Good and Getting Better

Some Thoughts About Christmas

2011-12-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

Before this Christmas season began, I knew I wanted to do things differently. I was afraid we were falling into the trap of Christmas becoming a gift giving free-for-all. Growing up the only religious experience I connected to Christmas was an occasional visit to Midnight Mass with my Grandpa. I don't really remember doing things for others or focusing on the reason for the season, and I want things to be different for my children.

I decided that we would do an advent calendar that had an activity for each day. Some of the activities were fun, like baking cookies or making a craft, some were simple like reading a Christmas book, and others were focused on giving, like picking out gifts for kids on the angel tree or shopping for your sibling. We also spent a descent amount of time talking about the nativity in our front room and why we have Christmas.

As a result, it's not even Christmas yet, but I feel like we've had a great holiday. We didn't go overboard buying gifts for the kids. The kids learned about the joy of giving to others and made some new connections between Christmas and our savior. Overall I think we're on the right path and I couldn't be happier.

Our family wishes you a very Merry Christmas. We hope you take a moment this season to ponder the greatest gift of all, that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Soccer Saturdays Begin!

2011-10-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ryan recently started playing his first season of AYSO soccer. He's not a real competitive kid, but he loves the kids on his team and running around after the ball. We now spend a portion of all our Saturdays at Crossroads Park for his games, and I have to admit, it's really fun. The kids at this age are so entertaining--they have such a good time and sometimes they really make you laugh! His team, the Sharks, plays pretty well and most importantly he's having fun and learning how to be part of a team.

(These pictures we're taken during his first game)

Dancing Queen

2011-10-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

The first week of August Annie started taking her first dance class. It's a combination tap/ballet class and she LOVES it! She loves the cute little outfits, the tap shoes, the props--pretty much everything about it! It is fun to watch her get so excited about something at such a young age. This picture was taken of her on the morning before her first class. And yes, she always looks this cute.

Quilts for My Cousins

2011-08-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

This summer I've been doing my share of quilting, and I LOVE how both of these came out!

The first one is a Dr. Seuss quilt that I made for my cousin Tara's little boy Jackson. His room is done in Dr. Seuss and I had some Seuss fabric so I thought I'd see what I could come up with. The result is my favorite of all the quilts I've made so far. I added some fun details like quilting a star in each of the pieced squares and I think it came out darling.

The second one is a simple tumbler quilt that I made for my cousin Kayce who is having her first baby this fall. I love all the fabrics together, and this was the first time I did a pieced backing which I think really adds something.

Now I'm working on a fun transportation quilt for Ryan. It's going to be a twin size, the largest I've attempted so far, and I can't wait to get it finished.

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

2011-07-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Opening presents on his birthday morning

Checking out his new legos

Birthday King!

More presents!

All of his birthday party friends. This is the best one we got--I guess that's what happens when you have a group of 4 year olds!

Obviously I'm a little late in posting this, but on July 1 Ryan celebrated his 4th birthday! He actually had an entire birthday week celebration that included a special shopping trip and dinner with his grandparents, lunch with Daddy, multiple nights that included ice cream and of course a big party with all of his friends at Bounce U.

I say this every year, but I can't believe my baby boy is four! He is an amazing little boy and we feel so blessed to have him as part of our family. Here are a few things about Ryan;

~He is extremely kind. When his sister is upset about something (which is often) he always tries to figure out what she wants or tries to comfort her.

~He has a great vocabulary of big words, all of which he uses correctly.

~He loves school and homework. Each month his preschool teacher sends home an optional homework packet and he insists on doing the whole thing the very first day. Every time.

~He loves video games--Super Mario Brothers is a favorite on Wii and his DS.

~He loves mint & chip ice cream, In & Out cheeseburgers, broccoli and rootbeer.

~He is a wonderful helper around the house.

~He is very thoughtful.

~He loves to laugh.

Happy Birthday, Ryan Taft! We love you so, so much!!!

Scrap-tastic!

2011-06-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

When I started quilting about a year ago, one of my concerns was where in the world I was going to store my quilting stuff. I don't have an extra room or even a specific area of my house that I can devote to sewing. So I decided then that I would limit myself to one big Rubbermaid tub for all of my fabric. So far I've stuck to that, but the tub is getting mighty full, so I decided to try to use up some of my scraps.

I made this quilt for my friend Jacqie's new baby girl. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out because I really like quilts that are systematically laid out. But I ended up loving this --very pink and very fun! Other than the hot pink sashing (which is also the fabric on the back) everything came from my big tub. Hopefully baby Julia will love cuddling up with it!

Myrtle Beach

2011-05-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Back at the beginning of May we spent a week in Myrtle Beach, SC. We planned this trip about a year ago, because even though we are close to the lovely beaches of California, I like to visit new places.

My parents came along with us which was a nice treat for everyone. The kiddos sure loved having Grammy and Papa around.

Anyway, I was a little nervous about how the kids would do on such a long flight. But not to worry, they were awesome. On each of the Phoenix/Atlanta legs, Annie had a few minutes of crying right before she fell asleep. Like, 3 minutes max. (Of course during those three minutes we got lots of rude looks from cranky old ladies. But I behaved myself and didn't say anything!)

The place we stayed was amazing--right on the beach with great pools and fun stuff for the kiddos to do. And Myrtle Beach itself was fantastic--it's definitely a tourist town, but it's very family oriented. I've never seen so many miniature golf courses in my whole life!

This was the first vacation we've taken that I can remember where I didn't feel like we needed a vacation to recover from our vacation. We did lots of relaxing, sleeping in and lounging. It was perfect! Now that we've been back a while, I'm even happier that we took the trip when we did. A week after we got home Bryan took a position as CIO with two companies that are merging, 3 days a week. Of course he's also still running his business, so we are currently in week 5 of 12-14 hour days and then doing more work when he finally gets home!

Anyway, here are a few hightlighs of our trip:

Aboard the USS North Carolina

Annie while swimming. What a cutie!

Ryan's favorite evening activity--laying on the back of the couch, playing Super Mario Brothers on the DS!

Ryan & Annie on the USS North Carolina

Bryan and the kiddos

The kids on our way home. Don't you love their shirts?

The view from our room

Grandma Betty Turns 85!

2011-04-28T10:18:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month, Bryan's grandmother celebrated her 85th birthday. Bryan's mom decided to throw a big party and invited family from all around. Bryan's cousins from Vegas, his sisters from Oregon and Texas, and grandma's sister from Montana all made it down for the big celebration. We had an absolute blast and thoroughly enjoyed visiting with everyone, especially the crew from Vegas. Fun times!

Ryan and Annie with Aunt Melissa

A Coke and a Smile!

Four Generations

New Orleans

2011-03-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month I went with Bryan to Cisco's Partner Summit in New Orleans. Initially we weren't so excited about the location--we would rather have gone just about anywhere else. But we decided to make the most of it since it's probably not a place we'll visit again.

During the first two days, Bryan was in conference sessions so I shopped Magazine Street and walked the French Quarter. There were lots of great little shops and I really enjoyed myself. The day we got in it was stifling hot but the rest of the time we were there it was absolutely perfect weather, so being outside walking all day was a treat!

The highlight of the trip was that Bryan's company was named Cisco's Small Business Partner of the Year for the western region. We were both pretty excited about that.

We also managed to eat at Emeril's New Orlean's restaurant, and it was absolutely fabulous!

About the pictures:

~The pictures along the top are inside the Catholic church pictured behind the Paul Revere statue. It was an absolutely gorgeous building and I LOVED the stained glass!
~The middle picture is of Bryan and I taking a carriage ride back to our hotel one night
~The cemetary is a random one I happened to come across while walking through a neighborhood!
~The crazy dragon head is actually in front of someone's front door. The guy out front was a reporter taping when we went by.
~Benjamin Franklin statue
~Mardi Gras tree in the airport

Finally, Another Quilt Finished!

2011-02-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

I have been working on lots of quilts lately, and I have quite a few in progress, but I was glad to finally get one finished because it's been a while! I made this one for one of Bryan's and my friends who is scheduled to deliver a baby girl tomorrow. I loved this fabric from the first time I saw it and I didn't want to chop the prints up too small so I just did a really simple design. I love how it came out though, and the best part is that the back is done in really, really soft flannel. Also this is the first quilt where all of my mitred corners looked really good. If you don't quilt or sew that probably means nothing to you, but for me it's been the hardest part of quilting to get right. I think the old adage that practice makes perfect is true, and it's nice to see that each one is getting better!

February Fun

2011-02-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

Even though Bryan and I aren't big on Valentine's Day in terms of a romantic celebration, we do make it a big deal for the kids. Earlier in the month Ryan and his friend Noelle spent an afternoon decorating heart cookies. I don't know if it's the difference between boys and girls or between being 3 1/2 and almost 5, but it was interesting to see how different their cookies were. Noelle's were really cute and Ryan's just had all sorts of stuff slopped together. Regardless of how they looked, they tasted great!

On Valentine's morning the kids had fun with their new treasures. They both got new PJ's, bubbles, a cool light up ball and some candy. Annie got a new fancy dress (she is all about fancy dresses) and Ryan got a new game for his Leapster which has provided hours of entertainment, as seen in the last picture of the kids together.

January in Review

2011-02-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that January has already come and gone! I had to go through my pictures and my calendar to see where the month went! Mostly it was comprised of getting back into a normal routine after the holidays.

I have decided that this year I really want to focus on simplifying our lives as much as possible. To that end I spent a lot of time in January cleaning out our garage, closets and cabinets in an effort to get rid of stuff we don't need. I'm one who cleans up and cleans out frequently, and I'm still always amazed at how much stuff I found that we don't really need. It has gotten me to start really questioning my purchases as well because I realize all those things had to come from somewhere!

One event worth noting is that Ryan officially started Primary in January. I was called as a primary worked at the end of December so it's fun to be in there together (I don't actually teach his class, but we are both in junior primary and I sit behind him during Sharing time).

I guess that's it! This month I'll work on getting my camera out a little more often and doing some things that are a little more exciting!

2011 Goals

2011-01-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

I've always been a goal-oriented person, but that past couple of years I've been so caught up in the day-to-day craziness of life that I haven't done a lot of goal setting. All that changes now, however, and I'm getting back on track. I feel like when other people know about your goals you are automatically more inclined to work toward them, so here are the things I am working toward this year:

· Go to the temple once a month
· Date night once a month
· Go to the gym three times a week
· Walk Jackson twice a week
· Make a quilt to donate
· Take two quilting classes
· Run Pat’s Run in April
· Follow household budget and add a specified amount to savings
· Read the scriptures or something church-related every day

What are your goals for the new year?

2010 in Review

2011-01-06T20:01:00.001-08:00

I'm not one for doing Christmas letters, but I have been thinking a lot about the past year--it was a good one! We took some fun family trips, got Ryan potty trained (YAY!), Annie outgrew her milk and egg allergies and clawed her way back onto the growth chart and into the normal range, Ryan started preschool and Bryan had an extremely successful year business-wise, even with the economy on the skids.

As for me, I started doing two things I never though I could--running and quilting. As much as I have tried, I cannot love running, but I can now run 5 miles without any problem. For me that is HUGE. Running has always been my personal holy grail, and mentally it's been a really good thing.

Quilting kind of came out of nowhere. In February I decided to make a little patchwork blanket for a cousin who was having a baby. I got the top done then had no idea how to finish it. My friend Rachel (a.k.a. quilter extraordinaire) helped me get it tied and bound and gave me a few words of encouragement--"you can totally do this." I believed her, went out and bought a book of quilt patterns for beginners, and therein began something beautiful. I have never before had a real hobby, but I really, really love quilting. For a former career woman who sometimes feels like my daily accomplishments are less than significant, being able to make something beautiful is very affirming.

Here are a few of the fun things I've made this year:

Christmastime at Disneyland

2011-01-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

I've been to Disneyland a LOT of times in my life, but never at Christmas time. I'd heard that the lights and decorations were amazing, and since the kids really like lights, we decided a quick trip was in order.

We invited Bryan's parents to come with us, and were so glad we did! The kids loved having Grandma and Grandpa there, and it was nice having 4 adults and only 2 kids (Bryan and I even got to ride the Matterhorn --what a treat!). The weather was amazing, especially considering it was December. It was actually so warm that I had to buy a t-shirt because I was dying in my lightweight sweater!

Everyone had a ball and even though it was a really quick trip--drive on Friday, Disneyland on Saturday and home on Sunday--we're really glad we went!

Zoo Lights Times Two!

2010-12-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

Every year at Christmastime we go to Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo. The lights are really phenomenal and the kids love it (I love it, too). This year we went to the preview for donors while my parents were here, then the next week we went again when Keate and Melissa and their crew were down for Thanksgiving.

Annie Turns 2!

2010-11-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

Birthday morning on her new pony

Opening presents at home that night

Checking out the tigers across from where we had her party

Feeding a giraffe

Opening presents with a little help from Dad

As a Mom I am constantly amazed at the personalities that my kids exhibit. Annie is and has pretty much always been an animal lover. If we're out shopping and she sees a bird, she runs toward it. If she sees a dog, she wants to pet it. Because of her love for animals we decided it would be fun to have her party this year at the zoo. The area where we were set up was directly across from the tigers. During the party he must've seen something because he started roaring like crazy. It was kind of creepy, but also really cool. We were also right along the backside of the giraffe exhibit and right next to the area where you can go and feed the giraffes. Annie and Ryan both went up to feed them and while Annie absolutely loved it, the whole thing freaked Ryan out and he decided he'd rather not be a part of it.

All in all it was a great day. I know Annie won't remember this party as time goes on, but it sure was fun to watch her thoroughly enjoy her day!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

This year when we asked Ryan what he wanted to be for Halloween, he responded, "I want to be Buzz Lightyear and Dad's going to be Woody." Well OK then! With that in mind, we decided Annie would make a darling little Jessie and if I had time I'd come up with something to resemble Bo Peep. Here's the finished product--what do you think?

School Days!

2010-08-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

So it's official--Ryan is a preschooler! He started on August 13th and absolutely loves it! The Wednesday before we went to an open house which made him comfortable so on the first day of school (and every day since!) he couldn't get out of the car and run to the door fast enough. I hope he is always this enthusiastic about school! Right now he goes three days a week for two hours at a time which is perfect for him. Each day he comes home with a fun new art project or a worksheet that he's done that he can't wait to tell me about. It's fun to watch him learn new things and exciting to see him grow and develop. I did shed a couple of tears when I dropped him off on his first day, but they were tears of a proud mom, not a sad one.

(By the way, I know the picture is horrible, but it's all I was able to get the morning of his first day of school. Usually he is Mr. Photogenic, so I don't know what happened, but you've all seen enough cute pictures of him to know this was a fluke! :)

California Adventures

2010-08-29T22:05:00.001-07:00

Miss Annie ready for a road trip!

Checking out the giant Sequoia's with Papa

Annie at the fire station with Papa

Giving Papa and Fireman Zach a high five

Engineer Ryan checking out the fire engine

At the beginning of August we took a trip up to Tehachapi to visit my parents. Bryan was busy with work, but he drove us up then flew back to work for the week and flew back to drive home with us the following weekend.

In addition to enjoying the beautiful mountain weather, we took a day trip to see the Giant Sequoias, visited the fire station and spent a day with my Aunt Teena and my cousins Michael and Kassie and got to meet Michael's new baby Kiran.

We all had a wonderful time and my kids loved the time they got to spend with Grammy and Papa. Before we came home my mom made my favorite birthday cake (it was my birthday month, so it counted!), which made the trip just that much better!

Swim Lessons!

2010-07-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ryan and his teacher Chase

Ryan waiting for his turn to "swim"

This summer I did as we all do in Arizona and signed my kids up for swim lessons. Ryan had lessons back when he was 9 months old, but last year we opted out. Anyway, he really enjoyed it this year. For the first session he absolutely loved his teacher, Miss Erin. The first day he wanted to run away to wherever I was, but after that he did great. The second sesson he had a really hard time adjusting to his new teacher Chase. The first week there was a lot of crying involved until he got into the water. By the last few days he'd get up and immediately want to get ready for swim lessons (even though they weren't until a couple of hours later). The first session I also signed Annie up for a Mommy and Me class, and that didn't go over so well. She likes playing in the water, but she absolutely looses it when she isn't standing. Trying to put her on her back or hold her on her stomach did not happen. We pretty much spent every day playing with the pool toys in the shallow end while the class happened a few feet away. I didn't think it was worth totally traumatizing her, and my goal was just that she would get comfortable in the water, and I think we accomplished that.

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

2010-07-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Last week Ryan turned 3. He had a couple of fun-filled days--lots of presents, Toy Story 3 with Mom (for the second time), dinner with Grandma and Grandpa, and a party at Bounce Jungle. If I were 3, I would've been in heaven. I think he was, too. Here are some pictures of the festivities:

Cousins

2010-06-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Shannon, Me and Dianne

The girls with our girls

Shannon and Corey renewing their vows

Two weekends ago my cousin Shannon and her husband Corey renewed their wedding vows in celebration of their 15th anniversary. It was a really touching event and I was glad to be there to support my cousin. When I was young, my two cousins and I spent our summers together in the thriving metropolis of Needles, CA with our grandparents. We were all only children and these two were the closest thing I had to sisters growing up. My cousin Dianne just moved to Kingman so this is the first time the three of us have all lived in the same state. I'm excited and hopeful that we will be able to resume that closeness we had when we were young.

Recent Projects

2010-06-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

So I've really taken to this whole sewing thing, and have been having lots of fun doing new projects. Here's a sampling of what I've been working on:

I made this cute sailboat quilt for my friend Katherine's baby boy who is due next month

Close up of the sailboat quilt

A cute coordinating little taggie lovey blanket.

The back is super-soft fleece-type material that is heavenly.

A cute little dress made from a onesie, with matching headband

The set of onesie dresses I made for my friend Brittanie's baby shower.

Baby quilt I made for my cousin Tara's soon-to-arrive baby boy.

The material has various vehicles and road signs, and the back is cars, busses and motorcycles.

Cabin!

2010-06-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Every year Bryan helps out with our stake Girls' Camp as a shotgun shooting instructor. This year he had to be there on Thursday afternoon and they asked him to help tear down camp on Saturday morning, so we decided to go up to the cabin and enjoy the cooler weather. We had a nice relaxing weekend hanging out as a family, and the kids loved being able to play outside all day long. I absolutely love the Arizona mountains and am still amazed at how green and beautiful this "desert" state is.

Annie's First Day of Nursery

2010-06-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

May 30th was Annie's first day of nursery at Church. She had actually gone in with Ryan a couple of weeks before and they let her stay, but we took a picture to commemerate her official first day. She absolutely loves it and goes right in, sits down and starts playing with the puzzles. I'm sure it's a little easier to adjust with her big brother close by. Mom is thrilled--it's nice not to have to wander the halls with her for two hours since she usually can't sit still. Yay for nursery!

Camp Snoopy!

2010-06-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of April we went to Southern California for a long weekend. We thought Ryan would enjoy Knott's Berry Farm and we were right--he loved it! We got to have breakfast with our friends the Barnes', play at Huntington Beach and generally enjoy ourselves. Then there was the small issue of me killing the battery of the suburban, but that's a whole different post...

What I've Been Up To

2010-05-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

So I obviously haven't been busy spending my time blogging, but I have found a fun new hobby--sewing! I started doing some really basic stuff a couple of years ago and a couple of months ago I made a really simple patchwork baby quilt for my cousin. When I was doing that, I had to enlist the help of one of my good friends to help me finish it, and somehow she convinced me that I could quilt and do all kinds of cool stuff. So I went out and bought a really basic quilt pattern, and made the baby quilt below for my step-sister's new little girl Amanda. It was the first one that I did completely on my own and while it wasn't perfect, it came out really well.

Also, whenever I go into Joann's it seems there is some cute material that I think would look cute for something for Annie. I've made one dress for her, but I decided to try just using the material as a skirt and add it to a t-shirt, and I thought it came out really cute.

Right now I'm working on a really cool sailboat quilt for another friend who is having a baby boy this summer. After all these years, it's fun to finally have a hobby!

Spring!

2010-04-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month I decided it was time to have pictures of the kiddos done, and they came out adorable! I can't believe how much they look alike or how big they're getting, but the pictures are proof!

Hooray for Annie!

2010-04-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

I am seriously behind in the blogging arena, but I just had to report that this past week, Miss Annie finally hit the long anticipated 20 pound mark! Yes, she is 17 months old, but that's OK, we're just glad she finally got here. Two more pounds and we'll finally be able to take her off of infant formula. Yay Annie!

February (this is for you, Ana!)

2010-03-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know where this year is going! It's almost April and it's been nearly three months since I've posted on here! Where does the time go?

Anyway, I thought I'd do a little catching up.

February was a great month. We went to California to visit my parents for my Mom's birthday and had a wonderful time. (Somehow I did not get any pictures that trip, except one of Annie eating an Oreo. Not sure how that happened).

For Valentine's Day, I thought it'd be fun to do a little project so Ryan's friend Noelle came over and they decorated cookies. It was messy and fun and they created some cute little masterpieces.

We were also able to get in one trip to the zoo with our friends the Albertsen's. Ryan absolutely loves all the animals, and it's a great activity this time of year.

On the last weekend of the month, Bryan and I did a 5K to benefit the zoo. Yes, you read that right, Bryan and I, doing a 5K. We had a great time, and the kids enjoyed it too. Since it was early and so cool out, we were able to see the cheetas for the first time, which was pretty cool.

New Year, New Me

2010-01-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

If you know me at all, you know I love being a Mom. However, my love of motherhood does not preclude my frustration with the lack of structure that happens when you have two kids two and under. I have always done well with a system--schedules and deadlines and lists. So since I've become a stay-at-home mom, I've struggled, to say the least. I am often "busy" all day, yet somehow at the end of the day I feel like the house is a wreck, I haven't gotten any real exercise or spent any quality time with my kids. It doesn't seem like I should have these problems without a job to worry about, but yet, here I am.

So this year I decided to at least attempt to do something about it. I came up with a general schedule for each day that allows time for me to go to the gym (which, by the way, the kids love), time to just play with the kids, and time for housework. I also came up with a list of things I want to accomplish in terms of housework every day. This way, once those things are done, I don't have to feel guilty about sitting down and reading the kids a book, or heaven forbid, reading a book myself. I have come to accept the fact that I will probably not ever have my entire house completely spotless at the same time (at least until my kids are in school or I get a housekeeper again, the latter of which is not likely), and I am OK with that.

This chapter of my life, with little ones home, is already going by far too quickly for me. I don't want to look back later and feel like I didn't fully take advantage of the blessing it is to be able to spend every day with my kids. So we'll see how this new system works. Wish me luck!

Insight Bowl

2010-01-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

Every year Bryan's company gets a sponsorship package for the Fiesta Bowl. As part of that package we end up with tickets to the lesser-known Insight Bowl. This was the first year I was able to go (since I didn't have a new baby!) so we decided to pack up the kiddos and make it a family outing.

Our seats were in the Loge section so we had lots of room for the kids to get up and walk around when they needed a change of scenery. The weather was really, really nice and it was a descent football game. We ended up packing up at the beginning of the 4th quarter to head home, but it was a fun day and we enjoyed getting to spend the day together.

Christmas!

2010-01-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

The flag cake for Jesus' birthday (at Ryan's request)

Uncle Perry reading "Red Ranger Came Calling" on Christmas Eve

Christmas morning in our matching PJ's

A few days before Christmas, I asked Ryan if he remembered why we have Christmas. His response? "For bicycles?" "No honey," I reminded him, "we have Christmas to celebrate Jesus' birthday." "Mommy, Jesus needs a birthday cake," he replied. "What kind of cake?" I asked. "A flag cake." I have no idea where he got that idea, except that he loves flags and always points them out. Anyway, a couple of days later we were talking about baby Jesus and Ryan again brought up the flag cake. At his age, it's hard to know exactly what he understands but he obviously associates birthdays with birthday cakes, so I decided we'd go with the whole flag cake thing.

Christmas Eve was really fun. We invited our friends the Kastanis' and the Albertsen's over for lasagna and we read "Red Ranger Came Calling" and watched A Wish for Wings that Work. These are both Kastanis family traditions that they shared with us a few years ago, and they have become part of our tradition now as well. That night we opened our Christmas PJ's before heading to bed. Christmas morning the kids let us sleep until 8:30. We got up and Ryan was SO excited to find the bicycle he had asked for from Santa. Annie fell in love with her wagon and stayed in it all morning. I'd help her open a gift then she'd sit in the wagon and play with it for a while. It was really cute. Later that afternoon we headed to Bryan's parents for steak and crab legs with the whole Colby clan, and later headed home for a relaxing evening.

Overall it was a wonderful Christmas, definitely our best yet. We hope you had a very Merry Christmas as well!

Polar Express!

2009-12-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

Visiting with Santa in our PJ's

Ryan playing with a toy train while waiting to ride the real one

Bryan and his older brother Troy

Headed to the North Pole

A-bear enjoying a chocolate chip cookie on the train

If I had to describe Bryan's parents in one word, it would be generous. This year they decided that it would be fun to take all of the grandkids (and their parents) who were here in Arizona on a trip on the Polar Express. We drove up to Williams where we took the Grand Canyon Railway to the North Pole. There we saw Santa's workshop and his elves, and he boarded the train and proceeded to give all of the kids their own big jingle bell. During the train ride we also had hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies and sang Christmas carols. At the train station we took pictures with Santa and visited with Mrs. Claus. It was a really fun experience, and Ryan had a ball with his cousins. Our kids were a little young to really get what it was all about, so we figure when Annie is four, we'll probably take them back again.

In any case, it was a wonderful trip and we had a great time with Bryan's family (though we did miss Teri, Alex and Maddie). Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for a fun and memorable experience!

Phoenix Zoo

2009-12-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month we decided to start utilizing our zoo passes since it has finally cooled down. My friend Rachel and her kids Noelle and Sidney joined us, and the kids had a great time. Ryan and Noelle loved the goats in the petting zoo, and Ryan loved the giraffes. The day we went it was really empty, so Ryan and Noelle got to run around and completely enjoy themselves. We're looking forward to lots more zoo fun this winter!

Salt Lake Temple

2009-12-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier this summer we decided it would be a fun tradition to start going somewhere to see temple Christmas lights every December. This year we chose Salt Lake. I was super excited--I have a hard time getting into the holiday spirit when it's 70 degrees out. We didn't have to worry about warm weather--we got in Friday night and it was cold and crisp. It snowed for the majority of Saturday, and Sunday before we went home it was frosty cold. We had fun visiting the temple grounds, shopping, riding the light rail and generally taking everything in. The kids weren't big fans of the hats and gloves and general bundling up, but once they started getting cold, they didn't seem to mind. It was a wonderful weekend and a good reminder that as much as I don't always love the warm weather of Arizona, you never have to shovel sunshine!

Happy Birthday, Annie!

2009-11-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

It doesn't seem possible, but our Annie turned 1 on Wednesday. We had a low key dinner with both sets of grandparents and our friends the Kastanis', followed by cake and ice cream. Annie had an absolute blast and she and Ryan both loved all the new toys.

As an added bonus, Annie got to have her Grammy and Papa here from Monday night until this morning.

Some things Annie can do at age 1:

~take 2 steps

~climb on and off of the couches

~NOT climb out of her crib! (a victory for me since Ryan was already climbing out of his before this point.)

Happy Birthday, Annie! We love you so much!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

The kids had a great Halloween. On the night before we went to our friends, the Hicken's, for a fun Halloween party. Ryan loved running around with all of the other kids--he is such a little social butterfly. On Halloween night we went to a few houses in our neighborhood then over to Grandma & Grandpa's. We couldn't get Little Miss Annie's Minnie ears to stay on, but she was cute nonetheless.

Hope everyone else had a great Halloween, too!

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last night for Family Home Evening we took the kiddos to the Pumpkin Patch. Last year we went to Schnepf Farms, but it was a little much for kids as little as ours. This time we went to a patch really close to our house, and Ryan had a great time! He got to decorate his own little pumpkin, go on a hay ride and of course play with all of the pumpkins. This year Ryan is obsessed with pumpkins, so he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Annie Update

2009-10-27T16:10:00.001-07:00

First of all, Annie is doing great.

On the 14th, she went in for an endoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy. From our very first appointment with the GI doctor, I had been very pro-endoscopy, so we were very glad to finally be getting something done.

A week and a half before the procedures, I stopped nursing because I felt like I needed to know how much Annie was actually eating. It was a little scary to discover that she was only eating 14 ounces of formula a day, but at least I had a baseline so I could see if and when we started making any progress.

Anyway, on the day of the procedure, Annie ate 20 ounces of formula. Initially I thought it was a fluke, because the day before she could only eat juice and jello and I figured she was starving. However over the next few days see continued to eat 20 ounces a day, and after a few days, worked her way up to 32 ounces a day, which is where she should be.

The biopsy results showed that she has acid reflux and she is on medication to help heal her esophogus. We haven't been back to see the GI doctor yet, but Annie's pediatrician thinks that she may have had some kind of blockage that got cleared out with the endoscopy.

Regardless of what happened, she is definitely on the mend. Yesterday I took her to get weighed and in 7 days she gained 8 ounces!

She has always been a happy, active baby but I have been amazed at the increase of energy she's had in the last week or so. Thanks to all of our friends and family for their concern and prayers for our little Annie bear.

Where We've Been

2009-09-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

So I realize I haven't posted in a couple of months, but it's been crazy. After San Diego we had a couple of average weeks, then Bryan got sick. If you don't know Bryan, he rarely gets sick, and even when he's sick, he never misses work. Well, on more than one occasion he went in late and came home early. On his third doctor's visit within two weeks, he got tested for everything from swine flu to Valley Fever. Luckily, all of the tests came back negative. Everything pointed toward a virus, and after about 6 weeks, he got back to feeling like normal.

In the midst of that, Annie went from falling further down the growth chart at every well visit to loosing weight. Her doctor sent us back to the GI doctor, and we are currently trying to figure out what is going on. We are both currently off of all milk, dairy, egg and soy products because they think she may have an allergic condition in her esophogus and those are the most common allergens. Two weeks after her initial GI visit she has only gained 1 ounce, and we are eagerly awaiting her next visit to see what they are going to do. It's very unsettling, and I worry about it way more than I should, but we're going through the process and doing a lot of praying in the mean time.

Last week we did get to go on our annual vacation, a week in Newport Beach which was wonderful as usual. Pictures to come shortly :)

San Diego

2009-07-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

When Ryan saw Bob, he ran right up and gave him a hug!

Getting ready to ride the train at Balboa Park

Ryan and Rachel playing soccer in the park

Miss Annie, being her sweet self

A couple of weeks ago we did our annual long weekend in San Diego. It was absolutely wonderful to get out of the 115 degree heat and enjoy some time outside! So here's the Cliff Notes version of our trip:

Drive to San Diego. Go to Legoland. Go to Sea Life. Go to Rockin' Baja Lobster. Go to bed. Do a session at the San Diego temple. Go to Balboa Park. Ride the train in Balboa Park. Watch Ryan and Rachel play soccer in Balboa Park. Relax at the hotel. Eat super delicious pasta at Bella Pizza. Buy San Diego t-shirts. Buy salt water taffy. Walk around Old Towne. Pack. Drive home.

Ryan is Two!

2009-07-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it, but this past week Ryan turned two! We had a super fun day that started when Ryan woke up to a ceiling full of helium balloons. He loves balloons and just kept saying, "Wow! Wow!" That afternoon we went to McDonald's for lunch and he got to play in the Toddler Zone for over an hour until he brought me his shoes and was ready to go. That night we went to Amazing Jake's with Bryan's parents and Sabrina. We had dinner and cake, and Ryan and Bryan rode some rides and we all played some games. All in all it was a pretty perfect day, and if I were two, I think I would have been pretty happy.

Happy Birthday, Ryan. We love you so much, little buddy!

Crafty, Crafty

2009-06-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knew me before I had kids knows I was domestically challenged. I think it's funny, though, how things can change. Sunday at church the people behind us had this cool little tote bag for their kids' coloring books and crayons. I decided to look online and see if I could find instructions to make something similar, and this is what I came up with. Ryan is currently obsessed with Cars, so I was excited to find this cute fabric. It's lined in bright yellow and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the final product. It just goes to show that you really can do anything you set out to.

So Cute!

2009-06-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

So this picture may not seem worthy of a blog post, but I think the story is too cute. Annie was on the floor playing with her little stuffed cow (thanks, Aunt Sabrina) while Bryan and Ryan were watching TV. Next thing you know, she had gotten the cow under her head and was facing the TV, so it totally looked like she was completely comfy, watching whatever show was on at the time. And don't you just love that smile and those eyes? I'm so glad I have a little girl :)

Under Construction

2009-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

So I've had a few people ask for pictures of the construction. I didn't think to take before pictures, but it was just a single car garage bay with a normal old garage door before.

Today we have the house painters here, and the wallboard for the interior is supposed to go up by this weekend. Last night we went and looked at carpet and paint colors, and we're pretty close on those things. The other big thing we're waiting on is our bid for the new A/C units and the accompanying work. Overall I'm really pleased with the progress and am very much looking forward to the extra space!

Looking at the new room from the front of the house.

Looking from the laundry room toward the window.

Looking from the window toward the laundry room (the laundry room door will be coming off, and there is a new entryway built that you can't see through the insulation. That's where the door to the garage will go.).

Update

2009-05-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ryan loves his baby sister!

Apparently it's cool to wear sunglasses in the bathtub!

You can definitely tell they're related!

Trying out squash for the first time

I just realized that it's been a while since I've blogged, so I thought I'd post some new pics and let you know what we're up to. Annie turned 6 months last week, which I still can't believe. She is sleeping awesome and continues to be our little angel baby. She is so good natured and mellow, and such a calming presence in our home. I took her in for her shots on Thursday and even though she is continuing to grow, she is now only in the 5th percentile for her weight! We just tried out solid food for the first time yesterday, and she is pretty unsure about that at this point.

Ryan is doing great. While Annie is allowing us to have nice quiet nights, Ryan definitely is not. Hopefully it's just a stage, but he is up every single night, at least once and often more. It's tiring, but chalk it up to parenthood, right? He is talking like crazy and coming up with new words every day. It's so fun to watch, and he is quite entertaining.

We recently began converting part of our garage into another room. No, we're not having another baby, but we need more room! We have it framed out and the window has been installed and the stucco done on the outside. It will be nice to have some storage and a place to put my sewing maching and scrapbooking stuff so I don't have to pack it up everytime I use it. We're hoping to have it completely done in about a month or so.

That's about all that's new here. It's been crazy hot, and keeping Ryan entertained indoors is proving to be quite a challenge. It should be an interesting summer!

Ryan's First Trip to the Firehouse

2009-04-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to Tehachapi for my step-sister's baby shower. While we were there, Ryan got to visit the fire station with Papa. He had a great time pushing all the buttons and checking out the lights. Thanks, Papa, for the fun time!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've never been a big "Save the Planet" kind of girl--I drive a Suburban and am a registered Republican. However, since having kids, I have become more environmentally aware and try to do my part. I haven't adopted anything earthshattering--just the little things that if everyone does will combine to make a big difference. Our efforts include:

~Recycling everything we can

~Using canvas shopping bags

~Using cloth napkins instead of paper

~Switching to energy efficient lightbulbs

~Using Nalgene bottles for water instead of disposable water bottles

~Washing clothes in cold water and using the quick wash cycle when appropriate

~Getting our windows UV coated to keep it cooler (and use the A/C less)

I'd love to hear what others are doing to help save the planet!

Mad Skills

2009-04-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

So I just started taking a cake decorating class, and this is the first cake I did. I'm definitely no Duff Goldman, but hopefully I'll be able to make cute cakes for my kid's birthdays. This whole domestic thing is turning out to be pretty fun...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Disney Fun!

2009-03-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we decided to pack up the crew and head to Disneyland. Ryan absolutely loved going on the rocketships, Dumbo and the Autotopia, as well as lots of other rides. Annie was her usual angel self, and we made some great memories.

Valentine's Day at the Zoo

2009-02-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

This year we decided it would be fun to take the kids to the zoo on Valentine's Day. They recently opened a Little People Zoo area that we wanted to check out, and we wanted to enjoy the amazing weather we've been having. (While most normal people do things like go to the zoo in the summer, when you live in Arizona you do everything outdoors anytime BUT the summer.) Ryan had a fabulous time, and I think Annie enjoyed the fresh air. I was just happy to get some good family time in outside of the house...

Too Cool for School

2009-02-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

Annie's Blessing

2009-02-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Annie's blessing, and we were excited to have family together to celebrate the special event. My parents came down from California, and Bryan's sister and her family from Portland had coincidently planned to come into town for the weekend. My sweet mother-in-law hosted a wonderful brunch at her house afterward, and my mom made Annie's beautiful dress. We enjoyed showing off our sweet little Annie Bear and not to be outdone, Ryan was looking pretty dapper himself!

Be Careful What You Teach Your Kids...

2009-01-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

Whenever Ryan plays Lego's, his favorite part is destroying whatever gets built. Bryan has encouraged this, and we've always thought it to be really cute when he knocks down whatever contraption has been created and started laughing his cute little belly laugh.

Well earlier this week I went to the Carter's store, and while I was looking around I sat Ryan at the Lego table. After a while another little girl came over who was probably about 3 1/2. She started building something (a castle, according to her), and all of the sudden I hear Lego's falling and that cute little laugh. This was quickly followed by the sound of the little girl crying. I went over and saw exactly what I was expecting. The little girl's mom explained that Ryan was little and he wasn't trying to be mean, and I apologized. Suddenly his destruction didn't seem quite so cute...

My Sweet Angel

2009-01-24T11:39:00.000-08:00

Bryan snapped this picture of Annie and I napping the other day. I haven't taken a lot of pictures of her (or anyone!) lately, but I think this one captures her sweetness. She is SUCH a good baby--so mellow and happy. Now that she's smiling and cooing, it's even better. I absolutely adore this little girl--she is my saving grace on hard days, and just looking at her always brings a smile to my face.

Ryan goes to Nursery!

2009-01-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

Ryan turned 18 months on January 1, so the next Sunday he got to start going to Nursery at church. He absolutely loved it! When we took him in, he sat down at the table and waved bye-bye to us. He absolutely loved being in with all of the kids and getting to play and color. Yesterday didn't go quite so well--the poor baby has a ton of teeth coming in and is less than happy about it--but it's fun watching him interact with other kids and experience new things.

I remember when it seemed like forever until he'd be in nursery, and I can't believe it's here already. These little sweeties grow way too fast!

Zoo Lights

2009-01-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

After two failed attempts, we were finally able to go see Zoolights the weekend after New Year's. Ryan loved the lights, and the night we finally went was perfect--not too crowded and not too cold. Annie, of course, slept through the whole thing.

The lights were absolutely incredible--over 2 million of them! I took lots of pictures, but because so many of the displays incorporated movement, the pictures just didn't do it for me. It was a fun way to spend an evening, and we're planning on making it an annual event.

How fast can you type?

2009-01-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

76 words

I found this on my friend Greta's blog, and since I love these little tests, I had to give it a try!

Our Best Christmas Yet

2008-12-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This year we had a very enjoyable, low key Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we went to Bryan's parents house for Italian food and a white elephant gift exchange. Afterwards we headed over to our friends the Kastanis's to read Luke 2 and a really cool book that they read every year called Red Ranger Came Calling. This is the second year we've gone over there for Christmas Eve and we're grateful that they include us in their annual tradition.

Christmas morning we slept until around 9:00 when Bryan woke Ryan up and rounded up the rest of us. Ryan absolutely love his kitchen that we had set up the night before, and for about an hour and a half, we couldn't even get his interest enough to open any other gifts! We took our time opening the rest of the gifts, and Bryan made us a fantastic breakfast.

That afternoon we headed back to Bryan's parents for steak and crab legs, and to open the gifts from Grandma and Grandpa. Ryan got a really cool Little Tikes fire truck that we cannot keep him out of. That night we went back to the Kastanis' to exchange gifts and enjoy some more dessert.

All in all, it was a fantastic couple of days. Having Bryan home for 4 days made it even better. And of course our greatest gift this year, our sweet Annie, was the icing on the cake.

Mesa Temple Lights

2008-12-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

Ryan is completely fascinated with Christmas lights, so last night we decided to take him to the lights at the Mesa Temple. He absolutely loved it, and was completely unphased by the cold weather (cold by Arizona standards, I should say...). He also really like the nativity and listening to the story of Christ's birth.

Miss Annie was snuggled up in my front carrier and slept through the entire thing...surprise, surprise!

Grammy and Papa Come for a Visit

2008-12-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month my parents came out for a visit to meet Miss Annie (and to see the rest of us, too). We had a great visit, and Ryan had a super fun time with his Papa. The timing couldn't have been better--they were here when I had to go to the hospital with my little kidney stone episode. The kids were able to stay at home and I didn't have to worry about them. When we got home at 4:00 a.m. and I could barely stand up because of all the medication they had pumped through me, my mom willingly kept Annie with her through the night so I could get some rest.

Yay for Grammy and Papa!

All I Want for Christmas...

2008-12-14T15:41:00.001-08:00

...is good health for my family and me.

In the last week we have had the following:

~A night in the emergency room when I had another bout of kidney stones.
~A random episode of vomiting, compliments of Ryan.
~Results from a CT that show I have a cavity filled with fluid above my jaw joint. I go to an oral surgeon tomorrow to see what that's all about.
~An impending ultrasound, probably tomorrow, for Annie who hasn't had a significant bowel movement since Tuesday.

We are blessed in many other ways, for which I am extremely grateful. But health issues suck. Especially when it involves your kids. I know in the end we'll all be fine, but for now it's a little unnerving.

Hopefully this coming week Annie and I will get our issues resolved and have a healthy, happy Christmas. We wish the same for all of you.

Some New Photos

2008-12-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

All bundled up and ready for bed. This little girl's hands and feet get SO cold, so we try to keep her nice and warm.

Sleeping in the "stick 'em up" position, just like Ryan used to do.

Annie's first Thanksgiving.

Not quite Christmas card worthy, but still pretty cute!

So as you can probably guess, I've been keeping pretty busy with Ryan and Annie. There's not too much to report--Annie is a complete gem and I'm far more rested than I ever would have guessed I would be at this point. Ryan has taken well to his sister and she seems to like him as well.

Hope you enjoy the new photos!

Annie is Here!

2008-11-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

So our sweet baby girl has finally arrived!

Ann Elizabeth Colby was born Tuesday, November 18 at 1:41 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long.She has tons of silky black hair and seems to be a very mellow little girl. She is an amazing eater and a good little sleeper, so we couldn't be happier.

Below are a few photos from her first couple of days. Enjoy!

2008-11-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

So yesterday our doctor called and confirmed what we pretty much considered the obvious--that Ryan is in fact allergic to peanuts. A number of people have commented that a peanut allergy is a horrible thing to live with and while I know it will be difficult, especially until Ryan is old enough to understand, it really could be much worse. We have a number of friends whose kids have really serious ongoing conditions and illnesses, so really, I count ourselves lucky.

Anyway, the one thing I thought was interesting is that while he is allergic to peanuts, he is not allergic to any other nut. Almonds, cashews, walnuts--those are all fine. So that's a good thing.

I do have to mention the ironic part of this. Over time I have read articles in various places about kids with peanut allergies and I always thought that the moms were a little out of control and overprotective. Well, now I guess I will be joining the ranks of the out of control and overprotective. That's what I get for being judgemental...

All in a Day's Work

2008-11-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

So far today Ryan has figured out how to open the cabinet locks and managed to call 911 on my cell phone when it was in locked mode. Awesome.

Phoenix Zoo

2008-11-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

We've been waiting for the weather to cool down a little so that we could take Ryan to the zoo. Since Papa Lance was in town last weekend, we decided it would be a good time to go.

The weather was a little warmer than ideal, so we didn't stay as long as we thought we would, but we still had a good time. Ryan loved petting the goats and watching the monkeys and the camels. We got annual passes so when it cools down for real, we can go back and see more.

Harrowing Mommy Moments

2008-11-06T21:27:00.000-08:00

Today I experienced a kind of panic that I never before knew existed. It started out simply enough--at lunch time I gave Ryan a peanut butter sandwich. He is not a big meat eater and I'm trying to incorporate more protein in his diet, so I thought we'd give peanut butter a try. Now I am completely aware of the stories that exist about crazy peanut allergies, but no one in Bryan's or my family have these kind of allergies, so I thought it would be fine.

About 10 minutes after he finished his sandwich, he became completely inconsolable. He's had a bit of an allergy/cold thing going on so I figured he was just not feeling well. I tried to get him to cuddle up with me so he could take a nap, but he wouldn't have it. He would lay on the floor and then want me to pick him up. After about 10 minutes of this, the poor kid threw up everywhere--all over himself, me and the couch. My first thought was, "Oh, he's got the stomach flu, no wonder he's so fussy."

I took him into the bathroom to remove the offending clothing and as I sat him on the counter to take off his diaper, I noticed that his face was completely covered in a red polka-dotted rash, and all around his eyes was bright red. I grabbed the phone to call the doctor as I put him in the tub, and the doctor said to give him Benedryl and he should be OK. So I did that, but as he sat in the tub I watched the rash quickly begin to spread down to his neck and shoulders and his chest and back. Because of the allergy/cold thing, he's been congested and I could hear his breathing so I was freaking out trying to make sure he was breathing normally. I called the doctor back and they asked if we could get there in 10 minutes, which we did.

Once we got there the doctor looked him over and confirmed that he was definitely having an allergic reaction. Ryan was given a steroid shot to stop any additional inflamation that could be caused, and we have some additional steriods to give him over the next couple of days. Bryan is taking him in to the lab in the morning so they can do some tests to confirm that he does in fact have a peanut allergy.

Let me tell you that sitting there and watching my sweet baby Ryan experience this reaction was absolutely heartwrenching. He is fine, and I could not be more grateful about that. But it scared me, and it made me realize just how much I love and adore this baby. I absolutely don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to him. He is truly my world. He is what changed Bryan and I from a couple to a family. He is my angel.

After this whole experience, it occured to me how lucky we are. We have access to, and can afford, good health insurance. We have a fantastic family doctor. We have an excellent new hospital within 3 minutes of our house. I know not everyone has these things. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to have a sick child and be afraid to get them medical attention because of fear of the medical bills. My heart truly aches for parents who have to make those choices.

Take a minute today to hold your babies close and thank Heavenly Father for every moment you have with them. They are truly a gift.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

As you can see, this year Ryan was a little monkey. His costume was adorable with a big fluffy belly but after many, many tries, this was the only descent photo we could get. He is such a busy boy, he just won't stand still long enough to get many pictures.

We were glad that Halloween evening was cool enough that he could actually wear his costume since it's still in the 90's every day. We went to a few friends' houses and to Grandma & Grandpa's to trick or treat. He's not much into candy, other than shaking the little boxes of Nerds, but it was still a fun time.

Another Fantastic Year

2008-10-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

This Sunday will be Bryan's and my 4 year anniversary. It's hard to believe how fast it has gone, but at the same time it's hard to imagine life before there was an "us." We have a crazy few days coming up so we decided to go to dinner tonight to celebrate. It's always a little weird to leave Ryan at home, but at the same time it's nice to enjoy a leisurely meal at a nice restaurant from time to time. And since our alone time is about to become severely challenged, I think it was much needed.

Our friends Ana and John just had their 4th anniversary and he posted this cute little series of questions and answers about their marriage, which I'm totally going to steal and use to share some (possibly) little known facts about our marriage:

What is his name?....Bryan, also known as Bear, B, Bean and Daddy.

How did I meet him?....An LDS online dating site. Yes, I'm serious. It worked though, so laugh if you will.

Who said I love you first?....I honestly can't remember...

Who kissed who first?.....Bryan kissed me. But then I kissed him back, so it was all good.

Who proposed?....Bryan did on 4th of July weekend on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was actually in the parking lot, but that's a whole different story...

What are his best qualities and features?....His best physical feature is definitely the eyes. Gorgeous. He has so many good qualities--amazing daddy, patience with my many, many quirks, faith that he never questions, the ability to help me realize when I'm being ridiculous, a great sense of humor, an amazing work ethic...really, I could go on and on. But I would say his absolute best quality is his generosity. The man would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He's just like that.

Guilty pleasures....Hmm, good question. I guess his favorite TV shows, Life, Chuck and House.

Who eats more?....I eat more frequently, he eats larger quantities.

Who cooks more? I do, but only because I'm home now. When we both worked, he did. He usually does all the cooking on the weekends though, which I love.

Who's the most sensitive?.....Definitely me.

Who is the first to admit they are wrong?....We're both pretty good at this, though it's not always immediate.

Who does the laundry?...I do. It saves us all from having pink underwear and blue button down shirts for Sunday :)

Who does the dishes?....I do.

Who is more stubborn?....Definitely me. And unfortunately that's a quality that my son has inherited.

Who pays the bills?....I take care of the bills at home, Bryan takes care of the bills for the business.

Who drives the most when we are together?....Bryan but occasionally I do drive if we're just running a quick errand.

What side of the bed do we sleep on? I sleep on the left side of the bed, Bryan sleeps on the right.

Who wears the pants in the family?...Bryan does. I just pick them out and make sure they look nice.

Who has more siblings?...Bryan--2 brothers and 2 sisters.

Who makes more money at their job? Since my salary is currently paid in hugs and kisses and I don't really keep up with the exchange rate, it's hard to say :)

Who holds a grudge?...Neither of us, at least with each other.

Is our marriage perfect?....It's perfect for us, and it seems to just get better and better. I'd say that's pretty close to perfection.

So Grateful...

2008-10-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, a hurricane slammed into Baja, Mexico destroying more than 600 homes and leaving hundreds of families with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs.

The Mexican government went in and provided water, rice and beans, but these people had no pots to cook in, and nothing to eat with or out of. There is a lady in our ward who is originally from there and still has family there, so our ward took it upon itself to help provide humanitarian relief to the people in the area.

We all got an email asking us to gather items that these people needed--blankets, tennis shoes, jackets and household items--and a man from our ward would fly everything down in his plane. I took about 20 minutes to go through our house and gather items and in that period of time I was able to collect three garbage bags full of stuff.

Afterwards it really struck me that we have SO much. The things I put in those bags we wont even miss. We have closets full of clothes and blankets, cupboards full of cookware and dishes, and so much more.

Lately I have been lamenting over projects I really want to get done in my house and I have been frustrated that we are at a point where the parts of my house that people see need to be practical rather than pretty. Our living room has a whole section filled with Ryan's toys, his car and his books. Our family room has a baby swing and a rocking chair that I would rather have somewhere else. My front room still has no curtains after almost 4 years because I just can't decide what colors I want in there.

However, as I thought about these people who have literally nothing, I realized I just need to be grateful for all that I DO have. My friends don't care that I don't have curtains and that the corners of my rooms are filled with toys. My son is happy because he doesn't have to be confined to some little corner of the house to play. And really, I am grateful to have a beautiful home where my family can be together, where we don't have to worry about an exorbitant mortgage like so many people we know, and where there is peace and happiness and laughter.

Could I really ask for more??

Our (unsuccessful) Attempt at Creating Family Memories

2008-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

This year I really wanted to take Ryan to a pumpkin patch. There is a place relatively close by that has pumpkins, a carousel, various rides, a train, hayrides, a petting zoo, a corn maze and all sorts of other things to do.

We decided that we would go this weekend because we have other things going on the next couple of weekends. Yesterday I looked at the weather and saw it was supposed to be 96 degrees today, and that had me a little concerned. However after a little discussion Bryan and I thought we'd just get there right when they opened at 10:00 and we'd be fine. Um yeah, not so much.

Almost as soon as we started walking around, little Ryan's cheeks got bright red. All he was really interested in doing was sitting on the ground and playing with the dirt. And after about 30 minutes, he wanted to climb into his stroller, which was weird because he is not a big fan of the stroller. Bryan picked him up and realized he was super warm, so we figured we'd better get out of there and get him cooled off.

After a sippy cup of water and a few minutes in the air conditioned car, Ryan was good to go. However I don't think we'll be doing the pumpkin patch again until he's a few years older...

Oh, and P.S., this crazy weather is the reason October is my least favorite month in Arizona. It's fall, people. I've already endured 5 months of scortching temperatures. I'm done with summer. I'd like to pull out a sweatshirt on occasion, you know what I'm saying?

Construction Update

2008-10-18T00:14:00.000-07:00

So today was the day of the final tape removal, and we now have absolutely perfect pink and lilac stripes adorning the walls of Miss Annie's room. I will say that it has been quite a process but after the purchase of many, many quarts of paint in various colors to find the perfect ones and many, many steps of a very meticulous process taken on by Bryan and Perry, I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. It is absolutely perfect and I couldn't be happier.

Obviously the room itself is still awaiting its fair share of work. Bryan is going to start on the floor this weekend and tomorrow we'll pick up new blinds. But it's definitely beginning to resemble to room of a little princess!

#1 ASU Fan

2008-10-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

Under Construction

2008-09-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

So the work on Annie's room has finally begun in earnest. When we prepare for a new baby, we utilize the opportunity to completely remodel the room--new flooring, new baseboards, closet organizers, blinds, everything. So it's a huge undertaking, but in the end we have rooms that we hopefully won't have to mess with at all for a very long time. As you can see we're doing stripes (pink and lavender) and that's a huge job as well. Luckily our friend Perry is a pro at cool paint treatments and he's helping Bryan out. Getting the right colors has been kind of a nightmare, but we're finally there. Hopefully next weekend we'll get the painting done, then Bryan can start installing the bamboo floor. I think it's hilarious that our kids end up with nicer bedrooms than ours...

Relaxing in California

2008-09-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

We spent last week on vacation in Newport Beach. We stayed in a great place and our condo overlooked the ocean. Our friends John and Ana and their son Ben who is three months older than Ryan spent the first three days with us which was a huge treat. While we were together we visited the Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point (which unfortunately was kind of a disappointment) and Sea World, and just enjoyed each other's company. The boys had a ball together and it was pretty nice for the adults, too.

The last few days we were there we just relaxed and enjoyed the amazing weather. There were lots of things for Ryan to do where we were staying--a huge sandbox which he loved, a playground and swimming pools. I was able to get in a massage while we were there which was like Christmas, and we were able to meet up with my friend Katherine and her daughter Sophia before we headed home. We also stopped in Riverside on our way back to Arizona so my friend Mary Lou could finally meet Ryan.

All in all is was an absolutely perfect week, and definitely our best vacation to date.

P.S. You can click on the slide show to view the pictures individually.

Not an Ideal Destination for the Holiday Weekend

2008-08-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

While it's actually a pretty cool looking building, this photo is of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where I got to spend Saturday night and most of Sunday.

On Thursday Bryan and Ryan both came down with a pretty nasty bought of the stomach flu. On Friday night I figured I'd gotten lucky and it has passed me over. However Saturday morning I woke up early--and sick. Initially I thought it was just one of my twice-weekly or so episodes of morning sickness, but by 3:00 that afternoon when I was still vomiting Bryan decided I should probably go to Urgent Care and get some fluids and a shot. I went in and after 5 (yes FIVE) unsuccessful attempts to get a line in for an IV, the guy gave me a shot of phenergan to stop the vomiting and told me to go home and hydrate myself with oral fluids. That sounded fine to me--I've had a couple shots of phenergan during this pregnancy and it had always worked.

Anyway, about 2 hours after I got home I woke up from a nap and was sick again. I called my OB and she told me to go to the OB triage at the hospital so they could get me taken care of. They gave me a liter of fluids with Zofran (another medication that is supposed to stop nausea/vomiting) and I was feeling a lot better...until I sat up. As soon as I did that, I was sick once again, so my doctor decided I should stay overnight.

In actuality, it wasn't all that bad. The hospital is really nice, it's about 3 miles from my house, they have amazing nurses, and all of the OB rooms are private. I got lots of rest and had the comfort of them regularly monitoring the baby, who tolerated everything amazingly well.

I'm still really, really tired, but much better than I was. I'm so glad that I have such a great husband who is completely involved in every aspect of Ryan's life so when I had to be gone for a day, I didn't have to worry about them one little bit.

Can I just tell you that I am so counting down the days until the end of this pregnancy?

Ryan's New Tricks

2008-08-28T13:06:00.001-07:00

In the last 48 hours, my son has developed the following new talents:

~Climbing over the shorter of the two types of gates we use to keep him in and out of certain areas of the house

~Opening the DVD carousel and taking out discs by the handful

~Climbing from the back of the grocery cart (since he will no longer sit in the front and allow me to buckle him in like a normal kid) onto the conveyor belt

Unfortunately I haven't captured any of these events on film, but I'm sure none of them are one time events...

Observation

2008-08-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

It is possible to shampoo your carpet while holding a 23 pound baby during your 7th month of pregnancy.

Just in case you were wondering.

Another Year Older

2008-08-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend was my 31st birthday. Lots of people asked how I feel about getting older, and my answer? Great! Every year since I've been married has gotten better and better. I anticipate much of the same in the future.

My actual birthday was pretty low key, but nice. When I woke up my boys brought cards and presents into our room, and we all lounged around in bed while I opened them. After that they ran out for a while and brought me home Dunkin Donuts. Yummy. That afternoon I went and got a pedicure (my favorite thing!), and my awesome mother-in-law brought over my favorite cake that she had made for me. That night we had a babysitter for the evening.

We went to dinner at this place we really like that is located at the end of the runway at Falcon Field airport. In addition to being able to see the planes take off and land, we had an awesome view of a beautiful desert sunset behind Camelback Mountain. We got done with dinner early, but since we actually had a babysitter, we didn't want to go home! Don't get me wrong, we love, love, love hanging out with Ryan, but it was just really nice and we were enjoying the time alone! We went and drove around Scottsdale and ended up at this really cute 50's diner type place called The Sugar Bowl where we had yummy sundaes while sitting at the counter on pink vinyl stools. So fun.

Overall it was a fantastic day. I loved that it was on a Saturday and I think the best gift of all was being able to spend all day with my sweetheart.

Pregnancy Comparison

2008-08-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

25 Weeks, 4 Days pregnant with Miss Annie

25 Weeks, 4 Days pregnant with Ryan

So I was recently going through my pictures and I found a photo of when I was 25 weeks, 4 days pregnant with Ryan. Since I hit that milestone with Annie today, I decided to take a picture to compare. While I'm on track to gain 1 pound more with Annie than I did with Ryan, I don't think I look nearly as huge, at least not yet!

I've Been Tagged...

2008-08-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

by my friend Sharla in CA.

How to play this game of tag:

Post these rules on your blog. List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

3 Joys:
My son
My husband
The gospel

3 Fears:
Something happening to Bryan
Something bad happening during the delivery of my daughter
Financial instability

3 Goals:
Survive this pregnancy
Get my masters degree
Become a runner

3 Current Obsessions/Collections:
So You Think You Can Dance
Getting out of the house everyday
Getting every little corner of my house organized

3 Random surprising Facts about me:
I do some freelance communications consulting in my "spare" time. The adult interaction helps keep me sane.
I am completely obsessed with celebrity gossip.
I've already started my Christmas shopping.

I tag...Jacqie, Cara, Marnee, Christine and Mimi

Keeping Our Cool

2008-07-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure why, but so far this summer has been significantly more miserable than my other Arizona summers. I think it's a combination of crazy humidity and little rain since the beginning of the monsoon, and the fact that I'm pregnant. In any case it's been less than pleasant, so when my mother-in-law called last week and told me how cool it was at the cabin and mentioned that we should come up, I decided that was a good idea.

Bryan took off a couple of hours early on Friday and we headed up for the weekend. It never got warmer than 80, and it was overcast and breezy the whole time so it felt great. Ryan got to spend lots of time outside, Bryan got in 9 holes of golf with his dad, and everyone came home happy.

Ryan and Grandpa hanging out at the cabin

It's just as fun to climb up as it is to slide down

Checking out the tire swing

Having fun with Dad

Even Jackson had a good time

4th of July

2008-07-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

This year we spent the 4th with Bryan's siblings and their families at the cabin in Show Low. It was fun to see everyone and the weather was fantastic. It was a little chaotic with 26 people under one roof, but we all had a great time. I always say that I'm glad I married into the family I did--they are a fun group and there's never a dull moment when everyone's together. Here are a few photos from our weekend.

Getting ready for our turn in the family variety show

Working on this year's project, building a horseshoe pit and bench

Even though he's not big enough to hold a cue stick, Ryan still enjoys the pool table downstairs

Lots of messy family fun!

Name Update, Part 2

2008-07-07T15:27:00.001-07:00

OK, so we are 100% set on Ann for our little princess's first name. Her middle name is another story however. My big concern with Marie is that people will call her Ann Marie, which I do not like. I have always loved Elizabeth, however, and this weekend I found out that Bryan's great-grandmother's middle name was Elizabeth. So we are definitely leaning toward Elizabeth at this point. Stay tuned!

Name Update

2008-07-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

So it looks like we've got a winner...Ann Marie Colby and we're going to call her Annie. Ann is after my grandmother and Marie is my middle name. Bryan and I have always liked Katherine and Victoria, but somehow this one seemed to fit.

It's a Girl!

2008-07-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

As you can probably tell by the insane new pink background, we're having a girl! We had our ultrasound this morning and she is in the 50th percentile for everything they measured and looks great.

As far as names, we're thinking Katherine Ann (we'd call her Kate), Victoria Ann (we'd call her Tori) or possibly just Ann with a middle name to be determined.

Anyway, we are thrilled and just wanted to share our fun news!

Ryan Turns One!

2008-07-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Yummy! A candle!

Dad helping me open my new blocks.

Getting ready to go in the pool with Mom & Dad.

In the pool with my favorite guy.

Worn out after a big day of celebrating.

So it's hard to believe, but today Ryan is one. I don't know where the time goes, because the memory of bringing him home from the hospital is still so vivid in my mind.

We had his party on Saturday at Bryan's parent's house. My parents came up and my Grandpa was here as well, so it was nice. Ryan wasn't a big fan of the chocolate cake, but he did love the homemade chocolate chip ice cream. His favorite part of the day was being in the pool--with a July birthday, I'm sure there will be plenty more pool parties in his future.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN TAFT! WE LOVE YOU!

Card Shark

2008-06-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Watch out Vegas, here comes Ryan The Card Shark Colby!

A Milestone Reached Much Too Early

2008-06-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

You may be looking at this picture thinking, "Why in the world would they put Ryan in a toddler bed before he's even a year old?" In a word, because he has figured out how to climb out of his crib.

In all actuality, I didn't think the whole toddler/big boy bed would become an issue until somewhere between 18 and 24 months. That's what I get for thinking.

Today I put Ryan down for his afternoon nap as usual. And as usual, when I left the room I could hear him crying inside. A few minutes later I heard a thud, but didn't think much of it because Ryan has this habit of sitting on his knees and falling forward onto the crib. After the thud, his cry started getting louder so I walked into the hallway toward his room, and guess who was pushing his door open and heading toward the hall?

At first we thought it was just a fluke. I took the bumper off of the crib then put him back in. I left the bedroom door open just enough so I could see what he was doing. He got into the corner, put one foot on the slats of each side of the corner and just climbed his way up the sides.

We were going to just convert his crib to a full sized bed until we realized I didn't actually buy the rails to covert it yet. Oops. So we'll see how he does when we try to put him to bed tonight...wish us luck!

Trying to Stay Cool

2008-06-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today the forecast high was 112 degrees. Ugh. In an attempt to keep Mr. Ryan entertained, this afternoon we headed off to the mall in Chandler where he could play in air conditioned comfort. He had a ball and absolutely loved being around other kids. He kept crawling away from the toddler area to where there were more kids to play with.

Saturday we took him to see Kung Fu Panda and even though everyone said we were completely insane to try taking an 11 month old to a movie, he was great! He slept for about 20 minutes of it and there were a couple of times he went back and forth between mom and dad trying to get comfortable, but other than that he just sat on our laps, watched the movie and checked out the lights and everything else he could see.

Oh how I would love to live somewhere where the weather allowed us to spent time outside all year round...

Pregnancy Update

2008-06-14T22:17:00.001-07:00

So I've had a couple of people ask how the pregnancy is going. Let me start by saying that everything with the baby has been fine. It has a nice strong heart rate and I've actually felt it move a couple of times. And that's what matters.

Unfortunately though, the pregnancy has been less than stellar. And by that I mean it sucks. I know, you're not supposed to say that, right? But it's true. Now do I think it's worth it? Of course I do. But it's been rough.

Tomorrow I will be 17 weeks and the whole morning sickness thing is just not going away. In fact, the last couple of weeks have been the worst. This last Thursday I actually had to go to Urgent Care to get IV fluids and a shot to help with the vomiting. The IV was kind of a nightmare because I was so dehydrated that it took them 4 tries to actually get the IV line in.

I totally realize that it could be worse--I have a friend who was on at home IV's through her 7th month with both of her kids. So I'm grateful that it's not that bad, and I am lucky because I do have good days peppered in.

I know that the second I get to hold this precious little baby in my arms, all of this will seem completely inconsequential. However, it is a long time until November :-)

We Heart San Diego

2008-06-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

This last week we decided that we needed to get away from all of the insanity of life, so we headed off to our favorite weekend destination, San Diego.

We flew out of Phoenix late Friday afternoon. After we got settled at the hotel we went to Bryan's all time favorite restaurant, Rockin' Baja Lobster in Old Towne.

Saturday we headed off to the zoo, which Ryan absolutely loved. That afternoon Bryan and Ryan attempted to brave the heated pool at the hotel, but with a breeze and a temperature of below 70 degrees, it was just too cold. Later we went to dinner and relaxed back at the hotel.

Sunday morning we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast at a cute little bakery cafe. After that we headed off to Balboa Park with the intention of taking Ryan for a ride on the train, but when we got there he was asleep. Since he had been teething and a little fussy, we decided to let him sleep and instead went to Seaport Village where we walked around the harbor and let Ryan get out some energy by crawling around on the grass.

It was a quick weekend, but just what the doctor ordered. I got to spend time with my two favorite people in the world with none of the distractions of home, and the weather was absolutely phenomenal.

What Daddy does, Ryan does.

Headed into the Zoo. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but it turned out to be a perfect day.

On the polar bear statue with Dad.

Getting ready to see the pandas.

A baby panda hiding up in the tree.

Enjoying a yummy pretzel.

Ready for a break .

Morning of Mischief

2008-06-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

When I got out of the shower this morning, this is the first thing I saw:

Usually Ryan likes to grab everything he can get his hands on to throw in the bathtub, but it hadn't occurred to me that he might figure out how to open the lotion bottle.

A few minutes later after I ran down the hall to change the laundry I found this:

Earlier I had been sorting laundry so I think he was trying to help. Too bad the whites already have their own basket...

Today I Do Not Love Arizona

2008-05-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

In all actuality, I don't even like it. I just got home from running errands, and the thermometer in the Suburban read 109. That wasn't after sitting in the sun in a parking lot (that reading was 119), it was the temperature that was consistent as I was driving around.

I expect this kind of heat in July, August and September, and even in June. But it's May, people.

It's hot and I'm pregnant. It's going to be a long, long summer...

Curiousity About Baby #2

2008-05-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I thought that after Ryan I'd be a pro at this whole pregnancy thing, but that's not quite how it's happening. Pretty much everything about this pregnancy has been different than the first one--how sick I've been, how long I was sick, where I'm carrying the baby, how it's affecting my skin...I could go on and on.

I asked my doctor today if she thought that really different pregnancies usually mean different sexes, and she said absolutely not. I've been thinking this one is a girl, but only because of how different it has been. Bryan finally made his prediction, and he's thinking boy. I kind of hope he's right, because I would LOVE another boy.

I made my ultrasound appointment today, so we'll find out on July 2. Until then, let us know what you think and take the poll to the right.

Ryan's Big News

2008-05-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

So Ryan has some pretty exciting news...he's going to be a big brother!

Baby #2 is due November 23, and we are ecstatic. This pregnancy has been pretty rough, however, so I am very much looking forward to the end of the first trimester and the accompanying "morning" sickness.

The kids will be 16 months apart, which I'm sure will be an adventure. Everyone we talk to says that while it's hard at first, once they get a little older and can play together, it's great.

Anyway, between being sick, exhausted and taking care of Ryan I haven't been good for much lately, including posting on ye olde blog. Give me a few weeks though, and I should be back to my old self!