HESSHesshess

Briana feeds a Sting Ray!

2012-01-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween

2011-12-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Better late than never I guess. I have been terrible at taking pics and posting them since I got prego but here are a few from Halloween. I don't know why but every year I think the face that our kids make the first time they stick their little hands into the pumpkin, is so funny. This year B was super excited to make a transformers pumpkin and thanks to his dad it happened. Aaron kept puling out the tiniest strands of pumpkin and saying "gookie." We were enjoying every minute of it! Halloween night was wonderful as well. Our little superheroes could not have been more excited. I thought it was especially funny how excited Aaron was- surly he couldn't remember Halloween's past. He ran up and down the streets all night. At one point both of our kids got a fright. A guy was sitting on his porch ready to scare people and I warned B. He took off his mask when he saw our little kids which I thought was nice. Unfortunately B got turned around and went back by the guy as a bunch of teenagers were walking up. He was teared up by the time I got back to him. Through his panting me muttered, "I think he is a real monster." Haha I had to laugh, poor little guy. Another house over and a little more candy helped him move on though. Aaron was not quite as dramatic. One house had there whole porch closed in with black trash bags and had decorated it with spider webs and all sorts of nasty things. Aaron kept looking around eyes wide open and finally said, "mom it's spooooooky." We laughed at him as well. What a fun night of treats and a few tricks!

Trick or Treat

2011-12-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

On our way to trick or treat- we were laughing at Aaron he was so excited.

Boys in the apple maze

2011-10-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Annual Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hooray, even though Chris has a terribly busy schedule right now we found an afternoon to go to the pumpkin patch. Last year we went to late and we couldn't see which was a bummer, but this year was perfect. We drove out to Santaquin and visited the Big Red Barn. The hayride took us out to the patch and apple barrel maze. Brandon and Aaron loved the little maze. Chris had to go in a get Aaron out after we had been there for an hour. Every time they hit a dead end Aaron would laugh so hard. Lucky, no one had to be rescued- we found the end. Brandon was cracking me up. He went through every row looking for the perfect pumpkin. Before we went he told me was going to pick a tiny pumpkin this year but when we got there he just couldn't resist. I told him he could have anyone he could carry- blah, whatever, you know I ended up carrying that enormous thing. Aaron was happy with his little pumpkin though. He would not set the thing down- funny little treasure. Hopefully we will get to carve them for family night. Check back to see our killer carving skills!

Brandon's Feelings

2011-09-24T19:38:00.001-07:00

Aaron doing The Elmo Slide

2011-08-27T15:31:00.001-07:00

HaHaHa! Chris and I were chatting on the couch when we looked over to see Aaron really enjoying Sesame Street. So funny and so cute!

Capital Reef Campout

2011-07-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

We took our kiddo's out to Capital Reef to go hiking and camping. It was a lot of fun. Boys are just meant to be outside. We decided that the best hike we could do was Capital Gorge. The boys were having a good time until it was time to hike back. Chris and I ended up carrying them most of the way in the heat. I thought if I stopped I really might die. There were some pioneers who carved their names in the mountains there and I just kept wondering if I really could have made it all the way to SLC. One mile hike was enough for me. Really it was beautiful and we enjoyed the time off. Capital Reef VC was neat too. They had a cute Junior Ranger program for Brandon (he got a new pin for his hat,) and they had a family fun backpack that had cute things in it to keep busy. Oh yeah I have to tell you one more thing. Brandon must have watched some show that had camping on it because he had these ideas in his head of what we needed to do- one of them was to tell spooky stories at night. Oh course Chris and I went along with it telling the least scary storied you can think of. I believe Chris's story had to do with ponies and butterflies- because my story was too scary. Poor Brandon was so scared he woke up in the morning still talking about it. HA Ha we could have told any story and it would have been scary at that moment.

Bean Museum

2011-07-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

Chris treated us to a fun day out. We went to the Bean Museum at BYU and then to Seven Peaks with some friends. Matt Meese was one of Chris's mission buddies and then his roommate in college. He works at the museum now and showed us a good time. With a little peer pressure he even got Chris to hold a tarantula- Chris is super scared of spiders. Notice how he is holding Aaron's arms away the entire time. Aaron wanted to grab hold of the thing and well Brandon is hiding where his dad probably wanted to be too.

Happy 4th

2011-07-26T19:48:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th! We decided to go up to Ogden to celebrate. Chris was happy to have the day off. We started at the Riverdale parade which was great. We must have sat right at the beginning because people were very eager to throw out handfuls of candy. There was a dance group that was on two semi-length truck beds and had given every little kid a bag of candy to throw. For a couple minutes we thought candy was raining from the sky. Brandon and Aaron got so much candy that Chris and I both had to take it to church and we gave bags full to our neighbors, friends, and anyone else we saw. After that we had dinner with grandma and did fireworks with friends. Brandon was happy with the sparklers and Chris had fun lighting a few fountains. All of my pics are terrible so bummer there but oh well.

No More Rack Website

2011-07-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone check out this great website. Register using the link below and you can get a free $10 gift card. http://www.nomorerack.com/?cr=650898

Grandma Collyer's Funeral

2011-07-07T19:31:00.001-07:00

I know his eyes are closed but look at that cute grin.
So sweet! Grandpa told me I was in trouble for taking such a picture. I can't help it I love this.
My dad is so stinkin' cute. I made him these picture books from all of our vacations. He brought them with him and showed them to all of the aunts. One proud Papa I would say.
All of the posterity singing

Daddy and the Boys

My Great Grandma Collyer passed away this past month. Went went down to the funeral and met my dad. It was more like a giant family reunion. I am so grateful to know that families are forever. Grandma lived a long (92 years) and happy life.

Fish Pond

2011-07-07T19:04:00.001-07:00

This was a fun day. Chris had no school or work so he woke up early with his buddy and took Brandon fishing. B chose a totally rad transformers pole. I think it must have scared all of the fish way- to scary. They only ended up catching one little fish but Brandon and Aaron still had fun playing in the sand and water.

All I can say is Ouch!

2011-07-06T21:43:00.001-07:00

Brandon's Beans

2011-06-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for cookies or Brandon may never eat his green beans!

Brandon's Preschool Graduation

2011-06-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Brandon graduated from Airtime preschool and gymnastics last week. We were so proud of him. I didn't think it would be a really big moment for me but it was. As soon as they started singing the first song I started to tear up. He did such a great job singing songs and doing his speaking part. He told me before that he didn't like those jeans but I made him wear them. You can see why he hates them- they are to big apparently. I haven't made him wear them since. We love you B!

Little Fish

2011-06-02T15:40:00.001-07:00

The Day I Went to Sea

2011-06-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Singin' in the Rain

2011-06-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

Brandon's Gymnastics

2011-06-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

Brandon's Preschool Graduation

2011-06-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Uncle Tyler and Brandon.

Mom and Dad are so proud of you Brandon!
Miss Sanah and Brandon.
Brandon and his best teacher Miss Brooke.
Grandma that names him Brandon and Grandma that names him Monkey.
B with two of his buddies.
After party- How do you like Aaron double fistin' it? Yummy!
Maybe one more year of pre-school and he can figure this thing out.
He held onto this trophy for two days- didn't put it down at all. He was so proud!
Little cutie singing about shapes.
Brandon knows all of the days of the week and months of the year.
Brandon's teacher says he is always happy, he catches onto concepts with very little help, he likes to be a helper, he always comes in and shows everyone his t-shirt, he is the class superhero, and he likes to socialize!

Spring Family Pics

2011-05-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

Our little "Sloth"

2011-05-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Today we went out to take family pictures. We obviously got a lot of "quality" pictures of Brandon. Sometimes we wonder why we try. Thank goodness for digital photography and 8GB memory cards so you can keep snapping 'til you get a good one.

Go carts

2011-05-06T18:30:00.001-07:00

40 minutes...was it worth it?

Egg Hunt

2011-04-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! I hope you all had a great day. We certainly did. It was predicted to rain, but as you can see it was a beautiful day. All day I kept thinking about what a beautiful day it must have been when Jesus was risen. We had a lot of Easter fun this year. Aaron was so cute to watch because he is really trying to figure everything out. Brandon was a pro of course so by the time AirBear got a few eggs B had filled a few baskets. That's ok though we all enjoyed the spoils as you can see. Along with the bunny and eggs we tried fervently to teach our children why we celebrate Easter. Our FHE started like this, "Brandon do you know why we have Easter?" "Yeah Mom so we can find eggs and go to grandmas and the easter bunny comes and gives you toys and candy and stuff." Ok so we have a ways to go. I was really surprised at how much Brandon retained and understood concerning the Atonement and Resurrection. I was hesitant on how much I should go into details so Chris and I stuck to the main points and just tried to make him understand how much Jesus loves him. In primary they held up a picture of Jesus on the cross and B shouted out, "What are they doing to him? Why is he on those woods (the cross)?" I laughed at the time but now it kind of touches my heart that a little tiny boy can already feel such love for the Savior, and know that Him hanging on the cross was painful and not right. What a couple special little guys I've got!

Easter Cupcakes

2011-04-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful Easter we had! The boys and I got a little restless and decided to go visit the Grandmas a few days early. We had a great time decorating cupcakes, dying eggs, and enjoying each others company. Aaron and Brandon really loved Grandma's homemade frosting. After we were done making the cupcakes we found the bottom halves of Aaron's on the floor. He got the frosting spoon after that!

Bear Lake Tubing

2011-04-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get these pics up. Apparently I have used all my free space and I need to purchase some more. Anyways I got it all figured out. More pics and videos to come. I miss you guys so much all ready. I went to the copy place today and the poor worker got an ear full I am sure, I walked out thinking man, that poor guy knows more about my life than he probably ever wanted to. Oh well! Thanks for coming to visit us.

Naked Guy Pizza

2011-04-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

So Chris decided to get some pizza from Little Caesars today for lunch. First off, we never go there because I don't like it so Brandon has maybe been there once in his lifetime. Well he wanted to ride with Chris and when they pulled into the parking lot B looked up and saw the towel (toga) guy with a pizza. He shouted out, Yeah, thanks dad I love naked guy pizza! Now we will not go there for two reasons.

Mom and Dad Bliss Tubing at Bear Lake

2011-04-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Brooke's speed skating

2011-03-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

Another funny video. Chris wanted to get a shot of us all coming down the mountain. First there is Josh, then me, then Britt. Last is Brooke. She had absolutely no control. She just tucked in and flew down the mountain. In the video she flies past Britt, but before we got down the mountain she had past all of us despite the fact that she was the last to start. I must say that she never fell down except when she reached the bottom. On the first run down we accidentally got on a steeper hill and without control of her speed Brooke nearly burnt the parking lot. Luckily she made herself fall over. I was yelling pizza pizza; she was yelling death death. Observers were calling for someone to teach the poor girl how to stop.

First Time on ski lift

2011-03-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

So we had an awesome family vaca at Bear Lake. This video is from Sundance- it was my families first time skiing. Chris had a brilliant idea to go up before everyone else and record them getting off the lift for the first time. It is hilarious. What you can't see is how close my mom is to falling down the side of the mountain which makes it even better. More pics and videos to come.

Spider-cousins

2011-03-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Kaylee, Avery and Brooke are here. Brandon an Kaylee are having a lot of fun with all of his costumes. Here is a little sample. I really love that Kaylee ended up with the built in muscle one. We can't wait for Grandma and Papa to come and join us!

Brandon Loves...

2011-03-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

Superheroes
Diego
Red and Blue (Choose a side dude)
Scooby Doo
Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Kinect Sports- he bowled a 114
Shrimp
Getting Letters
Painting Pictures
Making little round people that include everything but bodies
Dot-to- Dots
Storytime and Reading Books
Bike and Scooter Riding
Cootie Bug and really any game
Puzzles
Old McDonalds nuggets and Playland
Sunbeams
Discovery Gateway
All 3 of his Grandma's, his Papa and his Granny
His best friends Baylee, Kaylee, Luke, and Andrew
All of his Aunts and Uncles
Play-doh
Root beer and Sprite (he has discovered that every bev that is brown is not root beer)
Sprinkle Cake
Cooking with Mom
and best of all his little brother Aaron

First Bike Ride

2011-03-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

It was 52 degrees yesterday and I finally got to take B out on his bike. He has been riding in our kitchen since his birthday. He could only peddle forward about two times and then he would get off and push it back- sad huh. A friend of ours came with her little guy and we walked to the park. Brandon was so proud. He kept asking me if he was the best bike rider ever. Naturally he is. The park was so muddy but that didn't stop the boys. We were so dirty when we got home and I'm pretty sure we all smelt like dogs but oh well thank goodness for a warm day.

Brandon's Birthday at Pirate Island

2011-03-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

My sweet little Brandon turned four! I can't believe it. He decided that for his birthday he wanted to go to Pirate Island. He had a good time playing all of the games and eating his favorite spot pizza. He really thought the pirates were cool. If you ask him about his birthday he will tell you that four pirates came out and sang happy birthday and brought him ice cream. He was amazed at the balloon man too. This guy could make anything out of balloons. Kyle tried to throw him a curve and asked for a walrus but the guy did it. Happy Birthday Brandon!

Brandons Birthday

2011-03-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Brandon was so happy! He got some really great loot, but none better than..... his new BIKE!
I tried to put the video on of him opening all of his presents but I guess it is to big. It is cute; at the end I asked him if it was a good birthday and he said, "this is the best birthday ever." He also got a Diego Dinosaur Rescue Island and a pack of Super Heroes.

Brandons Bike

2011-03-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines

2011-03-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Valentines Day. We sure did. Brandon worked really hard making homemade valentines for all of the people he loves. All of them were his ideas pulled off with a little help from mom. He loved the glitter glue and foamy stickers. Here are a few he made. On Valentines Day we went up to Ogden- Marie wanted to take Brandon to see Nomeo and Juliet. She had special bags made for the boys which they loved of course. Chris and I went out for dinner and it was so nice to sit and laugh and eat without our kids.

A Little Brotherly Love

2011-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here is Brandon's gift to Aaron for Valentine's Day.

Viva Las Vegas

2011-01-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

Alright I think all of the pictures and videos are here. Chris and I were getting a little bit antsy and needed a get-away. We tossed a bunch of ideas around and decided to save his vacation and just go on a little weekend trip to Vegas. We took his Grandma with us which was nice. We played all day and then put our kids to sleep with her and snuck out for some alone time. I was a little hesitant to take our kids to Vegas but after many hours of research I compiled about two pages of family friendly things to do along with location and price. I was pretty proud of my list. We didn't get to do all of it but we were busy from sunrise to well past bedtime. It was a fantastic little getaway and can I just mention it was 75 degrees in January- beautiful!

Fremont Street

2011-01-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry this picture is not very good but it is all we got. Chris decided to take us down Fremont Street one night. LG made this huge panel that goes over about four blocks. There are so many lights it looks like day. Pretty much there are just a bunch of souvenir shops there and a few casinos. We happened upon this little Diego BOY doll in one of the shops. Aaron loves Diego. He sings the song and plays with his little Diego house all of the time. I handed him the doll and he was so happy. He hugged it all the way down the street.

Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden

2011-01-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

This is Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden at the Mirage. It was so amazing. We went on the perfect day and enjoyed every minute. The dolphins were super active and the tigers and lions all got up and walked around for us. Even grandma found her a happy place- see the sun rays on her.

Lions

2011-01-26T22:55:00.000-08:00

Chris and the boys went and watched these giant lions while grandma and I looked for her lost purse. The boys loved all of the big cats.

Dolphins Underground

2011-01-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

Underground we could really see how the dolphins interacted with each other. It was so neat to see them play around and do tricks and flips that were not instructed. I totally recommend this place to anyone who is headed to Vegas!

Dolphins

2011-01-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

We were mesmerized by these dolphins. We sat in the beautiful 75 degree weather and just enjoyed every minute watching them do tricks and just swim around. As you can see we were so close to them; a couple of times I just wanted to reach out and pat one.

Airplane Ride

2011-01-26T22:43:00.000-08:00

Brandon on the Spinner

2011-01-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Check out B on this spinner. He was so cute trying to keep his arms up. It was way better on the little roller coaster but that video doesn't look so hot.

Coca-Cola and M&M's World

2011-01-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

M&M's world has a 3-D movie for us to watch- even Aaron enjoyed it; and of course we had to pay a visit to the wall of M&M's. Brandon was happy to choose his own colors- blue and green. The Coca-Cola factory was quite refreshing as well. We all got jumbo bevs and had fun checking out all of the themed merchandise. Funny how you could decorate your entire house in Coca-Cola or M&M's and complete a wardrobe as well. I would actually like to see that- Someone decked out in themed clothes standing in their themed room.

Stratosphere

2011-01-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Here is another one of our favorite adventures- The Stratosphere. We took our kids to the top of the building and it was so funny to see their differences. Aaron was practically laying on the window- fearless. You can see me trying to coax Brandon to just look out the window. He was so scared. We left him alone and finally when we were outside with the big fences he went and looked out. I think the pic of Chris and his mini-me is so funny too. That was not dome purposely. Oh yeah and check out this ride. Chris talked his Grandma into going on it with him. It shoots you over the edge of the building, drops you down, and then pulls you back. She had to go back to the room after she rode it but what a champ huh! Late that night Chris and I snuck out and went up to ride all of the rides. When I rode this one I was shaking so bad at the end to guy had to help me out and then my legs were trembling and I didn't think I could walk off the ride. I had tears coming out of my eyes. I was terrified- I guess Grandma did better than I did. We went up and rode the ride on the peak after that. It slings you up and then drops you down. It was pretty neat we could see really far out. Finally we rode these swings that take you over the edge and then start spinning and flip you up so you are looking down at the ground that was pretty cool too. Great fun- never wanna do it again.

AdventureDOMe

2011-01-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

This is the AdventureDOME at Circus Circus. We had so much fun with our kids here. Brandon ran from ride to ride having the time of his life. We taught him to put his arms up in the air and it was hilarious. He really tried but when the ride would start getting intense he would grab on the the bar. We got to see a couple 4-D movies, Diego and Spongebob which was pretty neat too. Aaron was not to thrilled with the rides and actually fell asleep in his stroller for half of the time. At night we put Aaron to bed with Grandma and snuck back down with Brandon.He was so proud to be big enough to sneak out with us.

2011-01-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

Brandon has decided that every yellow car is bumblebee- yes, including yellow taxi's. He saw this one in the parking garage and wanted to take his picture with it. Check out Spider-man- I guess there has not been a lot of crime in Vegas lately.

2011-01-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Yummy Vegas Buffets! I was so glad to not have to cook for a few days. I don't know why I thought it was so funny to watch Brandon cut his steak. I think it was because he was concentrating so hard. Oh, and you gotta love Aaron's ice cream for breakfast.

2011-01-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

This was the cutest park we found. I should have taken a picture of the whole park sorry. There was a cute little hedge maze for the kids to run through, slides, a few different little houses, a merry-go-round, and lots of other cute little things. The best part is that it was in the center of a huge shopping center. Chris and I took turns running to our favorite stores while our kids played.

Help!!!

2011-01-20T16:39:00.001-08:00

Hey we want to get a new camera because ours has had its day. What do you recommend?

Discovery Gateway

2011-01-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

Last year we bought a pass to Discovery Gateway for our kids. When we lived in Bountiful we went all the time, but since we moved to Springville we had not been in awhile. It was so fun to see how much Aaron has grown up. Last time we went he was pushing a little car around trying to walk. Now he was running around playing with everything. He loved to go in the doghouse and ride around on the little cars and trucks. His favorite was a red fire engine that I pushed him on for about 30 minutes. Brandon enjoyed every minute as well. He made a little friend and they had fun running around pretending to be cowboys. They would say things like "Come on partner." He was so cute in his little class too. They did a science experiment with snow, ice and magnifying glasses. It was great until he got snow on all the other kids and made all their moms mad. We had to talk about indoor snow fights. They were really sad to go and so was I. I miss Bountiful/SLC so much. It was so nice to have so many great things so close. I tried to talk Chris into going home and just packing our stuff up but he is not convinced yet. Oh well only one more year of school left.

Our Cutie Penguin

2011-01-06T21:45:00.001-08:00

I got Aaron this little penguin hat and he loves it.

Merry Christmas

2011-01-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. We had so much fun being together and enjoying our wonderful traditions. I couldn't wait for Christmas this year. I ended up pulling out the decor the day before Thanksgiving and the boys and I went to work. My tree looked lovely, especially the bottom two feet of it. After we finished decorating it I asked Brandon how it looked. He was not satisfied. Somewhere he learned that you must have a YELLOW star on the top of the tree. So we journeyed to the store and he chose the perfect star. When we got home he informed me that I needed to put him on my shoulders and let him put the star on top. So, I got a chair and put him on my shoulders. The tree was perfect. I was a bit hesitant to wrap the gifts and put them under the tree but more worried the boys would find them and I was running out of hiding spots. To my surprise they did a great job leaving them alone. I told Brandon I was worried about Aaron opening them and he said, "maybe I might open them" with a big smile. We had a little talk and it must have worked. Christmas eve we opened jammies and used skype to video my parents. We all opened their presents with them watching. What a wonderful creation. The boys were so excited about their new toys from grandma and papa we could hardly get them to go to bed. Brandon got a Handy Manny building set and Aaron got a McQueen car garage. We set out our cookies for Santa (the ones Aaron didn't eat) and Chris told us the story of Jesus birth. I think Chris and I were both surprised at how much Brandon knew. I had been trying to do things to teach B the true spirit of Christmas but sometimes I wondered if anything was sinking in. I bought a little nativity that the boys loved playing with. The pieces were glass but they had little holes on the bottom and the boys would stick their fingers in a play finger puppets. At one point baby Jesus went missing, i found him in my boot, and Mary was gone for about a week, found her under B's bed. Luckily they all made it back for Christmas. Christmas morning was everything I hoped it would be. The boys ran to each others Santa's before they went to their own. It was kinda funny because they both did it. They tore open all of their presents and I am pretty sure from that point on they believed they were back in heaven. We made strawberry waffles for breakfast- another tradition, the boys didn't eat a bite- starting to be a tradition. After that we headed to Grandma Hess's for more presents and Christmas lunch. Great Grandma makes the boys an ornament every year. This year it was a snowman- super cute. Brandon made his grandma's snowman picture frames at lowes. Grandma Hess got the boys some cute books. Aarons came with a little CD player which he loves. He carries it around and bounces. He loves all music. She also got Aaron some squeaky shoes and Brandon a monkey and a monkey book which he has already memorized and reads to us every night.

Tiny Glimpse of Heaven

2010-12-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

After having the flu run through our entire family, including myself I am pretty drained. I noticed yesterday that along with the aches and pains of this terrible virus Aaron is also getting his incisor teeth. So, you can imagine that he is still crying. I have tried everything but the little guy is so persistent. Finally I decided to turn on a CD (mostly for my sanity), I picked the little guy up and he tucked right into me. As I was spinning him around the floor watching his tiny eyes get droopy I hoped that when my life was over and I traveled through its precious moments I would be able to stand and watch this quiet moment. Then I remembered the story of a night when I was a tiny crying baby, probably much like Aaron, and my daddy danced me to sleep. I laughed a little and thought isn't it funny how things really don't change from one generation to the next. One day little Aaron will be dancing his tiny baby to sleep too. I am so grateful for such wonderful parents who taught me to be a mother. As a went to lay my tiny guy down I noticed that he had been holding a Reese's candy which was now entirely melted all over his hand and the sleeve my new shirt. I guess we will start all over.

Let it Snow!

2010-12-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

We finally got some snow! I am so excited. I got up this morning when Chris was leaving to work and there was a bunch a people form the neighborhood all up helping shovel driveways and pushing cars down the road. There is so much snow that it goes up to Brandon's waist. He had a blast. He got out his bulldozer and scooped the snow he buried himself, went snow surfing on the sled and just had a blast. His snow pants don't fit him this year so I sent him out in jeans. They were soaking wet when I made him come inside but he didn't care. Aaron on the other hand hates the snow. I put the boys in the sled to take them for a ride and Aaron screamed all the way down the block. He would rather stay under the carport where the snow does not touch him. What a weirdy! I have never seen so much snow and it is still falling. I was so excited I couldn't even go back to sleep this morning. Good thing I have Brandon to enjoy it with. I guess Aaron is just going to have to hibernate inside.

Last day of fall

2010-11-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

We were leaving church today and Brandon started throwing leaves all around. Aaron thought it was hilarious. He was laughing so hard and we were laughing at him. It was so nice out we just let them play. Chris told me this was going to be the last nice day of this year and I was totally bummed out. I hope he is wrong. We have a video too. It his on our phone but I will try and figure out how to get it on the computer. You may also wonder why Brandon is not in any pictures- well he moves to fast. Sometimes I think it would just ruin his fun if I made him hold still and pose for me. Oh well.

Chris's Buddy

2010-11-07T19:55:00.001-08:00

So this is kinda funny- Chris was out working one day and this little squirrel jumped into his van and started running up and down his arm. It turned out that the squirrel was a pet of the man who owned to house, but still can you imagine.

Beus's Pond

2010-11-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

We always love going to Beus's Pond. It is a nice little walk around the pond for our kids and they get to feed the ducks. We decided Aaron was old enough to feed to ducks all by himself this time. I showed him how to hold out his little hand and it was so cute. He was very calm when the big geese came over a plucked the bread out of his hand. I think he was a little surprised they were eating his treats. After he shared a few pieces he decided to feed himself the bread instead.

Aaron's 1st Birthday

2010-10-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

Oh my baby is one! Someone at Costco asked me how old he was the other day and I started tearing up. I bet they never ask anyone else that question again. What is it about the first birthday that is so much more special? I don't know I guess it is because they change so much in the first year. Aaron has been such a joy in our home. He has the happiest smile that could melt Antarctica. He loves to try anything Brandon does. He loves music, especially when Chris sings. He is a snuggle bug. His favorite words are no, no, no, mama, and dada. He shoots for the stairs when Chris comes home and he wants to wrestle and play. He will eat anything and he is always hungry- don't even ask just bring it. He tries so hard to walk but he still looks like a pinball crashing into walls and furniture. He cannot make it through one hour of church. I know some of you still have this problem! He hates things on his head and feet. He likes to blow bubbles in the tub with his mouth, and he loves to read stories- especially the ones that make noise. Happy Birthday sweet baby Aaron.

Rowley's Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the pumpkin patch. This is one of our family traditions. We love riding out on the hayride and picking the perfect pumpkin. I took Brandon to Discovery Gateway a few weeks ago and they read a story about a littlest pumpkin who never got picked to go home with anyone, so Brandon was determined to find the littlest pumpkin and take it home. He found this one and was so happy. Then we got back to the barn and found an even smaller one. Don't worry the littlest pumpkin has found a home! Aaron liked the bumpy ride and snuggled right into me- it was a little chilly. The Rowley's put up a cute maze but it was getting pretty dark so we opted to get back to the warm barn and have treats instead: Ice Cream, Homemade Candies, and Kettle Corn- Yummy!

Aaron's Birthday Card

2010-10-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Aaron is going to be 1 on Friday. His Grandma Hess sent him a singing chipmunk card for his birthday and he is loving it. He keeps opening it up and dancing to the music. When it stops he closes it and opens it again. It is hilarious. He waves his arms in the air and bounces to the music. Of course as soon as he sees the camera he is not as animated but you get the picture.

Tulsa Zoo Enrichment Day

2010-10-04T22:21:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun at the Tulsa Zoo. We just happened to go on the annual enrichment day and it was so awesome. The kids got to ride a camel, go on the train, and they dug for tokens that got them a free ride on the carousel. We all had fun watching the animals do their enrichment activities. We saw an elephant taking a shower and chimps playing with paper mache. The kids also got a map with different spots to get special stamps around the zoo. At the end they got to turn in their map for a special prize. Brandon chose a chimp button. It was really a fun day. Thanks Grandma and Papa.

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Fort Bridger

2010-10-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Here we go on another fun vacation. My sister Brittany decided to get married in Nauvoo, IL. Chris had never been there so he wanted to stop at all of the pioneer sites along the way. Our first and last stop was Fort Bridger. We pulled in and looked through the little houses and enjoyed the museum when Chris decided he had seen enough. The boys were enjoying being out of the car and I wanted to see the fort so we walked around the corner to it. Oops, should have gotten in the car. The man there was an old preacher of some other religion and very anti-mormon. This is what I learned. "Them darned Mormons came in here and stole this fort and then burnt it to the ground. They were trying to kill the entire American government." Oh my. I decided to just nod and move on. We just drove to Nauvoo after that.

Brittany's Wedding

2010-09-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Brittany and Josh were married on September 3, 2010 in the Nauvoo, IL Temple. Brittany looked so beautiful and we couldn't be more excited to have Josh in our family. It is so much fun to watch our family grow. During the ceremony the sealer counseled them to remember that little things they may fight over will not matter in the long run. He told Josh to remember that when Brittany says she wants something done she wants it done now and done her way. He reminded Brittany that three times a day Josh would want to eat, and to feed him. He was really a sweet man. Congrats Britt and Josh!

Brittany's Wedding

2010-09-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is the cutest story ever. Britt bought these sparkly silver converse shoes and didn't tell Josh. She was so excited and knew he was just going to think they were so great. The day of their wedding Josh's mom walked into the temple with a converse box. He had secretly bought his own shiny black converse shoes. Both of them really thought they were going to surprise the other. It was so funny to see their faces when they saw the other ones shoes. I guess they are already starting to think as one.

Brandon's Funnies

2010-08-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

So Brandon is quite a hoot lately. I always want to remember the funny things that he says. Here are a few of my fav's...

Walking out of Costco- Yells..., "Whoa mom look at that guy, he has a stick in his mouth that makes him blow smoke."
I had to explain to him that it was not cool and that it would make him sick, his lungs would turn black, and he would die. To which he replied, "I don't wanna turn black. I'm never gonna do that."

Brandon loves to do anything with Chris but sometimes he is not invited. Now he asks "Hey dad is this something that dad's can do and boys can do?"

We asked Brandon what his favorite pizza was- "The spotted one" Figure that out!

He burps and asks "Did you hear that?"

Thanks for making me laugh Brandon.

Super Saturday

2010-08-08T22:36:00.001-07:00

Ogden City has free Saturday activities during the summer. We have not taken advantage all summer so this week I decided to make a day of it. We started out at the Home Depot, went to the Ogden Nature Center, and toured Union Station. We really had a great time and we couldn't have done it with out Grandma Hess. Thanks for your help. The boys love spending time with you.

Union Station

2010-08-08T22:34:00.001-07:00

Yes, Brandon is teaching Aaron to eat rocks. We had a great time outside on the big trains too but my camera battery died. I guess we will just have to go back!

Ogden Nature Center

2010-08-08T21:28:00.001-07:00

So much fun! I don't know what it is about boys, but they really do need to be outside. We had a great afternoon hiking and playing and eating snacks at the Ogden Nature Center. We saw a bear cave, a tadpole pool, lots of butterflies, dragon flies, and bees, we hiked to the lookout tower, saw snakes, taratulas, owls, turkeys, and many other birds.After our hike we visited the education building and I helped Brandon make a little bug jar. It was a really fun afternoon. Cool fact *all of this land was once owned by Chris's family on his grandmothers side. So, it had a little bit of a historical value as well. Notice the picture of Brandon and Grandma Hess. See how the trees look dark in the middle. We were walking up the path and Brandon must have noticed the darkness ahead. It was so funny because his little hand just creeped up to hers. I could tell he was getting a little bit nervous.

Brandon's Kisses

2010-08-08T21:18:00.001-07:00

This is so cute. Brandon's Grandmas are so special to him.

Home Depot Fun

2010-08-08T21:08:00.001-07:00

So I know I have posted about Home Depot before but Brandon's face is so funny and Chris got such a kick out of the tattoo artist. If you don't know already Home Depot does a free kids building workshop the first week of every month. Well this month after you did your project they had this guy there that would do face painting, or arm painting. Brandon chose a red giant robot. I didn't even notice the guys tattoo when I was there but when Chris saw the picture he started laughing hysterically. Notice the huge tattoo on his arm. I guess Brandon has had his first artwork done. Great lesson mom!

Chuck E Cheese

2010-08-08T20:45:00.001-07:00

Our friends invited us to go to Chuck E Cheese. I tried to convince myself it was a waste of money, but I couldn't. This place is full of exciting childhood memories for me. Worth every penny! Brandon had a great time playing all of the games. I had to remind myself once that the tokens were for him and that I didn't need to win the 1000 point prize. J/K! Seriously though he was a blast to watch. He liked all of the machines that would draw his picture too. He wasn't quite tall enough so I had to hold him up and he is a bit crooked in all of them- oh well. My favorite part was watching he and Aaron play. They had so much fun on the little car rides. Brandon was teaching Aaron how to push the buttons and Aaron was loving every minute. I love watching these two together. They really are best buds.

Casa Bonita

2010-08-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well here it is- the end of our trip. CASA BONITA! You have to know that Chris was super excited to eat here. We pulled up after a long day at Elitch Gardens and the place was in a strip mall- no not a nice one. I think we were all thinking "is this really the place." However, we were not disappointed when we went inside. Note: The food tastes like an 88 cent Banquet Mexican dinner, but the entertainment, service, and sites were worth the trip.

Rafting at Clear Creek

2010-08-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here we are rafting on Clear Creek. We had so much fun. The water was freezing so lucky nobody fell in. The boys had fun splashing other rafts along the way and even made a special friend along the banks of the creek! The girls trip was full of screams every time we went over even the tiniest rapid. Overall it was a great time and something we all look forward to doing again. Oh and check out the view. We were in some really gorgeous spots.

Lazy River at Elitch Gardens

2010-08-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

After a long HOT day we all decided to take a ride on the lazy river. As you can see some were a little more lazy than others. We took these pictures with a water camera so don't mind the poor quality.

Elitch Gardens

2010-07-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

So I was waiting to post these pictures so all of our trip activities could be in order, but I still have not gotten our water cameras developed. Film and developing is such a hassle. Anyways these are from the day we all went to Elitch Gardens. Cute! We didn't get very many pictures- I think there are a few on the waterproof cameras actually. I'll let you know.

Seagull Books

2010-07-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

So maybe everyone already knows this, but if you don't and you love to read to your kids, it's time you do. Seagull books always has kids books in the very back for super cheap. Every time I go in there I am amazed. They have board books, New York Times bestsellers, coloring books, baby cloth books, lift the flaps, holiday/seasonal books, religious books, and other neat activities. I got a four pack of acrylic paint for Brandon for $0.79. The Daddies Give you Horsey Rides book lists at $15.95 Seagull price $3.99. I Love You Mommy (board book) $1.99. CareBears $0.99. I think you get the point.

Aaron's 1st Haircut

2010-07-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well I had enough of the fluff. I decided to give Aaron his first haircut today. You may be wondering how I got him to hold still. I'll tell you Reese's candy has never failed me yet. Almost immediately after I did the first buzz my heart dropped. This is like a huge step from baby to little man that I am not positive I was ready to take. I must admit though, every time I look at his cute little cut it makes me smile. What a big guy.

Adams Falls

2010-07-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

This is beautiful Lake Grandby. We drove around it on our way to Rocky Mountain National Park. We had so much fun hiking up up Adams Falls and taking pictures of each other.

2010-07-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

FOuRth oF juLy

2010-07-10T15:41:00.001-07:00

I just have to say that this July 4th was extra special for me. Maybe it was because I got to spend it with all of my family, but I really felt a lot of deep gratitude for my blessings this year. I am so grateful for the freedom that we enjoy every single day. I think I often take for granted what a blessing this is.

Firecrackers

2010-07-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well here they are- all of our firecrackers.I guess you cannot do fireworks up where we were. We couldn't even find sparklers. All we could get were these little poppers. I guess our Utah laws aren't so bad after all!

2010 July 4th Parade

2010-07-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

What an amazing week we had. My family all met up in Colorado for our summer vacation. We had so much fun together. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. The week started out with the dads taking the kiddos to a parade while us girls went river rafting. We were a bit nervous to leave our babies, but as you can see they had a great time. We are so lucky to be blessed with great husbands who can run the show while we go out and play!

I am so excited to go to Casa Bonita in Denver this week! Hopefully you'll be excited for me after you watch this clip.

2010-07-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Family Night at the Bees Game

2010-06-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Bees Game

2010-06-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

So thanks to our friends Natalie and Topher, Chris finally got to go to a Bees game. He has been wanting to go since we were married but somehow it kept getting put off. Of course it came with plenty of excitement. Chris caught a foul ball in the third inning, we had our fill of peanuts, hot dogs, sodas, and other junk; Brandon and Macie were excited to meet Bumble and get their hands signed, and B got a free shirt for being in the kids club. It was really a great summer night out.

Chris's Ball

2010-06-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Handsome Brandon

2010-06-24T21:41:00.001-07:00

This one is for the grandmas. We can't wait to see you soon!

I can't help but smile!

2010-06-24T21:35:00.001-07:00

Don't mind Aaron's messy do. We were out by the pool and Chris snapped some shots of Aaron and I. Aaron was so happy and I just can't help but smile at his cute little face.

Spider-man

2010-06-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well here he is, one of Brandon's all time heroes. We went to this kids carnival and Spider-man was there. When B saw him he started screaming, " Spider-man, Spider-man, Spider-man." Of course as soon as Spiderman looked at him he got totally shy and froze up. Spider-man was kind and showed him how to shoot webs! I can only imagine what Brandon must have been thinking.

It's Finally Summer

2010-06-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hurray! I think summer is finally here to stay. Brandon had fun playing and swimming with his friends Macie and Hazel. He was a bit confused with the whole swimsuit thing. The girls didn't have to wear pants in the pool and he was really concerned about getting his buzz shorts wet. I had to convince him that's what boys do. I guess we need to find some more boy buddies to go swimming with.