George's Third Birthday

Saturday, July 5, 2008

We decided on Classic Skate for George's third birthday celebration. We bounced, skated, climbed through the "jungle," ate pizza and chocolate kung fu panda birthday cake, opened presents, played in the arcade, and braved the water slides (the boys were fearless and I was able to check number 18 off my list). Then it was off to Park City where we spent way too much money on the little miners kiddie rides and the alpine coaster. George absolutely loved the coaster and got in line with a family of strangers when we told him he could only go one time.

The first slide show picture is of Charlie as we were loading up the car. I love how important it is to him to have all his "gear" with him. This particular day he insisted on wearing the hat that adorns his head and dragging along two "baba's" one with orange juice (his new favorite) and one with milk (his old stand by). We got George a big wheel and brought it with us to the skating rink where George was able to give it a go.

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George's birthday party was highly anticipated by our entire family (well maybe not so much by Charlie) . I had a hard time falling asleep the night before because I was so excited and Paul and I stayed up late chatting about all things George. A few of my favorite things include:

• I tricking you mom.
• You beautiful today mom.
• I pee on the road? (Well maybe not so much that one.)
• I bam it.
• I George.
• No, I not do that.
• George, Charlie, Mama, Dad. We are four. We are a family.

I love George's nearly always present smile, his desire to make others laugh, and his love of fun.

Colter Bay, part II

The highlight of our Colter Bay excursion was a boat tour on Jackson Lake. The scenery was absolutely amazing and the kids were only scolded by the captain a couple of times. The kids also got to participate in the Jr. Captain Program which consisted of them "driving" the boat for a few minutes. George was immediately drawn to all of the buttons and made the captain especially nervous after he nearly turned off the boat.

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Hall-Gardner Wedding

We have been in Idaho Falls for a week participating in the Hall-Gardner wedding festivities. Darci (my youngest sister and sibling) and Jeff are both amazing people and are the type of couple that makes you feel happy inside when you see them together. I was a bridesmaid for the very last time (all my sisters and close friends have now officially tied the knot) and George and Charlie were able to participate in their very first wedding and were more than adorable in their hot pink bow ties. On Friday (the day before the wedding) Travis (my youngest brother) asked "Rachael the pretty machine" (that is what Zane calls her) to marry him and I am so glad she said yes because Travis hasn't been able to wipe the grin off his face since (honestly, I have never seen him happier). The wedding, luncheon, and reception were all so much fun. Paul and I followed Darci and Jeff and their photographer around while they were taking pictures because Paul was the unofficial videographer and I was the dress fluffer. For the last series of pictures before the luncheon the photographer wanted to go across the river and get them in front of the waterfalls. We drove over to the designated spot and climbed down to the riverbank. The photographer was able to get a couple of shots and then there was a major downpour. Darci booked it to the car and was able to arrive at the luncheon with perfect hair and make-up. I on the other hand wasn't so fast (even after I kicked off my heels) and I got totally soaked (down to my underwear soaked). Anyway, the picture of one of Darci's shoes and the dirt is when she started sprinting to the car in three inch heels and a wedding dress. The rain stopped just in time for their outdoor reception and every thing was really beautiful. George especially loved the cupcakes and Charlie loved practicing his climbing skills on the stairs and Paul and I loved watching them strut around in their formal wear.

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Darci and Jeff are now in Florida spending a week in the happiest place on earth. I am so happy for both of them and know they will make life amazing together.

Costelloland

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law just finished a huge landscaping project in their backyard and it is a little slice of Disneyland. We have had so much fun hanging out with family, playing, and even trying out the zip line. The weather is amazing and though it is a little hot during the day (I'm not complaining) the evenings could not be more perfect.

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p.s. This is the same family that built a slide to go from their upstairs playroom to their kitchen on the main floor.

Happy Birthday Charlie Boy

Charlie has the most amazingly hearty laugh and a funny, gentle personality. I love him more each day and am so grateful for the joy he brings into my life. Though it is cliché to say, it is difficult to believe that it was just one year ago today that Charlie joined our family and I had the opportunity of welcoming him into my life. Tonight Charlie had a fun birthday party with his cousins and got to dig into the traditional 1st birthday smash cake. When Charlie saw all the decorations we put up for his party he stared in wonder and then just kept saying, "wee, wee."

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rub-a-dub-chub

Charlie has been blessed with big buns which we have been told will thin out once he starts walking but for the time being he and George wear the same size diaper (size 5) which Charlie completely fills out and George does not. Tonight we got some cute pictures during bath time.

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Christmas Morning

There really aren't many things better than sharing Christmas morning with two excited little boys.

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Jingle Bells

George's preschool Christmas Recital was tonight and he was really excited to perform Jingle Bells. George has been practicing Jingle Bells several times a day, usually during "quite time," (quite time is when George plays in his room and sings at the top of his lungs for two hours during his "afternoon nap") for the past month. Paul and I loved being part of the proud, camera, and camcorder-clad parents in the audience and Charlie enjoyed rocking out to the music with his uncle Dan. After we got home George watched "The Jingle Bells George" show (featured below) twelve times before going to bed.

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ABC & 123

We just got back from a family Christmas party and there is a lot to tell as George was able to participate in his very first theatrical production, but it is going to have to wait until tomorrow because moments ago Paul was able to get George to sing his ABC's and count on video and I have been wanting to document this milestone for so very long.

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Happy Halloween

It is really quite the endeavor to get two little boys all decked out in their costumes and ready to trick or treat but we did it and once we got started George didn't want to quit.

-

our baby rhino

brown bear, brown bear what do you see...

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George loved Halloween and trick or treating. Each time I asked him if he wanted to go home he would repeat, "more houses, more houses." Charlie on the other hand was more than ready to go home after about 30 minutes at the neighborhood trunk or treat. Paul took Charlie home and I took George around the neighborhood. We had a lot of fun mostly because George was so funny. When people would open their door George would just walk past them and right into their house, especially if they had Halloween decorations our or a pet roaming around that he wanted to check out.

Lagoon

Paul and I took George to Lagoon on Saturday. The Herway's joined us (including Lara with a broken big toe) as well as Darci and Jeff and Travis and one of his roommates (who mistakenly thought they would be able to pick up on some hot chicks there). We had so much fun and are especially thankful to Dan for being such a good sport and letting Paul and I go on a roller coaster together while he watched George as well as his three kids. It was Frightmares at Lagoon so we (well actually it was me) decided it would be fun to take George through the Haunted House. While we were waiting in line George enjoyed looking at the witches and skeletons but quickly changed his mind once we entered the Haunted House. George and Scarlet were great pals for most of the day and rode together on nearly all of the rides. George's favorite ride was the dragon roller coaster and he has been saying "dragon fun" since Saturday. He has also been pretending that our car is a roller coaster and cheers as we go up and down hills and around corners.

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Farm Land

I am the first to admit that I don't love change but our recent trip to Farm Land at Thanksgiving Point got me excited for fall. I also recently purchased several fall scented candles and am beginning to welcome the change.

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ode to the end of summer

It is difficult for me to articulate the range of emotions that the events of this summer have caused me to feel so I have decided to create a pictorial ode to the end of the summer of 2007 in honor of all I have experienced.

The first series of pics are of Park City and the alpine slide with the Costello's, Judy, Scott, and the Allen's. I forgot to bring hats for the boys with us so we went into a store at the resort and came out with some crazy duds. George insisted on getting the one he is wearing which we found pretty funny. I also have pics from our trip to Idaho and Hebgan Lake including our annual trip to Yellowstone Bear World. This year we did the curator tour and were able to go out in a giant open truck and throw food to the bears. The boys loved it. I was surprised at how much Charlie liked it. He kept trying to lean further over the edge of the truck so he could see better. It is really amazing to be that close to those huge animals. We stopped in Mesa Falls on our way from Hebgan Lake to Driggs and had a lot of fun taking in the waterfall and being the only visitors there. Aunt Tyra came to Driggs with us and we did all of the old favorites. We got in one last trip up to the top of the world at Grand Targhee and on our last night in Driggs we had a marshmallow roast, played home run derby, jumped on the trampoline, and had a good old fashioned foot race (I am pretty sure that race was the highlight of Dan's entire summer). Once we got home it was a race to get ready for our new nanny and preschool. We are officially back in the swing of things so even though summer hasn't officially come to a close if feels as though it has. We have all of our fall and Halloween decorations out and have already bought costumes for Halloween. When you live in Utah you have to be prepared if you are going to enjoy the fall because before you know it you are watching the snow fall and building snowmen.

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My tribute to the end of summer includes our major events and some of our everyday doings from mid-July through the first week of September. This post wouldn't be a real tribute if I didn't remind myself of the many blessings that surround me: Paul, George, Charlie, and the amazing network of friends that buoy me up.

Noah's Fountain

Before I left for Idaho we took a trip to Noah's Fountain at Thanksgiving Point with our Eagleston cousins. Julie (Paul's sister) and her kids as well as John, Nicole and Ruby were in town and it was really fun to see the kids together and chat a bit with the sisters-in-law. I wish I had taken more pictures but I did get a couple of cute ones of Charlie and one group shot so I decided to post a short slideshow.

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By the way, I have been sticking to my new beps policy and it has been going really well. Every once in a while George will find a pacifier, put it in his mouth, and then come to me and say, "Mmm, mmm" (do they have flavors?) but doesn't seem to mind when I take it away.

Hall Family Reunion

On Sunday, July 1st we attended the Hall Family Reunion planned by Lara and hosted at my parents new house. My dad has four brothers and two sisters and all but one sister live in or close to Idaho Falls where I grew up. In fact, I have a lot of cousins who are raising their families in IF and it is always an adventure when we all get together but the best part is seeing how much my grandparents love it. My grandma and grandpa Hall are two of the coolest people I know. Grandma is a rock star. She is really spunky and you can count on her to be your number one fan no matter what. Grandpa is one of the smartest people I have ever known and looks at life in a logical, matter-of-fact manner. Growing up we did every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Sunday with my Hall grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We also hung out at the cabin on a regular basis and because we all lived in town many of us went to school and church together. It got a little crazy for a while when in high school there were five Hall girls going to the same school. I was a senior, Heather (cousin) and Tyra (sister) were juniors, Sunny (cousin) was a sophomore, and Lara (sister) was a freshman. Heather and Sunny are sisters and are actually the daughters of my dad's twin brother. Anyway, it was super confusing for our teachers and though we were all really different together I guess you could say we were a handful.

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A big thank you to Lara for planning an awesome event, to dad for paying for it, and to mom for getting her house ready.

4th of July

We had so much fun over the 4th of July and have started a new tradition of spending it in Idaho Falls. The 4th in IF is kid friendly, easy, and fun (they had me at kid friendly). We started off the day with the parade where some friends of my parents saved us a spot so we didn't have to be there at the crack of dawn, in fact we arrived just moments before the parade began to pass by their house and still had front row seats. After the parade we went to their house for a BBQ and then to my parents house for a nice afternoon nap. Then we headed out to dinner and the fireworks. Melaleuca puts on a great show every year and touts their show as the biggest fireworks west of the Mississippi. It really was amazing and we had an awesome patch of grass right on the river to watch the show from.

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I am really thankful for all of the men and women who are serving abroad and are required to be away from those they love. On the 4th I felt a huge debt of gratitude to all military past and present but especially to Trevor. He is an amazing person and I really do admire him not only for what he does but for who he is. I felt that many of the floats in the parade did a nice job of honoring men and women in uniform and it was a nice reminder of the sacrifice that takes place each day.

Grand Targhee

Today we took the kids up to Grand Targhee and rode the chairlift to the top. The view up there is amazing and we had a great time. I really love being up in Driggs and having access to so many amazing places.

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Beps

George calls his pacifier "beps" and has become unnaturally attached to it as of late. I really don't like George to have his beps except for during his nap and when he goes to bed for the night but since Charlie was born and also takes a pacifier I have lost control of the beps situation. George steals Charlie's pacifier and then takes off running so I have resigned to just letting him walk around with his beps all day. He constantly has a pacifier in his mouth and it is driving me crazy, in fact, over the past week I have had trouble even getting a picture of him without his beps (all the pics in the slide show were taken in the past six days).

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I have decided to regain control of the beps situation. I realized that Charlie really only uses his pacifier to get to sleep so I don't need to have it outside of his room and that will allow me to restrict George's beps to sleep times only. I hope to ween him completely off of his beps within the next couple of months but that is phase two of my plan. Today was day one of the plan and we had some tears but all in all phase one is going according to plan.

Paul's Father's Day

You have to know Paul in order to appreciate just how much he enjoyed his Father's Day gift from the boys, but, even if you don't know Paul and can't fully appreciate the humor, these pictures will still make you smile. Paul isn't the type of person you just go to the store and buy a shirt or a tie for so I usually try to do something sentimental when it comes to gifts and was inspired last weekend with a great idea. I gathered up a bunch of Paul's wigs, (again, if you don't know Paul that sentence sounds strange) took the boys over to my sister-in-law Karen's house, and we began what turned into quite an ordeal. I really wanted a picture of the boys together in the "Apples Brothers" wigs and in order to get the winning photo featured above we had to strap George and Charlie into a Barbie Jeep and use some major team work. I put George's wig on him and held his hands down so he wouldn't take it off, then Audrey (Karen's five year old daughter) danced in the background trying to make George laugh. Judy (Paul's mom) was in charge of Charlie and kept his wig on him and made sure that he didn't fall out of the car. While all of this was going on Karen managed to snap a few great pics. We took quite a few pictures in various wigs but I like the Apples Brothers photo the best. It is called the Apples Brothers picture because Paul once did a comedy act with one of his friends called the Apples Brothers and these are the wigs they wore. We took a ton of pictures and I have included some of the better ones in the slide show. The long blond wig is Paul's Hymfir wig and the black and white wig is some crazy Cruella Devil wig that we have had forever. These picture is sure to become family classics.

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Sweet Charlie

My sister-in-law Karen took these pics of Charlie a couple of weeks ago and I am in the process of trying to decide which one to use for his birth announcement. I also have a really cute newborn picture that I might use (the one on the sidebar of my blog) I am just not sure. Charlie really is such a sweet baby. He is so cheerful, a great sleeper, super ticklish, and has a great laugh. I love being his mom.

I wouldn't use this pic for the announcement but I love the way Charlie is looking up at the camara and I am looking down at him.

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