Merry Christmas!!

I know, I know. It's been forever. But we're all still alive and well. We've just been crazy busy this last month and half and I have zero pictures to show for it. So for now I'll just tell you what's been happening and you can just use your imaginations and picture it in your mind. I'll try to get some pictures up soon.

First, Tate got glasses. (Picture a cute little two-year-old in tiny glasses looking like he's a child genius.) We noticed a few months ago that his right eye would float inward and he'd go cross-eyed. After talking to the pediatrician, he recommended that Tate see a specialist. We took him to an opthomologist up at Primary's and found out that he's pretty far sighted so when he tries too hard to focus on things, his eye will go cross-eyed. So the glasses should correct the situation and the doctor said that as Tate grows and his eyes grow, he may outgrow the problem. I was really bummed about this diagnosis at first. I'm thinking, "How am I going to get a two-year old to wear glasses?" But he actually does really well. Unless he's bored, he pretty much leaves them on and likes to wear them. I really think they're helping him, and they have completely fixed the cross-eyed problem, so we're happy.


Second, we bought a house!! (Picture a modest home in a suburb of Salt Lake and us jumping up and down for joy.) Yes, that's huge. And we're really excited. We spent a few weeks looking, a few weeks buying, and a few weeks fixing it up. As of Saturday, we're all moved in. Of course, we still have some unpacking to do, but so far we're really enjoying having a place of our own. We are so grateful for the circumstances we've been in and where we've been able to live for the past three years. Our neighborhood has been wonderful and we have been very blessed. And we are so lucky that we have such great friends and family that have helped us through this process. Phil's parents have been amazing! They babysat Tate nearly every Saturday for a month while we went house hunting and they've spent hours and hours helping us get everything painted and ready to move in. My family has been awesome, too. My mom came down and helped us paint last weekend, and, of course, kept us well fed. She and my dad also kept Tate last weekend so we wouldn't have to worry about him during all the moving. Shane and Darcee came over for a few hours and helped us paint and clean up the house, too. Phil's brothers/brothers-in-law were our professional moving men and got all of our stuff packed up and unpacked within only a few hours during a major snow storm! We so appreciate everything that everyone has done to help us out. We love you guys!!


Third, Tate graduated to a big boy bed. (Picture Tate in his footie pajamas all curled up with his pillow and blankey with no bars surrounding him) With the move, we decided it was time for Tate to say goodbye to his crib, especially since the baby will be needing it in a few months. I was really worried about this transition, but so far he has done great. He is excited about his new bed and slept in it for the first time last night. He laid right down and slept all night like a champ. He didn't even try to get out of bed even though he's no longer caged in.


Well. I think that's pretty much it. We feel so very blessed this time of year to have been given so much. We're especially grateful for all of the wonderful people in our lives, and that includes you. We hope you all have the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year! (Oh, and this counts as our Christmas card because with all that's been going on, official Christmas cards are just not going to happen!)

Halloween Festivities

Happy Halloween, everybody! We started off the week with the traditional pumpkin carving. I always love this because Phil does the dirty work (spooning out the guts and scraping down the walls) so I can focus on creating a jack-o-lantern masterpiece. Other wise known as taping a stencil to the pumpkin and following the pattern :)

That's "Noah's Ark" on the left. And "A Wink and Smile" on the right. Tate calls them "Cry Pumpkin" and "Happy Pumpkin".

You have to turn out the lights to get the full effect.

This is our happy little devil. Tate was a little nervous about his costume at first and kept asking me to put it away. But after I explained that he got to wear these special clothes to a party where he would get candy, he was on board. He now refers to his little red suit as his "Party Clothes" and he asks if he can wear them every morning.

The black kitty that roams our neighborhood fits right in with the Halloween theme. And Tate LOVES her. So he followed her around for a while before we got down to trick-or-treating.

Now this is what Halloween is all about. Diving into a great big bowl of the good stuff. More candy than this little boy has ever seen before. He loved every minute of it.

It's a Girl!

The ultrasound yesterday went great. We got a sneak peak at our healthy, beautiful, active baby girl! We were a little surprised when the technician made this announcement, but we're so excited to welcome her into our family. I'm so glad I live in this age of technology where we get the chance to see these little babies so early on in their development. It's just so cool to see this little person growing and moving around inside of you. Amazing. Anyway. We couldn't be happier, but we're going to need some input on names because we just don't have any ideas. For now, we're calling her Baby Boo, after the little girl in Monsters, Inc. (That's one of Tate's favorite shows so when we asked him what the baby's name was, he said Boo. So we're going with that for now.) Yay for girls!

Big News!

That's right. Tate's a big brother! Well, it won't be official until the middle of March, but as you can see he's pretty excited about it already.

We used these pictures to tell Tate's Uncle Tyson, who is serving a mission in Brazil, about the big news since we can't tell him in person. We're all pretty excited to welcome a new little person into our home, and happy that everything with the pregnancy is going great. The ultrasound is scheduled for Friday, October 17, so we'll most likely find out then if Tate is getting a brother or a sister. (His Aunt Andrea has already trained him to say "I want a sister.") We'll let you know!

Li'l Punkin

Tate loves pointing out pumpkins everywhere we go, so he didn't even mind posing amid Grandpa and Grandma's pumpkin patch during our visit this weekend. Which pumpkin would you pick?

My buddy, my buddy

Our buddies Mac and Janie visited us last week and we had a fun afternoon at Wheeler Farm. The boys loved the tractors, the animals, the water, and the open space. Their favorite activity was running along the paths while the mommies followed behind. It was so funny to watch them pumping their little legs, each of them running in their own unique style.

Potty break! They just had to see the inside of the outhouse.

Going in the chicken coop. (The chickens in here were actually pretty scarey looking)

Peering down at the water. I love how they both decided to crouch down and watch the stream flow by.
Throwing leaves, grass, and dirt in the ditch. This was also at the top of the list of favorite activities.

Don't these two make a handsome pair? We sure love our boys!

Two Year Doctor's Appointment

Tate had his two year check up today with a brand new doctor. It went great. He is 34 inches tall and weighs 25 pounds. Both of those fall around the 30-40th percentile. So he's not the biggest kid on the block, but he's happy and healthy.

Tate is still not a fan of doctors, but mommy loves this new guy! He took the time to really sit down and discuss things. He was wonderful. And Tate actually did pretty well with him. Of course, just as he was getting comfortable, the nurse came in and gave him some shots. But now, except for an annual flu shot, we're all done with those until kindergarten!!! (I've been looking forward to saying that since Tate was born)

And Tate amazed me with his ability to forgive. We were in the parking lot walking to the car, not 5 minutes after he'd just gotten his shots, and Tate pointed to his leg and said, "Tate's owie all better. Thank you, lady. Lady so nice." Can you believe that? What a sweetheart.

Happy Birthday to Tate!

Tate turned two years old on Saturday, so we had a little shing dig with family to celebrate. The party had a sports theme since Tate is obsessed with basketballs, footballs, soccer balls and baseballs. He loved it. Here he is "blowing out his candles". Aka, posing in front of the cake, having an anxiety attack about the blazing inferno, while mommy blew out the candles.

Here is a little better view of the cake. It has his favorite sports balls all over it.

Uncle Shane was a big helper when it came to opening presents. I think he got more excited about it than Tate.

This big present was, in Tate's words, "Too heavy." But he managed to haul it over to Shane for some help with the unwrapping.

Here he is with arguably his favorite gift: the soccer ball. Thanks, Shane & Darcee! He has hardly played with anything else.

Birthdays are exhausting! Tate laid down for quick rest on the soft and cuddley sports blanket Andrea and Allen gave him. Thanks guys!

And here he is with all the loot. Yeah, that's him on the couch zonked out. He had such an awesome day with some of his favorite people, it wore him right out.

Thanks to everyone who made this such a special day. He had so much fun he's going through birthday withdrawal today. He's been going around saying "Happy Birthday to Tate" even though I reminded him that his birthday is over. And when I told him that the package on the table was a present we were going to send to Uncle Tyson in Brazil, he replied "I wanta present." I think this has all gone to his head.

This kid makes me laugh!

I've been a total slacker when it comes to picture taking lately, so you'll have to settle for these two pics that are a few months old. I wasn't home when Tate crawled in the cupboard for the first time, so Phil documented it for me. The second picture is of Tate sleeping with a tiny baby boy doll that he's had since he was a few months old. I emphasize that the doll is a boy because it's kind of a sore spot with daddy and I'm thinking that pointing out the doll's masculenity will help. Anyway. I thought it was funny how he fell asleep cuddling the little baby.

Tate makes me laugh every day. He does/says some of the funniest things. Last week he was having some tummy issues and he threw up quite a bit. The first episode was at 2:30 in the morning, and Phil and I heard it happening and ran into his room to find his bed and his jammies covered in the contents of his stomach. After it was all cleaned up, Tate sat calmly on my lap while I rocked him and announced proudly "Tate puke in bed." He now makes that announcement every time I put him to bed.

The other day I busted out in song while I was putting Tate's shoes on (sometimes, just for fun, I sing really loud in an opera voice . . . of course, this is just when I'm at home with the windows closed and I'm in one of those moods) and he just looked at me and said "Mommy wierd." Aren't kids great?

I want to be a gymnast!

So we have been totally consumed by the Olympics at our house. We turn the channel to KSL every night and watch until we fall asleep. Of course, I've been completely taken in by the womens gymnastics once again. I was especially excited to see Nastia Liuken get her gold in the All-Around and so happy to see Shawn Johnson get her gold on the balance beam. When I was little I would watch the gymnastics events and dream of being on that stage one day. And every four years this dream is rekindled as I watch these amazing athletes perform on the beam, uneven bars, vault, and floor. I remember when I was little I would put on my swimsuit, with a turtle neck underneath, and do cartwheels around the living room as I pretended to be a gymnast. I also remember having a great debate with my dad about why I couldn't take gymnastics lessons. He thought that I should focus on piano lessons instead. He made me make a pros and cons list for each activity. Of course my pros list for gymnastics was huge. And the one for piano was very small, with it's major con being that it was totally lame. But he forced me to be realistic and said that I wouldn't be able to do gymnastics when I was an old woman, but I would always be able to play the piano. So my dad won that one. And I do love playing the piano. But every time I see those ladies performing amazing acrobatics in the air, I can't help but think "Man, I wish I could do that."

Vacation in our own backyard

So I'm a little slow in posting, but before Phil started his new job we decided to take a vacation. Only we couldn't decide on a destination. So in an effort to avoid high gas prices and hotels, we decided to take advantage of all that Salt Lake City has to offer. It ended up being one of the most fun weeks ever. We got to do a lot of great things and spend a lot of time together.

MONDAY- Tracy Aviary and Real Salt Lake Soccer Game

There were so many cool birds, although Tate was more impressed with the animals at the zoo. Probably because birds tend to hide in the topmost corners of their cages. But he definitely enjoyed the "no cone" (snow cone) afterwards.
Tate was watching some birds peck at the ground and he was convinced they were eating the grass, so he decided to try it out. I love his little bum in the air.
I think that is a golden eagle sitting on that stump. It looks fake, but it came swooping into the bird show right over our heads.
Although the soccer game was a little slow-paced, Tate had fun. And he came home so excited to kick every ball in the house. Basketballs, volleyballs, baseballs, footballs. It is now one of his favorite games to kick his basketball across the room and yell "Nice kick!"

TUESDAY- Swimming at Murray Pool and Salt Lake Bees Baseball Game

This pool was great because it had some really shallow areas that gradually got deeper. Tate finally got brave enough to walk slowly into the water by himself.

Of course it's much more fun to let daddy throw you up in the air.

Tate was excited to hold the baseball mitt at the Bees game. He actually got really into the game and would cheer and clap with the rest of the crowd.

Of course he was pretty happy about the nachos and drinks too.

WEDNESDAY - Do laundry, pack, and get ready for the weekend at Grandpa and Grandma's- I know all of these activities sound way fun, but unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of them :)

THURSDAY- Famous Preston Night Rodeo and Carnival

So we did venture out of Salt Lake for a few days and went up to Idaho. Grandma and Grandpa took us to the rodeo and the carnival. Tate was nervous at first, but ended up loving the carousel.I'm not so sure what he thought about this huge slide. I think we were at the bottom before he had a chance to realize what was happening.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY- Parade and Anniversary Date

We all went to the parade on Friday, and Grandpa and Grandma took Tate again on Saturday while Phil and I headed out to celebrate our anniversary. Tate was thrilled about all of the tractors in the parade.

And he squealed with delight when the candy started raining down on him. He had fun hunting it down. Gutters are great places to find candy.
Thank goodness Grandma was there to supervise and keep Tate from running under the tractors in an effort to get every last piece. Here he is proudly showing off a piece of "Canny."

We didn't have a sack to collect all of his loot, so Tate piled it in Phil's pockets. Little did he know he would never see it again. Phil and I ate it all. Well, we might have shared a piece or two with the little guy who gathered it up for us.

Six Years and going strong!

Saturday was our sixth anniversary. I can't believe how time has flown. It has been the best six years ever! We've each earned a bachelor's degree, Phil has earned a master's degree, we've moved only twice, and, most importantly, we've added a little munchkin to our family. For our anniversary, my mom and dad watched Tate while we saw a play at the Pickleville Playhouse in Garden City, then ate at the Bluebird in Logan. It was great.

I just want to let Phil know that he is the best, most awesomest husband ever!!! I love you! (As previously mentioned, he won't read this so when you see him be sure to let him know that I publicly declared my love for him.)

I also want to explain my new "Back to School" background. Phil started his new job as a Counselor with Indian Hills Middle School on Monday. After having six weeks off for the Summer, he's back to school. So I thought I'd be festive and have a school-themed blog for a while.

Pioneer Day Weekend

Happy Pioneer Day! Um, a week ago. Anyway. We had fun filled weekend and we have a few pictures to share.

We started off the day with our community parade and breakfast. A fire truck led the parade, which Tate was thrilled about.

The fire truck stuck around to hose down the kids after the breakfast. Tate wasn't so thrilled about that part.

Our cute little neighbor was cruising the streets in her convertable. She took pity on Tate, who was stuck in his stroller, and gave him a ride.

Tate was invited to his first official birthday party. His little buddy Isaac turned two and had an awesome Choo Choo Train Party. The kids got to decorate their own trains.

And then push them around.

And they got a chance to take a whack at Thomas, the pinata. I think Tate found himself in a moral dilemma. He so badly wanted to smack that pinata with the stick, but then he'd see Thomas' face and get freaked out. I think he was confused about why we were trying to hurt Thomas.


Isaac was such a champ. He let all the kids play with is presents. I think Tate hogged most of them.


These are the party animals. See the cute Rail Road Crossing signs that Isaac's mom made? She's amazing. You should have seen the cake!


We had family party with Tate's Handley cousins. I'm not sure why I specified "Handley." Those are the only cousins he has. Anyway, he was kind of anti-social as he couldn't part with the basketball hoop the entire night. He shot hoops until he was tired, and then he sat down to take a break. Not far from the hoop, of course.

Evelyn riding a little airplane. What a cutie!

Selena and Tai. I can't believe these are the only kids I got pictures of. There really were twenty-two others running around.