TIM & JEAN

Brace Yourself. Airplanes AND Animals in this Post.

2012-01-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, at Team Anderson's in Salt Lake City......

(1) It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a...! No, Wait, It's a Plane. And It's Not Even Flying. It's on the Ground.

We visited Hill Aerospace Museum over the Christmas holiday (yes, this is a wee bit delayed), because... guess why?!! It's FREEEEEEE!!! And there are lots of big, shiny airplanes there!!!

It was pretty brisk that day. I was wishing that I had a Teletubby suit like Cole.

Our visit started with a (frigid) exploration of the outdoor area:

Nice.

Check out that big fella!!

(Having an artist husband means finding weird, random pictures like rusty metal siding every now and then on my camera.)

Eventually we moved into the warmth for an exploration of the indoor displays!

Naturally, we had to take a picture with the Sikorsky MH-53, a.k.a. Blackout (the Decepticon from the beginning of the first Transformers movie):

And naturally we had to take a picture with the F-15 Eagle (even though it's not exactly the F-14 from Top Gun, but that's okay):

Aaaaaaand finally we had to cuddle. (He's cute and squishy now, but watch out! He may enlist in the Air Force and become a hardcore fighter pilot a few years down the road. Preferably, he'll exchange the Teletubby suit for a flight suit that's a little more bad-A.)

(2) The Terrain Seems a Bit Unstable...

Another fun thing we did recently was visit Bouncin' Off the Walls for their Wednesday morning Mom-n-Me playtime. Okay, it's not free, but it's only $5, and Weston loves it SO. MUCH. I cannot overemphasize his love of bouncy places. I decided to see if Cole would be as thrilled as Weston by the giant slide:

Jean's reaction: HAHAHAHA! WHEEEE! WE'RE HAVING FAMILY FUN!!!

Weston's reaction: Okay, next?

Cole's reaction: Binky clip. Binky clip in mouth. More binky clip. In mouth.

(3) What? There's a Rare African Mammal Over There? Check Out This Snowball!

This past week we visited the Hogle Zoo. Guess why?!! It was ALSO FREEEEEE!!!! (And it will be again on the last Wednesday in February! Woot woot!)

First of all, I would just like to say that I want to be this lady when I'm old: fluffy, snow-white hair and a large-taloned hawk perched upon my arm.

Anyways, we went with a few buddies (Dawson and Katelyn and my friend Kira) and had a grand old time. The kids seemed to really enjoy seeing the animals, but I'm pretty sure that they got slightly MORE enjoyment out of running around, throwing snow, and generally romping about like hyperactive puppies. Kira and I managed to wrangle them for a picture with the giant elephant display:

Oh fer cute's sake:

And every time I took a bunch of pictures of Weston, I felt a little guilty and snapped a couple of Cole, too, just sitting like a mellow-marsh in his stroller:

Look! A BABY ELEPHANT!!!!!!!!!!!

And look, a ginormous orangutan!!! Oops, sorry, I mean orangutang:

And here are those wacky little hyperactive puppies!

Despite the two-year age difference, these guys have SO much fun together:

(4) Cole in the Bathtub. Why? Just Because.

Look at that little face.

Look at that little smile.

Look at that giant monster baby mauling C3PO. Crush him! CRUSH HIM!!!

Have a Holly, Bloggy Christmas!!

2012-01-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know it's January 12th already, but.... heck, I'm gonna say it!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

(Imagine that it's blinking, and you hear bells in the background, and a distant "Ho Ho Ho!")

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We usually head back to Pennsylvania for the holidays, so we weren't sure what to expect with our very first Family-Stay-Home Christmas. Overall, it was really nice to skip the packing and flying, but not so nice to miss the families. And I always thought it was the traveling that made me sick over the holidays, but... nope! We all got strep anyway. Haha! I guess that's just how it goes.

Here are some of the highlights of Christmas 2011 at Team Anderson's:

-Baby Cole's FIRST Christmas!!! You can't beat that. Not that they care anything whatsoever about what's happening. But they sure love wrapping paper.

-Having an actual exterior to decorate with Christmas lights. We hung up some white lights along our carport and on a bush in the yard. Sparkly + festive = awesome.

-Getting to enjoy a crackling fireplace on Christmas morning. I LOVE that holiday season fireplace action.

-Santa was real this year. Our sweet, believing child was SO excited for him to come. We set out cookies and milk on Christmas Eve, and it took Weston until about midnight before he finally fell asleep. And whaddya know... Santa DID come! And ate the cookies! And drank the milk! And even left a NOTE to say thanks! Weston sleeps upstairs, right above me and Tim, and it was so special to hear him thump out of bed, run towards the living room, and then bustle down the stairs to tell us, "Mommy!! Santa came!!!!"

-Tim's office closed down for the entire week between Christmas and New Year's, which meant a WHOLE week of family fun. It was awesome. It reminded me of all the time we got with Daddy during our Disneyland trip.

-Christmas dinner upgrades this year: hot Lion House rolls, pecan pie from Kneaders, and homemade mashed potatoes. (Sorry, boxed taters. You're out from now on.) Of course we had all the regulars -- turkey, stuffin', candied yams, green bean casserole, yada yada yada.

-And of course... getting to hang out with Tim's brother MARK (who sojourned with us before heading north to BYU-Idaho) and the ever-famous Chris and Adrienne!!! We didn't get to see ALL of our family members, but we are grateful for the decent representation.

We loved Christmas SO much that we haven't even undecorated yet. We refuse to let go. Okay, okay, we just haven't gotten around to it yet. But I think it can be attributed at least in part to a lingering feeling of Christmas spirit.

And now for the Team Anderson Christmas 2011 Photo Album!

Gotta do the Ward Christmas party! See that hulking individual in the center? I know he looks intimidating (haha), but don't worry. That's our friend Tony, and he's probably the most humanoid-looking teddy bear that I've ever known.

Awww, look. Two-thirds of my boys.

Santaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Candy from Santa? SCORE.

And then, of course, there's the gingerbread house decorating.

Watch the magic happen...

I think my favorite thing about our gingerbread house was how the Christmas Spirit barfed all over it:

And then there's the cookie-baking. Weston decided that Santa should have M&M cookies this year:

And finally, the Big Day arrived!

This gift from Gangy and Grandalf was the first one that Weston opened (squeeee!):

Tiny Chubbles got some fun stuff, too...

...but he was, by far, most excited about the wrapping paper and the fireplace:

"How about a nice... football??"

The apron says "World's Greatest Dad," and there's Luke and Leia sitting at the table. Hahahaha!! Nice one, G&G!

This year, we let Weston choose presents for Mommy and Daddy all by himself. I took him to the dollar store for Tim, and then Tim took him for me. And guess what he picked out for me?? Blue plastic jewelry, and a headband with fake hair. (I forgot to include this above as a Christmas highlight. This MADE MY DAY.)

Weston was excited about the big fella: a toy tool set. (Yes, Santa shops at Costco.)

Overall, Weston made out pretty well. I'm not sure, but I'm assuming that this is his happy dance.

I like how Cole's gifts are all bright yellow, red, green, and blue.

And we can't forget Christmas dinner! The perfect end to a day of playing in our pajamas.

Oh, those Lion House rolls. They're seriously making me hungry as I type this.

Finally, if you're celebrating Christmas in Utah, you've got to visit Temple Square. What lights!!!

Here's most of our family. Tim, Jean, and Captain America.

And here are three of the six Ander-kids: Tim, Chris, and Mark!

Isn't it be-yoo-tiful?

There were a number of "nativities from around the world" on display, so we wandered and ogled.

And of course Ms. Adrienne was in attendance, too. Here are the newlyweds!!! (They've been married for 5 months now, but I'm pretty sure that they qualify as newlyweds for a full year. Don't ya think?)

Anyway, I miss the holidays already. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good Lion House roll!!!!

More Steampunk Wedding Photos!

2012-01-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

Several of you fine readers asked for more photos of Jacob and Kate's Victorian steampunk wedding that we attended in Santa Barbara back in October, so... here ya go!!! Click HERE.

P.S. I promise a proper blog post is coming soon... a CHRISTMAS blog post!!! Deck the halls with blogs of holly, falalalalalalalala! :-)

Mama's BEST Christmas Present

2011-12-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

Cole gave me an early Christmas present this year. Y'know what it was?

SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!

Cole slept through the night for the FIRST TIME EVER on Saturday night! AHHHH! Mama got to sleep from 11:30 PM to 7:00 AM... without ANY night-time feedings!

Monumental, right? Well, I think so, anyway. It's always a huge, wondrous development when a baby reaches that point that he/she no longer insists on eating at night. I guess, to be honest, this was a Christmas gift that I strongly encouraged, because we started sleep-training on Thursday. (Lesley inspired me. Her baby girl Helen -- who is almost two months younger than Cole -- sleeps 12 hours a night regularly. I almost whimpered when I read that.)

Anyway, we used the same sleep-training technique that we used with Weston. And to highlight the difference in their personal degrees of stubbornness, it took Cole 2 nights, and it took Weston 10 nights. (Yes, Weston stuck it out SO long that he would cry for 70 - SEVENTY - minutes straight before he was finally able to fall back asleep and eventually stop eating at night. The more I learn about Cole, the more I'm actually learning about Weston. Hahaha! My lovely, funny, fiesty, stubborn-as-a-mule little Weston.)

So, on Thursday night, I turned on the baby monitor, placed the kitchen timer (set to 10 minutes) on the nightstand, and went to sleep. Each time that Cole woke up and fussed, I'd turn off the monitor and turn on the timer. When the timer beeped, I'd wake up again and check to see if Cole was still crying. Only ONCE was he still crying after the 10-minute interval, so I got up and fed him that one time. The other times, he just (somehow) soothed himself and fell back asleep!! On Friday night, the second night, I did the same thing, but I set the timer to 20 minutes. And again, only once was he still crying after the 20-minute interval, so I fed him then.

And then... on the third night... NO WAKE-UPS AT ALL!!!! BAAAAHHH!!!! I couldn't believe that it happened so quickly and relatively effortlessly. Of course, it was one of those mornings that, as I was getting dressed, I was certain that Cole was dead in his crib. (That's always what I think when they sleep through the night for the first time.) Lo and behold, he was just dozing ever so peacefully, and I eventually got him up at 8:00. (And I promptly fed him. Because... well... you know, girls.)

So... YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! COLE IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!! Oh joy of joys!!! Sigh. Finally I can sleep again! I don't sleep when I'm pregnant and I don't sleep with a newborn. But finally... over a year has passed, and now Mama can sleep again. And I feel SO. RESTED. right now. Thanks, little buddy, for the early Christmas present! I couldn't have hoped for anything better!!!

My little sleepin' champ

The Cuteness Scale

2011-12-04T20:10:00.001-08:00

A few things that have registered recently on our Cuteness Scale...

Question: Where do they fall from 1 to 10??

Entry #1:

Young Love

(aka Jeremary)

(aka Jeremy and Mary)

(aka Tim's younger brother, the senior in high school, and lovely Mary, the freshman at BYU)

Answer: 10!

Entry #2:

Weston Smiling in the Tub

(Helpful hint: Want to know how to make Weston smile... EVERY TIME? Insist that he should NOT smile.)

Answer: 11!

Entry #3:

Cole Smiling in Naught But His Diapy and Socks

(Six months old, 21 lbs 3 oz, 29 inches long. Squishy and happy as a marshmallow clam.)

Answer: 800!

Entry #4:

Wee Piggy

(Okay, granted, this last entry is a little unfair to the other contestants. But I could not resist.)

C'MON!!!

At the Movies... Again

2011-11-19T19:33:00.001-08:00

Twilight: 2008

New Moon: 2009

Eclipse: 2010

File Not Found

(Jean didn't have any friends in Oklahoma yet, so she went to the midnight show by herself. In her pajamas. Yes, it was one of her finer moments.)

Breaking Dawn Part 1: 2011

Some observations:

1. There are few things better than hanging out with girlfriends in the wee hours of the morning. Some of us (not naming names, just saying the word Wendi) get really, REALLY goofy.

2. I'm finding that I'm a teensy bit tired after these midnight shows that the young'ns are so into. And silly me, I forgot to ask Weston and Cole if I could have off for the day on Friday.

3. I am really excited about THIS. REEEEEEAAAAALLY EXCITED!!!! I cannot overemphasize my excitement. Imagine me grabbing you and shaking you while screaming about how excited I am. :-)

California or Bust Appendix: Photos by Weston!

2011-11-10T21:23:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Appendix: Photos by Weston!!

(If you're just joining us, I would recommend starting at the beginning of this series with Day 1, just to keep things in chronological order. If you subscribe to this blog in Google Reader, then you're probably reading them in the correct order already. Kudos -- you're ALMOST DONE!)

Throughout our trip, Weston requested to take pictures several times, which I found delightful. I'm really glad that he contributed to the general photo-journaling of our experiences.

And here they are!

GREAT JOB, WESTON!!!!!!! You little photographer, you. :-)

(We might want to work on your aim.)

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 9

2011-11-10T21:20:00.001-08:00

Finally... DAY 9! (Our last day!!)

Day 9 was pretty much just our second day of the drive back to Salt Lake City. I don't have any pictures except for these two from our St. George hotel room:

Is it just me, or are kids FREAKING ADORABLE when they're sleeping?

Anyway, I did not want our trip to be over, but we had to hurry back home so that we could get Tim to work, where he arrived at about 2 PM. At 3 PM, it was time for the office's Halloween party. Hahaha! But hey, at least Tim had an hour to get caught up on a week's worth of emails!

Okay... just one more vacation-related blog post after this. And it's a goodie!!!

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 8

2011-11-10T21:00:00.001-08:00

Okay, we're on to Day 8 now, and don't worry -- MUCH fewer pictures, hahaha!

We woke refreshed on the morning after the wedding, checked out of the hotel, and drove to a local reception hall for a post-wedding brunch. I don't really know what's happening here with Tim, but of course I included this photo:

There was more clapping when Kate and Jacob entered the building, and after greeting lots of folks, they got a little cuddle time with the newest Anderson:

He seemed very excited to make the acquaintance of the newlyweds. He was also VERY excited about Tim's doughnut, which he repeated tried to attack:

And Weston, of course, embraced his inner goofball for the camera once again:

I think this is one of my favorite pictures of him from the trip:

Anyway, we didn't want to leave, but we eventually had to say goodbye to even MORE friends. (Hope you guys are having fun on your whirlwind tour of Europe!!!) We also had to say goodbye to the Pacific Ocean:

After a quick, 100% necessary stock-up stop at Trader Joe's, we hit the road again for Utah. However, due to a lengthy bathroom break at Art Center (we ended up exploring the whole building while passing by Pasadena), and due to all of our other meals and stops, our GPS's arrival time in Salt Lake City seemed to get later and later. When it reached 4 AM, we realized that we needed a plan. So, even though we were originally going to make the whole drive in one day, we ended up stopping in St. George for the night. I'm so glad that we did!! It was another hotel bill, but we were SO exhausted.

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 7

2011-11-10T20:04:00.001-08:00

And now we're on to Day 7... WEDDING DAY! Yaaaaaaay!

We were treated to a very nice morning at the Hanson household, including HOMEMADE cinnamon rolls. So good!! We eventually said goodbye to some more of our dear CA friends (weep) and started driving north to Santa Barbara for the wedding of Jacob and Kate.

If I can say anything about Jacob and Kate (a.k.a. Miss Tak), it's that they are some of the kindest, most caring, most loyal, and most creative people that I've ever known. I'm really, REALLY glad that Tim became such good friends with them at Art Center because I was lucky enough to get to join that friendship, too. Attending their amazing wedding and seeing them again after so many months made me realize how much I miss them, their style, their spunk, and their love and kindness, too. I was also reminded of how tall they are. (Haha! But seriously. They're going to have ridiculously cute, TALL children.)

Tim was one of Jacob's groomsmen, so like I mentioned before, he'd driven up to Santa Barbara two days prior for the rehearsal. On wedding day, we all drove up together and checked into the hotel:

Tim was scheduled to meet up with the groom and the other fellas around mid-day, so we grabbed some lunch from Carl's Jr. and ate on the patio of our room. (It was a very pretty hotel! Our room opened right into the courtyard with the swimming pool.) After that, Tim left with all his wedding clothing, while Weston, Cole and I got ready for a dip in the pool:

We played in the water for a little while, came back to the room, attempted (and failed at) a naptime, and then got dressed and ready for the wedding.

So, the wedding? Well, I've known Jacob and Kate for a few years now, and I've always wondered what their wedding would be like. (To me it was a given that they'd get married. You can't find two people more in love and more perfect for each other.) They decided on a steampunk themed wedding. If you're like me, you may be wondering, what is steampunk? Well, you can visit their wedding website for more info. They describe it as the combination of a "Victorian world and a futuristic modern world." So, Tim's groomsman outfit consisted of a white shirt, brown pants, brown shoes, suspenders, sleeve garters (like an old-fashioned barber), a bowler hat, goggles, a gear-themed corsage, and a custom bowtie. In addition to the wedding party, many of the other guests also participated in the steampunk theme. (I did not, because the thought of putting together an awesome steampunk outfit seemed really intimidating. In retrospect, however, I really wish I had.)

The wedding took place on a ranch just northwest of Santa Barbara, called Dos Pueblos. Here are a few pictures from the splendid occasion! (P.S. Rest assured that the actual wedding photographer's photos will be about 9,000 times better. But still, this gives you the general idea.)

Here's the photographer getting a few shots of the groom and his groomsmen:

This (incredibly overexposed) photo shows the bar/lounge area, along with some of the guests in costume:

Here is the entrance to the reception barn with a few more guests:

Here is the barn entrance once again, with the aperture finally corrected. (You can see a photographer there; there were photographers from several magazines at the wedding, and I've heard that they're currently bidding to publish pictures first!)

Here is the lounge area once again:

My love of Kate and Jacob increased 1,000-fold when I learned that they were going to have a cupcake trailer at their wedding. Yes, a local cupcakerie provided the trailer, along with about 5-6 varieties of their insanely delectable cupcakes.

Here is the table with the place cards (Tim and I sat at the "Vincent Price" table). I am in love with the boot flowers!! Kate and Jacob also had not only a guest book but a guest "sketch book," where people could share a little artistic something-or-other. Also, in the background you can see the portraits of friends and family cherished by the bride and groom who had passed away:

This is the inside of the reception barn. I don't know where the wedding designer (yes, there was a designer, in addition to the coordinator) managed to find some of these decorative items, but she did an A-MA-ZING job:

Hanging above the bar was a painting by Jacob of their dog, Mortecai, enjoying a Mort-ini (AAHHH I LOVE IT!!!):

In addition to the very creative cocktails, they also had iced tea and lemonade in mason jars:

The ceremony took place in a beautiful wooded grove. This picture just does not do it justice. There were old-fashioned carpets and flowers, and candles that dangled from a fixture on a tree branch above the altar area.

Off to the side was a list of the wedding party members, along with several shade umbrellas:

Kate LOVES fairies, and I love that the wedding designer also included small touches like this:

There was a cart of warm blankets:

... and pretty flowers in mason jars on silver trays. (Can ya tell that I LOVED the design of the whole wedding?)

When it was time for the ceremony, I sat with a couple Art Center folks and snapped a picture of my cute groomsman husband walking down the aisle:

This is a terrible picture, but here is Jacob the groom, along with his mom and dad:

And finally the bride!!! Here's Kate with her dad. She was absolutely stunning. Don't worry, there's a better picture later!

Here's another little fairy-inspired decoration:

And check out the hors-d'oeuvres!! It was an avalanche of fruit, nut, and cheese deliciousness:

Here's Tim with his awesome bowtie, hat, and goggles just before the reception. You may be wondering, "Um, Jean, where are your children?" Well, that is probably the best part of all. Jacob and Kate hired BABYSITTERS for their wedding. There were three adorably sweet women there, and they brought toys and games, plus a whole bunch of perkiness. There were supposed to be other kids in addition to Weston and Cole, and I think some of them might've just joined the reception. So, that meant that my boys had THREE fun babysitters all to themselves!!! I am truly grateful that Jacob and Kate offered this; it made it so much more enjoyable for me and Tim. (Boys, we love you. Seriously.) But it was really nice. I'm sure it was not cheap, and I'm really, really grateful.

Anyway, I had been waiting patiently to get my chance to say CONGRATS! to the newlyweds when I finally saw them coming back from a photo session on the beach. Haha! So cute, right?

See? Absolutely stunning. And the kicker is that she MADE this wedding dress herself:

Anyway, the reception barn was beautiful at dusk when all the lights were lit:

See the centerpieces? There were autumn-colored flowers along with little votive candles on brass pipes. SO COOL!

We had such a grand time. We dined on chicken and steak and all the fixin's, and there were bottles of fancy cream soda for those of us who don't drink alcohol. Even the napkin rings were beautiful!! Jacob and Kate had a table on the other side of the dance floor (next to all the cushy sofas, pillows, and other steampunk decor) that was covered with glass jars of chocolatey treats (Hershey's bars, toffee, chocolate covered gummy bears, cinnamon roll taffy, yogurt pretzels, etc.). There was also a photo booth outside where we could take pictures of ourselves, along with a whole bunch of fun masks to wear. And have I mentioned the cupcake trailer? Oh, I have? Well, did I mention the Bananas Foster cupcake? (As stated on the "Enjoy Cupcakes" website: Vanilla cake filled with bananas fried in cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and rum, topped with bananas foster frosting and sauce.) OH. MY. GOSH.

This is a really bad picture, but it's a really happy Jean:

Anyway -- amazing, amazing, amazing. A seriously top-notch wedding. As the evening wore on, it started to get pretty chilly, and it seemed like the boys were starting to get tired. So, I took them back to the hotel (Tim took a shuttle later) and tucked them in for bed. :-)

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 6

2011-11-10T19:40:00.001-08:00

Welcome to... Disney Day 3! (The TEAM day!!!)

I hate to admit it, but Tim and I were really, really excited to go to Disneyland again WITHOUT the kids. Sure, it's wonderful to have that quality family time, but it is ALSO wonderful to go on all the big-kid rides. And to just walk around the park without pushing strollers, changing diapers, and scolding Weston for yelling at the baby!! I still had to bring the breast pump with me, but I only stopped to do that once, so it wasn't too much of a hindrance.

We have one person (well, seven people) to thank for this awesome opportunity: my amazing, calm, fellow-mommy-friend Abby, who graciously babysat our boys for the ENTIRE DAY. (We're talking, like, 8 AM to midnight!!) Plus her incredible husband Eric. Plus Abby's awesome sister. Plus all four of Abby's girls (Autumn, Heidi, Esther, and Becca), who provided much entertainment to Weston and Cole. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

Anyway, here we are at the outset of our wild, free-for-all, couple's day at Disneyland:

We went the traditional route that day, parking our car in the Disneyland garage and taking the tram to the park (Hello, random family in my picture):

We love you, Tram!

Here's a sample of the many Halloween decorations:

Shockingly, I don't have a ride-by-ride record of our TEAM day at Disneyland. (Gasp!) We pretty much did all the rides that we couldn't do with Weston and Cole, along with some repeats like Star Tours. This is the Fastpass Distribution machine for that ride (awesome, huh?):

We lunched at Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square. Tim opted for a nice, nutritious chicken sandwich, while I indulged in the Giant Ham Doughnut (a.k.a. the Monte Cristo):

We got a cutie patootie kissy picture in the afternoon:

Of course we got our Dole Whips, too:

We were so excited to ride the Nightmare Before Christmas version of Haunted Mansion again (one of the rides that we knew Weston would love but that he repeatedly refused):

Later in California Adventure, we snapped a few photos of the new (still closed) entrance to Cars Land:

I am SO excited for these new attractions to open next summer!

Here's the map of Cars Land that is displayed outside of the Blue Sky Cellar (the building with all the pics and info on forthcoming attractions):

Sure, I ate a Giant Ham Doughnut for lunch and a Dole Whip for a snack. There was nothing wrong with stopping at the new sweet spot, Dulce Aventura, for a cookie later in the day, too, was there?

On the ferris wheel, Tim got another great picture of Cars Land under construction:

For dinner, we tried a new place in Paradise Pier called Paradise Garden Grill, which serves meat skewers. It was delish!

And still later that night, we checked out ElecTRONica in the Hollywood Backlot. Basically, there are a bunch of Tron-themed sights like a dance party (complete with dancers on elevated platforms), a Flynn's arcade, a trailer for the new Tron movie, and a Laserman Reconfigured show, which was visually stunning. Overall, awesome!!

We stayed in California Adventure until after 10 PM and then wandered around Downtown Disney a little longer. (We were SO exhausted, but we didn't want to say goodbye!) Finally, on the verge of sleep, we left (sob sob) and headed back to the Hanson's house, where we crashed for the night with our boys. Oh, blessed sleep. But what a perfect day!!!

And, as an added treat, we decided to have a little fun that day by striking a few "awkward poses" along with our regular pictures. Enjoy!

Hahahahaha!

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 5

2011-11-10T18:48:00.001-08:00

Well, sadly, we had to say goodbye to Disneyland on the fifth day of our trip. And by "we," I mean Weston and Cole, because Tim and I snuck back there on Friday for a day by OURSELVES! Teeheehee!!! But, for all intents and purposes, our "family time" at Disneyland was over. :-)

So, Day 5 of our California trip was...

PASADENA DAY!!! Wheeeee!

This turned out to be an extremely jam-packed day of activities. Honestly, there are about a thousand more things that we would've also done, if we'd had the time. (Like Travel Town and Pretend City and Santa Monica and the Zoo and Sprinkles Cupcakes, etc...) But, we only had a day, so we had as much Pasadena fun as we could manage. (And Tim actually headed up to Santa Barbara in the afternoon for the wedding rehearsal, so most of our Pasadena day was just me, Weston, and Cole!)

We left our hotel in Anaheim that morning, grabbed breakfast at the McDonald's drive-thru, and then drove north. Naturally, we experienced some of that fabulous L.A. traffic:

Tim wanted to visit Art Center, so he took Weston there while I headed to our old church for a baby/toddler music class. I used to bring Weston to music class EVERY week in California, and I really, REALLY MISS IT! (And hey, there's Summer, Kim, and Rebecca!)

Okay, how cool is this? Danielle used to volunteer to teach the class when her little boy Michael attended. Now, Michael is in kindergarten, but Danielle STILL teaches it out of the goodness of her heart!! Wow, all these kids (and moms) are so lucky to have such a wonderful, FREE weekly music class with such a talented, fun teacher:

After music class/Art Center, we drove to two of our favorite Pasadena food spots: Tarantino's and Dots Cupcakes. THIS is what sat atop my lap in the car on the way to the Brownstein's house. Can it possibly get any better than this??

Our friends Mike and Rebecca were so kind to let us stay with them for a night. I'm not sure if Weston remembered their older son Max very well from our CA days, but he sure loved playing outside with him and his brother Tate!!

We all lunched on pizza and cupcakes. It was heavenly.

I had to run to the store to buy some cookies for a little playground get-together later in the day (what a healthy trip we had, huh?), and I stopped by our old apartment on the way back. I was surprised that Weston remembered the walkway, and that he recalled a spider that used to live outside our kitchen window. (I loved when he remembered things about California! That's where he was born and where he lived the first two years of his life, and it was so neat to see some of it coming back to him!)

The apartment was vacant (it looked like there were a number of renovations going on inside), so I got a picture of Weston at the front door, and we wandered around a bit.

Ah, memories. It was great to see the old place, even if I used to hate living there sometimes. I do NOT miss the constant sirens and the homeless people collecting recycleables. But, we had a lot of great times there, and it was wonderful (and a little surreal) to see the place again.

Anyway, after a brief attempted nap, we headed to the amazing new playground near the Rosebowl called Reese's Retreat. I'd been hearing about this place for months from blogs and other CA expats, and I was so excited to get Weston there!

I love just sitting and letting Weston play, and it was even better because there were also good friends and good cookies. :-) You may remember the fabulous music teacher Danielle (Cole was smitten):

And here's the fabulous Laura with her two adorable boys, Peter and Charlie (Charlie was looking away for the picture, but I guess it's okay because he was sad about something at the time, haha!):

And here's our fabulous hostess Rebecca with her sweet little guys, Tate and Max!

Oh my gosh, I love seeing friends SO MUCH. That was definitely the highlight of this California trip, with Disneyland following at a close second. I think we managed to see almost all of our best CA friends again, and I am so glad!!!

After the playground, Weston and Cole and I stopped by King Taco to pick up my favorite dinner: a chicken sope and chicken tamale! Weston hammed it up in line:

And then we stopped by the Adams' place, where I ate my King Taco and Weston enjoyed Kim's homemade pizza!! It was wonderful to see Kim (of Disney Day 1 fame) again, too. Weston was so happy that he got to play with Emma and her little bro Nicholas again. Look at the little man! SO CUTE!!!

After getting Weston and Cole to bed back at the Brownstein's, I headed over last-minute to a party at another friend's house (yeah Sachia!!). I had to leave the party early to pick up Tim from the train station. (He drove up to the ranch with the groom's dad and then took a train back to LA.) I don't have any details about the wedding-rehearsal component of our trip because I wasn't there and Tim is light on details. :-) Hang on, let me ask him. In his words: "Uhh... I took a train. I don't know. You mean how the rehearsal went? It was really nice to see them. I hadn't seen them in a couple years." And by "them," he means our friends Jacob and Kate from Art Center who were getting ready to tie the knot!!! (Don't worry, we'll get to that in Day 7.)

Overall, it was a fantastic, fun-filled day in Pasadena!!!

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 4

2011-11-10T18:45:00.001-08:00

Welcome to... DISNEY DAY 2!!!

(53 pictures in this post! Wheeeee! Go fast! Seriously, it's okay to go fast!!)

Staying in a hotel the night before turned out to be just as awesome the next morning, when we could get ourselves ready and then make the short, 5-minute walk to the park gates. Again, love the hotel thing. SO GLAD WE DID IT!

Anyway, I mentioned in the previous post that Disney Day 1 was a bit... frustrating. Weston ended up resisting rides much more than we'd anticipated. So, Tim suggested a new strategy: Let the Wookie win!! (Hahahahaha...) Basically, we realized that if we were going to enjoy our time at Disneyland, we needed to let go of our own stubbornness and just let Weston have fun. We stopped goading him to go on certain rides and we basically let him decide what he wanted to do. (Therefore, we spent a lot of time in Fantasyland and Toon Town that second day! He was pretty much only interested in rides where he could see everything. He was even nervous about Alice in Wonderland, because it's partially indoors!) However, the new strategy was totally worth it, because Tim and I were less stressed and Weston was much happier.

So, here was the rundown of fun (the fundown?) on the second day:

-Dumbo

-Breakfast at the Plaza Inn

-Storybook Land

-Mad Tea Party

-Alice in Wonderland

-King Arthur Carousel

-(Indiana Jones store... again)

-Gadget's Go Coaster (THREE times in a row)

-Buzz Lighyear's Astro Blasters

-Lunch at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney

-(On to CA Adventure for...) Toy Story Mania

-Silly Symphony Swings

-Jumpin' Jellyfish

-(Picked up our picnic dinners and strolled...)

-It's Tough to Be a Bug

-Heimlich's Chew Chew Train

-Tuck and Roll's Buggies

-Monsters Inc.

-Turtle Talk with Crush

-Ate our World of Color picnics while it got more and more crowded...

-Little Mermaid ride

-World of Color show!!!

We started Day 2 with a requisite family picture at the giant Mickey pumpkin. (Are you loving the cute orange shirts on the boys? Thanks, Gangy!!!)

I had to take a picture of the giant whale at Storybook Land. Weston is obsessed with it:

The first ride of the day? Dumbo, of course!

He LOVED it:

Then we made our way over to the Plaza Inn, where we had reservations for the "Minnie and Friends Breakfast in the Park," which is a big buffet breakfast complete with Disney characters.

I have to admit... I'm pretty sure that this breakfast was the highlight of our Disneyland time. The food is actually quite good (the waffles are heavenly -- how do they make them so good?? -- and the croissants are even better than the ones at the Paris -- the PARIS -- buffet.) Plus, Weston is at an age now where he is enamored with Disney characters. He's in that precious stage of life where he's no longer afraid of them but not yet aware that they're just people in costumes. So, it was delightful for him to see so many characters, who came to him and talked to him and hugged him!! Plus, he got a cool green balloon when we checked in. :-)

Here he is with Chip/Dale:

Dale/Chip also came over and stroked Cole's little head, which was cute:

Eeyore!!!

And, of course, Minnie! (This is HER breakfast, after all.)

Quick story about the encounter with Brer Fox: this guy (who is awesome) teased Weston a little by pretending to take his green balloon. Weston didn't know what to do, so Tim told him to chase Brer Fox to get it back. Well, the chase ended up going ALL over the restaurant and even outside, with Brer Fox dodging tables left and right and Weston cracking up while trying to catch him. Our whole side of the restaurant was watching and laughing at the chase!! It was awesome. Yes, Weston eventually recaptured his balloon. But my hat is off to that awesome Disney cast member who made Weston's morning! :-)

Oh, and Brer Fox also played with Cole's rings for a really long time (hahaha):

I love Weston's pose with Alice and the Mad Hatter:

Outside, we also ran into Captain Hook, who dug Weston's pirate shirt:

Anywho, it was a great breakfast. And here's a happy baby!! (Yes, I am a Disney dork and proud of it. Admit that you love my Minnie visor, Tim. ADMIT IT!!!) (Tim: NEVER!)

We went on Storybook Land, and Weston was very excited to go into the whale's mouth:

As you can tell, Cole was thrilled too:

For some reason, Weston's favorite thing at Storybook Land is the Aladdin palace. So, I took a picture solely so that it will cycle through on my computer as my screensaver, and he can enjoy looking at it again sometime when he's near my computer:

He is such a sweet little squish face!!

We rode the teacups, or as the Andersons like to call it, "Uncle T-Bag's Tea Party":

Here are the boys, gearin' to go!

He loved Uncle T-Bag's Tea Party!!

Tim took Weston on the carousel in Fantasyland while I had a little nursing/diaper changing time with my Coleslaw:

Oh, Matterhorn. How Weston used to love you. How Weston REFUSED to go on you.

We knew that Toon Town would be a winner for our not-so-fearless child:

He actually tried Gadget's Go Coaster and loved it so much that he went on THREE times! (Once with Daddy and twice with Mommy.) We wouldn't normally go on a ride three times in a row, but... Let the Wookie win.

We eventually left Disneyland for a late lunch at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney:

This little guy was pretty tuckered out by that point in the day:

We got to sit in the monkey area, with this feller to look at (Tim: Does anyone else think this monkey looks like a Morlock from the old Time Machine movie?):

This was another really fun meal. Weston loved looking at all the jungle animals, and despite another day with no nap, he behaved pretty darn well:

If I bring a camera to a restaurant, there will ALWAYS be a picture like this:

Oh my China Island Chicken Salad!!! HOW I ADORE YOU!!!!

And of course before leaving, we got a picture with the big ape on the bench... oh, look, there's a gorilla, too:

We let Weston purchase a couple souvenirs at Disneyland, one of which was a huge rubber snake from the Indiana Jones store. I don't know why he wanted this so badly. He carried it around with him for the rest of the trip:

After our mid-afternoon lunch, we made our way to California Adventure, where I took a picture of the new Little Mermaid ride:

Love that fabulous Paradise Pier, too:

Weston was very excited to run into Buzz:

And Jessie:

After Toy Story Mania, Weston and I went on a couple rides together while Tim stayed with the baby and took some pictures of the new dining and sitting area in Paradise Pier:

Although we'd been Annual Passholders in the past, I'd never been on Jumpin' Jellyfish until this trip!

Wheeeeeeee!

We got a nice photo of the faux red rock that surrounds the new Cars Land (under construction):

And maybe we're a little behind the times, but we were STUNNED to learn that the Mission Tortilla Factory has CLOSED!!! Nooooooo! We used to love getting our free, freshly baked tortillas there! And we used to love to say "Maseca!" along with the doggie in the movie about tortillas! And we used to love standing on the tortilla scale!!! And we used to lie that it was our birthday to get a whole bag of tortillas!!!

WHY? WHY??? NOOOOOO!!!!!

Anywho, we eventually recovered from our loss and headed for Bug's Land. Here is a picture of Cole crying. It was so surprising that I had to document it. (If you haven't guessed, we've been blessed with a really, REALLY mellow baby. It helps make up for our sweet little firecracker-of-a-firstborn.)

Heimlich's Chew Chew Train is one ride that Weston seemed to remember pretty well:

He was really excited to see the giant gorilla animal cracker again:

...and the giant cupcake:

After a few more rides, we headed back to Paradise Pier to claim a spot for the World of Color water show. We decided to purchase "World of Color picnics" for our dinner, which came with tickets for a "reserved viewing area." Unfortunately, there were about 10,000 other people who also held tickets to the "reserved viewing area," so it ended up being really cramped and crowded by the time the show started. However, we got there early enough that we had some space to sit and enjoy our little picnics. I was very excited that they came in a World of Color totebag, AND that Weston got a light-up bracelet with his kid's picnic meal!

Here are my "Taste of Asia" picnic and Weston's fried chicken picnic box:

Tim got the Mediterranean picnic for his part. They were tasty meals, but a bit overpriced since the viewing area turned out to be so packed with people anyway.

After we finished eating, we noticed that there was no line for the Little Mermaid ride, so Weston and I ran off to that (LOVED IT!) while Tim saved our spots. We had to hurry back afterwards because the crowds were starting to engulf Tim and Cole, haha! Oh my heck, the World of Color show was AMAZING!!!!! I am so glad that we endured the crowds to see this water show. It is spectacular. (And it's actually really long, which is great, too.) Music from Disney movies blasted from the speakers while huge jets of water sprayed skyward from the Paradise Pier lake. There were lights and images projected onto the spraying water. It was just incredible. I want to see it again some day!!!

About halfway through the show, Weston was starting to fall asleep on top of Tim's shoulders, so we put him in the stroller. (Cole was already fast asleep.) After the show, we shuffled like cattle towards the exit with all the other World of Color spectators, and eventually made it back to our hotel for some much-needed sleep.

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 3

2011-11-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome to... DISNEY DAY 1!

Okay, here's where the pictures start to pick up. I think I have something like 43 in this one blog post alone. Wheeeeee! (You're welcome, Grandalf.)

The first thing we did on that morning was drive our car to our hotel, where we could park for $4 per day (instead of $15 per day at the Disneyland parking garage). Then we walked to the park entrance from there. Here are my boys, getting ready to go through security:

And finally, FINALLY, after SO MANY months, we were back at DISNEYLAND!!! Wonderful, happy, blessed Disneyland!!!

Before our trip, we put a lot of thought into very minute details, such as whether or not to bring a stroller for Weston. We ultimately decided that we'd move MUCH faster by pushing him than by constantly nagging him to try to keep up with us. Fortunately, he was more than happy to sit and ride most of the time:

That first day, we waited for a little while for some more good friends: the ADAMS!!! A year and a half goes by, and all of a sudden kids everywhere look SO much older! It was wonderful to see Emma, her little brother Nick, and their mom Kim after all that time. (And Brad joined us later, too!!)

Oh, I love Disneyland.

So, this is probably of zero interest to most people, but here's how our day went:

-Star Tours (so awesome)

-Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (Jean missed this one, thanks to a diaper blow-out!)

-Space Mountain (REALLY scary for Weston... we regret it in retrospect)

-Monorail

-Lunch at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ

-Winnie the Pooh

-Tarzan's Treehouse

-Jungle Cruise

-Tiki Room

-Disneyland Railroad

-(Over to CA Adventure for...) Monsters Inc.

-Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

-Dinner with friends in Downtown Disney

So. As I mentioned above, Tim sorta kinda took Weston on the spooky Halloween version of Space Mountain. Weston was willing and eager to get on, but after that ride (he came out with tears in his eyes), his outlook on Disneyland COMPLETELY changed. All of a sudden, he basically refused to go on any ride that he couldn't see from the outside -- even rides that he'd been really looking forward to, like Haunted Mansion. This, at first, was really frustrating to me and Tim, because we obviously wanted to go on the rides that we liked and that we knew he'd enjoy. However, Weston is ridiculously stubborn, so that first day ended up consisting of a lot of discussions/battles about which rides to try.

Later that night when we were walking back to the hotel, Tim and I had a long discussion about the whole situation. We realized that we were trying to experience Disneyland as we used to, when Weston was little and didn't have any reservations or fears about rides. That was no longer possible, so we came up with a new strategy. More on that later...!

Anyway, here are a few photos to highlight Day 1!

This is the gift shop at the end of Buzz Lightyear. Back in our CA days, Weston used to love this place, and he seemed to remember it a bit. (At least he remembered those Buzz Lightyear toys that spin and light up!)

Here, we're about to get on the Monorail:

Weston, Emma, and Tim got to sit in the front!

They had a really fun time together:

Lots and lots of walking. Lots of walking.

Ahhh, the castle! (The first time I saw the Disneyland castle, I couldn't believe how small it was. When Weston saw it for the first time on this trip, he said, "It's the castle! It's... small..." Hahaha!)

A fun little Halloween themed photo op:

And here's the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ! I was so excited to eat here again:

As we waited for our table, I took a picture of our caravan:

This place is really fun, what with the live music and all:

We got lucky because our table was right next to Woody's break area. So, he kept walking back and forth, and Weston was able to get a couple photos with him:

We were hungry. And a little bit silly:

And... ohhhh. Big Thunder Ranch BBQ delivered!!!

Weston even got to participate in the kids' pumpkin parade!

A quick fist bump with Woody, and then we were off to more rides:

Weston used to LOVE the Winnie the Pooh ride when he was little, so I took a few pictures. He even loved it so much one time that he barfed all over the place!

Fortunately, no barfing this time. Just good ol' fun:

Of course we had to visit the gift shop right by the exit of Winnie the Pooh, where Weston (just like he used to!) thoroughly examined all the sweet treats:

He decided on a giant candy-corn sugar cookie (yumma):

Here, he's crossing the bridge in Tarzan's Treehouse:

He also enjoyed the playstuffs at the end:

And then it was finally time for Cole's FIRST RIDE!! (We're excluding the Monorail here.) We decided that it should be Jungle Cruise, as with Weston:

He was so totally pumped. (I love that he and Brad are in the same pose here!)

And just look at that sweet childlike wonder:

Haha... those crazy gorillas! (Did anyone notice that the baby gorilla is gone? Now the mama on the left is just dangling a rope!)

Sadly, we had to say goodbye (just for a little while) to the Adams, but Weston recovered when he got to play with all the cool stuff in the Indiana Jones store:

Later, we headed over to California Adventure. We'd been forewarned about all the construction craziness, but I think we underestimated the number of boarded-off walkways. They were everywhere! (But it's all good, because it sounds like the new Buena Vista Street entrance is going to be spectacular.)

After Monsters Inc., we briefly explored the Redwood Creek area, where Weston got to do lots of climbing. (Again, he refused to go into the cave where you see your spirit animal! Too dark!) But still, he had fun. I can't believe he had energy to play after a full day of fun with NO nap:

Later, we met up with our fab friends in Downtown Disney for dinner: the Nutters again, plus the Hansons!! Nothing like a good old Hannutson reunion. It was loud and crazy and wonderful, as usual.

Six adults and eight kids plus a ninth in utero. In each of our families, we have children only of the same gender (at least so far). The Hansons and Nutters have girls, while the Andersons have boys. Hahaha! I love it.

After dinner we explored the Lego Store, where the kids (and adults) got to have a little fun:

Note the placement of Tim's left hand:

Hahaha! Weston and Becca were so cute:

After a quick visit to the World of Disney store, we decided to call it a night. Tim stopped to snap a picture of the new, art deco style CA Adventure gate:

It was 9 PM, and while Cole was fast asleep, Weston was still hanging on:

By the time we reached the hotel, though, he was out!

While we were in Anaheim, we stayed at the Anaheim Plaza Hotel, which is just across Harbor Boulevard from the parks. It wasn't fancy, but it was a decent hotel, especially since it was SO much cheaper than the Disney hotels. While I really miss those fun years when we were Annual Passholders at Disneyland, I have to admit, I really liked being a pure "tourist." It was SO WONDERFUL to just walk five minutes to the hotel after a long day and fall into bed, rather than take the tram, find the car, and drive 45 minutes back to Pasadena. We liked it so much, in fact, that we stopped at the front desk that first night to extend our stay to a second night! SO WORTH IT. I wish we'd done an overnight at Disneyland long ago!

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 2

2011-11-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

We woke early on Day 2 to Weston pulling open the curtains to that horrid, bright desert sun while insisting that it was morning and we should get up. Here he is, apparently rested and refreshed (...how?...), while Cole looks on:

Sometimes Weston is a pain in the tookus with Cole, but other times (other rare times), they're pretty darn cute together:

Anyway, we left the hotel just before nine. Weston desperately wanted to pull a suitcase, so I snapped a (terrible) picture of him being a very sweet helper:

We decided to leave Circus Circus and drive to a different resort for breakfast: the PARIS! They have our very favorite breakfast buffet in Vegas. (Okay, we've probably only tried like three different places for breakfast in Vegas. But still. Trust me. It's awesome.) However, there's always a line:

It is so worth the wait. Where else can you find a breakfast buffet that has made-to-order crepes, bagels with smoked salmon and capers, and strawberries with cream?? Mmmm...

Of course, Weston being Weston, he only wanted dry waffles:

After breakfast we explored the casino and checked out la petite Tour Eiffel. (Man, I love the Paris resort. Mainly because I love Paris. If I could stay anywhere in Vegas, I'd want to stay there. Of course, it's a buck or two more than $34, heh heh heh).

And I'm sure that Cole enjoyed the sights as well. Heck, give him some plastic rings and he's happy! (He wins the Most Mellow Baby Award, probably for all time.)

Anyway, at about 11:30 we hopped back on I-15. We gave Weston a break after a few hours at a McDonald's play area (thank goodness for play areas!), and later I started snapping pictures of that lovely Southern California landscape:

Okay, maybe it's not the most picturesque landscape in the world, but I sure miss it:

Around 5 PM, we arrived in Stanton at the home of our FAVORITE NUTTERS!!! Here's Malia, looking so old (I cannot believe she's in kindergarten):

Cecily -- trying out her Halloween costume -- quickly burst into the picture (hahaha!):

...so I gave her some camera time of her own:

And we can't forget our own little ham:

We haven't seen the Nutters in a year and a half, and it was wonderful to hang out with them again!! I love this picture of Tiffany attempting to take in the goofiness that is Weston:

After going out to dinner and getting the kids down to bed, we had a good old-fashioned game night with Dave and Tiffany:

Ahahahahahaha...... Tim....

I LOVE THOSE GUYS!!! We spent the night at their place (thanks guys!!!) and then left early the next morning for... DISNEY DAY 1!

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

California or Bust: Day 1

2011-11-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Well... the conclusion of our recent trip to California?

We want to go back!

WE WANT TO GO BACK!!!!!! AAAAHHHH!!!

(And lemme tell ya, Tim's mom's comment on our previous post has me both scratching my head and giggling in guarded anticipation. I love me some Disney!!)

We had such a great time!!! Isn't it funny that whenever you return to a place where you lived, you seem to love it so much more than when you were actually living there? I used to have very mixed feelings about our Pasadena days -- lots of pros but several cons, too. However, this vacation was 100% awesome. It doesn't hurt that we spent three wonderful days at Disneyland (one without kids, wheeeee!), a jam-packed, fun-filled day in Pasadena, and an amazing day in Santa Barbara for a wedding. I think this was a "Best Of" trip for us, and we made sure to do all our favorite things and visit our favorite places. However, we left California still wishing that we'd had more time!!! There is just SO much fun stuff to do. I really, really miss California!!! AHHH! SUCH A GREAT TRIP!!!

So, here's my insanely lengthy recap of our trip. I decided to break up the photos by day, so here we go with DAY 1!

We left on a Sunday afternoon at about 2:30 PM. (I had to work that morning, but fortunately my coworker gave me the boot a little early, which was nice.)

Weston was really, really eager for this trip. He readied himself beforehand by doing things like keeping me in his room at night for much too long, talking about rides at Disneyland, and constantly mentioning the "little TV" that would go in the car for the long drive. Here he is at the get-go, ready for that beloved in-car movie-watching! (I love that skeptical look on his face. If only he knew at that point how often I was going to be pointing my camera at him.)

And here we are, just before we started driving. SO EXCITED!

I didn't get a ton of pictures on that first day, just because we were pretty much just sitting in the car, heading south, watching the landscape roll by as the sun set over those high desert hills. However, I snapped a picture at a rest stop of brave little Cole in his carseat. (Bless his heart. He spent a LOT of time in that carseat. Tim and I made every effort to remove him from it whenever possible, so he didn't develop sores or something. Haha!)

The drive south was uneventful, until we reached St. George and were forced to exit I-15 and make our way along surface roads at one point. Apparently a tractor-trailer hauling bees (yes, BEES) had overturned, so the fire department (in their full bee-resistant netting, we heard) re-routed all the traffic off the interstate. Ha! Never had that happen before! (Bees...)

Anyway, we finally reached Las Vegas around 10:30 PM, slightly exhausted but slightly exhilarated by all the lights. First we drove up and down the strip, and then, thanks to a great deal online ($34?!), we spent the night at none other than the CIRCUS CIRCUS resort, Las Vegas Boulevard's most famous gaudy monstrosity!!! (Tim said that he would compare it to "Denny's with a chandelier." LOL...)

Anyway, after navigating the resort for a little while, we finally found the right entrance to the hotel lobby. Weston had a happy little time while Tim parked the car:

As with all Vegas resorts, we had to walk through a maze of lobbies and shops and halls to find our room (which, despite the $34 price tag, really wasn't as awful as I was assuming). Lights were out by midnight, with me sharing a bed with Cole and Tim sharing a bed with Weston. Of course, as is his habit when sharing a bed with someone, Weston spent most of the night kicking, punching, and yelling (and let me just add that his feet just happened to be lined up with Tim's crotch), so Tim and I switched around 6 AM, hahaha. A restful night? Heavens, no. But we did get a little rest before our second day of driving!!

Jump to:
CA Trip Day 1
CA Trip Day 2
CA Trip Day 3
CA Trip Day 4
CA Trip Day 5
CA Trip Day 6
CA Trip Day 7
CA Trip Day 8
CA Trip Day 9
CA Trip Appendix

Hallo-wheeeeee!!!

2011-11-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

Well, let me just say that our Halloween was COMPLETELY overshadowed by our trip to California. Haha! (It was so good! IT WAS SO GOOD!!) We arrived back in Utah on October 31st at 2 PM, and we had just enough time to race home and rustle up the boys' costumes before it was time for the Halloween party at Tim's office.

Here's Weston with a particularly awesome Captain America pose:

And here's Cole, just sitting back and enjoying the show:

Ahhh... enjoying the spoils of office trick-or-treating:

After the party, we came home and got ready for the neighborhood trick-or-treating, plus the Trunk or Treat at church!

Cuteness alert!! Here's an attempted thumbs-up:

... followed by a really strange face with Buzz Lightyear in tow:

Weston was more brave this year with trick-or-treating. He still asked me to come to the door with him a couple times, but he was much more confident with ringing the doorbell and saying "Trick or treat!" We usually had to prod him to say thank you, but he's getting there...!

And here's Cole again. As usual, just enjoying the show.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

I am super excited to post about our trip. As you can imagine, I took around 848,000 photos, so it might take me a little while to find the best 839,000 to actually post on the blog. But don't worry - you'll hear all about our adventures at Disneyland, Pasadena, and Santa Barbara! Wheeeeeee!!!

I want to go back. Is it bad to start planning next year's trip to Disneyland already...?

Pre-California Rapid Recap!

2011-10-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Rapid Recap! We're leaving for California tomorrow afternoon (one more sleep!! one more sleep!!), and that means that there's laundry to fold, bathrooms to clean, suitcases to pack, emails to send, and about a bamillion other things to do. Hence, this very rapid recap of recent events! Wheeeeee!

Can you guess what's been in my mind a bit lately?? CALIFORNIA!!! Friends!! More friends!! Santa Barbara wedding!! Dots Cupcakes!! Tarantino's!! I've spent the last few weeks coming up with an itinerary, a packing list, and a to-do list, in addition to all the other pre-trip planning. We spent a LONG time debating where to eat at Disneyland and where to stay in Anaheim... because you can probably imagine that we're a teensy bit excited to visit Disneyland again. Which strollers should we bring? Should we buy a toy or two for Weston? Should we pay up for a World of Color picnic? Should we bring a backpack in addition to the diaper bag?? (Oh, I love worrying about an upcoming Disney vacation!!) We also spent a LONG time lamenting the fact that Pirates of the Caribbean is going to be closed - yes, CLOSED - during our visit. But it's okay. We've accepted that reality and transcended the trauma. Seriously, it's okay. It'll still be fun. It'll still be fun. :-)

We're considering rearranging our whole house when we get back. Yep, the kitchen will be Weston's room, the bathroom will be the master bedroom, etc. (Okay, maybe not that drastic.) But the bottom line is that we have to get Cole the H-E-double-hockey-sticks OUT OF OUR ROOM. That kid does not sleep. God love 'im, he's so precious. BUT WE WANT TO SLEEP AGAIN.

I think that I'm switching my #1 Most Favorite Thing at Cafe Rio from the chicken salad to the pork salad. I was recently enlightened to the exquisite deliciousness of the pork, and I'm pretty sure that... yes, I'm gonna say it... I'm pork salad all the way now. :-) (Tim is still holding strong to his pork burrito, enchilada style. Oh yes.)

I got to help out at Weston's preschool a week ago, and as you can imagine, it was a cornucopia of cuteness. I almost exploded with motherly adoration upon seeing Weston carry his backpack and hang it up on the hook with his name, along with all the other kids, without even being asked. I'm pretty sure I did actually explode when he was selected to be the Calendar Helper. Sure, he was kind of tired and cranky by the end of the afternoon, but I was so darn proud to see my little preschooler doing his li'l preschool thang.

And now for pictures!!!

Shock and awe, baby... shock and awe.

Family half-day-trip to Cornbelly's!! (It's Thanksgiving Point's big, festive, fall fun thing. I sure love me some festive fall fun.)

Behold the Jack-O-Lantern mountain:

What can possibly be more fun for little kids (and their moms) than Happy Meals at the playground...? I challenge you to come up with something more fun. Consider yourself challenged.

And there's Heather of the famed Petersons!!! LOVE her!!! And look at sweet Adelaide... oh my gosh. SO CUTE.

We went to WitchFest at Gardner Village and ogled at lots and lots of witches:

Ogling at witches is way more fun with Dawson and Katelyn (as is everything, of course). And with balloons:

And with chocolate chip cookies:

We attended a super fantastic birthday party (Costco pizza and a Thomas cake...? Heaven.), and I couldn't resist this photo of the dads with their little guys:

Two months older than Ben? Correct. Twice as big? Check. Hehehe...

The Essence of Random

2011-09-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Is anyone NOT buying the "Forever" stamps at this point?

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I have never eaten a Big Mac. Never. Am I missing something? Or is it a big, gross waste of time?

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I'm reading a book called The Passage right now. It's a Crichton-esque post-apocalyptic vampire-y sci-fi. It's for Book Club this month, and while I originally had no intention whatsoever of even starting the 700+ pages (ha!), I went ahead and started against my better judgement. And now I CAN'T STOP.

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As many of you know, Weston has a gift for naming things. Toys, objects, buildings, what have you. I bought him a finger puppet set at Ikea the other day, and then asked what their names were. I made sure to jot them down:

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And finally, here's a fabulous, new, Halloween-themed "Weekly Dork Time with Microsoft Paint." Oh yes.

Mini-Blogs Galore!

2011-09-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Once again, it has been brought to my attention that this blog is suffering from atrophy. (Is it just me, or did everything get really busy and crazy all of a sudden?!)

So! Here is a fabulous collection of mini-blogs. On with the photographic merriment!

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East Millcreek Township Knows How to Throw a Party

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I read about an upcoming 1950's themed "community event" (cue Tim's cringing) in the township newsletter one day, and guess what... it turned out to be awesome!! (And it was FREE!)

We checked out a real-life DeLorean (flux capacitor... fluxing...):

We dined on delicious hot dogs, burger, and fixin's:

We danced like idiots to the '50s music:

We took pictures of a car "for Grandalf," Tim said:

Some of us played:

While some of us just chilled:

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Star Wars, Library Style

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The Kearns Library had a Star Wars themed activity on the same weekend as that 1950s community dinner, so I have to say... I nailed it!! Two awesome free events in one weekend!

We got to shoot the Death Star (nerf guns, yeah!):

...and decorate sugar cookies:

...and check out the selection of Star Wars library books:

...and go bowling for Darth Vader:

... and take our picture with a slew of Star Wars guys (including a very rare "tie pilot," in the black towards the left, which made Tim pee his pants a little):

All in all, Cole was highly pleased with his first Star Wars event.

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Weston's First Day of SCHOOL!

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What can I say... H-A-M spells Weston!

(And speaking of H-A-M, here are a few shots of Weston dancing in his teeny tiny Thomas PJs at home):

Hahahahahaha.....

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Mr. Chubster Indeed

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Our little four-month-old Chubbs:

Length: 27 inches (98%)

Weight: 18 lbs 4 oz (96%)

This is one seriously happy, pleasant, easy-going baby:

...with some serious thunder thighs:

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Our Sunflower

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Well, as luck would have it...

We have a single surviving SUNFLOWER!

Okay, she may be missing half her petals:

...and she may need some help standing up:

...and her leaves may be a bit mangled:

...but she's a SURVIVOR!!!

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Other Excitement in Brief

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Well, for one thing, I taught the Activity Days girls how to make cake pops:

(Turns out that any activity involving sugars and sprinkles and eight-year-old girls will, surprisingly, be a bit MESSY.)

I went to the Salt Lake JBF sale. We went to Tim's Cub Scout activity. I took Weston to Discovery Gateway. Tim picked up dinner at Chick-Fil-A. We went to a library storytime. I babysat for my neighbors. We went to Costco. I worked. We napped. I made hotel reservations for our upcoming California trip. I went visiting-teaching. I cooked a big meatloaf dinner for us and our friends. We went to the playground. I attended Book Club. I went to a staff meeting. We got an oil change. I cleaned the bathrooms. We bought new clothes at Kohl's. We did about 8,000 other things. (And THAT'S why I can't seem to get to blogging, hahahaha! How do YOU do it??)

The End. :-)

I Love When...

2011-09-04T19:13:00.001-07:00

Here are my current Top 5 "I Love When's" for baby Cole:

1. I love when he stretches, arching his back and reaching those little fists up just as high as they'll go.

2. I love when he holds my boob with his chubby little hands while he's nursing.

3. I love when he farts, especially when his eyes are closed and he's half-asleep.

4. I love when he smiles at brick walls and other inanimate objects.

5. I love when he goes cross-eyed looking at something that he's holding.

Hahahaha... :-)

You May Be Wondering...

2011-09-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

"So...what is going on with Tim & Jean these days??"

Well, things have been good and BUSY over here lately. Here's a little update of sorts:

*Remember that big rainstorm on Sunday night? Well, our downstairs family room FLOODED. So fun!! Okay...I don't want to blow things out of proportion, because it's not like the entire room got soaked... just the area around the window. That night, Tim and I were having a peaceful moment, observing the pouring rain from the upstairs foyer, when we noticed that the downstairs window well was basically a swimming pool of brown, leafy, splashing water. Tim went downstairs to check it out, and the next thing I heard was "Grab some towels!!!" Water was literally pouring in from the window, so we went into panic mode. First we put all our towels and blankets on the windowsill and around the floor; then, when they were soaked, we added bowls and a big plastic tub to collect the water; then, when it wasn't letting up, Tim went outside, jumped down INTO the window well swimming pool (the dirty, leafy, spidery, icky icky pool) and scooped up bucket after bucket of water (he was so brave... and I have to admit, it was pretty hot); then, he came back inside, opened the window, and used a tube to make a little siphon to remove more water; then, the water level was finally low enough that we could open the window all the way from the inside and scoop up the disgusting brown water with a bowl. (We poured it into the big plastic tub, then used a sieve to get all the leaves and ickies out, then dumped the water into the bathtub.) By then, the rain had slowed significantly, so Tim just rigged up a tarp over the window well to prevent any additional downpours from starting the whole thing over again. We also spent the next hour wringing out the soaking towels and then placing them back on the carpet, while I walked over them again and again to help them soak up more water. In a nutshell, it was an exhausting, wet, dirty, crazy night, with lots of laundry to follow. Obviously, the corner of the room got soaked, but there wasn't any furniture there -- just Weston's toys, which Tim moved right away. The damage could have been A LOT worse. (Good thing we're night owls! Can you imagine if we'd gone to bed before the rain started? Our whole entire family room would probably have been ruined.) Anyway, on Monday, our landlord arranged for a restoration company to remove the carpet padding and install a couple of industrial fans and a dehumidifier, which have been running non-stop for the past four days. (Can't wait to get our next electric bill!!) Anyway, everything should be back to normal by Saturday. I believe that our landlord is going to install a sump pump in the window well, which will hopefully prevent this in the future. BLAH!!! (But seriously, I am so proud of my husband. His bravery and ingenuity always astound me.)

*I got a job!!! I'm working part-time as a "Patient Service Rep" (front desk person) at a couple of Intermountain Healthcare's local InstaCare facilities. ("InstaCare" is basically Intermountain's version of urgent care.) I had my all-day orientation on Monday, where I learned that IHC has 23 hospitals, and that we're NOT supposed to call it IHC anymore, and that it is our goal to provide "Extraordinary Care" every day. And I got a free breakfast and lunch, AND I won Reese's peanut butter cups for reading something out loud. :-) Anyway, Wednesday was my first evening on the job, and I pretty much sat there for five hours with a confused, slack-jawed look on my face while another girl did a bamillion complicated things on the computer next to me. So, I decided that Wednesday was my "observation day", and that on Thursday, I can actually try to learn what the heck I'm supposed to do. One of the hardest tasks will be attempting to triage patients in order to figure out if someone needs priority over someone else. For instance, chest pain is a major red flag. Another thing that will be hard to learn is how to type their problems. Where my coworker typed, "RT flank lac x T," I probably would've typed "Cut on right side of body this morning." Unlike her, I'm not a nursing student, so I have extra to learn!! (Fortunately, they use the same database system that I used at the psych hospital in Tulsa. Unfortunately, 99% of the database procedures are different here, hahaha!) Anyway, I'm excited, and I think it will be a good job. I'll just be working evenings and alternating weekends, which works perfectly with Tim's schedule (so that I'm not just working to pay for babysitting!).

*I have a new calling at church! I am now the Activity Days Leader, which means that I run the "Activity Days" program, a twice-monthly activity for the girls who aren't old enough for Young Women's yet (thus, ages 8-11). I think it will be a lot of fun... mainly because I get to indulge my inner 10-year-old with making bead bracelets, preparing cake pops, writing with glitter pens, and playing the cup game over and over at the kitchen table. (I don't know how to describe "the cup game." It's a thing where you take a plastic cup and make a rhythm. Are there others out there who know what I'm talking about?)

*Chris and Adrienne are BACK!!! Tim's brother just got married, and now the newlyweds are back in town. They arrived last Thursday, and today marks the first day that we haven't hung out with them. Haha! (I'm sure they LOVE hanging out with us and our children ALL the time. It's not like they want to be alone or anything...) Anyway, I've decided that they're my new favorite photography subjects, for three reasons: (1) I'm so excited that they're in Utah again; (2) Adrienne is always so photogenic (good job, lady); and (3) Chris is even less vain than I am when it comes to making a ... memorable photo. (See below.)

*Weston starts preschool next week! AHH! My BABY is going to preschool! I attended a parent orientation this week, where I met "Miss Vicki" and learned all about the color teams and the rotations and the book lending and the "bring a jacket" rule and the drop-off procedures. I feel like such a MOM! Ha! Anyway, I hope that Weston loves it, because it sounds pretty darn fun. (And have I mentioned that it's free? Hooray for our elementary school where only half the kids meet standard proficiency!! ...Hooray? Seriously, though, I had to wait in line for an hour to get him signed up, and I was one of the last people to get in. Soooo glad I found out about it in time.) Anyway, I'm looking forward to Weston having some structured social time again (I miss Parent Ed in Pasadena...), and to MY having some one-on-one time with Cole. Who perhaps will be napping those afternoons. Which is fine by me. Because maybe I can nap, too. I'm just sayin'. :-)

*We just got a membership to Discovery Gateway! I love it. I love it very much. I think I could play there, too, with or without Weston. And it doesn't hurt that when we're all played out, we can walk to Ben & Jerry's for ice cream and then walk to the Olympic Legacy Plaza for some splashing. :-)

*Y'know how I love Paradise Bakery? Well, I seriously do. But I recently discovered another place that I equally love... KNEADERS! Oh man, have you tried their white chocolate macadamia cookies??! I'm SO glad that I tried this place with Abbie and Nicole. That was last Tuesday, and then last Saturday I forced Tim to take me there again for our date night (haha). I got the chicken salad croissant sandwich with broccoli salad and a cookie. MMMM!!!! I don't know what it is about Utah, but they are rocking the bakery-cafes here!

*Is anyone else ridiculously excited for the holidays? I AM!!!!!!!!!! I think that the longer I'm a mom, the more I anticipate the holiday season. I always think of more decorations that I can hang, and more treats that I can bake, and more traditions that I can start. Only two more months until Halloween! And three more months until Thanksgiving! And four more months until Christmas! SQUEEEE!

And that's the update!! Here are some photos to appease the grandparents:

The rolly-pollies did NOT heed the warning. I guess it doesn't help that Mom now enjoys catching them and storing them in a little habitat as much as (or more than) Weston:

"Look, ma! I done catched 'em!"

Weston at the dino dig at Thanksgiving Point (hooray for two-buck Tuesdays in August!):

Chris and Adrienne introduced us to Fish Taco Tuesday at Rubio's. Isn't the excitement just palpable?!!

My favorite thing is the look of disgust on Adrienne's face:

See? My new favorite photography subjects.

Chris reminds me of an '80s punk rocker. He should definitely consider this look.

Mr. Chubster, for his part, found their hijinks to be absolutely hilarious:

Oh My Awesome Friends!!!

2011-08-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of good times with good friends lately. Can I just reiterate how fabulous it is to live in Utah, where perhaps 25% of my friends also live (thus allowing me to see them often), and where perhaps 80% of my friends have at least one family member (thus bringing them to the area for visits), and where 100% of my friends SHOULD visit (what with the awesome eating and sightseeing and recreation, not to mention our luxurious air mattress that is just waiting for you)...?! SO fabulous. LOVE IT!!! LOVE being able to see so many friends so often!!!

So, first off (in chronological order) ... ALLISON!

Allison and her hubster Ted were here for the summer for a law clerkship. Fortunately for me (and I suppose for them), Ted recently found out that he scored a full-time position, so I'll get to see these crazy folks again soon. WOOHOO!!! The thing that I love about Allison is that she loves food almost as much as I do, so naturally, I suggested that we spend our GMO (girls' morning out) eating doughnuts and visiting the SLC Farmer's Market. :-)

She loves this.

Can you see how much she loves me and my ambush-photography?

Hahaha! Anyway, we went to the BEST doughnut shop in SLC, of course: Banbury Cross! (Or as Weston says, "Banbury Foss.")

So much sweet, luscious, doughy goodness! AHH! Yum.

I got my current favorite, the yeast doughnut with chocolate icing. I know it looks like a regular old doughnut in the picture, but don't be fooled. It is heavenly.

Then we visited the Farmer's Market! I've been to some pretty awesome farmer's markets in my day, but I am actually very impressed with Salt Lake City. It is quite large (taking up the entire perimeter of Pioneer Park downtown), with all kinds of baked goods, produce, flowers, meats, cheeses, handicrafts, hot food vendors, and even musicians. I love it!!

I only took three pictures, though, while Allison and I strolled around. The one above, plus this flowery one:

And this one, of the pianist whose crazy awesome piano-on-wheels is attached to his bicycle:

Anyway, SO FUN!!! I love that lovely, happy, energetic lady. Can't wait to see you again, missy!!!

And next... KIRA AND COLE! (Sorry, y'all...private blog!)

I hang out with Kira all the time (so fun!), and wouldn't you know it, but these two fantastic folks celebrated their birthdays recently. So, we had them over for a little belated-birthday extravaganza (complete with one of those HUGE chocolate cakes from Costco, which we all tucked into quite happily).

HAPPY 30TH, GUYS!!! :-) Woohoo!!! Can't wait to do dinner again!

And next... ABBIE!

Abbie is my most beloved and favorite New Yorker, and I was lucky enough to get to see her a couple times during her Utah trip. She arranged a picnic party at the park last week, and look who also showed... a few more famous Wymounties! Kendra, Bridget, and Carly! HUZZAH!

We met up at Nielsen's Grove Park in Orem, where Weston (as is his custom) tagged along with another mother and her daughter (even happily mooching bread from the other mom to feed the ducks, hahaha):

The last time that I saw Abbie, it was Christmas 2009 and I had driven up to Manhattan from PA to visit her. It was WONDERFUL to see her again!! She is one of those incredibly upbeat, warm, sweet people who gives you a big giant hug like you're the coolest person on the planet. Yay! And there was another surprise that day, too: HEATHER! Ahhhhh!!! I love both of these girls so much! Heather and Abbie have been super close friends for a long time, and I am lucky to know both of them from our Wymount days. I was in on the secret, but I think that Abbie almost peed her pants when Heather approached her! Haha!

Heather's husband had taken her three kiddos so that she could have some social time with Abbie and everyone else, and being the incredibly fun and natural mom that she is, she ended up playing with the other kids for a bit! Wow. So cool. (Utah just hit the jackpot with the Petersons!!! I am SO excited!!!)

And last but certainly not least... DANIELLE!

Danielle is a fabulous California friend, and I'm so glad that she was in town last week!!! I haven't been back to CA since we left in May 2010, so I LOVE every opportunity that I get to see these girls again.

Danielle is such a sweet, friendly, generous person. She and her little boy (I can't believe he's 5 already!) met us at Murray Park, and we shot the breeze like the old times. It made me REALLY miss California!! I'm so glad that we're finally going in October! It's been WAY too long! Anyway, thanks for hanging out with me, Danielle! YAAAAY!

OH. FER. CUTE.

2011-08-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

What are the chances??

Seriously... what are the CHANCES that we would get Cole's first laugh EVER on video??!!

This will melt your heart. :-)

Super-Mega-GIANT PA Recap!

2011-08-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a dyn-O-mite nine days in PA, NJ, and VA we had!!! It was chock-full of excitement and adventure: a returned missionary (yeah Marcus Aurelius!), a baby blessing (yeah Mr. Chubster!), a dual birthday party (yeah Finnillian!), and a WEDDING (yeah Chradrienne!). Let's review, shall we?

I guess you have to be three years old to get really pumped about flying in an airplane. Weston could not WAIT to get to the airport and board his plane:

Sooooo excited...

Cole, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on but was just as happy as a clam nevertheless:

This one has a seriously easy smile!

We survived the hot, cramped, tiring flight and endured only a couple dirty looks. (Hooray for flying with children! Hahaha! In those peoples' defense, it turns out that "airplane excitement" does not equal "airplane good behavior" as much as we'd hoped.) We arrived at the Anderson home after midnight, but fortunately, everyone was still up, and I snagged a photo of Tim and his siblings together for the first time in over two years:

Chris the Groom displayed his new look for us! Unfortunately, he restored his old look in time for the wedding. Darn.

And Mark the "I-was-in-South-America-yesterday-I-have-no-idea-what's-happening-right-now-why-is-everyone-speaking-English" Returned Missionary allowed us all to sample his mate from Argentina (complete with the communal straw/filter thingie):

After some late-night hilarity that is the Anderson form of familial bonding (as it should be), we rested up for... Merrymead ice cream and Hearth Baker hoagies, complete with some Cramer love, the next day! Weston gets so excited for Merrymead, and here he is with his long-awaited treat:

The Merrymead gang: my dad and brother with Tim and Weston (and Cole):

We saw all the usuals: Harley the Ridiculously, Inconceivably Ginormous Hog (behind my dad there):

...and all the wee precious calves:

We had Weston measure himself again:

FLASHBACK: This was Weston at six months! (Awww...)

After that, we hung out with Grandma and Grandpa some more at the ol' Cramer place. There are few sweeter things than seeing your mom tear up as she holds her grandchild!

And of course my dad got in on the cuddling, too (go Phils):

Back at the Anderson homestead, we gobbled our hoagies and rocked like DJ Lance (even if we were a little sleepy looking):

Later, some cousin time!! I've never seen two people have quite the love-hate relationship that Weston and Killian have. They're seven months apart, and both the oldest in their families. They are always SO excited to see each other, but they are completely incapable of playing with the same toys. They were thick as thieves when examining bugs or running around with their uncles, but other than that, they were constantly butting heads!! I'm not sure if they're like a couple of hyperactive puppies or like a grumpy old married couple. Either way, I think (hope) they'll be great friends when they learn to share!

FLASHBACK: This was when they first met, when Weston was six months old and Killian was just over a year. Awww. (Note that Weston is making it clear to Killian that he will NOT share the exersaucer.)

Even with all the bickering, they still wanted to be together all the time. Killian desperately wanted to join Weston's bathtime fun that night (hehehe):

For his part, the next morning before church, Cole was treated to the much-anticipated bath-by-Gangy!

SO cute!! Somethin' about that bath-by-Gangy; babies have a grand time!

FLASHBACK: Here's Weston at six months, having that same fabulous bath with that same fabulous bubble adornment:

Happy, happy Cole:

And what could possibly be better to follow a bath-by-Gangy than a little nap on Grandalf's big, warm shoulder? Nothin.

Here's Cole's little blessing get-up (check out the booties from a totally awesome church lady here in Utah!):

Tim offered the blessing during Sacrament meeting, and it was so wonderful to have the whole Anderson family there. Here are the folks who participated (Chris, President Peterson, Mark, Will, Tim & Cole, Uncle Rick, and Bishop):

And here's my giant family-in-law:

(Compare this photo with the previous photo. Can you find the two photo-bombing culprits?)

Ta-da! I love that we are now a family of four. We should definitely win a vacation sweepstakes.

After church, it was time for Killian and Finn's combined birthday party! Tim's sister Dana put together an awesome pirate party, and she even supplied Weston with a pirate outfit of his own (yay)! Here, she's putting the finishing touches on Killian's swash-buckling ensemble:

Ahoy, mateys!

The nosh was fantastic. See that crockpot? That's Anne Marie's famous buffalo chicken dip. And for you non-Pennsylvanians, that's tomato pie in the forefront. YUM.

Chips, hot dogs, cheese balls...? Weston was in heaven.

This lady knows how to throw a shindig. She scores an A-plus. And she loves cuddling Cole. Therefore, an A-plus-PLUS!!

Present time!! It was a delightful frenzy of torn wrapping paper and new toys:

Tim's aunt even got a present for Weston - SO NICE!! Check out Pirate Captain America!

On Monday, we relaxed a bit and hung out with the fams some more. I LOVE this picture. This is Tim's youngest brother, Brett. He is 15 years older than Cole, and Tim is 15 years older than Brett. So, he is to Cole what Tim was to him. Hahaha!

And here's Weston being cute with Cole, too. (The cute moments are always just moments before the Weston-he-needs-some-space moments, hahaha.)

On Tuesday we had a fun family day-trip: Long Beach Island!! I got to visit my lovely friend Lauri at her family's beach house and hang out with this little lady (hey Miss Finley!) again!!

She's SO ADORABLE!!! Look at those eyes!

Lauri is seriously the Hostess with the Mostest. She not only invited us to the beach house and prepared a huge lunch spread for us (fudge included) and took us to the beach and gave Weston a box of saltwater taffy, but she also took a bunch of photos of us!!! (Have I mentioned that she's a professional photographer?) YAAAAAAAAY!!! Check 'em out!

It was a wonderful time in NJ. And after spending one more day in Lansdale with the fams, we headed down to Virginia for the wedding festivities! Tim's parents got a bunch of rooms for all of us, and it was really fun to have a vacation-within-a-vacation:

I absolutely love this picture of Weston and Killian checking out Mark's... um... iPod? Or something? I don't know. But those are some cute boys:

Here's me and Mr. Chubster:

That evening we met up with the cutie patootie couple and Adrienne's family for a fun-filled pre-wedding dinner. And yes, there was throw-up. As we moms well know, any special event, if it includes children, will inevitably include barf. Haha! I won't name names, but we all think that someone had finn-ally had enough milk.

And here's Dana, with my newest favorite book!! Sorry, can't tell. Heh heh.

Pasta, pasta, and more pasta!! Breadsticks, breadsticks, and more breadsticks! I love Olive Garden.

How is it that Chris ALWAYS manages to photo-bomb, and I never realize until later?

Back at the hotel, I thought it would be "nice" to get "a couple photos" of the Anderson kids.

I think that we can all guess what transpired...

(This was the point where Dana decided it would be best to escape):

Hahahaha!

Anywho, this is Cole's sleeping arrangement. We received a very nice Pack 'n Play from the courteous hotel staff, but decided that this armchair would work just as well with his sleep positioner. Voila! Baby burrito!

And the next day, it was WEDDING TIME! We headed to the DC Temple in our finery:

Look at the little stud in his first-ever tie!

It was like herding cats to get this picture of the three cousins:

Heh heh...

Cole got some cuddles from Aunt Peggy:

And then the newlyweds made their grand arrival!! Isn't Adrienne stunning?

There was a lot of kissing. Seriously. A lot.

There were also some cute faces!

And then a whole bunch more kissing. Holy cow, guys. Haha!

I adore Adrienne's dress!

Sooooo sweet!! (Okay, now get a room please.)

FLASH-FORWARD: Chris, this will be you at a family wedding in the not-too-distant future. Haha! Don't forget your burp rag...!

"Wedding? Photographs? BORING. Let's look for more bugs."

I have absolutely NO photos of Chris and Adrienne's reception at her home (ha... whoops). And I have NO photos of our drive from VA back to PA the following day, during which we stopped at the new CAFE RIO in Maryland!! YUM! Oh well. I do have this darling picture of Grandalf and Cole, taken the morning that we left:

This time, we had a long layover on the way back to Utah, but fortunately, it was in Ohio! So, my cousin Tricia was able to come to the airport and lunch with us! Woohoo!!! What a happy end to a GREAT trip!!!

Simple Math

2011-07-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

+

+

=

Two Months Old, and Potty Training

2011-07-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

(Okay, to clarify, that blog title refers to two separate children.)

Cole is TWO months old already! In keeping with Anderson tradition, he is a TANK of a baby:

Weight: 14 lbs 9 oz (97%)
Length: 25 inches (98%)

Here's some recent cuteness for your viewing pleasure:

Also, I am thrilled to announce that Weston is finally, officially, unequivocally POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!

Phew. It's been a long road... I think we started somewhere around ten months ago, perhaps? First we tried to get him to wear underpants and sit on the potty; then we backpedaled to Pull-Ups on account of frequent accidents; then we offered incentives like candy and toys for going #1 (and later #2); then we started putting him in underpants during the day; then we upped the incentives for #2's on the potty (since that has been, by far, the most difficult aspect); then, towards the end when he was regularly peeing in the potty and avoiding accidents, but still wearing Pull-Ups at naptime and bedtime, we instituted a policy that he has to help clean up his #2's but that he also gets better prizes for going #2 in the potty (which really did the trick); and then, FINALLY, we just switched him to a No-More-Pull-Ups program, which has him wearing underpants 24 hours a day (and successfully!). Finally. FINALLY!!!!!!!!!

So, HOORAY FOR WESTON! He's a trooper, and he's done magnificently over the past couple months, especially considering that I've been so distracted with the other little feller. Sigh... This mama bear is eager to take a break from potty training for a little while. :-)

Recently Posted in Our Backyard

2011-07-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION ALL ROH-YEE-POH-YEES

WARNING: Preschooler spotted in the vicinity of this backyard!

For your safety, we would advise all roh-yee-poh-yees (rolly pollies/pill bugs) to quickly vacate the premises of this backyard, preferably in the dead of night. A preschooler has been spotted in the vicinity, lurking along the periphery, searching for roh-yee-poh-yees, shrieking with delight when he finds them (“YOOK, MOM! I found a roh-yee-poh-yee!!”), and then clamping them in his loving, vice-like grip for 30 minutes or longer.

Should that unfortunate circumstance befall you, we would advise all captives to remain in ball-form for as long as possible, lest said preschooler accidentally drops and/or misplaces you. In the event that you are dropped and/or misplaced, it would be wise to swiftly remove yourself from the immediate search-and-recover area. Nevertheless, the likelihood of escape is extremely small, and therefore, if the option of vacating this backyard is not feasible, we would primarily advise that you make arrangements in advance regarding loved ones, and of course make your peace with God.

It's That Time Again!

2011-07-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

My second baby is now six weeks old, and we all know what that means...
it's SMILING TIME!!!

Speaking of spectacularly awesome things, check out my new favorite onesie:

This girl knows us well!!!

And finally, please join me in the annual patriotic chant:

USA!
USA!
USA!

Thanks! A fantastic Fourth of July, from Team Anderson to you! :-)

Sometimes...

2011-06-26T20:56:00.001-07:00

... (when the cabin fever is kicking in),

all it takes is a trip to Target:

... and Chick-Fil-A:

Simple. Easy. Fun.

Mission accomplished.

"Weekly" Dork Time with Microsoft Paint: Edition 4

2011-06-23T14:17:00.001-07:00

I haven't done this in a while, so get ready to be treated to THREE!!!

I think... that I have too much time to think.

(Specifically, about the most absurd things in the entire world.)

One Month Already?! Inconceivable!!

2011-06-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well, our little Coleslaw/Coal Mine/Colby/Coltrane (also known as "Cole" by day) is already a MONTH OLD!!!

He's doing great. The crying has definitely increased since he was a brand-newborn, but he's also much more alert these days. He's starting to chunk up, thanks to Mama's special-recipe cream. He holds his head up better now, and he's also starting to lock his legs in a standing position when we put his little tootsies on a surface. However, he's still only sleeping about 3-4 hours in a stretch at night (...yawn...). In order to kick off the time-honored tradition of constantly comparing Cole to his big brother Weston, I'd just like to publicly point out that when Weston was a month old, HE was sleeping in stretches of five and a half hours. I'm just sayin'. Ahem... COLE.

The funny thing about the second child, at least for me, is that I don't have the anxiety that I used to have with Weston. Any time that baby Weston would break out into a cry, I'd be overcome by a burning wave of anxiety/panic. Doesn't happen anymore! Maybe that's because I know that crying isn't that big of a deal, or because I know that I can't ALWAYS respond to his cries, just because I'm juggling a whole bunch of other things. (I guess that's one of the downsides of being Child #2... mom's clearly divided attention!) I guess the sleep deprivation is a bummer (but a given), but fortunately, I haven't been lost in the Newborn Fog this time around, and I haven't been nearly as anxious or worried about everything. So, for those of you who have one child, I guess that's something to look forward to with the second. :-) (And I wholeheartedly disagree with most peoples' warnings that the second one is harder. Not necessarily!! There's just more to manage, but it's still manageable.)

But seriously... we love this kid. Here's to, like, a bamillion more great months. :-)

Recently at Team Anderson...

2011-06-16T14:21:00.001-07:00

Recent Thinkings:

Remember my epic gardening project? Well, I'm happy to report that my garden is green and lush... with WEEDS!!! Yeah, it's completely out of control. I don't even know if any actual vegetables are growing in that giant weed-jungle. Apparently I overestimated my ability to actively take care of a garden on a daily basis in the midst of late pregnancy/early post-pregnancy (haha). Sigh... maybe next summer?

So, I mentioned earlier that when I'm pregnant, I crave salty, salty foods. Well, evidently when I have a newborn, I crave SUGAR. The other day I had waffles for breakfast, with strawberries and banana. I smeared large gobs of Nutella over all of it. Yum.

Recent cell phone FAIL: when my friend Chris and his family were passing through Salt Lake City, and called me to meet up. I didn't have my phone with me, so I didn't hear it ring. Then, I went a few days before bothering to listen to my messages. FAIL!!! I am so lame with my phone.

Y'know what's really liberating? A budget!! Tim and I put together a fine little budget for ourselves, which is much simpler than the crazy, multi-worksheet maze that we used to have when we first got married. We're still in the thick of our student loans (haha, obviously... it'll be a long time before that "thick" starts to thin...), and it's SO nice to know exactly where we stand every month with bills and expenditures. Goodbye, Anxiety. Hello, Awareness!! Yay us.

The father-son campout is coming up this Friday evening, and Tim's going to take Weston again. (We both agreed that it would be a little TOO hardcore for him to take the four-week-old baby as well.) Anyway, how should I spend my fabulous evening?? I'm thinking of checking out a couple new-to-me stores (World Market, Tai Pan). Maybe I'll bake something spectacular, too...? To be determined!

I am OBSESSED with Paradise Bakery right now (thanks to Gangy for the introduction!). Their claim is "famous for our cookies," and I will definitely get behind that. My favorites are the chocolate chip (so soft and luscious) and the sugar (soft in the middle, and tastes just like cookie dough!). So, I admonish you: GO THERE! TRY IT!! You won't be disappointed. :-)

In related news, I saw LAURA W the other day!!! In case you don't know who that is, she's the awesome girl who I originally met in California and who now lives nearby and has an equally awesome and adorable little girl, Alice. They came over to watch The Little Mermaid and play a bit, and then we went to (guess...) Paradise Bakery for lunch!! Weston and Alice were really shy with each other in the beginning, but they were laughing and having a grand ol' time by the end. YAY!!!

And now... Recent Doings:

Exploring:

Self-photographing:
Hiking:

Napping:

Hamming:

Lounging:

Bonding:

Petting:

Posing:

Climbing:

Balancing:

Cuddling:

and, of course, Eating:

Are You a Bluth Fan??

2011-06-09T17:59:00.001-07:00

Then you'll like this:

(Someone found this online and emailed it to Tim. We would very much like it on a T-shirt now, too, thank you.)