ones. Tripp just climbed over the bales or straw.

Nate had to squeeze into the little train to make sure the boys didn't try to stand up (like Tripp), while going through the corn field.

Tripp and Ryder watching a mini pig race.

The boys got pig noses because their pig one.

Heritage Park

2010-10-11T13:07:00.006-04:00

A couple weeks ago we went to Heritage Park at This is the Place Monument with Anne, Jack and Charlie (lucky Dan was in Boston). They brought a bunch of houses/buildings from all over and made a little town. There is the original ZCMI, BYU, Desseret News building, Lucy Mac Smith's house, other famous people's houses. The kids can go inside buildings and do pioneer type crafts and pet animals, etc. It was cute for the kids and neat to learn about pioneer history. I don't care about the dirty looks I get from people because my kid is on a leash. I'd rather him not run away from me and get lost or hurt. And look: he doesn't seem to mind at all. Right? Right? Guys?

Jack and Tripp watching the black smith do his demonstration.

Me, Nate and Tripp in front of the original ZCMI. Now it's a little general store with old fashioned candy and games. They took this building apart brick by brick. Holy crap.

He wouldn't pet the animals, just poke at them. He had fun playing with Charlie and Jack.

There were these cute little mini houses for the kids to play in.

The original BYU. They brought this building over from Provo.

Tripp and I are riding the big train that took us all around the village.

Anne, Jack, Nate and Tripp riding the mini train around the lake.

At the end of the day, Jack was so tired he fell asleep while waiting for the train to take us back to the parking lot. It doesn't look comfortable.

What???

2010-10-11T13:03:00.004-04:00

What do you mean, these aren't the terrible two's? I feel like These boys couldn't possible get more wild. I feel like every single day I put these books on the self at least 3 times. I know my mom said Emily and I did the exact same thing when we were little, but come on!

Nate discovered that when he puts them in this huge box, they'll play for like 10 minutes before getting bored and climbing out.

Betty home maker

2010-10-11T13:00:00.003-04:00

Yea, that's right. I canned peaches and pears. I'd never done it by myself before. I'd helped my mom and grandma plenty of times though. We have peach and pear trees in our backyard. It was kind of fun and very satisfying to see all my jars lined up on the counter. Unfortunately, Tripp won't eat anything slimy. So I will try to force feed these to him in a couple of months.

Summer days are gone...

2010-10-11T12:54:00.003-04:00

Even though I LOVE fall, I'm really sad summer is over. I loved taking Tripp in the kiddie pool or going boating and all the other fun summer activities. Now all we have to look forward to is a long, cold winter. ugh. That's not me holding Tripp, that's Nate's sister, Natalie. Somehow, Tripp fell asleep during the bumpy boat ride, but the pic was blurry. oops.

Nate and his brother Adam, and Natalie's boyfriend, Rossi. BEFORE the whip-lash inducing ride. I only go on the tube with Natalie cause she and I are wimpy and like smooth rides.

Chip 'n Dale's

2010-09-09T20:35:00.001-04:00

Nothing more needs to be said.

My big boy

2010-09-09T20:20:00.003-04:00

Last week, I put all Tripp's baby stuff away (ie. bottles, burp cloths). It was nice to get rid of some of that stuff. But I was mostly very sad. He's not my little baby anymore. He's a big boy (who is very wild). He is so much fun (and wild).

He loves to eat by himself with a fork. Not much of it makes it into his mouth.

Adam and Amber's Wedding

2010-09-09T20:00:00.004-04:00

Nate's brother Adam married Amber a couple weeks ago. It was a really nice wedding and we had a great time. They now live in our house with us and we have a great time. Especially since our sons are 12 days apart. They have so much fun together. Here are a couple pics.

Adam and Amber are in the center with their son, Ryder on her lap. Nate's sister, Natalie is on the very right.

Tripp with his dad's cousins Ashlyn and Haley

Tripp and Ryder are having fun near the air vents. Mackenzie, Haley (Nate's cousins), Aiden (Ryder's cousin), Kayson, Kamden. Then Natalie's boyfriend Rossi, Me, and Nate's cousin Zack.

It's a silly pic of me, Natalie and Amber, but it's the best one I have of Amber and her dress.

Nate's aunt Marilyn won the bubble gum contest.

By the end of the night, Ryder had enough and needed a drink. One of the funniest pictures I've ever seen.

The fate of the wine glass, 10 seconds after the previous picture.

Oh not again!

2010-09-09T19:52:00.003-04:00

Ok, so we entered him in one more baby contest. But this is the last one. He entered with his cousin Ryder in the same age group. His other cousin Kyra was in the age group just younger. Here he is, listening to his baby IPOD getting psyched up for the contest.

He whined the whole time, wouldn't walk, and wouldn't wear his sandles. Awesome. His cousin did the same thing. Needless to say, they didn't win. But it was fun.

Nate and his brother Adam, with their sons Tripp and Ryder.

2nd place is ok

2010-07-26T15:19:00.003-04:00

For Pioneer Day, we went up to Tremonton to visit Nate's parents. They had all sorts of stuff going on at the park. We entered Tripp in a baby contest. Kinda silly, but we thought it would be fun.

I love the awesome trophy. Is that a naked baby posing? Little creepy.

Tripp ended up taking second place. I swear we are not going to become crazy stage parents who enter their kids into pageants and stuff. Ok, so the South Weber Days baby contest is next week. After that one, we are done....I promise.

Little puppy

2010-07-26T15:16:00.004-04:00

Even though I'm not much of an animal person, I have to admit that puppies are pretty dang cute. Nate's dad got a new little puppy Doberman and he is super cute. And Tripp likes to play with him.

My greenish thumb

2010-07-26T15:06:00.002-04:00

Growing up, my family usually had a garden. I must not have paid much attention, cause I have no clue what I'm doing. But it's fun watching my little veggies grow.

I picked my first thing the other day. It's a radish. Pay no attention to all the holes in the leaves. I don't know how to get rid of the critters that are eating my garden. I guess now I need to make a salad.

Speaking of salads. We had our friends, Nate and Gina, over for dinner. She made an Olive Garden salad. It looked and tasted like the real thing. Sooo delicious. We were missing the bread sticks though.

Petting Zoo

2010-07-26T14:54:00.003-04:00

My friend, Anne, and I took our kids to this free petting zoo in in Salt Lake. The boys loved it. Charlie liked riding the little pony, but Tripp wasn't such a big fan.

Is it cute or weird? I can't quite tell.

Yoga for children

2010-07-26T14:49:00.003-04:00

For about a week, every time I looked at Tripp he was in the downward facing dog pose. I don't know where that came from. He must pay attendion to me whenever I am doing Yoga. Oh, wait. I did it once while pregnant and was too annoyed to continue.

4th of July in Huntsville

2010-07-26T14:33:00.005-04:00

I think Huntsville is one of the prettiest places on earth. And I've lived many places and visited many more. It's so quiet and pretty with beautiful mountains and a lake. I would love to live here the rest of my life. Nate isn't so sure about such a small, quiet town. But for now, we will visit for the annual 4th of July celebration.

This year, my sisters Ashley and Stephanie and her boyfriend Trevor and my hubby Nate ran the Huntsville 5K. It was hard but I enjoyed training for it and we think we might do the 10 K next year. We'll see. We are all smiling because this was BEFORE the race.

You can't possibly celebrate our independance without a delicious trifle. Mine is the one on the left, while Nate made the one on the right.

My uncles Dave and Don
My sisters Emily and Ashley with Kate

My nephews Rowan and Maclaren

Watching the parade go by. Growing up, we always made a float and rode on it. Next year, we should have enough Sorensen great-grandkids to make one again. Such a fun childhood memory.

My uncle Richard (in the back) riding the city council float.

Is this safe for children?

Tripp's 1st Birthday

2010-06-24T18:43:00.005-04:00

I can't believe my little boy is 1. It has gone by so fast. We have been very blessed to have such a good baby who is in good health. Tripp watching Nate mow the lawn. He sat here for at least 20 minutes just watching.
Blayne making home made root beer. The kids loved seeing the dry ice make smoke!

Nate wanted to decorate the cake. He chose the Boston B. He did it free hand and it looked great! My mom and sister and I made blue velvet cake and it was yummy.

We had several yard games set up.

Tripp opening presents!

He really liked this outfit from Emily.

Slightly anti-climatic. I thought he would dig into his cake and devour it, but he delicately picked at it. That's ok. There's always next year.

Dinosaur Park

2010-06-24T18:12:00.004-04:00

We met up with Anne, Jack and Charlie at Dinosaur Park in Ogden. I hadn't been there since the mid 90's. It's so great for 2-6 year olds. There's lots for kids to do there.

Jack and Charlie

Anne was my good friend in Boston. They moved back to Utah also. But next year, they are going back to Boston for 5 more years. I'm so jealous.

The boys

2010-06-24T17:59:00.003-04:00

Ryder didn't want Tripp to go.

These two are the best buddies. They are so much alike, but also have very distinct personalities and interests. They are so cute together.

Nate's 30th Birthday!!

2010-06-24T17:26:00.004-04:00

Nate is officially an old man! For his birthday we invited his whole family over for a party. We had a dutch oven dinner in the fire pit and ice cream cake. It was a nice day. It's so great, now that the weather is warm, to have family parties out in the yard.
Tripp is escaping with Nate's gummy bears.

Natalie, Tripp, Ryder and Tammy.

Nate, his Dad Blayne, Grandpa Mark and brother Adam. Nate and Adam put in this basketball hoop last week.

Tripp got scared by all the singing or the smoke from the candles or something.

What happens in Vegas......

2010-06-24T17:09:00.005-04:00

In May, we drove down to Vegas (with Nates family Adam, Amber, Ryder, Natalie and Rossi). We stayed with my sister Emily and her family. I stole some of these pics off her blog. Hope that's ok Em!
Rowan and Maclaren were so interested in watching Tripp eat. They even fed him big kid food!

Tripp was so interested in the little boy in the mirror.

We couldn't affort the $20 souvenir picture with the cool background, so here is our cheesy knock off.

The cute new spokes baby for coke.

Tripp, Me, Amber and Ryder (Tripp's cousin)

Just some random stuff...

2010-06-24T16:55:00.004-04:00

I swear, I am never buying Tripp another toy. All he ever wants to play with is garbage.
He loves his golf clubs, but he only crawls around the house with the end in his mouth. It's all fun and games until he runs into a wall and hurts is mouth. This happens every single day.

Helping Dad mow the lawn.

We all got a kick out of seeing the boys on these mini motorcycles, but they were pretty disinterested.

When we are working in the yard, we put him in this little kiddie pool (minus the water). It gets old pretty quick.

Tripp is helping aunt Natalie and Daddy build a fire pit in the yard. This project is bigger than we thought it would be. I'll post a completed pic if it ever does get finished.

Not what you'd expect from a kid whose parents are a Diabetic and a Dental Hygienist.

The best part of my day

2010-06-24T16:49:00.002-04:00

For sure, the best part of my day is when I go to get Tripp out of his crib. He is soooo happy to see me and almost always wakes up in a good mood. He is so sweet.

Another great part of my day is when he goes to sleep and I have peace and quiet again.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-07T14:05:00.004-04:00

We had a little mini Easter egg hunt for the two babies. Ryder was much more into it.

Now Tripp cares. Now that he realizes that food is involved.

Naughty grandma giving the boys their first taste of chocolate. Tripp wouldn't wait his turn and started pushing Ryder out of the way.

He just can't stand the thought of someone else eating when he's not.

Both boys will just stare at you if you are eating something.

Who us??

A weekend with the girls...

2010-04-07T13:51:00.004-04:00

My sister, Ashley, had a baby girl named Kate 3 weeks ago. So, last week my sister, Emily, drove up from Vegas with her boys and picked Tripp and me up. Then we drove to Idaho to get my sister Stephanie. Then on to Liberty Lake, Washington. Ashley and Nate live in this beautiful part of Washington that is right on the Idaho border. It has beautiful mountains and green green trees and lakes like the Seattle side. But it doesn't rain as much and they actually have 4 seasons. I would love to live there. So beautiful. My mom was there for the weekend also. We had such a great time. Ashley and Kate taking a much needed nap.
Tripp and his cousins Paige, Rowan and Maclaren. They had so much fun playing together!

We went to this beautiful lake in Coeur d' Alene (I think I spelled it right)

Me and Ashley

mmmmmm. The most amazing ice cream sundae I have ever had. I certainly did not eat it all by myself. Emily and Mom in the background.

My sweet little boy as he sleeps.

Big deal!

2010-04-07T13:38:00.003-04:00

March was a very eventful month for us. Well, mostly for Tripp. He graduated to a bigger car seat. He learned how to wave. He learned how to clap (not pictured).

And most of all, he learned how to crawl. I just happened to get the first crawl on video camera. It is not on this blog because my voice can be heard screaming "oh my gosh" the entire time.

For about a month before that, he used to just scoot backwards and get himself stuck in all sorts of things. He would try so hard to get out.

Then, he would simply give up and wait for me to come get him.

Tripp also learned how to talk on cell phones.

And of course, he learned how to read. Very impressive.

Best Buddies...er.....sort of

2010-03-10T16:51:00.006-05:00

Cousins Ryder and Tripp are 12 days apart, which should make for some fun times down the road. For now, they don't know what to think about each other. They mostly get along and like to play together.
Until Tripp gets a little too affectionate.

Ryder, Tripp and aunt Natalie.

Take note of Tripp's wild hair. He got his first haircut later that day.

They always seem to fight over this toy. I think it's because it's easy for each of them to grasp.

TRIPP'S FIRST HAIRCUT!

2010-03-10T14:53:00.003-05:00

My sister-in-law-ish cut Tripp's hair for the first time. He was so good. He just sat there. Even when she used the buzzer. She occupied him with a comb of his own.

Tripp obviously loved his haircut!!

SPRING IS COMIN'

2010-03-10T14:41:00.003-05:00

This is the last patch of snow in our yard. That means that Spring is almost here. Well, this is mid-March, so it could easily snow a blizzard next week. But I feel a little better about life now! And now we can go to the park that's a block away from our house. And I especially love how this patch of snow looks like the United States.

Memory Lane....

2010-02-15T20:53:00.005-05:00

I just came across these pics from the day before I had Tripp. Mom and Stephanie came to visit and help and I really wanted Tripp out, so we walked most of the freedom trail in Boston. It is such a beautiful city and I really miss it.

Steph and I are on the pier

The public gardens

My sister Stephanie at the public gardens

Me and my mom

I can't remember the name of these flowers, but they are so cool looking

Nate, me and mom at the beach that was a few blocks from our apartment

Just some Tripp pics

2010-02-15T20:38:00.004-05:00

Tripp and Daddy watching a Jazz game online.

I just love this little boy so much. He makes us so happy.
The huge trail of drool that constantly accompanies him.

Big boy! Drinking out of a sippy cup.

Yea, that's right. I want him to be a dentist.

It buggs me how babies always flip over onto their tummies. Don't they know it's bad for them?

"Duh"

"What are you looking at Mom?"

This past week, Tripp has his tongue out at all times. And he pants sometimes. It's like he's a puppy. I think he's going to dry his tongue out.

Sad Goodbye...

2010-02-15T20:12:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, we made the difficult decision to leave Boston and move back to Utah. We are so sad to leave this beautiful and fun city. Nate has family in Utah, so it will be great to be closer to them. I really want Tripp to know his cousins and grandparents. I think this is a good move for us, but right now I'm mostly sad. The night we said goodbye to our friends, I cried the whole way home. And the only reason I didn't cry as we pulled out of our neighborhood with the moving van is because Nate was in the other car with his Dad, and I was in the jeep with Tripp and Nate's mom. She would think I was a crazy person if I was crying, so I held it in.

I'm a bit of a freak, and every 2 years or so, I tend to get antsy and really want to move and start another adventure. Boston was the ONLY place that I haven't felt that feeling. We had the best friends in the world and there was still so much for us to see and do. I hope we are able to go back one day and visit that beautiful city again. We loved our 3 years there. But, on to another adventure.

Nate's parents, Nate, Tripp and I took a week to drive from Boston to Utah. We saw some US history and church history sites. All of us except Tammy were sick at one point or another. But we mostly had a great time. Here are a few of the things we did.

Washington DC

2010-02-15T19:49:00.005-05:00

Nate's cousin, Brooke, took us around DC all day. She was a great tour guide. Her husband, Marques, works for a senator and he gave us a great personal tour of the capitol. Our little family is standing in front of a very controversial statue of George Washington. At the time, it was quite scandalous to be shirtless. woowoo.

Arlington National Cemetary.

Tammy, Blayne, Tripp, Me and Brooke

Our best pic of the White House. We were able to go on a tour inside the White House, but could not take any cameras or anything. We did get to see the dog, Bo, though. Some staff person walked past us with the dog, headed outside. I guess the president can't be bothered to take his own dog out to go pee.

Washington Monument.

Inside the capitol

Abe Lincoln's hat. I love Honest Abe. He was such a cool guy. And so honest.

Kirtland, Ohio

2010-02-15T19:44:00.003-05:00

Also on our road trip, we were able to go see some church history sites. It's so neat to see the places we have heard so much about in the early days of the church. This is the Kirtland Temple. It's only open weekends during the winter, so we were unable to go in.

I don't remember the signifigance of this room, but I just thought Tripp looked cute. Grandpa is making him laugh in this picture.

Inside the store.

Carthage Jail

2010-02-15T19:38:00.004-05:00

Even it's a little melancholy, the jail is really neat to see. This is the site where the Prophet and his brother were shot to death by a group of angry men. This hole is where the bullet that killed Hyrum came through.

This is the room where the men spent most of their time. The window on the left is where Joseph fell after he was shot.

Our tour guide was the great grandaughter of John Taylor. She was very sweet. We are standing under the windorwwhere the Prophet Joseph fell and died.

I just realized that this post is rather bleak, sorry. On to one of my favorite places to visit.

Nauvoo, Illinois

2010-02-15T19:13:00.004-05:00

I love Nauvoo!! This is the 4th time I've been and I want to go back again. It's so fun walking around to all the olden day shops and learning how the pioneers did things like bake bread, make horse shoes, candles, bricks, etc. Nate and I are standing outside the gunsmith's shop.

The cutest little boy in the world. AKA Tripp. He was so good on this Tripp. He was sick the whole time, but he rarely complained or cried. He was the best!

Showing us how horse shoes are made. Nate got to keep the one he made.

If you look close, you can see that cute little boy's head peeking over grandma's shoulder.

The beautiful Nauvoo Temple. Mom, Dad and I went throught it in 2002, during the open house.

Christmas in Texas

2010-02-15T18:13:00.008-05:00

Back row: Dad, Nate, Tripp, Ryan, Nate and Paige

Middle row: Melanie, Mom, Emily, Ashley, Stephanie

Front row: Rowan and Maclaren

This Christmas we went to Texas. Everyone was there except Trevor, who is doing missionary work in Mexico City. We really missed him. But we still had a GREAT time. It was so cute having all 4 of the grandkids together. And Emily and Ashley are pregnant, so we will soon add 2 more girls. It was so fun being together. All 7 of us lived in different states, so we don't see each other often enough.

Mom and Dad opening presents.

Tripp received a cute toy from his cousins.

Nate received Transformers II

Rowan and Maclaren patiently waiting for everyone to open presents Christmas morning.

Mac's favorite gift was 3 feet long wolverine claws. He wore them most of the week!

Rowan LOVED is "bicano" aka piano. He'd been asking for it for months.

The 4 grandkids: Tripp (6 months), Maclaren (5), Rowan (3), and Paige (2).

Rowan, Tripp and Maclaren

Tripp on Christmas morning!!

Tripp fell asleep on my sister Stephanie. So sweet.

Rowan got a guitar for Christmas. Dad is teaching him the basics. Rowan loves his Grandpa.

Paige is reading Tripp a story. She is so smart - and a tease. And very funny.

Christmas lights

2009-12-07T15:07:00.002-05:00

We went downtown to see the big Christmas tree lit up. Tripp wasn't very impressed.

Buddies??

2009-12-07T14:35:00.002-05:00

Asher was really wanting to be Tripp's buddy, but Tripp was pretty disinterested.
Asher kept playfully trying to swat Tripp's face!

Sweat Equity....candy style

2009-12-07T14:18:00.002-05:00

Nate, overseeing his project. He did "prep-work" the day before on the ice skating rink.

The Umplebys have invited everyone over for pumpkin carving and gingerbread house making for the last 3 years. They are one of the few who actually have a house and room to host everyone. They throw a good party - we always have lots of fun. There were 20 people this year

Ryan's version of Fenway Park, complete with red and green seats and the green monster wall.

Time goes by fast!

2009-12-07T14:04:00.003-05:00

Becky, Melissa & me at my baby shower 7 months ago.
Asher, Elsie & Tripp were all born within two weeks of each other. It's so much fun having babies the same age!

I did it!!!

2009-11-18T13:29:00.004-05:00

I finally put Tripp to bed in his crib - yes I know that he is 5 months old and this should have been done 2 months ago. Nate had to give me a little nudge, but we got the baby monitor out, put the heater in there and layed him down. And...... he went right to sleep. I'm such a spaz. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this. It's just so comforting when I wake up (every hour) to make sure I hear him breathing. Plus (gulp), he was WAY too big for the bassinet. It was getting ridiculous. Maybe that's why he didn't grow all that much at his last Dr. appointment. You know when you put a baby watermelon in a square box and it grows to be the same shape and size of the box? Or when a goldfish is put in a large pond, it gets bigger that it did when it was in a little fish tank? Crap. I think I've stunted his growth.

A whole new world

2009-11-18T13:24:00.004-05:00

We started Tripp on rice cereal last week. It's totally fun to be at this next stage. He's getting so big... but that's the problem. I didn't at all like seeing him in his high chair, eating solid food. This means my sweel little baby isn't a newborn anymore. I am totally going to miss the baby stage - I can tell already. I guess that's why people have more babies right?
I must say: It is pretty entertaining seeing his tongue kick out half of what I put in his mouth.

Tripp's two favorite things....(besides his mom's you-know-whats)

2009-11-18T13:14:00.003-05:00

Nate and I have only bought Tripp two toys. (He has received others as gifts and hand-me-downs). And I'm happy to say that they are his favorite two toys. Or maybe I expose him to them most often because I bought them and I'm biased. hmmmm.

The first is this little ball. All the holes are just the right size for him to stick his fingers into - easy for him to hold. And he'll hold on to this thing FOREVER. We have to pry it out of his fingers. And he loves to eat it too. But he sticks every thing in his mouth now days.

The second toy is this bouncy extravaganza. We bought it at Costco last week. He loves to stand up on our laps, so we thought it was time to get him a toy to stand up in. The seat swivels around to expese him to the various toys on the tray. He isn't quite tall enough to bounce yet. But he loves to stand up and see the world from this new perspective!! So cute!

Working Mom Guilt

2009-11-18T12:55:00.002-05:00

I know that I only work 2 days each week (and Nate is with Tripp those days) and I shouldn't feel guilty - but I do. Every day. I feel guilty if I put Tripp in his bouncy seat to watch Baby Einsteins for 20 minutes while I take a shower. I feel guilty if breast feeding isn't going so great and I have to give him formula. I feel like I'm either letting him down, or Nate, or work, or my church obligations. And the kicker: Tripp rolled over for the first time last week while I was at work. I MISSED IT! He did it again and I missed it. At least Nate was there both times. I feel like guilt starts the second you become a Mom. This sounds like I'm Debbie Downer. I really am LOVING being a mom and, quite frankly, I have the sweetest little boy in the world. I wouldn't trade this for anything. I just wish I could stop feeling guilt. Guilt should be reserved for making really bad decisions and purposely doing stuff to hurt other people. Not for those who are doing the best they can to be a good mom.

Thank you Ashley

2009-11-01T17:12:00.004-05:00

In this video, Tripp is saying "thank you Ashley" for the great crib entertainment. Whenever I turn it on, he smiles immediately, then stares at it non-stop. Great gift.

Emily and Ashley: I'm soooo excited for Christmas and to have all 4 of the little cousins together for the first time!!!

Good thing he's so cute. Otherwise.......

2009-10-31T15:55:00.003-04:00

This video is actually 3 months old, but I had trouble posting video up until now. It has come to my attention that I should submit this to America's Funniest Videos and everyone who saw it in Utah wanted my to post it on my blog.

Warning: the following footage is disturbing and graphic in nature.

East Boston Rules!

2009-10-30T11:45:00.004-04:00

For almost 2 years, we have lived in the city of East Boston. We have a great apartment in a cute part of town. We are just a couple blocks away from a subway station and the beach. I would never step foot in that water (both for temperature and sanitary reasons), but it's a nice place to walk. There's a park where kids are always playing and I love to be able to hear the waves and the seagulls and stuff. And Tripp obviously LOVES going on walks to the beach too!!!

Lately, this kid ALWAYS has his hands in his mouth.

I guess it's ok to throw an entire loaf of bread on the groud and watch the birds get sick from eating it.

Cute little Dads

2009-10-30T11:27:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Nate and Ryan took Tripp and Porter to a pumpkin carving festival for kids downtown. It was Nate's day to have Tripp and Ryan is currently taking care of Porter while Crystal works and he finishes up his MBA (he just passed the BAR yesterday! Congrats!!). I thought it was so cute that they took the boys on a little halloween activity (even though the boys were clearly too young to carve pumpkins).

They said that many people came up to them and asked if they could take their picture. They probably thought it was so cute to see these little dads with their kids. Or maybe it was creepy - I'm not sure.....

Tripp seems more interested in eating his keys, but I'm sure he loved it!!

Pumpkin Carving!!

2009-10-30T11:23:00.003-04:00

Nate and Ryan working on their masterpieces.

The finished products. Nate's is the awesome one that says Trick or Treat.

Travis, looking a little too much like his pumpkin.

'You're So Vain'

2009-10-25T22:35:00.003-04:00

Lately, Tripp loves looking in the mirror. He doesn't know who that little boy is, but he loves him. Whenever he's crying, I take him into the bathroom mirror, and he calms right down. His swing also has a mirror to look into. You can see his delight looking up at that mirror!

Just random pics....

2009-10-25T22:21:00.004-04:00

This one was taken on my cell phone, kinda poor quality.

Tripp LOVES his Daddy. And he loves to do 'high fives.'

I don't mean to brag, but he looks so dang cute in a hood!!

Very devious looking face and hands. He also looks like he belongs in Lord of the Rings or something.

Oh this kid!

2009-10-25T22:10:00.003-04:00

This is precisely what Tripp looks like every single time we burp him. He screams the second we take the bottle out of his mouth. I think that he thinks he is going to starve to death. Put the bottle back in and instant silence. His face is pretty funny. I just laugh at that sad face and huge tears. **Enlarge pic to see huge tear on his cheek.

Look at that cute little body in those tight pajamas. I just love it!! (He gets so angry during burping that he is stiff and can stand up straight for a long time. Crazy kid.)

Got Milk?

The Nightmare Before Christmas...

2009-10-25T21:53:00.004-04:00

Tripp's costume was adorable. But I think he hated it. He just layed there without moving for 2 full minutes. No kicking, no waving of the arms. It was hilarious.

Nate was in charge of the Halloween Party again. After finding out that the building was being used by the other ward, then setting up entirely by ourselves, we ended up having a great party. Nate and I were Jack the Pumpkin King and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Tripp was......a pumpkin of course!

Tripp doesn't like it when we strike a pose...... There were so many great costumes at the party. I only added a couple, but they were so great and creative.

Elsie, Melissa, James and Louis Faustino - AKA - Yoda, Jedi, Jar Jar and Darth Vadar.

Spencer, Paige, Jordan, Kyle, and Audrey Wilson - AKA - Crest toothpaste, tooth fairies, a molar and..... a Dental Student.

Crystal, Porter and Ryan Evans - AKA - Leah, Yoda and Darth Vadar (without mask, per church rules and regulations).

Alyssa, Emily and Travis Umpleby - AKA - marshmallow, hersheys bar and graham cracker - AKA - Smores!

Two cute Yodas

Salem on October

2009-10-25T20:56:00.003-04:00

Salem, Mass in October is slightly crazy. Not only are there lots of tourists, but the weirdos who live there are out if full force. Sorry, I didn't take any pics of the actual witches who live there, or the little tourist trap gift shops and cafes with cute, clever witch-related names.
There are plenty of candle lit ghost story walks and "haunted" old mansions to go through. We chose to be indoors ('cause of the kids) and go to the Salem Witch Museum with a reenactment of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Kinda silly, but entertaining.
Nate, Melanie and Tripp with our neighbors John, Delys and Kaitlin. The babies are one month apart and they loved the spooky trip. **Am I really that short?

Life Saver!

2009-10-02T14:18:00.002-04:00

I would like to spend a few moments talking about how great swings are. Tripp loves his swing and often puts himself to sleep in it. And it allows me to get stuff done - bonus. I'm a big fan. How long can we keep putting him in it? I intend to try it up to kindergarten, if he'll fit.....

Gone Fishin'

2009-10-02T14:13:00.003-04:00

My aunt Regen gave Tripp this little outfit. It is so cute and he looks so funny in it, I just had to share it. It has little turtles all over it. The hat just kills me. I love it!!!

I just can't do it.

2009-10-02T14:03:00.003-04:00

Tripp is getting so big that he's outgrowing his bassinet. Poor kid, when he stretches out, he hits the edges on all sides. I realize that he is 3 1/2 months old and it is time to move on, but I just can't do it.

I mean, look how cold and big and ominous it is. I can't place him in that huge crib. And he'll be 20-30 feet away from us now. Am I a crazy person? I know I need to let him grow up, but I can't. I'm going to miss my little baby so much.

I know what he's thinking.... I think

2009-09-28T13:01:00.004-04:00

"Dad, can we hurry this up? I'm bored."

"Just sittin' here, watching the Sox."

"Oh! I hope they clinch the AL East!"

"What did you call me?"

"Seriously!.... What did you call me?"

"My parents make me do the dumbest stuff."