Merry Christmas... part 1

Ethan didn't quite get the whole idea of Christmas this morning, since for weeks we have been telling him to stay away from the tree and the presents. Once he figured out he could open them and there were toys inside, he got pretty excited. This was his gift from Derek and I. It's a bike with no pedals so he can scoot with his feet. He loved it in the store but hasn't played with it much today.
I think he likes it! Thanks Nana & Papa!

We've had a great time with Bethany, Nathan and Jake and we're looking forward to going to CA tomorrow and spending time with the Morris'

Little Update

We've had a great Thanksgiving weekend. We had family come to us so we didn't have to travel which was great! Ethan got to spend time with his aunts, uncles, cousin Hank, and of course Nana and Papa. I love it when he gets to be around so many people that love him!

One more piece of important news... Ethan is finally weened (sp?). It has been 2 weeks now with no nursing, and no asking for num nums! I know he is 20 months old, so it took a little long, but we're done!

Does anyone else notice that everyone seems to be pregnant now?!? There are quite a few kids Ethan's age in my ward, and almost all of their moms are pregnant again! Maybe it's time to start thinking about that. We'll do it when we're ready, and I don't feel quite ready yet.

Okay, this is quite a random post, but I will end with this cute picture of loving cousins...

You won't like him when he's angry!

Yes, Ethan was the Incredible Hulk for Halloween this year. We painted him green and went out trick or treating. Ethan was too funny, he would run all around, I would coax him to the door, he would knock and get so excited when they offered him candy. A few houses he tried to walk right in, maybe next year he will understand the concept a little better.






He had to get 2 baths and I used real soap (not the baby stuff) to get him clean!

Hee Haw Farms

Monday night we went to Hee Haw farms as a family. It is so close to our house we walked there, and we were pleasantly surprised at how many things there were to do and how much fun we had there. Ethan had a blast and wanted to explore everything. He particularly loved the big slide and the corn box. I would definately recommend this place. we spent a good 3 and a half hours here!






corn maze
Corn Box



What a difference a year makes!

So Boy!

We were outside playing yesterday when Derek got home from work. Ethan loves the motorcycle and was thrilled when Derek let him sit on it and rev the engine. Isn't he a total boy!

Watch out nursery, here comes Ethan

Today was Ethan's first day in nursery. He doesn't officially turn 18 months until the 28th, but I took him in and was planning on staying with him to ease him in. He was doing so well the nursery leader told me to leave. I peeked in the window a few times to see how he was doing. The first time he was sitting very nicely at the table and it made me smile and get teary eyed because my little boy didn't seem so little. Another time, they were doing head shoulders knees and toes and Ethan was standing there watching. We need to work on shoulders and knees, he knows all the other parts.

He lasted both hours and when I went to pick him up I asked how he did. She told me he was very good, a little clingy, and he sure loves snack time. That's my boy! And what a big boy he is becoming. It is hard to believe I have a child in nursery!

Simon & Stephanie

Last weekend we went down to Arizona for Simon & Stephanie's wedding. It was a beautiful sealing and fun reception. They are such a cute couple. Welcome to the family Stephanie, we love you!

Yes, Simon is a good foot taller than her!

Alcatraz Swim... I did it!

On Satuday, my dad, sister and I swam from Alcatraz to the shore of San Francisco. It was about a 1.5 mile swim and I did it in 50 minutes. It was a great experience and I'm glad I was able to do it with family.

(Sorry the pictures are so small and pixelated)


My Dad's face says it all. It was cold!


We had a great time seeing the beautiful sights of San Francisco.




Ethan is enjoying some juice in Alcatraz.

Bosco had to put up with a lot of chasing and poking from Ethan. Boys with dogs are so cute!


Thank you Dad and Brent for a great weekend. We love you!

Flying with Toddlers

Derek, Ethan and I flew to San Francisco on Thursday. After a shuttle ride where Ethan cried the whole time, being told by a witchy old lady that "I just need to take him out in public more," and a thorough security testing of Ethan's sippy cup for explosives, we finally made it to the plane only to find we were the last to board on Southwest where seats were not assigned.

As I'm walking down the aisle with a screaming baby, I realize there are no two seats together and that no one wants me and Ethan to sit by them. I frantically look for women to sit next hoping they will be more sympathetic to my plight. No luck. I end up sitting in between two men. Ethan was still going ballistic so I decided to nurse him. (Yes, he is 16 months old and I'm still nursing. We are working on the weening process.)

Anyway, Ethan fell asleep for 30 minutes and woke up in a much happier mood. He was quite entertaining and pleasant. We have this new game where I ask Ethan, "Where are your eyes" and he points to his eyes. We go through different body parts and for his nose I say honk when he squeezes it. Then he grabs my nose and it honks as well. Well we're playing this in our seat and Ethan spots a few more noses. He leans over to the older gentleman on my left and gives his nose a good honk. He starts giggling and then leans to the right and, what do you know, that man gets his nose honked too. Thank goodness for good sports!

So we made it safely to my dad's house and we've been having a great time. I did my Alcatraz swim on Saturday (I will do a new post). Here is a picture of Ethan honking Grandpa's nose.

These boots are made for walking

Lately, Ethan has been very opinionated as to what he eats, where he sleeps, and most recently, what he wears. I'll take Ethan to his closet and ask, "What should you wear today?" I don't expect him to answer me, but he always grabs his rain boots then starts backing up to sit in my lap to have me put them on him. Sometimes if I'm not there I see him trying to put them on himself. He loves these boots! He loves struting around in them. Now my only question is who let this boy have an opinion?!? It is wonderful how he is becoming his own self and in the few things that he has control over, he loves that control. I guess that is why he will love a food one night and then not touch it the next.

Penny pinching at its best!

So I am new to the whole coupon world, but I am loving it! I had such a good shopping trip today I thought I would share with you. I got...

6 macaroni & cheeses
7 lbs of lean ground beef
6 yogurts
2 trail mix snacks
2 Tillamook cheeses
1 eyeshadow and
1 eyeliner

and my total was $18.42! The ground beef cost the most, but it will last us a long time. Who said living on a tight budget can't be fun!


I'm also a little late on this, but we had a great 4th of July. Nathan and Bethany were in town so we spent the weekend together and then went to the Stadium of Fire. Surprisingly the Jonas Brothers was pretty fun. It was a little loud for Ethan, and he was pretty scared of the fireworks. But we had a great time! Here's Ethan taking a little snooze on Dad!


I got this idea from a magazine. It turned out pretty cute.

Splish Splash! Ethan's Takin' a Bath!

Almost two months ago we went to California for a wedding and took some video of Ethan in the back seat. He has become a master of outsmarting sippy-cups and defeating spill proof containers. With the economy the way it is, we think its high time we took the Gosselin approach and used our child to pay for our house, vacations, and a publicist. We're going to auction his skills off to the highest bidding toddler product maker for field testing.
Anywho, he had such a great time with the water. The only problem is that this episode occurred just south of Nephi (on our way to California) which is about 60 miles south of Provo and Ethan basically sat in wet clothes for some time. We are bad parents. There I said it, I know you were all thinking it...

15 Month Stats

Length: 32.5 inches (75th %)
Weight: 24.8 lbs (50th %, where did my babies chub go?)
Head Circ.: 49 cm (90th %)

Ethan is healthy and growing well. He's grown 3 inches in the past 3 months! We love the way his personality is developing. He has the cutest laugh and is very interactive now.

Thank you Megan, Shane & Hank!

Ethan's wonderful aunt and uncle got Ethan this toy for Christmas. He liked it so much back then that the batteries ran out rather quickly. I finally replaced them for him and as you can see, he was very excited about this "new" toy. I would say he was rather giddy.

Happy Father's Day!

For Derek! You are a wonderful dad and we love you!

Battle Creek Hike

We hiked up to Battle Creek Falls today. It's just a few minutes from our home and it was so pretty and nice to get out. We had to come home early because of the rain, but we enjoyed it while we were there.

Beach Trip

Some more cute pictures taken by Melanie.





Tasting the sand.

Sand got everywhere!

For Hannah!

To bring a smile to your face.

How Big Are You???

Ethan is captivated by his Baby Signing Time videos that my mom got for him. Those of you that know Ethan know that he is a busy little man and does not sit still for very long. That is unless Baby Signing Time is on, then he is glued to the TV. I promise I don't abuse this power, I only use it when I need a shower. After 6 months of memorizing these tapes, the only sign Ethan does is "big" which is both arms above your head. I love that his arms barely reach over his head!

Rainy Days

Yesterday was warm and sunny and Ethan and I spent most of the day outside. Today was rainy. Ethan loves to play outside so I dressed him up in his adorable rain coat and boots that my dad bought for him. I love it! Thanks Dad!

These pictures were taken by Melanie months ago that I used for the grandparent's calendars as Christmas gifts. Here was "April Showers".