Go Uncle Dillon!

We went to Nick's brother's JV football game in Madera on Friday. He caught this pass and then ran it quite a ways (unfortuately, I don't care enough about football to have paid enough attention to that). It was fun to be outside and supporting Dillon.


"Why would anybody watch a game would they could just watch me and my cuteness?"

Weeee Grandpa!

First Solids -- YUCK!

We took Grant for his 4 month doctor's appointment and he had only gained a pound in 2 months. He isn't malnourished, he's just very skinny. With that and the other problems he's having (or I'm having with him) -- gas and not sleeping much, the doctor recommended starting solids. I already had a jar of carrots so I started with those. Of course, more made it out than in his mouth, but it was really fun. I've since bought rice cereal and have been doing that instead. He seems to spit less of the cereal out. Hopefully it will help.

Adios Tio "Tickle" Sean y Buena Suerte

We went to Pleasanton last weekend for my step brother's farewell and for a family reunion. "Tickle" Sean enters the MTC to serve a 2 year mission in the Malaga, Spain area on Wednesday. We are all very excited for him.

The family reunion was on my grandparents side. My Aunt Judy and I planned it. It went significantly better than the one last year, except that we kind of ran out of space. It was great to see the family, especially my cousin Jo Anne, who serves in the Air Force and is currently stationed in Germany.

Happy 5th Anniversary!

So I know it's the middle of the night, but I just finished nursing Grant and was reflecting on some of my favorite moments in the past 5 (really 6+ years) with Nick. These moments are why I love him. I have a wonderful husband who I plan to spend many more anniversaries with.


1. Nick throwing Starbursts at me in a successful attempt to put me in a better mood.

2. "I'm not stopping to look at romantic things with you, you're going to propose!" (as Nick is fishing the ring out of his pocket).

3. Soon after we were married, Nick dumped water on me during a skit for a ward social (that was completely unplanned on my part). I was completely shocked but it was so fun and spontaneous.

4. Our first apartment. The cockroaches, the leaky wall, the tiny bathroom. The cool whip fight (gross picture huh?).

5. Nick sent me on a scavenger hunt for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. It ended at a hair salon where Nick had prepaid for an updo because I had been complaining that I could never get my long hair to look nice. I chopped it off instead.

6. Watching our first home be built (good ol' Arbuckle).

7. Learning just how spicy jabeneros are (we tried to pick them all out and could still barely eat the meal).

8. Walking Lily through the almond orchards in Arbuckle, and now watching her chase bunnies and squirrels in the open fields.

9. The hot air balloon ride in Napa. It was beautiful and quite an experience. The naked woman in the hot tub was just a funny bonus! (we were too far away to see anything, just that she didn't have any clothes on. A man was with her, but when he saw the balloon coming, he got out and ran inside!)

10. Watching Nick play with Lily, Bailey, Rachel, Gabriela, Ali, and now Grant.

11. Hiking in Haiti (during our cruise).

12. Our particularly fun night for our first homework assignment during Kendall's marriage class.

13. The 427 Cobra hotwheel Nick gave to me to tell me that I am perfect for him (just like that car).

14. Nick's beautiful brown eyes calming me during my c-section as he kept me in my "happy place" until Grant came out. Nick also made up a story about the sucking sounds to calm me down during the surgery.

15. Nick giving Grant a name and a blessing (crying through the whole thing), as well as the blessings that he gave me at the start of each school year and for comfort as needed.

16. Being on the boat with Nick and continuing with some of my favorite memories as a kid.

We love the grapes!

We spent the day Saturday in the church vineyard picking grapes. It was one of the biggest harvets ever! One of our four rows had almost 600 trays (pieces of paper about 2x3 feet we lay the grapes on to turn them into raisins). Most rows in the vineyard were up by 100 trays this year over last. There were grapes everywhere! We got filthy (Grant even had dirt in his diaper) but had a really good time and were glad to serve. Grant was a trooper (until about 1:00 when it was just TOO hot to continue).

Why God made Moms

Answers given by 2nd grade schoolchildren to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knowswhere the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like forthe rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out ofclouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss,but she has to because dad's such agoof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the realpower 'cause that's whoyou got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's alreadyperfect Outside, I think some kindof plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.