Davies Family

3 Weeks

2011-12-20T11:48:00.001-08:00

A couple of days ago I thought this was the longest couple of weeks of my life. But now I'm starting to settle in to this lazy mode. I worry I may never come out of it. I've forgotten how to work. We might have to hire a house keeper/nanny.

Frustration

2011-12-14T22:49:00.001-08:00

Does forgetting for a split second ruin a week's worth of healing? I let the dog out, open the sliding door, pull too hard, too fast, and now I'm back to square one. Well, not quite, but it just feels like I'm not healing as fast as I should be. I'm no good at being a cripple. I feel like I'm wasting the efforts of my family and friends who do so much for us.

Two weeks!

2011-12-11T10:07:00.001-08:00

I'm so happy to be done with my first two weeks. The shifting of bone against bone is gone. Pain is under control. Everything is great! In two weeks I'll be able to lift a whopping 10 pounds! That's pretty much anything in the kitchen and laundry. I'm excited to not be a burden.

I'm actually feeling good today. I've had some bad days, but today was great. I went to my first cardiac rehab appointment. It felt so good to exercise again! Although they made me go slow and only work my legs. It still felt good

I want to give a big thanks to everyone who has helped us. This time of year is so busy for everyone, but especially for Brigham. His workload at UPS during the holidays is crazy and he's had deadlines at his architectural job too. Thank you for everything!!!

What I Wish I'd Known Before Heart Surgery

2011-12-08T11:17:00.001-08:00

Excruciating pain this morning.

1. Do not go off pain killers just because you feel good. Because:
a) You have to sleep on your back in a reclined position and cannot adjust yourself. This gets painful. You do not sleep. Your muscles tighten into horrible knots. You wake in intense pain. Stay on drugs.
b) Strong pain killers take away the need for a good morning stretch. You know the kind that is involuntary and usually feels so good. These stretches are bad for broken sternums. I'd gotten the shifting of bone against bone to stop. Now it's back. A week's worth of healing down the tube.
c) Pain pills make you tired. Sleep makes you heal.

2. Realize that the doctor is going to wrap your sternum with wire. This is permanent. If you have a sensitivity to nickel tell your doctor. There is nothing worse than being allergic to something that will never go away. I'm not sure if this is my problem yet. All I know is I was miserable this morning. Took pain pills and an allergy pill just in case.

3. I should have been holding my heart pillow during all movements to speed healing. I should have been informed of this upon discharge.

One Week Down!

2011-12-05T04:38:00.001-08:00

I'm doing a little better each day. Only 3 more weeks until I can drive again, lift more than 5 pounds, and raise my hands over my head!

I am married to an angel. I used to think my husband was not the least bit romantic. I was wrong. I just didn't know the meaning of the word. Romantic is when he loves you so much he wants to do everything for you. When he uses the softest voice to wake you up for pain meds and helps you get up so you don't get blood clots. When he thanks you for being nice because it's the middle of the night, even though he's tired and had to wake up too. When you have to convince him that washing the table won't hurt. When he carries a recliner up the stairs, throws his back out, and tries to hide it do you don't feel bad. Love this man.

December

2011-12-05T03:40:00.001-08:00

A: Are you sleeping on my bed or your bed?
B: My bed, because it's more wider. (?)

Dora the Explorer DS game: Say backpack! Louder! Say backpack!
B: Backpack
N: Bridger, you can say anything
A: Really?
N: Yeah, one time I said, sooo-she!I wish we had sushi.

Sunday night, after fast and testimony meeting, Natalynn said she wanted to fast and pray for me to get better. Prayer does work, by the way. It's been scientifically proven and it's helped me tremendously. Thank you all very much!

Today Natalynn and Bridger cleaned up the basement without being asked. Amazing kids.Also, I was so tired tonight I could barely get myself to read Natalynn's second book. She looked up at me and said, "mom, you don't have to read it." Sweetest girl on the planet.

Dec 15: Natalynn wanted to fast for me. Sweet girl. She went until 11 a.m. and said, "I'm not even hungry!" But I was eating soup at the time and thought she was probably giving herself a pep talk. So we counted the hours since she had eaten dinner: 15 hours! We both thought that was a lot for a 6 year old. Counting the hours made her realize the significance of her efforts. We prayed, enjoyed the Spirit, and ate lunch. Thank you Natalynn for your love and example of faith. I love you!

Bridger to Natalynn playing DS: You're actually pretty good at this game. I have a hard time with this game.Natalynn to Bridger: I love you more than anyone can count.

Dec 16 Bridger almost hurt me, but I assured him that he was such a good listener when I asked him to get off, that he didn't hurt me. He declined the offer from Daddy to walk to the bus stop, "No, I want to stay and make sure Mommy's ok."

Home Now!

2011-12-03T20:49:00.001-08:00

I'm doing a little better each day. My husband won't let me do anything! They gave us a very serious talk before releasing me about what will happen if I lift anything or move suddenly. Brigham is following their every word, love him, but driving me nuts! I guess he likes me or something.

The kids are so sweet to me. They give me the softest hugs and love to help me.

My family and friends are the absolute best. I have more offers of help than I know what to do with. Thank you everyone! Love you all

My Adventure

2011-12-01T20:13:00.001-08:00

I woke up Tuesday morning and prayed. I was reminded of all the good things people said about Dr Thorn, as well as his own confidence. I also had lots of good ideas about primary. I figured I wasn't going to get revelation about primary if my time on earth was over!

Going in to surgery was an experience. I thought I'd be terrified, shaking, and bawling. But as I tried to keep hymns and primary songs in my head. I was able to stay calm. (Brigham gave me a blessing Sunday, so that helped a lot.)

I had heard that waking up after surgery was a surge of relief, and I guess I was relieved, because I was in a joking mood. I was super groggy, but told Brigham I had my colon removed, and when he would go into surgery he would get his heart repaired. I don't think the nurse laughed. She didn't know Brigham's medical history. I didn't think it was funny either, but Brig and Dawn did.

The pain has been mostly pressure. There is was lot of swelling in my chest. They make you breath deeply and it hurt. But yesterday I got the drainage tubes out of my chest, and now I'm on motrin, so the swelling is finally gone.

I'm sure this is boring, and I'm on drugs so it might not make sense, but it's my journal, and how I am right now, so no editing later.

I have a new respect for nurses now. I almost want to be one, until they have to empty my catheter bag. Oh, fun fact, they gave me 20 lbs of fluid before surgery. And I didn't need blood! My heart is working!

The nurses think it's weird to have a patient that works hard to get better. I get my breathing up to 1500 and ask to walk 5 laps around ICU. I know my age makes a big difference, but they said that gender does too. Their biggest wimps are the 22 year old men. Whenever they have a young man they argue to get out of being his nurse.

So lots of questions answered in this experience.
1. Why we got a "not yet" answer on if we should have a baby. The nurses can't believe I survived the first two.
2. Why an inexperienced, unqualified girl was made primary president. The nurses also can't believe my only symptom was palpitations. It's usually migraines, blood clots, stroke, or death. The stress of primary saved me. So, Bishop, you can get someone who will do a good job now!

2011-11-23T17:01:00.001-08:00

The dog's name is now Booger Thomas Chooy Bridger

Surgery Update

2011-11-22T20:57:00.001-08:00

I had a pre-surgery appointment today, and asked lots of questions. My defect is 1.9 cm, about 3/4 of an inch. It's considered large, but that's not the reason surgery is necessary. It has no border, so if they were to use a device closure (scope), the device would fail. At that point surgery would be necessary, and it becomes a higher risk.

I've done some research online. The doctor is experienced, and I've only read good things about him. I've read some medical journals that backs up what he said about the border problem. Brigham actually grew up with Dr. Thorne's nurse, and she promises I'm in good hands.

The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, November 29.

I feel good about this, it's the right decision, but I'm scared. Prayers are appreciated and needed.

Sudoku whiz!

2011-11-17T10:35:00.001-08:00

I told her lots of clues like, "figure out where the 6 goes in this box" and she had fun!

Bridger and I cleaned the kids bedroom while Chinnie was at school. She walked in and said, "It looks like a real bedroom!" What did it look like before? "A pile of toys"

Heart Surgery

2011-11-16T17:37:00.001-08:00

On November 4th I was referred to a heart specialist for heart palpitations. I had an echo which showed a hole between my left and right atria (atrial septal defect). They were almost positive it would require surgery. On November 15 I had a transesophageal echocardiogram (ultrasound down the throat, ouch) that confirmed.

ASD is a birth defect. Most ASD's can be fixed my scope. Mine is too large. The hole has been causing my right atrium to enlarge, and if left untreated could cause stoke or blood clots in the lungs. I will be having open heart surgery the week after thanksgiving. My heart will be stopped, sternum cut, all the fun stuff. It will be at St. Mark's hospital, with a stay of 3-5 days. But on the bright side, it's not a risky surgery, and I should be fairly normal by Christmas, not that I'm normal in the first place, haha.

The stress in my life has been a blessing in disguise. If it hadn't been for my calling at church and kids, I probably wouldn't have felt any symptoms. The Lord has been taking good care of me, something good is going to come out of this. I'm so thankful for my faith, my family, and UPS's health insurance!

Hope that answers most of your questions.

Bridger

2011-11-16T14:35:00.001-08:00

Background info: In Garfield, the Movie, Garfield says to John, "you're not only my owner, you're my primary caregiver." Today Bridger said, "You're not only my owner, you're my primary president!"

He's so curious about everything! He wants to know what makes cars stop and go. How the vacuum works. What that part on the mop does. How do DVDs work. I really don't know, but he sparks my curiosity as well.

Today I was diverting my thoughts away from surgery by vacuuming and mopping. Bridger was my super super helper. He said, "it's like...it's like we're friends and we help each other!" I love this boy and the way he can help me look beyond my problems and see what really matters. The trivial things in life doesn't matter as much our relationships, and the time we spend with them. Love you Bridger Boy.

"As I get older then I can get glasses, right?" As I? Why does he speak so well sometimes, but he still says "amn' t"? I love hearing him say "I amn't going to..."

Parenting Technique

2011-10-23T22:18:00.001-07:00

Being a parent is hard. I have great kids and it's still hard. We've been taking a great parenting class. It's all about the feel-good, boost-your-child's-self-esteem, western parenting stuff. I agreed with it.

Then I started reading Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother. It's about the super strict, force-them-to-achieve-so-they-can-boost-their-own-self-esteem, goal oriented, chinese style parenting. I agreed with it.

How do I decide which style to favor when they are so opposite? I like them both. Do I just go straight down the center?

The answer came during church. Christ is our teacher, our leader. Do what He would do. Simple. Be an example. He always used open, honest, loving communication. He taught and persuaded instead of commanding and ordering. Above all, He served, He loved.

October

2011-10-04T14:25:00.001-07:00

A: Where is the wind? I can't see it.
B: It's hiding. Ackshewie (actually) it's camouflaged.

Bridger talked in his sleep, "Once upon a time..."
And when he woke up he told me he had a dream about a cave and bears and a big house up to the sky and mountains.

"I'll have to wash hands." -Bridger. I guess he talks in his sleep a lot when he's sick.

"I love you more than dogs and cars and motorcycles" Sweetest thing a boy ever said to his mama. I wish I could live up to that kind of love. I love you too Bridger Boy.

B: This orange doesn't even have any bones! Acshewie, it's quite good

N: I love you more than love

A: How was preschool?
B: We learned... I don't remember... Fingers are phalanges, toes are too!!

On a sad note, Natalynn's two new bottom teeth are not looking very promising. Her first was a crooked shark tooth. The second is 90 degrees away from being perfect. Once again, I am so thankful for UPS's insurance! And so thankful to have a husband that works his bum off.

N: Do you know what alliteration is? (then goes on to correctly define the word)

Conference Bingo

2011-10-01T15:22:00.001-07:00

Conference has been fun this year. We did conference bingo for the first time and it did it's job of making the kids pay attention. The month of April was referenced and Bridger said, "They're talking to you mom! They said April!"

Angry Birds was talked about, which made Natalynn very excited, so I explained that they were teaching not to play it too, too much.

My favorite quote went something like, "Be as quick to kneel as you are to text."

I love conference! Can't wait for tomorrow!

School Picture

2011-09-30T12:10:00.001-07:00

Family Pictures!

2011-09-25T20:38:00.001-07:00

It's about time! The last family pictures we had was when I was prego with Bridger. I had the most difficult time narrowing down the pictures to my favorites. Our photographer, Nicole Cropper, was awesome! She's great with kids, and very affordable! Thanks Nicole!!

Silly September

2011-09-25T15:06:00.001-07:00

"I want to show Mamah that I can fly for zero seconds!" Natalynn, talking about how she jumps off the couch.

"I won a candy for sister. I wanted to win the teddy bear for sister." Bridger really loves his sister.

Did you see the elk? "Yes, there were many of them." -Bridger (How did they learn to speak so properly?)

Chinnie can now whistle. She's very excited.

I still like to pretend to bite Bridger, like when a baby is so chubby that you just have to bite him. I was chewing on his pudgy little arm when he said, "I don't want you to make me into a gummy worm. I don't want you to make me into a food."

When Bridger comes in to snuggle in the early morning, I squeeze him good. He tells me not to squish him, so I tell him if he's in my bed he gets squished, or he can go back to his own bed. "Ok, you can squish me."

Chinnie tells me she has 7 loose teeth.

"Daddy, there's a lake of milk on the table!" -Chinnie

Bad words

2011-09-18T08:11:00.001-07:00

A: Do any kids at your school say bad words?
N: Yes
What does it start with?
"N"
(gasp!) What did they say?!
Knife

First Crush

2011-09-17T05:27:00.001-07:00

"There are 2 Ethans in my class. Ethan M. and Ethan H. Ethan M. is cute. Ethan H. is the cutest in my class. He's really really really really really REALLY cute!"

She tied Ethan H's shoes for him. He said thank you.

She said she was going to tell him he was the cutest, and he would say thank you. I can't bring myself to follow up on that. I don't want to encourage this "relationship" by asking too many questions, but I still want to know what happens with this little romance. Is it time to give the, no boyfriends until you're 16, talk?

I'm just glad she isn't calling him "beautiful" like she did the full grown man on a movie she watched.

She lost it

2011-09-10T13:10:00.001-07:00

The tooth came out! It's the first time the tooth fairy will be coming here.

This is also the day Chinnie learned how to start out herself on a two wheeled bike.

B Man's first day

2011-09-10T07:07:00.001-07:00

Bridger had a great first day at preschool! He had to take his backpack and his lunchbox, though there was no need. He had no problem leaving me or sister, which is a little surprising because he never goes anywhere alone.

But he loved his first day! His teacher, Miss Melissa, said he had no patience for coloring, which is SO Bridger. He talked about his bike and matching black helmet during introductions. He loved all the songs.

He had told us so many fun details. We didn't expect our boy to be more talkative than our daughter, but he sure is!

The only bad part of preschool for Bridger is that it's only two days per week. He wishes it was as often as kindergarten.

Pictures coming soon

So much...can't keep up

2011-09-08T22:52:00.001-07:00

Shoe tying. Loose teeth. Bike riding (no training wheels). Kindergarten starting. Rope jumping. Phone number memorizing.

Why can't this girl just slow down for a second! Stay little for a few minutes longer please.

P.S. Just found out that chini in hindi means sugar. How cute is that for a nick name? And she made it up when uncle Isaiah was in India!

First day of kindergarten

2011-08-29T20:35:00.001-07:00

Natalynn was overcome with excitement this morning to start school. She was singing in the shower (audio recording available upon request) "I'm going to kindergarten woo hoo!"

She really wanted to take the bus, so I followed along. They let the parents come in for introductions and backpack show and tell. http://www.vimeo.com/28786076

She loved her first day and told us so many details. This is huge for Natalynn because she keeps things to herself.

She made 3 friends, but doesn't know their names yet. She shared her cheese stick and got a cheeto in return. her snacks took up all the playground time so tomorrow she wants only half of a peach. She played computer games involving mice and the "destruction" of a house.

Today was a great day and she can't believe that she gets to go back "every day except Saturday and Sunday!"

Meanwhile, Bridger and I got to have a mommy-son date. We watched sister get off the bus and the show and tell, then went to Wheeler Farm for bike rides, playground, and animal fun. As sister was driving away he said he "really loves Natalynn" and in the car he said nobody was in there. Apparently, I'm nobody.

Daddy made sure to be there to see her get on and off the bus, which brought his work time from 12 hours down to a piddley 8. Such a cute daddy.

Bridger was getting a bit annoyed with all the kindergarten talk, and REALLY wants to start preschool. We tried to talk up our fun outing. He is a blast to hang out with. We took his bike to Wheeler Farm. He got to call the shots and made plenty of opportunities to get little bits of his snack out of his new police car lunch box while at the farm. Love that boy.

Allergies

2011-08-25T05:55:00.001-07:00

Bridger was eating candy and coughing. "I got another bless you. I think I'm allergic to candy." Then he keeps eating candy.

July 2011

Natalynn's creativity shows when she has forgotten the name of something. For example, "eye peel" instead of eye lid.

Funny girl

2011-08-24T10:06:00.001-07:00

She wants to keep hair, teeth, peach pits, and the latest, fingernail clippings. Can't say I'm surprised, I used to collect candy wrappers.

Farm country

2011-08-23T13:17:00.001-07:00

Went to thanksgiving point today with Ethan and Leslie. Had a blast!

Compare and Contrast

2011-08-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

Natalynn eats with her hands.

Bridger eats with a spoon or fork. Always.

Very first lose tooth

2011-08-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

On the morning that Natalynn realized she had her first lose tooth she could not stop talking about it. This was the girl who was pulling at her teeth so she could have loose teeth like her friends. She was running throughout the house saying, "I finally have a loose tooth!" If she hadn't mentioned it in a while she'd say, "I almost forgot about my loose tooth!" Greatest day ever!

Zoo

2011-08-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Dinosaurs were at the zoo this year. They're life sized. They move and make noise. Some spit water!

Elijah got picked to volunteer in the bird show!

Rain, Rain, Rain.

2011-08-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

This year has been crazy for rain. We've had the most beautiful lightning storms and the most exciting downpours. Afterwards the kids like to play in the puddles

And play with snails

And just be silly

I love you playdough

2011-08-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

July

2011-07-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Fort Building

Scripture study

"Call me Sparkle Head" Natalynn wears everything sparkly that she can find. Including the nails.

Natalynn makes her first peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. One for her, one for Bridger. No permission asked, no messes made. She even put away the jelly and pb.

Natalynn made this house herself by following the directions.

Wacky Wednesday

2011-07-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

It all began with that shoe on the wall. A shoe on a wall...? Shouldn't be there at all!

Then I looked up. And I said, "Oh, MAN!"

And that's how Wacky Wednesday began.

A shirt on a chair

A hat without hair. Trains without tracks, That's what it lacks

Smiles abound...

Monkeys all around.

Wacky wednesday was gone when I counted them all, and I even got rid of the shoe on the wall.

This is what I woke up to. The kids thought they were so clever! Check out this fantastic book at your library and you too will wake up to a Wacky Wednesday. Or in my case, Thursday.

Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss

Pioneer Day

2011-07-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Parade!

Alexis and Kaitlyn

Ethan!

Firework face painting, unicorn balloon and pink hair. Can life get any better?

Mining for gold, just like the early settlers.

Flashback!

2011-07-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

The cutest facial expressions in the world, Bridger at about 3 months. Check it.
www.vimeo.com/26398136

Yellowstone Poem

2011-07-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

http://pennygardner.edu.glogster.com/yellowstone-poem/

June

2011-06-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

Bridger and Elijah

Natalynn likes to collect things of the same color. Today she chose black and whiteDer Brigder, I luv you. I think you ar tha best bruthur. Luve Natalynn Natalynn was her usual busy self today. Coloring, cutting, taping. I didn't think anything of it until she brought forth her creation. It is Mommy, with a speech bubble "Yum" and musical notes to show me singing. I'm holding a flower and a candy. Complete with Jolie the fly, sun, hair bow, grass, and a house.

http://vimeo.com/28460214

We discovered a wonderful old movie called The Red Balloon. It's about a boy who finds a red balloon and it becomes his friend. It follows him and plays with him. The kids found it very funny. I highly recommend it.

Friday's Staycation

2011-06-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

We went to Timpanogos Cave with Stetson. The kids have often talked of climbing a mountain. In their imaginations we walk straight up, and might fall off. So this was an educational experience.

Natalynn thought this looked like something. I can't remember what. She loved to stop and look at every rock, flower and bug. It took a while.

A group of webelo scouts went up right before us and our kids kept pace. Sometimes passing them, sometimes being passed. Both Natalynn and Bridger walked the whole way.

Natalynn said this looked like a bunny. So we had to get a picture!

Wow! We're up so high!This picture belongs in Tuesday's staycation post. Oops. Someone tell me how to delete pictures!

We made it to the top!

Awesome formations.

Seeing the wildlife

We love uncle Stetson. One rule we had was that both little ones had to be holding a grown up hand, and they had to walk on the inside. Stetson counted as a grown up when Natalynn got sick of holding Mom and Dad's hands.

Timpanogos was awesome. We also spent some time at Nana and Papa's house. On the way home we stopped at Cabella's to see the taxidermy animals and the fish feeding. It was fun, the fish got to eat live goldfish.

Thursday's Staycation

2011-06-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a bit more relaxing. Started out with the "castle park" then moving right along to bike rides.

We went to the library to pick out some movies. We set up the tent in the basement. The movie was watched in tent with plenty of snacks.

The missionaries came over for dinner. Natalynn has developed quite a friendship with these cute sisters, between dinner and seeing them at a recent baptism. She made them bracelets yesterday. Sister Latu had a good time braiding Natalynn's hair and told us of her childhood when she and her sisters had to have braids before they could go to school. Sister Estavez was lots of fun too, and is Natalynn's favorite. Natalynn was super excited to wear and show off her matching dress/doll dress that she got for mother's day

We had breakfast for dinner. That night we had a sleepover in the tent.

Wednesday's Staycation

2011-06-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

Started out with crafting. We made dream catchers and bracelets. Then off to Jungle Jim's.

You would think this would be his favorite ride right? Nope, least. He went around in small backwards circles with a look of sadness and boredom. Best Friends. Finished the day off with a dollar movie.

Family Staycation

2011-06-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to stay home and play for our vacation. On Monday we went swimming, or attempted to go swimming. It was so crowded we could hardly move, so we left there after 3 hours (record time for our fish-I mean kids). Since we had time we let the kids drive the car in the church parking lot. On our laps of course. Natalynn got pretty good at parking. Bridger was in heaven.
Tuesday we took trax downtown. This was mucho fun for B Man. We went to Discovery Gateway all...day...long. So much fun. For the kids.

Where's the ball going?

Natalynn did this for close to an hour. The wheel brought a ball from the bucket, to the bottom circle and eventually up to the top. Can't figure out the excitement there, but she had fun.

This is a better picture of the cursed toy. After Natalynn finally finished Bridger did it for a while.

Helicopter!

This was a fun exibit- life sized dominos! They let the kids stand between the dominos then they would knock 'em down!Life sized foos ball. When you speak or yell it changes the sound of your voice. And life sized pool!

Clark planetarium-lots of free stuff to do!

You can't go downtown on a summer day without playing in the water!Mist!For dinner we went out to eat. The kids got pancakes. Natalynn drinks the syrup...She has now officially got a worse sweet tooth than Mommy.Quick visit to the temple My favorite tree. Reminds me of an olive tree. Just a few feet from the temple.

Finally, we went to a concert in the park, then took the train back home. What a day!

Preschool Graduation

2011-05-31T22:32:00.001-07:00

My baby graduating already. Hopefully it's the first of many graduations- this girl wants to be a missionary, a mommy, an astronaut and a farmer. I love her enthusiasm for life and learning. She is such an amazing girl. She's so generous and will often let others have what they want, even though she wants it too.

Don't forget to check out the videos. There's dancing, singing and mini-speaches!

http://vimeo.com/24572078

http://vimeo.com/24576768

http://vimeo.com/24578093

Dear Brigham,

2011-05-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

This month has just gotten away from me. I know, it's your 30th birthday on Memorial day May 30. But it's just so hard. I stupidly assigned myself for this month's sharing times and I'm still getting used to this primary president thing. Then there's Natalynn's dance performance and preschool graduation. Baptisms to get ready for, talks to give. I'm so sorry sweetie. We'll do something next week to celebrate.

But for today, the Stevens' want to go out to dinner with us. You know that Melissa and her pregnancy cravings. She just has to have Red Robin's fries. They're just so good. Thanks for being such a good sport.

Surprise!!!

We missed a picture with our good friends Sarah and Kyle. We'll have to try and re-create the moment.

Thanks everyone! This night was awesome.

May / Dance performance

2011-05-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

"I love you all the way much!" -Bridger

***

"sauerkraut" is sour cream to Bridger

***

Bridger is very concerned about rules lately. But to him, you're breaking the law. I often hear, "Is that against the law?" or "No jumping on the couch, it's against the law!"

***

I've been meeting with the Sister Missionaries every Thursday with some kids in Primary, about to be baptized. Natalynn was jealous, she wanted to see them and see their pretty dresses. When I forgot to notice what they were wearing she was very disappointed with me. So the next week I arranged for them to teach us. When I told Natalynn that they wanted to come to our house she stopped dead in her tracks and said, "So I can see then up close?"

Then later, we were eating ice cream cones (or "pine cones" if you're Bridger), and Bridger said, "Maybe we can give pine cones to the missionaries!" Natalynn's response was, "They'll think we're, like, famous!!"

***

Bridger made up a joke: What does a mommy say to a child? Hello Mr. Squishy Face!

***

This month has been crazy busy. We were able to watch another wonderful dance performance, this time to the "ABC's"

Catch the video on Vimeo:

http://vimeo.com/24514103

Chinnie's talk

2011-05-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

Chinnie wrote this talk and gave it today in Primary:

I love Jesus. He got us all this stuff. I know Jesus because I read the Book of Mormon. Jesus is my best friend. Jesus loves everyone, and so do I. The Book of Mormon is true. I'm going to be righteous.

My favorite story in the Book of Mormon is King Noah and Abinadi. Abinadi taught about Jesus. Alma listened to Abinadi. Because Alma learned about Jesus Christ, he baptized people. I love the Book of Mormon.

By Natalynn.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

On another note, Brigham asked Bridger what he wanted to talk about this afternoon. He said, "I want to talk about chicks.......and lucky doggy." (his stuffed animals) Lets wait a few years before he wants to talk about girl chicks.

Cardboard Bread

2011-05-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

The cheapest bread from Winco tastes like cardboard but Chinnie wanted it anyways despite my warning. Then she changed her mind "Can you eat the rest of my cardboard sandwich?"

Chinnie: "Do you know what air is? It's the earth's breath."

Bridger: Where is that airplane going?
April: To the airport
Bridger: Is that where they make air?

March-April

2011-04-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

Not only are the kids adorable with each other ("sorry Bigow"), Bridger's eyes are so funny when he spins. They always look behind him, out the corner of his eye.

I hope they always stay best friends

Various quotes:

"I can never forget your kindness" -Natalynn, to keep me snuggling longer

When Bridger is making a mess in his diaper, and you ask him what he is doing: "I don't want to tell you."

"Can we turn the smell down?" -Natalynn, when someone has stinky gas.

And on an entirely different occasion Bridger said, "It smells great in here. I smelled with my nose up in the sky and it smells great up in the sky."

Surfin USA Dance

2011-04-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

We've been so happy with our community dance class. This dance was a little challenging, but she enjoyed it. Natalynn is the one in the light pink frilly tutu.

I'm doing many of my videos on Vimeo, here's the dance:

http://vimeo.com/23941015

February

2011-02-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

You know those mundane tasks in life... nothing like kids to make them fun again. My sad floor needed a good scrubbing and Bridger made a game of it. Then Natalynn noticed the fun and joined in too. We had fun pointing out the spots that wouldn't come off and soaking them. Their special jobs were putting the mop into the sink to rinse. Sounds boring, but watching them try to aim a long, heavy mop up into a sink was rather enjoyable...seeing them use all their upper body strength to pull the squeezie lever...It took twice as long, but was twice the fun.

Prince/Princess Party

Kids Safety fair- forget about safety, they scored some awesome stuff- unicorn balloons, hats, necklaces...

Bridger really enjoys being a baby. One of his reasons not to potty train or sleep in his own bed. So when he saw a perfectly good infant car seat, it couldn't go to waste. Natalynn is a good mom.

Natalynn's geotrax snowman, complete with hat and brother.

January

2011-01-31T21:57:00.000-08:00

Natalynn snuck into my sweaterI love Bridger's face

My boys love their pineapple juice

Thanks for the train Nana!

Party!!!

2010-12-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

For Bridger's birthday he again got trains. Natually, he had a train party

Temple Square

2010-12-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Bridger had one request for his birthday: to ride a train. So we took Trax to Temple Square with cousin Kaitlyn

We stayed way past bedtime, but the train home was still fun for our little guy

Christmas Morning

2010-12-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

For Christmas the kids had some very specific things they wanted. Natalynn wanted a Nintendo DS or "DPS" and Bridger really wanted a GeoTrax train set. Santa hid their special gifts on the other side of the couch, and when we had opened the last gift under the tree Bridger was about to cry. Then...

December

2010-12-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Jesus, I love you

What's better than trains? Christmas candy trains!!!

Gingerbread house made at preschool

Bridger Boy!

2010-11-27T20:44:00.001-08:00

My baby has been saying the funniest things!

When the ink ran out in a marker he said it needed new batteries.

and

"My muscles are hungry."

2010-11-13T19:25:00.000-08:00

Bridger's buddy Taylin had an awesome birthday party at a gymnastics place. Brigham and I decided we have to have a foam pit in our dream house.

smile

2010-11-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

I got tired of Natalynn shouting out in public "I need to go POOP!" so I explained to her to use "number 1" and "number 2". She decided that flatulence should be Number Zero.

Natalynn: Bridger, do you want to buy a pillowpet?
Bridger (word for word): I love pillowpets but I want to buy a train because I love trains too.

Mom: Isaiah and Marie are getting married.
Bridger: Oh! Do they have a car?

Natalynn is 5

2010-10-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

We kept things simple for Natalynn's 5th. We had small celebrations with each side of the family, then on Nov 11th, because we scored free tickets, we took a few friends to Disney On Ice and had a little party

"Chinnie Chinnie Bang Bang"

Grammy comes to visit

2010-10-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today we went to my parents house because Grammy was visiting from Vermont. We stopped by Stetson's school, because they had some free pumpkins that were going to get thrown out (which I spent a week canning and dehydrating), then we went to somebody's house that had a halloween train ride. We waited in line for a couple hours, but it was worth it. Grammy was a good sport about it. She and Natalynn really hit it off. Bridger is an absolute train fanatic.

Yellowstone

2010-10-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone was so much fun. We went with Nana, John, Breanna, Dakota and Stetson. The first day we were just driving around when we saw this out our window and slammed on the brakes to look and listen. We were close enough to hear it chewing!

Both the kids loved using the "bee-nocklee-ars" to find the wildlife.

It was nice weather during the day. Through the night the freezing temperatures would make the gyser mist freeze on the trees. It was beautiful.

The kids were given a work sheet to help them keep track of the wildlife they found. We saw a bald eagle, a squirrel, plenty of birds, bison, elk, and otters.

One of my favorite things was driving through a little town/tourist trap and seeing the elk enjoying the lawn

Painting "Green Pumpkins"

2010-10-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

The kids really wanted to paint pumpkins this year, so when they saw my acorn squash, they asked if they could paint the green pumpkins. I'm not done yet!

Bread Making

2010-10-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

This was major for Bridger to get his hands dirty!

Nothin' like bread with sprinkles!

Self-Taught Education

2010-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

My feminine petite daughter taught herself how to BURP.

Grandparents Day

2010-10-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

September

2010-09-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Making treats at our St. George getaway

Do you like my tummy? It's kissable

Updates

2010-09-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Lovey the grasshopper died when we were in St. George. There were tears, but not too traumatic.

Bridger quote: My muscles are hungry

Heber Creeper

2010-09-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Bridger and I took a ride on the Heber Creeper. That boy is obsessed with trains.

He had fun, but did not want his picture taken. He was also very tired and fell asleep for half of it. Then when he woke up as we were leaving he wanted to get back on.

Eternal Bliss

2010-09-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

Because of this

and this

and this,

I get to keep this

and this

forever and ever.

Alma 37:44

For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss.

www.mormon.org

Prayers

2010-09-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

My little boy has a pretty amazing testimony of prayer. He had a wonderful lesson in church about prayer. To reinforce the lesson his teacher lost the treats and they had to pray for help. I had the chance to overhear the lesson but he still told me and Brigham all about it after church.

For weeks we've been praying as a family for Great Grandpa and cousin Ethan. Then one day we heard that they both were going to be OK. After thanking Heavenly Father we talked about it as a family. Bridger explained to us that we can ask Him for help to get better, or to find the treats. Simple faith can be powerful.

Friends and Fun

2010-08-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Just some snapshots from August.

I'm glad the kids still consider our family to be friends. I hope it lasts.

Pets

2010-08-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

Most everyone knows about our interesting choice of pets. Well, the kids choice of pets. I'll just give a background.

Jolie the fly first came to us as a fruit fly shortly before our Disneyland trip last September because of an excess of ripe pears. Chinnie named her, and I have no idea where the name came from. I'm positive she has no idea who Angelina Jolie is, so it can't be named after her.

Jolie landed on Chinnie's plate and her arm at one point when she first arrived.

Later, Jolie followed us to Lego Land, but this time she was a large, gross fly. (Let's backup here. A year before this Chinnie used to be TERRIFIED of flies. Complete freak-out-terrified.) Jolie the large fly landed on Chinnie's hat at Lego Land.

She has since followed Chinnie everywhere she goes, but usually not in the winter. She spends most of the cold days visiting her family far away.

Jolie apparently changes size, ranging from a fruit fly to a house fly. I'm ok with Fruit Fly Jolie but when House Fly Jolie comes I tell Chinnie to go watch TV and House Fly Jolie goes away.

Next, she gets a grasshopper. 'Her' name is Lovey. Lovey has been our cherished pet since July 4th. And this time it really is the same Lovey. She has a bucket, in which we keep fruit and vegetable scraps. She will bask in the sun by the sliding door and come back to her bucket when she's hungry. She likes to be held and I sometimes carry her over to the table to eat next to the kids. They pretend like they're at a restaurant.

Last night Lovey slept over in Natalynn's bedroom and Natalynn read her a story before bed. It was adorable. I'll try to get her to do it again on video.

Today Chinnie asked if Lovey would be resurrected. Hmm.

pictures and new posts back to July '09

2010-08-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

More than a year's worth...that was a lot of work!

Sendalope & Bridger

2010-08-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

Chinnie hit Bridger and wrote him an apology letter. Then she asked to put it in a 'sendalope.'

Bridger is so adorable when he's talking. If he can't explain something he'll get a little bit frustrated and say, "I can't talk about it!"

Bridger's kisses are wonderful. I love when he puts his little pudgy fingertips on each cheek when he plants a juicy one.

Grandma Davies

2010-08-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

Brigham, Bampa, Great Grandma and the kids were able to go to the zoo. Grandma Davies is an amazing woman. She has very little control of her body and can't talk but she's still so happy. The one thing she can say is Thank You.

Who was it that said, "The two most important words in the English language are Thank You"? Was it Pres. Monson?

After the kids had a few opportunities to get to know Grandma Davies they became comfortable enough with her to give her hugs and goof around to make her laugh. She loves kids and loves to laugh.

We love you Grandma Davies!

At the zoo, it was Zuri's birthday (the baby elephant). My wonderful husband promised the kids we'd have a birthday cake at home for the elephant. Guess who had to make the cake?

Natalynn wanted a picture of the elephant on the cake with peas. I convinced her that grapes would be better.

Aunts and Earwigs

2010-07-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Uncle Enoch got engaged to Natalie.

Brig: Natalynn, do you want a new aunt?

N: No, but I have an earwig!!!

Pioneer Day Again

2010-07-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

For July 24, we did the same thing we do every year: parade, rides, family dinner, fireworks. But this year we added some water fun with the fire truck.
This was one of the few times Bridger has gotten his hands dirty.

quotes

2010-07-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

It's not fun having kids share bedrooms. I don't know how people used to have tons of kids and they'd share one room. Out of desperation for kids to go to sleep we tried to get Bridger to sleep in our bed (alone), and after he fell asleep we would move him to his own bed. He wanted to be with Sister and repeatedly cried, "This.. is.. not.. my.. own.. bed."

Bad mom confession: I forgot to buckle my son and drove down Redwood Road. Bridger did not forget however, "Ah Oh mom. Car is crying. I not buckle"
(April or May 2010)

Natalynn: Maybe we're in a movie.

April: What?!
Natalynn: Maybe we're in a movie.
April: oh.
Natalynn: Are we?
April: I don't think so, do you?
Natalynn: yah
(June 20 2010)

In case you didn't notice Bridger crying, he will sometimes announce between sobs, "I'm crying."

Bridger likes to play around before a diaper change. He'll lay down every which way saying, "This way? No!" But today after a few different positions he said, "Not on top of yo head!"
(June 22)

"It's my threeth time at the movie theater" -Natalynn

"Stop spitting out your salad" (turns out she was gagging)
"My brain tried to make me"
(June 30)

Bridger has a hole in his sock:
"My put (foot) coming out. You notice?"

Bridger using broken cell phone:
"My pone (phone) ringing. I have to get it. You want to come over next time Bampa? I'll call you back."

"Thank...you por (for) helping me mommy." -Bridger
(July 2)

Dance

2010-06-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

This was just a dress rehearsal but still cute! Natalynn is the one second to the right. Makenna is one of her best friends, just to the left of her.

Tragedy Strikes

2010-05-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Natalynn and her friend Makenna were upstairs for a mysterious amount of time. I came up and found this:

Notice the huge pile of hair.

Natalynn had hidden a pair of scissors beside her bed. I've never seen these scissors and don't know where they came from. Makenna had cut Natalynn's hair then Natalynn took her turn as barber. Her curls are gone and don't look like they'll be coming back. She still hasn't shown much remorse but I have had plenty.

Movies are not always fun

2010-05-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

January 21

I totally got barfed on today. Just watching Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs with Bridger and when the machine starting spewing food uncontrollably, so did my son.

Sometime in March...

Natalynn want's to marry daddy, but I tell her he's taken. She settles for Bridger. I ask her, what if Bridger marries someone else? "hmm. nah"

past 2 years...

Bridger poops a lot.

When he gets desperate for a clean bum he exclaims "REALLY poopy now!" It's usually REALLY true.

Sometime in April...

Bridger starts using I and My. It's adorable. And instead of "wu boo" he uses "I lubb you"

Natalynn asks Heavenly Father to make her baby doll real in 3 days. It hibernates in a blanket on her bed. When 3 days comes I ask her what happened. We talk about it and decide Heavenly Father is saving her baby to come later. I suggest it might come out of my tummy or it might come out of her's when she's grown up. She's pretty confident it will come out of her tummy. But that didn't stop her from asking a friend if we could keep her newborn.

May 2

Natalynn's name gets drawn for "spotlight" in primary. She chooses pink sunglasses, and calls on kids who have questions for her

1. what's your favorite color? Red...and pink "my socks are red!"

2. what's your favorite thing to do all day? Play games.

3. who's your favorite boy? (asked by Bradley) Bridger

4. what song should we sing today? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (not exactly a primary song but when you're cute you pretty much get what you want)

Birthday

2010-04-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

The best birthdays are with my family! And I got the first surprise party of my life! It was with some moms from a playgroup. Then that night Brigham secretly arranged for a sitter and we had a nice date. Overall, one of the best birthdays.

my boy

2010-02-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

Bridger is the sweetest little thing. "Thank" is his signature word. He will thank me after a diaper change even. Running errands is a favorite activity for him, because he likes to be in charge if the keys. He will help me unlock the doors, the trunk, and hold the keys until I'm ready to start the ignition. Then he'll hold them out to me with a goofy grin. The first day of this routine, after giving me the keys he said in the cutest voice, "Nice mama." I love that boy.

Floating Mountains

2010-02-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

Last week we were driving along a road near to the mountains and houses were blocking the view of the base of the mountains. She looked up at them and said, "Look at the floating mountains!" I guess when we're driving it looks like the scenery is moving instead of the car. Hopefully there will be more to come.

Bridger's 2nd birthday photo shoot

2009-12-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love when our sweet Aunt Brieann kidnaps my kids and returns them with surprise themed birthday pictures! She takes amazing pictures!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

Natalynn asked Santa for a tutu. She was the only girl in her ballet class without one so Santa was a hero this year! The crown Uncle John got her was a perfect match!This shovel was hidden behind the tree for weeks and he never saw it! He even had a hard time seeing it when I told him to look. Men. Daddy picked out this outfit for Natalynn. He always makes sure to get everyone something himself. Me buying it is not good enough. Or if I suggest something that I want that's not good enough either. He has to think it up himself.

Bridger's present for Natalynn

This year we took the kids to the dollar store to pick out anything they wanted for Mom and Dad. We each took one kid to pick out a gift for the opposite parent, then switched. The kids were so excited. We were able to influence Bridger in getting useful items that we actually needed but Natalynn couldn't be persuaded. Bridger got shoelaces for Dad and hair accessories for Mom.

Natalynn's present for Bridger

Natalynn got cookies for Dad and a shower sponge thingy for Mom. When we were at the checkout at the dollar store she was very careful not to let us see our own presents. It was very sweet.

Present from Miss Melissa- the funnest preschool ever!

Present from Sister Dea- The funnest sunbeam teacher ever!

Cheap stocking stuffers- I didn't realize the kids don't like pixie sticks. In this picture Chinnie didn't realize it either.

Stockings

All the cousins and Ethan's first Christmas!

We love Great Grandpa!

Meeting Santa

2009-12-20T22:39:00.000-08:00

We had a fun ward breakfast and at the end Mrs. and Mr. Claus came! Chinnie asked for a tutu and was happy to see Santa. Bridger didn't want anything to do with Santa but he was ok with Mrs. Claus.

Chinnie's Birthday

2009-10-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a rockin party a celebrity named Sistow Dea came to deliver this cookie

Bronco Babes

2009-10-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Notice the football players in the background!

My Little Cupcake

2009-10-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

Yet another photo shoot by Aunt Brieann. Love it!

My favorite

By far Chinnie's favorite outfit. She will go through all her clothes to find the pieces. She'll try to wear them in the heat so I hide them in the summer.

I love this theme. She had little plastic cupcakes in the center of her hair bows, cupcake earings, and cupcakes on her skirt.

Brie said that when Chinnie saw the shoes for the first time she gasped and said, "Glass slippers!!!" They are the cutest shoes I've ever seen and really do look like glass slippers even though they're jelly shoes.

Halloween Party

2009-10-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

Ethan

Knight, Dorothy, Witch, Dragon and Baby.

Bridger did not like his costume. The dragon head bothered him to wear it. He wasn't afraid of it, it just felt weird.

I love that Chinnie wanted to be a baby this year. Outfit complete with diaper bag, diaper (not shown), a binky and a bottle.

Dorothy found the actual green witch on Wizard of Oz and had a little chat together.

Lego Land

2009-10-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Cooling off in Lego land's waterpark At closing time Natalynn had been waiting in line for this ride. They didn't have to let her on but they did. Then I realized I was alone with Natalynn and Bridger. I had no way to take Bridger on the ride and he wouldn't have been ok with me leaving him behind. Then a park worker offered to take Natalynn on the ride. He was so nice to her and really let her help with the pulling of the rope. You had to use some muscle to get up, then you let go and you float down. I think she had more fun with him than she would have if I had been able to take her.

Natalynn's "pet fly" Jolie came to visit Natalynn. She was upset about something and when I told her Jolie was on her hat she started laughing. Jolie is so nice to follow behind our car all the way to California. It's going to be a sad day when she realizes there are millions of flies.

amazing things made out of nothin but legos!
At the end of our Lego Land day Chinnie finds a pet ant. Then it dies. She tells Aunt Kathy that her aunt dies. Kathy feels so sorry for her and we have to tell her it was an ant, not an aunt.

San Diego Zoo

2009-10-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at San Diego Zoo. Man that place is huge! We got a good 2 day deal where the kids were free. I took my kids and Stetson by myself. I couldn't have done it without Stetson. He's awesome!

The first day we tried to see the pandas. That was what Stetson was most excited about. The panda had it's back to us and was sleeping. So we tried again and he was eating and facing us! At that point my camera had taken a dive in the ocean so we only got some pictures with my phone but it was fun to see.

Bridger tries so hard to keep up with everyone!
Stetson was the designated animal photographer and I think he did a pretty good job!

Beach again!

2009-10-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach twice during our San Diego visit. The first time we had Ty, Amari, Aunt Kathy and Grammy with us. The second time Chinnie, Stetson and April had so much fun being gutsy in the ocean. We went as far in as we could. A bit challenging with a four year old in your arms. We made a game by going waist high into the water and trying to outrun a large wave. Chinnie thought that was hilarious.

The only way we got Bridger into the water this time was to have him fill up a sandcastle's mote with water. Fear overcome by purpose.

Bridger was more interested in chasing seagulls than anything else at the beach.

We had a clean diaper with our belongings and when it was time to change Bridger's bum it was gone. A few minutes later a lady came up asking if it was ours. She said a seagull had carried it off. It must have been hoping for... something stinky to eat? Sorry to disappoint you birdie.

Grammy and Family

2009-10-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

We went to San Diego to see Grammy. She was there visiting but lives in Vermont. We knew it would be a shorter drive to California than it would be to VT.

On the way to California... again

2009-10-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Chinnie never sleeps. The boys are a bit smarter.

We love to stop and see GrandMary in St. George.

Beach

2009-09-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Just before hitting the road for home we stopped at the beach.

Every time the water would touch Bridger he'd run away from it and cry. Natalynn was fearless as usual.

Chinnie has a story book about kids who bury their dad at the beach. She had her heart set on it but Brigham didn't enjoy it. The things that man does for his kids. Then he was sandy all the way home. What a good dad.

Disneyland!

2009-09-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

First character she met

Stetson, Ty and Amari

Ty, Aunt Kathy and Amari

Nana's relaxing ride

As we waited in line for Pixie Hollow we gradually became smaller than the flowers. Fawn was nice but Tinker Bell was awesome! She spent so much time chatting with the girls. We felt bad for the people behind us because when she was done talking to us it was time for her to go and feed her pet bug. It kept banging on the inside of Tink's door.

Chinnie next to Goofy's flowers

Minnie was so nice to invite us over. She had a beautiful house. She had tea waiting for us and a cake in the oven!

Mickey was nice as well. He asked Chinnie to dance! Bridger was not happy with him.

"You want to ride in my car?"

We waited in an insane line to get to the princesses. It took at least 2 hours. The girls were really dedicated and didn't hardly complain. While waiting in line they made friends with other girls. Meanwhile Bridger and Brig took a train ride around the park and a plenty of other rides.

Now entering Wonderland

TEACUPS! A classic.

Bridger was not enjoying the characters at all. They were totally weird. But when he saw Pooh Bear he was all hugs.

The Pixar Play Parade was awesome!

This guy makes Daddy look short!

This ferris wheel was so scary. It would flip you upside-down.You could choose to go on the regular seats or the scary seats. The line for the scary seats was shorter so we picked it. Natalynn had no fear but Bridger was in tears.

He just woke up and didn't realize how lucky he was.

Kaitlyn and Natalynn

I can't believe it's really her!

Cars were the whole reason for Bridger's being there.

Excited for 3D Muppets Movie!

The parade was very fun. Amari got chosen to dance with one of the actors!

Still a little boy

Amari and Natalynn loved the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show. Natalynn watched it 3 times.

We waited so very long for the fireworks. It was supposed to start at 10. We found a good spot and waited for a half hour until our phones said 10:00. More waiting. Then we realize our phones are still in Utah time. Waiting for another hour... it was worth it!

Mary Poppins and Bert were funny. When they saw Bridger's fluffy soft hair Mary said, "Your hair looks windblown. That happens to me when I fly in."
Disneyland was so much fun!

Getting excited to see Mickey!

2009-09-10T16:19:00.000-07:00