The Mulls

Family Pic Sneak Peak

2011-11-12T21:13:00.001-08:00

I am pathetic

2011-09-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I still have hopes and dreams of eventually getting caught up on this darn blog... but since that is not going to be happening any time soon, and I have had too many complaints to count... I temporarily give up. Without further ado, here are a few recent pictures of my ADORABLE children! Maybe you can look forward to another post in approximately 6 months. :-)

Almost forgot... more Christmas pics

2011-03-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

I forgot to include a post with the Christmas pics we took at the mall. They turned out pretty cute for last minute pictures. Lila wasn't particularly smiley, but she was cute anyway. Davis was giving the best smiles I've ever seen him do for pictures, and he looked like such a handsome little man. I'm also throwing in some cousin pictures that we took for the blanket I made for Pam and Gary.

These two might be my favorite... check out Lila's finger. My dad still wants me to send these in to Ellen or Leno or something. :-)

The official Santa Pic

The cousins

Christmas Day

2011-03-06T14:59:00.001-08:00

Who doesn't love Christmas morning?! It is so much more fun for me since we've had kids... the excitement is literally tangible. Our usual Christmas morning routine starts out when Davis comes in to wake us up, and we open stockings on the bed. Then we go downstairs to see what Santa brought. Davis was so cute opening his presents this year! He was so excited about everything. Lila wasn't quite as pumped, but she'll get into it next year.
After we open presents, we get ready to head back over to Brandon and Mary's for Christmas brunch. I am usually in charge of most of this, and I have to say, it's pretty yummy. We rotate the food each year, but the staple is Jane's apple pancakes (german style baked in the oven). This year we also had Ryan's homemade buttermilk pancakes and syrup, as well as cinnamon rolls, bacon, quiches, and fruit. Sooooo good!
We spent most of the day at their house so the kids could play and the adults could talk and hang out.
Around dinner time, we head over to Bry's parents' house for Christmas dinner and presents with the family. Always very yummy and very fun. By the end of the day, we are completely stuffed and completely spoiled. Can't complain about that!

Christmas Eve

2011-03-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

I have really enjoyed our Christmas traditions for the last few years. It starts out by going over to Brandon and Mary's house for an Italian dinner on Christmas Eve. We usually let the kids do a talent show as well as act out the Nativity. Bryson's family and Mary's sister's family all come over, and it's always a lot of fun. We all open our Christmas jammies before we head home so that we can all wear them Christmas morning.

Christmas cookies

2011-03-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Yum. Probably not my best work, but they are still blog worthy. I forgot to take pictures of the friend/neighbor cookies, so it's just the Infuse ones this year (Bry's work).

More catch up... Early December

2011-03-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

Just some pics from early December... 3 months late getting these posted. :-)

Go Cougars! I particularly like Davis' cougar growl in these. :-)

Still a Failure...

2011-03-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

I just can't seem to keep up on this blog lately. In my defense, the Costa Rica post has been delaying things a bit. I have about 2000 pictures to sort through and narrow down, and if you know me and my indecisive nature at all, you know how difficult that is for me to face.... So, I made an executive decision to skip that post for now in an effort to rejoin the blogging world. Hopefully it will make it up here eventually.
So, without further ado, here are some pics from our ride on the Polar Express (I think it's technically the North Pole Express). My friend Jen invited us along, and we couldn't make it that night, but I thought it was such a great idea that we called up the family and made a night of it. We got the kids dressed in their Christmas PJs and went for a ride on the Heber Creeper to meet Santa. Very cute and fun night.

Who's a blogging failure? Not me!

2011-01-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm still a blogging failure, but consider this my attempt to repent.
Blog update #2- November 2010 (not including the Costa Rica trip... that will be the next post).
Just some pictures from November, nothing too exciting.

I thought Lila looked so cute with her giant flower, but Bryson thought it was too big. He kept pretending to smell the flower. This is why he is NOT in charge of Lila's fashion. :-)

This outfit might be a little much, but I couldn't resist. Pink pettiskirt and the "heelarious" boots.

We have so many pictures just like this... Davis and his cousins... not a single one giving me a cute smile. Nice.

just cute... davis and rose

The only good picture from Bryson's birthday. I am a bad wife. In my defense, it's hard to take clear pictures while holding a baby.

A fun play date with two of Davis' best buddies - Isaiah and Riley used to live across the street, it was a sad day for Davis when they moved. Luckily Isaiah is still in his preschool class

Thanksgiving
Bry thought this horse was just the right size for Lila. She's quite the equestrian

cute little man

On the last day of the month we got rid of this...

I need to get a picture of my new ride up here... sadly I am officially a member of the utah mom club now. Yep, bought a minivan, and I am not ashamed to say that I LOVE IT! Automatic doors, dvd players, bucket seats in the middle, stow and go, back up camera, etc, etc, etc... I am willing to sacrifice my pride for the convenience I get in return.

got some snow too

Coming soon to a blog near you.... Costa Rica 2010!

For Crystal

2011-01-19T18:28:00.000-08:00

It's always nice when someone treats you with just a little extra kindness and compassion. I'm so glad to have someone in my life who does that. My dear sister decided lately to give me a little encouragement to update my blog... some nice words and a gentle push. Here are the emails she sent:

Subject: Failure
You are a FAILURE at blogging. It is really very rude.

After going another week without an update, I got this sweet little note:

Subject: Still a Failure
Yeah, that’s right! You are still a blogging failure. Not to mention a very rude person for refusing to share Davis and Lila’s cuteness with us.

So, after those loving words of encouragement, I finally decided to update my blog. (I'm sure I'm the only person that thinks I'm funny here... love you Crystal!)

So, without further ado, here is the first of many installments of my blog updates... Halloween 2010 - long overdo
This was almost the worst Halloween ever, but in the end it turned out to be pretty fun. I was in a post baby slump or something and never got around to decorating, so I wasn't feeling it as much as usual. Then I volunteered to bring candy for our ward trunk or treat and soup for our chili/soup cook off. Well, I spent 4 hours making soup, then went upstairs to get ready while Davis took a nap... came downstairs to find that I left the soup on too high and burned/completely ruined it. Then after letting Davis nap, by the time we got to the ward Trunk or Treat, it was over, and so were all the other kids activities. Next, we got to wait in a ridiculously long line for chili, and I picked the worst one there, so I ate a roll for dinner. I was off to a really great start. Oh, I almost forgot that it was pouring rain when we got there, so we all got soaked getting into the building and had no hope for real trick or treating. But, after the ward party, we went to Bryson's parents house, the rain stopped, and we were able to trick or treat and hang out with family. Davis had a blast, of course, and Halloween was saved. :-)

Davis wanted to match daddy and be Batman... already had the costumes, so that was easy!

The sad little green pumpkin is from our garden

attempts at a family pic and Davis playing with his cousin/best friend Chase

I never get any good trick or treating shots because it's too dark

my pretty kitty... I'll pretend I planned this, and she's a pink catwoman-baby

yummy halloween cake

Lila's Blessing Day

2010-10-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

We finally blessed Lila about 2 weeks ago. It was a beautiful blessing and a great day. My parents came in town for the blessing, and of course all of Bry's family was here as well. Lila was a perfect angel and looked adorable in her blessing gown. Grandma Tamara and Great Grandma Susie got her blessing gown, which seems fitting since Lila and I are both named after those two lovely ladies (Lila Tamara and Cherie Suzanne). And thank you Jessie for letting me steal your clothes for the day! Lila was about 8.5 weeks old on her blessing day. I am posting a million pictures, you've been warned. (I added another new post today as well, but since this one is so long, you might have to click on Older Posts to see it if it doesn't show up on this page).

Fall Pictures

2010-10-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

You would think that having a new baby would make me take a lot of pictures and post them frequently... you would be wrong. Apparently I am too busy enjoying life to stop to capture it on film and post it here (Or too lazy, but who's to say?). So, these are the picture highlights from September and October around the Mull household. Enjoy.

Davis helped Bry paint his new room

Lila at 2.5 weeks old. Davis wants to hold her all the time.

He's obsessed

5.5 weeks old

6 weeks old with the doc that delivered her

6.5 weeks old

My uncle Mike came out for a few days to fix our car and saved us a bunch of money. We can't thank him enough! And Davis loved getting to hang out with him and follow him around trying to help.

Just because our team is struggling this year doesn't mean I can't get my kids dressed up in all their cougar gear to cheer them on! Go cougars! Lila is 7.5 weeks old here.

Lila's first day at church. So fun to have a little girl to get all dressed up!

One of our adventures to Cornbelly's pumpkin patch. Davis had a blast! We ran into Jessie, Taylor, and Brody while we were there, which made it even more fun.

Davis' field trip to the fire station. He loves preschool.

I got to see Tarin for a bit while she was in town, and we took Davis and Cooper to Cornbelly's. Davis wanted to get his face painted as batman. Very fun.

Bryson hit a big goal at work, so we went to Ruth's Chris with his family for a celebration dinner. Because of hitting this goal, we also get a free cruise next year! Yay!

Davis had a field trip to Pumpkin Land this week. It was cold, but lots of fun.

Lila's newborn pics

2010-10-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since we had these taken, so Lila already looks a bit different, but I thought I'd post a few of the pics from Lila's newborn (I think she was almost 2 weeks old here) photo shoot. Crystal's good friend Jill Thomas is an amazing photographer, and she was nice enough to take some pictures for us while she was driving through Utah. Check out more of her amazing stuff at www.jillthomasphotography.com

PRESCHOOL!!!!

2010-09-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Wow! I literally cannot believe that my little boy is old enough to be a preschooler! How crazy is that? All of a sudden he seems so old. Davis had his first day of preschool last week, and he LOVED it! He was all smiles and giggles going in, and even more so coming out. He came bounding out the door with the hugest grin I've ever seen. He came running to me, so excited to tell me all about what a fun time he had. His second day was pretty much the same. This is such a fun time... brand new snuggly baby and a super cute and fun preschooler. I love it! I wish I could be a fly on the wall in his preschool class to watch him interact with his friends and do all of his "work." He has his first field trip next week, and I'm thinking I might have to tag along.
Some pictures from his first day, before school.

Pictures from his second day, right after school.

Lila update

2010-09-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post some more pictures of my little angel. She just had her 2 week check up yesterday, and she is growing like a weed! (Plus, I think they may have mis-measured her at the hospital). She is now 20.75 inches long and 6lbs 10oz. She put on over a pound in two weeks, and grew almost 3 inches... ( or more likely she was longer than 18 inches when she came out, and she was just all bunched up). She almost fits into some of her newborn size clothes now! Yay!

Look at those big eyes... just a few days old here

Her first sponge bath at home. She did not love being undressed and cold, but she was a trooper. She is still a bit jaundice here. I think she's about 5 days old here.

I am loving this little snuggle bug!

Hanging out with Grandpa... look at those big red lips!

Cousins

Group shot while the family was in town... about a week and a half after birth

More attempted family shots... we're still working on getting a successful one!

Having some daddy time... 2 weeks old here

Lila's first photo shoot

2010-08-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

The hospital photographer was awesome. Even though Lila was not in the mood for pictures, we still got some cute shots. She is 1 day old here. Wish I would have known I was going to be in some of them...I would have done my hair!

Introducing Lila Tamara Mull!

2010-08-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to introduce our brand new little beauty, Lila Tamara Mull. She was born August 19th at 8:05am, and she weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs 3 oz and 18 inches long. She's just a tiny little squirt, but just as cute and perfect as can be. As soon as she came out, she was wide awake and alert, checking out this brand new world of hers. She is so sweet... pretty much just sleep, eat, poop, and small intervals of waking up to say hi to us and look around for a while. We are all in love. Davis wants to hold her and kiss her all the time. He calls her "my baby" and gets so excited when she looks at him or smiles. He tells me that she loves him and that's why she looks at him. So fun. We are still a little sleep deprived from two full nights of no sleep while laboring then a few more nights of little sleep while Lila tries to get past her nocturnal instincts, but we are hoping to catch up soon!

Here I am in labor, and Davis is giving some love to his sister before he gets to meet her. Last day in the belly.

Not the most attractive picture, but she literally just came out. Her first moments.

Davis meeting his sister for the first time, just a couple of hours after birth.

The happy new parents

3 generations of Lafarga women

Some family time and attempts at family pics... yikes!

my little beauty

a little daddy daughter time

getting ready to leave the hospital

First day at home

bonding with davis

enjoying my little angel

Randomness

2010-08-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post some of my most recent pictures, as I am trying to keep the camera space clear before my little lady arrives...

The Belly- 38 weeks. This should be a nice self esteem boost for anyone having a chubby day... doesn't get much bigger than this.

I've been working on a few projects lately. One of the easiest ones was this car seat cover. I haven't added any embellishments yet, but it's still fun.

I made these cookies for a baby shower. My friend and neighbor across the street asked if she could pay me to make some cookies, so I did. I think this was my first paid cookie job, and sadly, not nearly my best work. You can only do so much when you're nine months pregnant, so I'm not losing sleep over it.

They're here!

2010-08-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

Crystal has been in nursing school for the last year, so it has been a year since I've seen her and the kids in person (aside from a few hours of overlap in San Diego). Anyway, she finally finished school and came out our way for a visit. Yay! Davis was beyond thrilled to have his cousins at the house day and night for a few days... even though the lack of sleep that caused created some really special moods. I was thrilled to have them all here too. I put Crystal to work and had her make me a baby quilt. We didn't have a pattern, so she just winged it, and it is looking adorable so far. We did stop working to play for a little while and took the kids to the gym and the dinosaur museum. Friday night we had a fun girls night out for an early birthday celebration for Crystal. Hopefully they'll be coming around again before they head back home because we miss them way too much when they're gone!

Almost up to date!

2010-08-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is my 4th post for the day, and I am really close to being up to date! Hooray! As always, the updates are pretty much just the things that I happen to remember to take pictures of, so Enjoy!

This is out of order, but the biggest thing that happened in the last few weeks was my new nephew being born. I got to be there for his birth, and it was amazing! Mary did such a great job, and everything went perfectly. They named him Calvin Emmett Mull.

This was almost a month ago- everyone wanted to get a belly shot of Mary and I before we had the babies. I was about 33 weeks, and she was about 38 weeks.

We got together with Bry's family for the 24th of July to do some fireworks and hang out. The kids all loved the sparklers.

Belly shot about 35 weeks

Davis loves being with his cousins. They were getting ready to watch the fireworks, and the boys were being very silly.

Tami came to visit for a few days... HOORAY!!! It was so much fun seeing her and hanging out for a little bit. Davis loves his aunt Tami too, and we can't wait until she comes back for another visit.

These last pictures are a bit random. We were at Bry's parents house and went down to check on the garden. The sky looked crazy and amazing, so we took a few pictures. My belly is about 36 weeks here.

Davis' SUPER 3rd Birthday!

2010-08-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little boy is 3! It feels like he has officially turned into this little kid now... definitely not my baby anymore. He has turned into such a social kid. He loves playing with his friends and making new ones. He is super active and fun. He is incredibly athletic... seems to pick up on any sport very quickly. He is also so smart- he already knows all of his letters, numbers, shapes, colors, etc, and he picked up most of that on his own. Pretty soon he'll be heading off to preschool, and I'm sure he's going to love it. I just can't believe how fast he is growing up! He is such a great kid, and I love him more every day.

Anyway, Davis has been really into superheroes for a while now, so when it was time to pick a birthday theme, it was a no-brainer. We went with a super hero theme. We decided to do the party at the gym where he takes gymnastics. The invitations called all his super buddies to join him for super hero training and an opportunity to put their skills to the test and fight a real villain. There were 4 challenges to complete before they could get their weapons. They had to fly like superman (jump into the pit), swing on a web like spiderman (the ropes), rocket into the air like iron man (jump high on the trampoline), and flip through the air like batman (swing on the bars). When they completed the challenges, they got their weapons- balloon swords and spider webs (silly string), which they used to defeat the evil villain (Davis' uncle Ty). All in all, the party was a huge success. The kids ran around like crazy little monkeys, and everyone loved the bad guy part. Finally, they went upstairs for cake, presents, and party favors. Davis had a blast!
The next day was Davis' actual birthday, so we had family dinner at Kim's house, and he got to open even more presents.

Family Camping Trip

2010-08-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun family camping trip with my dad's side of the family in early July. I was a little concerned about sleeping in a tent at 33 weeks pregnant, but it was fine, and everyone had a lot of fun. The highlights were: my aunt Jill's amazingly delicious camp food, the paintball war (which of course I couldn't participate in), hanging out with family, and watching Davis and Kobe run around like the happiest little boy and dog that ever lived. We'll definitely have to do this again next year.

Catching up AGAIN

2010-08-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am starting to think that this baby is coming soon, so I am going to try to get caught up before pictures of her take over the blog for the next few months. Here is my picture update for the end of June and early July. Enjoy!

Tarin came to town to see family, and Davis and I got to sneak in a visit/play date with Tarin and Cooper. So fun to see those lovely ladies!

Davis (and all of his cousins) absolutely adore their aunt Summer. These pictures are from her birthday dinner.

Some belly shots at approximately 31 weeks

A few pictures on the 4th of July (belly at approx. 32 weeks)

Baby Shower for my "sweet little girl"

2010-07-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm on a roll again... this seems to be my style- going months without posting, then posting numerous long posts in one day.
So, a week after we got back from Disneyland, I had my baby shower. My beautiful and talented friend Jessie threw the shower for me, and she did an amazing job. I like to pretend that we're related, but technically I'm not sure if I can really claim my sister's sister in law as a relative. Either way, she is wonderful, and she was so sweet to throw the shower for me. I think she had some help from some of the other amazing women in my life, including Crystal, Mary, and Jane. I am so spoiled! The theme was all about celebrating our "sweet baby girl" and so she used sweets for the decorations and favors. Tons of delicious candy, cupcakes, and treats. Does it get any better than that? It was a really fun shower, and I was literally showered with amazing gifts. We were totally hooked up with all sorts of adorable clothes, blankets, and accessories for the baby. Thanks to everyone for your generosity!
My mom, Jane, and Meg were all able to make it up here for the shower, so as an added bonus, I got to spend the weekend with them. Sweet!

Davis enjoying a little bit of time with Grandma Tamara

It also happened to be Father's Day weekend, so I had to include these cute pics of my boys on Father's Day. Davis and I are so lucky to have Bryson. He is the best dad ever, and Davis absolutely adores him. I can't wait to see how quickly our baby girl gets her daddy wrapped tightly around her little finger!

The happiest place on Earth

2010-07-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

In typical Cherie fashion I am over a month behind on this post. We took a sort of last minute trip down to Disneyland in June. We got 5 day park hopper passes, which sounds like it would be too much time to spend there, but we had a blast! Davis has been asking to go back ever since. He still makes comments almost every day about how much fun he had at Disneyland. He loved everything from the rides to the parades, and just about everything in between. I think we met just about every Disney character there and had approximately 1,000 churros along the way. I was surprised by how brave Davis was on the "scary" rides. Bryson bought him a pirate gun on the first day we got there, and he used it to "get down" the pirates, ghosts, and monsters. Because of this, his favorite rides ended up being Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and Matterhorn. Bryson and I had a blast too, especially considering we didn't do any of the typical big kid rides this time. We can't wait to go back next year!
We also had time to stop by my dad's house as well as John-kai and Meg's place on our way to and from Disneyland. We even squeezed in a few hours at the beach on our way home. Such a fun trip!
As usual, I have a million pictures to share.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

The Beach and Vegas on the way home

My big Cub!

2010-06-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Look at this progress... two posts in one day! Moving right along...Davis does gymnastics at a place called gymcats. He has been in the kittens class, which is basically the 2 year old class, and parents participate along with the kids to help. For the last couple of months, Davis' teachers have been telling us that we need to move him up to the next class... the 3-4 year old cub class. So, I brought the camera to his last day of the kitten class to take pictures. So fun. By the way, he has been doing great in his cubs class. Most of the kids in it are 4, and when the teacher found out that he is only 2, she was very impressed and said he was doing an amazing job. Can you tell I'm a proud mom? One of these days, I'll have to sneak in and take some pictures of him in his big boy class, but until then, enjoy these fun pics.

I'm pretty sure the kids are supposed to slide down this, but Davis thinks it's more fun to jump.

working on his balance. He can do hops and kicks all the way down the beam now without any help.

The class always begins with warm ups and a bunch of stretching. I think Davis looks so cute for this part.

Backwards sommersault

Showing some muscle and some skill on the bars

Hand-stand on the wall

Doing his back walk overs with a little help from the mats and the coach. Nice form!

Davis' favorite part of the gym is the big pit. He loves jumping in and swinging around on the rope then dropping in. He is our little dare devil.

Having so much fun on the trampoline. I love the one where he is doing his "stick it".

Showing off some tricks on the bars. Getting those feet up, holding a straddle, and doing a flip.

Just Kidding!

2010-06-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said I would stay up to date on my blog and not do any more super long catch up posts?... well, I lied. Here I am a month later.... a VERY BUSY month later, and I have so much to catch up on. And so it begins.
Here are some highlights (at least the ones I caught on camera).

Davis and Bryson both got new bikes the same week. So much fun.

Tami came up to Utah for her sister's wedding open house, and we got to play. Davis fell in love. He still talks about how he misses her (or how much she misses him).

We are still in a serious super hero phase. These two make quite the team.
Why so serious?

Belly 26 weeks

Bonding with his cousins Chase and Rose at the Dinosaur museum and Animal Farm at Thanksgiving point.

This next series of pictures is what happens when I say, "Everyone smile!".... um, thanks guys, nice try.

They can be pretty cute though.

Hanging out at the splash park on a cloudy, windy day. Davis was still lovin it.

Ty graduated from Lone Peak High School!!! So crazy that he's all grown up now.

getting some love from his little buddy

Doing some gardening with Grandpa. Davis adores his grandpa. Sometimes he asks where his friend grandpa is. So cute.

Bonding with Natalie when she was in town for a visit. Instant buddies.

Coming soon.... Gymnastics, Disneyland, the beach, and my baby shower! Prepare yourself for a lot more pictures!

Update #3- May (so far)

2010-05-19T13:48:00.001-07:00

Phew! Once this update is done, I am all caught up, and I can start making posts that are not a mile long. Well, May started out with a fun trip to San Diego to hang out with my mom after her surgery. She is recovering very well, and it was nice getting to spend time with her for a few days... even if her house is the scariest place on earth with 20 different doors leading outside and walls and ceilings that make crazy noises all night. I didn't bring my camera along for that trip, so no pictures here. But there are pictures of Davis in the superhero cape and mask that I brought home for him from Grandma Tamara. He is completely superhero obsessed right now, and this has only added to the obsession. He literally did not take off his cape and mask for about a week straight, as you will see from some of the pictures. He does make a pretty cute little superhero though.

Mother's day was low key and nice this year. I got to see one of my favorite families ever- the Passics. Jyl and her family were in town for her little sister's graduation from her graduate program. After church, we drove out to West Jordan to hang out for a little bit, and I'm so glad I did. I got to meet Jyl's darling little Alice and spend a few hours with some of my favorite people. Good times. After that, we went to Bry's parents house for the usual Sunday dinner... only this time it was entirely prepared by the men, so us womenfolk got a nice little break. Bry got me a massage package for my mother's day present, and I can't wait to use it!

Bryson has been busy with his sports teams lately. He plays on an indoor soccer league with some guys from church, and he plays on his work softball team. Davis and I love going to watch him and cheer him on. Davis is the best cheering section... he screams things at the top of his lungs like, "Go, Daddy! You can do it!" "Yes! That's my daddy!" "Way to go Daddy! GO!" etc etc. He also likes making new friends at the games. Every time we've gone, he has spent most of the game playing on the sidelines with a new buddy and having a blast. I can't wait until Davis is old enough to play on his own teams. In the meantime, Bryson is doing a great job representing the family, and he seems to be having fun doing it.

The final pictures in the slide show are proof that Davis needs a little sibling. We were babysitting Brody the other night, and Davis was so happy to have his little buddy over. When it was time for Brody to go to bed, Davis had to get in the crib with him for a minute before he was willing to part with him for the night. Davis also loves, loves, loves his cousins. I babysit them every week, but I never remember to bring my camera over there, so I never blog about it. He asks to go to Chase's house (or Rose's house or Sadie's house... depending on the day, you never know whose house it will be) every day. He also remembers to be thankful for all of his cousins every night in his prayers. He has so much fun playing with them and is always sad to leave them. I can't wait for his baby sister to arrive so that he will have a little friend around all the time!

Update #2- April

2010-05-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

So the obvious big event for April was Easter. We had been having some nice spring weather until Easter rolled around, and then it snowed. So we had our easter egg hunt inside this year. Davis was still really excited to find all of his eggs and see what the easter bunny brought him. He looked adorable in his new Easter outfit that aunt Summy bought him. He dyed about a million eggs and made a gigantic mess, but he had fun doing it.

The other big event for the month was Pam's 60th birthday party. We had it at the stake center, catered food, decorated with pretty spring colors, put on a talent show, made a slideshow of her life, etc, etc. She loved it. All of her kids grew up on stage, mostly because she constantly made them get up there, but now they are all a bunch of hams and love performing. And of course she ate it all up. Even the grandkids got in on the fun. Apparently Davis takes after his dad because he loved being on stage with the microphone in his mouth... we had a hard time getting him off when he was done.

Other than that, we spent the month outside on the days that the weather was cooperating and inside on the days it wasn't. We spent an evening at the tulip festival, which was beautiful, as always. Davis spent quite a few days at the animal farm. He loves riding the horses, feeding the goats, and throwing rocks in the water. He also loves going with his buddies... we didn't get pictures of all of his outings (sometimes because I had too many kids and not enough hands to take pictures), but we did our best. Davis was thrilled when Aunt Mary went out of town and he got to spend a few days in a row with his cousins 24/7 (no pictures from that adventure).

As usual, I am very indecisive and put up way too many pictures, but you don't have to look if you don't want to! I threw in some belly shots for Grandma Lucky... there will be more coming in May.

Update #1 - March

2010-05-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Shocking, I am behind again. I have big plans to update the last 3 months in the next few days and then be right back on track.
So, the first big event in March was potty training. I probably should have done this earlier, but as a first time parent, I was very intimidated. It actually went really well, for the most part. Davis started going #1 in the potty almost immediately and had very few accidents, with no major accidents that made it to the carpet... but he was afraid to go #2 in the potty for the first week or so. He would go hide in a room or corner when I wasn't looking and go in his pants. Super fun. He kept telling me that it was going to hurt, or some other excuse. We finally had some success after a TON of bribery, including but not limited to, a date with Aunt Summy to go get ice cream and toys, special superhero poo poo toys from mom and dad, candy, etc... not to mention the very exciting song and dance performed by me when said task was finally completed. I'm so glad that we are finally done with that exciting phase!

The other big events in March were the Fablehaven parties. Brandon's 5th and final book in the Fablehaven series was released in March. So, of course there was the big launch party with thousands of Brandon's biggest fans, which I will get to in a minute. But before that, Mary wanted to throw Brandon a Farewell to Fablehaven party to celebrate the passing of this era in his life. She did an amazing job. Fun decorations, yummy cafe rio catering, really fun games, an auction with items donated from all of the Fablehaven characters (which we used Nero's gold coins to auction with, so we didn't actually have to spend any of our own money!), very fun people, and generally a great time. I helped with some of the decorations, which turned out really cute... I even taught myself how to make those tissue paper pom poms and made those for the first time. (If you're wondering, I was also responsible for the personalized water and soda bottles... an idea I happily stole from Jessie).

Finally the launch party was a huge success as well. Every year, Bryson's mom dresses up as Muriel the witch, and other family members or friends dress up as other characters from the book. After the show, while fans are waiting in ridiculously long lines to have Brandon sign their books, they can meet some of the characters, take pictures, etc. Well, this year, in addition to participating in the Divine Comedy portion of the show, Bryson also ended up as one of the characters. He and Ty were the Satyrs, Newel and Doren. He did a great job and was actually a big hit. All of the characters had to perform in the opening and closing numbers of the show this year, and everyone loved Bryson as a satyr. He was hilarious. You can look up Fablehaven 5 launch party on youtube and probably find a short video clip. Anyway, the show was great, thousands of screaming fans were very entertained and happy to wait around for hours to meet Brandon, and everything went very well. Davis and I had to leave right after the show was done because he was a little sick and wasn't up for sticking around to watch daddy sign books and take pictures with strangers, but we still had fun. We are so proud of Brandon and excited for his next series to come out. It has been so fun to watch him rise from an unknown to such a huge success!

Okay, now that I've put most of you to sleep, here are a few slideshows from March. Enjoy!

It's a....

2010-04-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!! Yay! Well, Davis has been right all along! For months now, Davis has been calling the baby his baby sister and has been very certain that the baby was a girl. Every night during our prayers, I say that I'm thankful for the baby in mommy's belly, and he says that he's thankful for his baby sister. Very cute. Even this morning when I told him we were going to the doctor to see pictures of the baby and find out if it was a boy or girl, he told me, "Girl. Mommy, I know... I know, a girl." I was really concerned that if it turned out to be a boy, I would never be able to convince him. Luckily for me, he was right (as was almost everyone else). So, now I get to empty out our bank accounts finding adorable baby girl clothes! Hooray for us!

Birthday List

2010-03-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Bryson - November 17th
Cherie - January 8th
Davis - July 18th
Baby - August 28th (approximately).... Just thought some of you might like to know!

We got the best Christmas gift this year when we found out on Christmas morning that Davis is going to be a big brother! We are obviously very excited and can't wait for August! Now that I'm almost halfway through the pregnancy, I decided it's probably time to spread the news. We have the big ultrasound scheduled next week to find out what we're having. Any guesses?

Freedom!!!

2010-03-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

I think Davis may have set some sort of record for the length of his momma's boy phase. Ever since he was about 9 months old, he has been very attached and has had a hard time being around other people, unless he knew them really well. People kept telling me it was just a phase that wouldn't last very long, but I think his phase lasted almost 2 years. He eventually warmed up to family members and friends, but babysitters were the most fearful of all new people. He wanted nothing to do with them. The few times we tried young women or babysitting swaps in the past, he screamed for hours on end until someone in the family came to rescue him. This habit made it hard for Bryson and I to go out on dates. We basically only went when we could get Bry's parents or sister to watch him, so it wasn't very often. Well, I am VERY happy to announce that he has finally passed that dreaded stage of babysitter fear. We have left him a few times with "Aunt" Jessie (and his buddy Brody, of course), and he had a great time. He talks about Jessie and Brody frequently now. Then this last weekend, we left him with my friend Becca (and his best bud Braddock), and I had a hard time getting him to come home with me. This may sound like nothing special to all of you parents out there with well trained, normal children, but to me, it is nothing short of FREEDOM!!!
Family shot before we left Davis with Jessie for the first time

A few cute pics of Davis and Brody hanging out for our turn on the babysitting swap

I don't have any pics from Davis' fun time with Braddock, so I am sticking in another gymnastics one from a month or so ago

cookie decorating 101

2010-03-15T20:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I am proud to say that I recently completed my first cooking decorating class... as the teacher! About a year ago, I helped my sister-in-law make some fancy cookies for a Relief Society event in her ward. Then a month or two ago, one of the ladies in her relief society presidency asked her if I could come do a cookie decorating class for an activity. As it was explained to me, it would just be 5 or 6 people, and we could do it at her house around the kitchen table. Well, when she got the sign-up list back, over 30 people signed up, so we moved the venue to the church and decided to make a lot more cookies. There was a great turn out, and it was surprisingly fun (despite feeling a little ridiculous for trying to teach people how to do something that I don't have any right to be teaching). I took some pictures of the Easter cookies I made for the class, and I had Mary take a picture of me in the adorable apron that my grandma made me for Christmas (which I wore for the entire class and got a ton of compliments on... thanks again Grandma!). Enjoy the pics!
By the way, I had big plans to arrange the cookies really cute in the baskets and display a few in bags, but people were walking in as I was setting them up, so I was rushed and didn't get to arrange them very nicely.

Hair cut

2010-02-22T14:52:00.001-08:00

Davis' hair was getting a bit long and wild, so I took him to get it cut last week. Everytime I cut his hair, I have a little bit of anxiety over it. When it starts to get too long, it gets tangly and hard to deal with, and when it's not really done, it looks a bit crazy... but at the same time, I love it. I love those strawberry blonde curls! However, every time I cut it or go get it cut, I think he looks just as adorable with short hair. So, I'm glad I pushed past the anxiety and got it done. Here are some pictures of the before, during, and after.
Playing on the playset getting ready for his haircut

Before

During

After

To the Zoo!

2010-02-22T14:33:00.001-08:00

Davis and I had a fun outing to the Hogle Zoo with Becca, Luke, and Braddock. Pretty much anything Davis and Braddock do together is really cute because they are such good buddies. It was a bit of a chilly day for an outdoor adventure, but we kept the boys bundled, and it ended up being great since hardly anyone else was there. I think we'll have to try it again in the spring.

Gynmastics part 2

2010-02-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to add a few more gymnastics pictures. I finally got some shots of him on the ropes (the "spiderman ropes" as Davis calls them) and a few shots of him doing his "cool tricks." Enjoy!

expert on the bars

somersault on the trampoline

One of his "cool tricks"

Being Spiderman on the ropes

showing off his excellent balance on the beam

Gymnastics!

2010-02-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

We have had a fun month full of birthday parties, snow days, play dates, etc, but one of our favorite new things is gymnastics. One of Bryson's friends from Divine Comedy married a gymnast who owns her own gym, and they have invited us over to play there a few times recently. We took Davis along last month, and he loved the gym, so we decided to sign him up for gymnastics. He is in a class with his best friend Braddock and his cousin Rose, and they have so much fun! It is so cute watching him run around and learning to do fun tricks. He really loves the trampoline, the foam pit, and the ropes, but he enjoys pretty much all of it. Next time we'll have to get some video, but for now, we'll share some cute pictures (most are a little blurry).

Warm up with mommy

bouncing around

the low beam

the tramp

coming in at full speed

the foam pit

more balance beam

cool down with daddy

Davis and Braddock in their matching outfits

Grandma Mull

2010-01-06T23:43:00.001-08:00

Now that I'm all caught up on the last few months, I wanted to post a little something for Bryson's Grandma. His Dad's mother, Gladys Ionne Mull, passed away just after Thanksgiving. It was a bit shocking, and obviously very sad. She was so vibrant and fun that the thought of her being gone was a little hard to grasp at first. She was such a caring, accepting, and loving woman. She had this amazing fashion sense, and I frequently saw her wearing things (in her 80's) that I would wear (in my 20's). She was always go, go, going... right up to the end... she was actually on vacation back East when she passed away. She had a fantastic deep voice and contagious laugh and was just so much fun to be around. She could hang out and play games with the grandkids like she was one of us. She was an amazing nurturer and care taker, spending most of her life serving and caring for those around her. I admire her for so many things, and I loved her as my own grandmother. I miss her already, but I am so happy that she is now reunited with her husband and other family members that passed on before her. We love you Grandma!

Finally!

2010-01-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays just as much as the next person (possibly more), but I have to admit I am glad that they are finally over! I feel like I can breath again now that the the hustle and bustle of the season is over. I was so swamped in the weeks leading up to Christmas, that I feel like I got behind on everything... including this blog. So, here is my pathetic attempt at catching up. I am just going to make a slideshow for each of the past few months that I neglected to post anything for and call it good.

Starting with October. I did a post for Halloween but nothing for the rest of the month. October is one of my favorite months in Utah. The weather is crisp and cool, perfect for sweatshirts, the leaves are colorful and pretty, and there are a ton of fun fall activities to do. Most of these pictures are from our adventures at the various pumpkin patches near our home. Davis' friend Braddock came along with us, and the boys had a blast. We also got to go up to Park City for a few days with Bryson's family and stay at the Marriott right by the ski slopes. We had fun riding the Alpine slide and coaster, eating lots of good food, swimming, playing games with the kids, and just hanging out with the family.

November is a big birthday month for our family. I feel like half of our huge family has birthdays in November, so that's pretty much what we do all month long right up until Thanksgiving. This year I surprised Bryson with the gun he's been wanting for a few years as his birthday/Christmas present. When we went to Vegas for Thanksgiving, he had fun taking it out to the desert to shoot with the guys. John-Kai and Meg were in town for Thanksgiving as well to show off Meg's new ring (Yay! They finally got engaged!!) It was really nice getting to spend time with family and enjoy all of the wonderful food... I was particularly excited to try a deep fried turkey for the first time, and it was amazing!

December feels a little bit like one big blur of craziness, but it was fun. Lots of fun parties, shopping, projects, cookie making, decorating, etc, etc, etc. I was a little crazy this year (thanks to my friend Tammy) and decided to make pajamas for Davis as well as all of my nieces and nephews, even though I do not know how to sew. It took a lot longer than expected, and there were plenty of imperfections, but overall they turned out pretty cute for a first try. It was a good learning experience, and next time, I'll sort of know what I'm doing... though I will probably never try to do that at Christmas time again! Our Christmas was really fun this year. This was the first year that Davis really got into it and was excited about Santa and everything, which made it much more fun for us. Christmas morning had that exciting feeling of anticipation that it used to have when we were kids. Davis was so excited about every present and wanted to play with all of them immediately. We got to spend lots of time with family and eat too much yummy food as well. It was perfect. Bryson and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary a few days after Christmas with a romantic dinner at the Roof and a carriage ride around Temple Square. It was very nice, despite the freezing cold temperature. Then a few days later, we headed off to Vegas again for New Year's. Davis could not stop talking about Meg and Will the whole drive there. He repeatedly told me, "I'm so excited to play with Will!" or "Who wants to see Aunt Meg? Me!!!" Very cute. We had a great time in Vegas, as usual. We drove down a day early so I could hang out with Tami and Mike for a few hours (well worth the drive through the blizzard). Dad and Jane threw a very fun New Year's Eve party with yummy Mexican food, fun games, and great friends. For the rest of the trip, we just relaxed and played.

Happy Belated Birthday Bryson!

2009-11-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

Just a few days late... that's actually pretty good for me lately. I still have to catch up on the entire month of October and most of November, so a few days late isn't too bad, right sweetie? In honor of Bryson's birthday, I thought I'd post a few pictures of Bry from childhood to present. Enjoy the pics of the man I love! Thanks for being such an amazing husband and father, Bry! I love you! Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Halloween from the Slacker family!

2009-11-10T13:52:00.001-08:00

I know, I know... I'm behind on my posts as always. It's halfway to Thanksgiving, and I'm just getting my Halloween pictures up. In my defense, I've been waiting to get the pictures from my sister in law and uncle, who got better pictures of Davis than I did... but I finally gave up. (I will add those later if I get them.) We had a very fun Halloween this year. Nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary, but Davis is getting old enough to really get into it. He helped me make some sugar cookies earlier in the week, and we did a lot of Halloween crafts and coloring projects leading up to the big day. Of course he loved carving pumpkins, and made it very difficult for mom and dad to make pretty designs with all of his "help." We talked about trick or treating all week so that he would know what to do when the day came, and he caught on very fast. Once he figured out that all he had to do was walk up to the door and say "trick or treat," and someone would give him candy, he was sold! He literally ran from house to house as fast as his little feet would carry him. Sometimes he got a litte sneaky and reached in for a handful or two of candy as someone was dropping a piece in his bag, but overall, he did really well.
After the Halloween festivities, we ended the night by going over to Bryson's aunt Kim's house to see all of her new baby kittens. I'm not a huge cat fan, but I have to admit that kittens are pretty darn cute.

September

2009-10-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

I have gotten so far behind on this blog that I'm just going to have to catch up for an entire missed month in one big post... and I still won't be caught up, but at least it's a start.
September is one of my favorite months in Utah. The weather is that perfect combination of warm and cool, the fall colors start to show on the trees, and probably most importantly, BYU football season starts. I just think there is a fun energy in the air around this time of year. So, here are some of our september pictures. Not the best, but they'll have to do.

Davis has absolutely LOVED gardening with his grandpa. He would go down to check on all the vegetables, and come back in the house to tell me about all of the "big, HUGE" pumpkins, squash, etc. Here he is helping in the garden:

Playing with his aunt Summy, looking super cute in his BYU jersey. And and sub par attempt at a BYU family shot.

I have been babysitting my little nieces and nephew a few times a week for the last few months. Sometimes it's just Davis and Rose getting to play. They love to bounce on the trampoline. I took about a million pictures one day, so enjoy!

These are some of my favorites of the two of them... so funny and cute.

These pictures might not stay up here long... once Tarin sees these, she might make me get rid of them, but I had to do it. I never get to see Tarin, and this was the first time I got to meet the incredibly adorable and sweet little Cooper in person. So, despite Tarin's warnings about no pictures on the blog, it had to be documented. Love you favorite!

Had to get some pictures of Sadie and Chase in here too, since Davis loves them just as much as his little buddy Rose.

Just a few pictures of the trees. We went for a drive through the canyon one sunday afternoon. The pictures don't do it justice.

Well, that was our September in a nutshell. Sadly, most of those pictures were taken on the same day. Maybe I'll do better for October.

Lovin La Jolla

2009-09-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

My mom decided to give us an early Christmas present a few weeks ago. She flew us out to La Jolla and put us up in a hotel on the beach. It was absolutely beautiful, and a perfect little escape. Davis even got to spend a little time with grandma, uncle John-kai, and Aunt Meg. We made the most of the few days that we were there, trying to squeeze in a few fun activities in addition to the beach. We drove up to L.A. one day for a dodgers game (Bryson is a loyal fan and felt the need to initiate Davis and me). On the drive back, we took the scenic tour and stopped at the beach where Bry proposed to me and the nearby glass chapel where his parents got engaged. We also got in a very fun, but very hot and tiring day at the San Diego Zoo. We left ourselves almost two full days to get completely fried at the beach, and still had time to go see my mom's new house. Good times all around. As always, I take lots of pictures. Enjoy.

The day we got to San Diego, it was a little cloudy, but it was perfect for a stroll/nap on the beach.

Yes, I am a good mother, those are giant cheetos in the stroller. Nutrition first.

He's all mine ladies. I told Bryson to smile for this one, and he thought he was being funny by doing this instead... but I happen to like this side of him. :-)

In the nosebleeds at Dodgers Stadium. A first for me and Davis! Davis was very excited to see Manny(Ramirez) hit and field the balls, and kept cheering for him. It took us a while to figure out the he was probably thinking of Handy Manny from the Disney Channel.

The beach where I got my shiny bling finger

The glass chapel (just down the street from our beach) where his parents were engaged.

We think this was the actual bench he proposed to her at

Day at the Beach with John-kai and Meg

The impressive sand castle that JK and Bryson spent most of the day building

My mom has a new place for a little while, and it is surrounded by a bunch of really fun and pretty courtyards. We went over for dinner and enjoyed lounging around outside.

Hanging out with uncle John-kai... since we don't get to see him very often, we're putting a bunch of his pictures up... even the one where he's making a crazy face. :-)

Davis and Grandma playing in the fountain

I was really bad about taking pictures at the zoo. These are the best I got... not much.
Can you even see the elephants in the background? Not my best work with the camera

We had a little friend come visit us on the balcony. He wanted our cheetos. Davis loved it.

Right next to the hotel was a really great park right on the beach. Pretty much Davis' idea of heaven. Sand, swings, and slides... Davis was one happy kid.

There was a mix up with our reservation, and we got upgraded to a beautiful suite with a huge balcony. This was the view from our balcony. (during the day and at sunset... gorgeous).

More Pictures

2009-08-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

Just some more cute pictures from the last few weeks.
Singing in the rain...

Our little niece Sadie just had a cowgirl birthday party, complete with ponies for all the kids to ride on. We decided to show up dressed for the theme.

Cousins!

2009-08-19T21:45:00.001-07:00

Davis doesn't get to enjoy his Miller cousins very often because they live all the way across the country from him, but when they are here, he is one happy kid. He had so much fun playing with Max and Elle for a few days while they were passing through Utah. He had a miniature tantrum when they left, but he recovered quickly. We wish they were here more often! Oh- and in case you didn't notice in the last post... Davis' hair was getting kind of wild and crazy- super cute when it was styled, but a little out of control when I let it go... so I cut it. These pictures show his new shorter style.

The boys just chillin

Davis and Elle partying in the bath... future blackmail photos

Party in the crib

Having fun at the farm

Crystal took these pictures... the sunflowers were huge and beautiful!

More catch up

2009-08-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Just some more cute pictures of Davis from the last few weeks.

ready to go to church

hanging out with Grandma

Hiding from mom

Playing baseball... he gets so serious, and some of his faces are so funny!

Davis has gotten to be quite a good little athlete, but he's also getting a little competitive. He gets pretty upset if he doesn't hit the ball, make the basket, etc. This is what happens when he misses the ball when playing baseball before bedtime.

Chocolate cups

2009-08-13T19:53:00.001-07:00

I have a bunch of pictures that I've been needing to post for weeks, so here is my attempt at catching up on some of them. I am embarrassed to admit that Davis probably likes chocolate just as much as I do, and eats way more of it than any 2 year old should ever be allowed to eat. A few weeks ago, I made some homemade ice-cream and wanted a fun way to serve it for Bryson's family, so I stole an idea from my friend Jyl and made some chocolate cups that she demonstrated on her blog. (Thanks Jyl!) Anyway, they turned out really cute and were a huge hit. There was a small problem with a few of them starting to melt in the 103 degree heat that day as I carried them from the house to the car, but otherwise, they were great. I even made some for the kids, and this is what happened:

the cups

for the kids

for the adults

Davis and his cousins in action... yikes!

and the final result of a 2 year old and a cup made of chocolate. maybe next time I'll rethink making them for the kids

Thank You!

2009-08-09T13:07:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give one big group thank you to everyone who has been so great this week. I really appreciate all of the thoughts, prayers, cards, flowers, treats, meals, help and everything else that you all have given me. So thank you!! Thanks to all of the flowers, my house looked and smelled beautiful all week... which was really nice since I was stuck in here for most of that time. I will probably go into some kind of sugar shock soon from all of the treats I have been eating, but they sure tasted good! I really am overwhelmed by the kindness of friends, family, neighbors, and ward members this last week. So, thank you all again for everything.

thanks infuse! (bry's work)

Thanks John-kai and Meg!

Thanks sweetie!

Thanks Jen and Brandon!

Thanks Bishopric!

Thanks Natalie!

Sad News

2009-08-01T11:50:00.001-07:00

Bryson and I have had a pretty hard weekend, and have some sad news to share. I have had a late miscarriage. I went to the doctor for my 16 week check up on thursday afternoon, and everything was going smoothly until they pulled out the doppler. They couldn't find a heartbeat. They did a few ultrasounds to confirm that the heart had stopped beating and the baby was no longer alive. Of course that was devastating news, but it got a little worse. They did some measurements on the baby, and because the baby was too big to come out any other way, I was going to have to go in to the hospital and deliver the baby. So, I left the office bawling and called Bryson to come pick me up. After a long evening with a lot of tears, we prepared ourselves for a very different labor and delivery than what we were expecting in a few months. So, yesterday morning, we checked into the hospital early and got started with induced labor. I might get into more details later, but for now I'll keep it short and just say that it went as well as something like that can go. The hospital staff was absolutely wonderful and very comforting. Our nurse was so great, and they had social workers come in to talk to us about all of our options of what to do with the baby, etc. They even had a teddy bear for us to bring home to Davis. Some family who had a late miscarriage or stillbirth years ago donated build a bears to all the siblings/kids in families that have this happen. So sweet. Anyway, once the baby came, they got him all cleaned up and wrapped in a little blanket so that we could hold him. (yes, it was a little boy). They even made little hand and foot prints and well as little hand and foot molds for us to take home and keep as little momentos of our baby boy. It was heartbreaking and strangely comforting at the same time to be able to hold him and see his tiny little body. From just looking at him, there didn't appear to be anything wrong... everything seemed to be formed just perfectly, but both Bryson and I feel comforted in knowing that there was something wrong and that it was just not his time to come to our family. This was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do, and I am so sad about losing him before we ever got to really have him, but we are hopeful that this little spirit or others will be coming back soon to join us. One of the positive things about times like this is that it reminds you of all of the blessings that you have already, such as an amazing family and supportive friends that do so much to help us when we are down. My mom came in to town to be here with me at the hospital, and Bryson's family has spent the last few days taking care of Davis, feeding us, and helping with anything we need. I also have wonderful family and friends who have called to give support, sent flowers, or just let me cry while they listened patiently. Of course I don't think I could have gotten through any of this without Bryson and Davis. Davis is such a comfort and joy to me. His hugs heal faster than any words. And I am convinced that I have the best husband in the world. He knows when to cry with me, when to hold me, what to say, and what to do to make me feel better. Having him by my side makes anything seem bearable.
If you read this far, thanks for hanging in there. I wanted to include this poem that the nurse gave me at the hospital. Don't read it unless you want to cry, but it states perfectly how I feel.

To The Child in My Heart

O precious, tiny, sweet little one
You will always be to me
So perfect, pure, and innocent
Just as you were meant to be

We dreamed of you and of your life
And all that it would be
We waited and longed for you to come
And join our family

We never had the chance to play,
To laugh, to rock, to wiggle
We long to hold you, touch you now
And listen to you giggle

I'll always be your mother
He'll always be your dad
You will always be our child,
The child that we had

But now you're gone... but yet you're here
We'll sense you everywhere
You are our sorrow and our joy
There's love in every tear

Just know our love goes deep and strong
We'll forget you never
The child we had, but never had
And yet will have forever

Davis' Dino Party!

2009-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can hardly believe that my little boy is 2! He is not my baby anymore... he is my little boy. And what a little boy he is! He loves all things boyish: balls, sports, cars, trucks, motorcycles, animals, running, climbing, jumping, loud noises- especially thunder, and of course... dinosaurs. Well, I had to pick a theme for the party, so I went with dinos. We have a membership to Thanksgiving Point, which includes their awesome dinosaur museum, so that's where we started the party. We invited Davis' cousins and a few friends and went to play at the museum for about an hour. The sand and water areas were probably the favorites. Then we headed over to Bryson's parents' house for games, food, cake and ice-cream. At the house, the pinata was definitely the biggest hit, but Davis had so much fun the entire time. He doesn't usually like being the center of attention when a lot of people are around, but he completely enjoyed himself all day and was perfectly happy to be getting as much attention as he could get.

The Dino Museum

Back at the house

This was actually after the party, but it was so cute that I couldn't resist adding these to the post. One of Davis' favorite things to do lately is make the silly face, where he looks a bit serious or angry, and he will look at you doing it until you make the face back at him... then he says, "funny boys!" and laughs. The descriptions and pictures won't do it justice, but here he is in action. So stinkin cute.

4th of July in Park City

2009-07-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

My family has started a tradition the last few years of going up to Park City for the 4th of July. We play games, eat way too much good food, go rafting down the Provo river, do all the rides at the Park City resort, hike, and of course watch fireworks. It's always a ton of fun. This year we were missing Ryan, but everyone else was able to make it (from my dad's side of the family). As always, I take way too many pictures.

Cute pictures

2009-07-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

These first few pictures are from Summer's birthday. Summer is everyone's favorite aunt. Sometimes I wish she were my aunt. She takes the kids on play dates, spoils them rotten with toys and clothes, plays with them for hours on end- doing anything they want to do, and mostly just loves them and gives them tons of attention. Whenever she walks in the house or room, all of the kids scream her name in excitement and want her to come play with them immediately. So, it is no surprise that for her birthday, all of her nieces and nephews had to help her blow out her candles. I thought these were so cute.

This is just a cute picture of Davis hanging out with his daddy.

Drum roll Please.....

2009-07-03T16:04:00.001-07:00

This is how we told our families that we are expecting again! I am about 12 weeks along, and we just heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. So exciting! We can't wait for the new addition to our family to come! I think Davis sort of understands that he is going to be a big brother. We talk about the baby in mommy's tummy, and he tells me, "baby hiding tummy." Apparently the baby is just hiding until he or she is ready to come out and play with him.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

2009-06-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

We are having a crazy summer here in Utah... it's pretty much been rain, rain, and more rain for the last 3 weeks at least. So, instead of lots of pictures of Davis playing outside, swimming, or enjoying the summer sun.... I have pictures of Davis sleeping on the floor, playing with Kobe, and of course food. (what else do you do to keep yourself occupied when the weather stinks?) The rain seems to be taking a break for a little while, so today we went to the animal farm to enjoy the sun. Davis' favorite things were riding the horses (very slow pony ride, if we're getting technical here), on which he will no longer let me hold his hand... he tells me "no, mommy, no hand." And the other favorite was feeding the goats the corn, one kernel at a time, while he laughed each time they licked his little fingers. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of this because I have stopped trying to take the camera with me when I don't have another adult around to take pictures or carry something for me.

I say this a lot, but I am completely serious when I say I think Kobe is actually Davis' best friend. (and he's making weird faces because he's eating ice in these pictures).

I told my mom I'd post these pictures. I was so proud of myself for learning how to make sushi (teriyaki chicken for me since I won't touch seafood, and crab for Bryson).
the rolls in the making

my sushi sensai- my friend Tammy came over to teach me the art of sushi making

the final product, complete with ginger, wasabi, and soy for dipping. Yum!

Look at this cute little face. He had already taken a nap earlier in the day, but I guess he was still tired. We were sitting in the living room playing with toys, and he just curled up on the floor and fell asleep for another hour or two. It was kind of sad but very cute. The cutest part was that Kobe was snuggled up against him, but when I got up to get the camera, I woke Kobe up, and he moved before I could get a shot.

I ♥ SF!

2009-06-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's true, I love San Francisco. I've only been there twice now, but I think it is one of the funnest cities that I've been to. It is beautiful, and there is so much to do... including a ridiculous amount of amazing food. This time, I think the highlight was going to see Alcatraz... what a crazy place! We had so much fun, and I can't wait to go back! I think I'm going to make it a tradition to tag along on one of Bryson's business trips at least once a year.

We met up with Summer the first day we were there, and she took Davis on a carosel ride at pier 39

Took a tour of the Winchester Mystery House. Very strange and very cool.

I took Davis to the Exploratorium one day while Bryson was at meetings. He loved it! I forgot my camera, so I just have these pictures from my cell phone. What a fun place!

Yummy!

Even Davis knows how to appreciated a good thing. There's nothing wrong with a 2 year old loving chocolate, right?

Disgusting picture, delicious pizza. This is what was left of Zachary's stuffed pizza the next day... the most interesting and yummy pizza ever.

At the park with Rach and the kids. I wish we would have taken a picture at dinner that night. We went to this great Thai restaurant, and when we got there, the hostess warned us not to let our kids fall in the hole under the table. Good times. We also had the most amazing gelato (or at least some of us did... Bryson only got a bite size portion, thanks to his clueless wife).

At the Aquarium at the Bay.
Dori and Nemo

lovin the jellyfish

Alcatraz
view of the island from pier 39

We told Davis we were going to lock him behind this door if he was naughty. jk.

Bryson taking the tour

Davis didn't like being in the cell, even just for a minute

some outside views... not a bad place to be stuck

Pier 39

Girls Trip Part Two- Wisconsin

2009-05-26T20:28:00.001-07:00

After D.C., Davis and I headed to Madison, WI to see my Grandma Susie, Aunt Cindy, and my cousins Hannah and Jenn. Crystal and the kids came too, and we met my mom there. Davis finally got to meet his great grandma Susie! He kept calling her "Susu," it was pretty cute. I am sad to say that Davis spent most of our short trip being sick and grumpy. He had a horrible fever, a really bad sore throat, terrible sores all over his mouth, and a few bouts of throw up. Needless to say, he was not quite his cheerful self for most of the trip. We still had fun though, and ate way more than our share of grandma's delicious food. Being with all the Zimball girls made me realize how much I enjoy them and miss them in my life! We need to get together much more often. Not to mention, Davis absolutely adores his cousins... he had a miniature fit when we had to leave them at the airport. I told him to say byebye to Max and Elle. He started screaming, "No byebye, no Max, no Elle, No bye bye!!!!" Very sad. He calmed down quickly though, and is now fully recovered from all of our travels.
I will update soon with pictures from last week when we went with Bry to San Francisco.