California Fun

We went on a family trip with all of my brothers and sisters and their kids and our parents. It was such a fun week! We rented a beach house that was 100 yards away from both the bay and ocean! We played at Lego Land, Sea World, Disney Land and the beach! Great times had by all! Here are just a few of our favorite pictures!

 

 

Maya drove with us to help with the kids in the back seat!

Crashing on the floor at our Aunt and Uncles house in St. George.
 Emme loves having someone to sleep by.

A little movie and headphone time!

Emme is a water girl and always has been! She loves the water and the temperature doesn't seem to bother her. The night we got there we walked down to the bay to SEE the water. Try telling that to a two year old. She quickly ran in the water, and was soon just in her diaper. Silly girl!

On Sunday we went to church. It was an excellent sacrament meeting. After we went to show Emme where we got married. She is also excited to go to the temple in her white dress!

Monday we went to Lego Land. It was fun, but not some where I loved. It didn't have much for Emme and lines were really long. The rides were not super exciting. The kids liked it, but didn't love it.

Day 2 was Sea World. I knew that Emme loved animals but I didn't know she loved them this much. She LOVED Sea World. She sat through the animlas shows without moving, she was so engaged in them. She loved the rides there. It was such a fun day!

We didn't leave the parking lot before she was gone.
No naps = exhausted girl.

A sleepy boy

Day 3: We drove up to Disney Land with my brother and his family. Brandon's sister and her family live there as well so they meet us and spent the day together. We had a great time. Emme loved any ride that involved a boat and seeing the princesses. Although I think she had a great time, I think she was a little young. She enjoyed Sea World more and seeing the animals. She was always asking for the orca's and dolphins.

The rest of the trip is were Beach and Park days!

Emme loved digging in the mud!

 

 

 

 

Our handsome little man hanging at the beach

 

Checking out the water

Watching the boats! Emme loves holding her little brother.

The little kids, missing Madi and Hannah

Crazy cousins...missing Maya, couldn't get her out of the water!

Going for a little ride!

Building sand castle with Madi
 

Family Picture, don't worry Ryder didn't go out without a jacket!


 

I didn't realize until we got home that Brandon was always taking pictures.
He was there the entire time, we just missed him in most of the pictures.
Remember for next time!

Seal Beach

Emme loved using the binoculars, although, I am sure she couldn't see anything.
 She used them all day.

Family Picture, but someone is holding Ryder.

Just Dad and Ryder

 

 

 

Ty loves having a boy cousin, he just needs to get bigger so they can play!

 

One night an adult dinner, with Ryder! What a great Daddy!

 

We snuck out for a bike ride. Rode to the Temple. A beautiful ride!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The journey home was fun. We sang songs, colored, and played games. At one point Emme was coloring beautiful pictures. I turned around to check on them and she decided her face was a good place to color! She was very proud of herself! Thank goodness it was washable marker!

 

 

"No not home, I want the beach" were the words Emme spoke as we pulled onto our street. She loved our trip with her cousins. Two weeks later she still talks about the beach and the animals! I am so grateful for our family. I am grateful for our two wonderful kids that make a trip like this so fun, exciting, and exhausting! It is a trip we will never forget! I am grateful that I have a wonderful relationship with my mom and dad and my siblings. I love that we can all live under one roof for an entire week and not kill each other, but be sad to leave. I have a wonderful life with a wonderful husband, two amazing kids, and am blessed beyond words.

 

4 months

Our little man is 4 months old! He loves his toes and making noises. He is sweet, cuddling, and lovable. He is a big boy, he weighs nearly 19 pounds and is 26.5 inches making him in the 98% for both height and weight! He is wearing all 9 month clothes and some 12 month clothes.

He is making better eye contact and turns when he hears our voices. He likes tummy time and has good extension in his body. He likes to sit up but doesn't really have the ability to do it yet. He gets to start eating food, but we haven't really started. Hopefully soon. We will post that for sure!

We love him more than words can say and are so happy that we get to raise this little guy. Emme loves having a brother and we are excited for all the fun times to come!

Shadows, Tunnels, Songs, and Books

Recently we were putting Emme to bed and she said she was scared and was pointing. We couldn't figure out what she was pointing to. That night we held her tell she fell asleep. Night after night she keep saying scary, scary...until we finally figured out it was shadows that were scary. Brandon spent the next few days and nights explaining shadows and they are not scary. She now goes around talking to shadows, "hi shadow" "shadow you not scary, you funny!"

I need to take a picture of Emme's shadow and put it on here!

We learned her night creates a number of odd looking shadows and have since removed it. It has helped night go more smoothly!

Another one of Emme's favorites is tunnels. As we drive every overpass we drive under Emme shouts out "tunnel" I love driving with her because she is always talking and looking for the next tunnel. Brandon has taught her the difference between cars, trucks, vans, semis. It is very entertaining as we drive down the road!

Tunnels, overpasses...Emme thinks they are all great!

Along with naming all the vehicles singing songs is another car favorite. Over the holidays I had a Christmas songs playing and she fell in love with Rudolph, Frosty, and Jingle Bells. Now that I have pit that cd away it is If Your Happy and You Know It, The Ants Go Marching, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, ABC's and Bingo. I will try to record her singing.

She also loves puzzles. This is a puzzle she does at Grandma Susie's. When she knows she is being recorded she doesn't do them very fast...but she can do this puzzle so fast. It amazes me!

When I travel we face time at night to chat. This last trip she wanted to read books. First I read a book I had with her and then she red to me. I was only able to record. I loved watching it the rest of the trip to see my sweet little girl!

Sorry it is sideways, I can't figure how to flip it! :(

Seven Weeks

Ryder is getting so big! I can't believe how fast he is growing. The other day I went to put on his on an outfit and it wouldn't snap. It was a three month and he is only seven weeks.

6 Month outfit

Then I was doing some work on the couch and he was sitting next to me and I saw him start to roll over. I just watched and sure enough he rolled from his tummy to his back. I was in shock, I moved him back and he did it again, and again, and again. He has only done it a few times since then but he did it probably 15 or so times that night.  It isn't the clearest video, but you get the idea!

 

 

 

He also loves to sit up, with help. He is really strong, he holds his head up and likes to talk to us. He loves when his sister reads him books. It has brought so much joy to our family. We love you little man.

Oh, I feel like a slacker

I so feel like a slacker, I haven't posted in a while, especially pictures of my sweet girl Emme & our little man Ryder. It isn't for lack of pictures or great times. For some reason I often feel overwhelmed when getting ready to write on the blog so I do something else. So this is an apologize, to everyone that uses this to keep up with our family, but mostly to two fabulous people, our birth moms Kayla & Danuell, of our wonderful children.

So here is a video of Emme reading to me on Face Time. I was in California on a business trip and she wanted to read stories...I read some books to her, then she went to get books and started reading to me. It was the best!

A picture of little Ryder at two weeks old, a sneak peak to his photo shoot. I would post more, but this is the only picture I have gotten back so far!

I will work on getting more pictures, I have Halloween of Emme, and of course lots of Christmas with our new addition to our little family.

Here is one of my favorites, Emme loves her brother...

I love my life! We feel so blessed to have two wonderful, healthy, happy kids and a wonderful hubby. Brandon and I love playing them, holding them, singing, reading, and just being a mommy and daddy! I am so grateful two wonderful women that gave us the gift we couldn't give ourselves, a family! We love you guys!