Ben.Kristi.Ty.Tate.Kobe

Kobe Jackson Lübbers

2011-06-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2011
7lbs 10 oz

Fourth of July (My BDay!!!!) Vacation in PA

2010-07-22T17:06:00.001-07:00

We spent the first week and a half of July chilling with my fam in Pennsylvania. Here are some highlights of our trip:

We took family pictures while we had everyone together...

Our Family

Ashley and Andy
Courtney, Sean and Emma (farmer style)

NickCousins: Tate, Ty, Emma

Tate and Emma

My grandma and her 3 great-grandkids

Emma was born a couple of weeks before Tate and this was the first time that we have seen her.
It was challenging getting all of them to look at the same time and smile and for Ty was all pictured out and more interested in his new Toy Story 3 toys. He was more enthusiastic about posing on his own. He didn't know Tate slipped in the picture.

Tate is such a happy boy!

We spent a day in Philadelphia touring the historic areas.

The back of Independence Hall and the building where the first Senate and House of Representives met and where George Washington was inaugurated president.

Independence Hall

Liberty Bell

Tate being smiley and happy. He did so good traveling all over.

Who needs a double stroller? They love riding together. I put off getting a double stroller but I definately have had times that it would be very convenient but Ty usually loves to walk on his own. There are so many cool old building with amazing architecture and detail.

Look closely....an actual Amish person. The Amish pics were taken in Lancaster, close to where I grew up.

Amish horse and buggy.

I have gotten a lot of questions about Amish peeps in Utah. I have to laugh when I am at the grocery store in Utah and see "Amish Macaroni Salad". It can't be authentic.

We went for a ride on the Strasburg Railroad.

Tate and G-daddy. Way to represent University of Utah dad! Yeah that's right...you know who rightfully got into the Pac 10. Sorry BYU suckas, go ball-baby with LaVell Edwards on how sorry it is to break up college football tradition. Jealous much. He wouldn't say that if BYU had BCS respect. (Had to throw that in there).

Anyways, moving along with our trip...
Ty looks grumpy hanging out the window because he was initially disappointed that we got on the big train instead of riding the little kiddie one. He soon realized this was way cooler.

Ok, I had a great time despite the heat and humidity but for some reason on this particular sweaty day I was a little hot and sweaty and under the obscure assumption that olden time trains have air conditioning. So here I am a little grumpy waiting for the train with my dad, mom, Tate and bro Nick because when we bought our tickets and I expressed my concern about no AC the skag (ok nice lady who may have just been menopausal and I would guess hot and sweaty as well) said something to the effect that I needed to get slapped in the face. Which now I think is pretty funny.

Ben's usually the photographer but I had to throw in a pic of him at the little snack shop (which also didn't have AC BTW).

We don't have Friendlys restaurants in Utah and I was totally in the mood for their ice cream so this was my birthday dinner out. Nothing fancy but hit the spot. Our kids did not enjoy it too much. I think Emma lasted the longest.

Fireworks at the York Fairgrounds. We have gone to these almost every year. They are so fun because there is a live orchestra playing patriotic music and you can watch them light off the fireworks. The music really makes the experience.

We came prepared with plenty of activities and snacks for the kids. Ty loves giving Tate raspberries on his tummy; it makes Tate laugh too.

Ty is always content with a bag of popcorn.

Ben got some cool shots of the fireworks. Way to use all the functions on our camera.

Ty loved the fireworks. Tate wasn't too impressed but he didn't cry.

The kids had so much fun playing. Emma just chased Ty all around.

Courtney, my mom (grammy) and Emma (which Ty still pronounces as Elmo)

My spunky grandma is always a lot of fun. We had a backyard barbecue with all my extended family.

You can't go to Pennsylvania in the summer time without a hillbilly carnival.

Ty really did have fun, don't let his face food you. He was saying "no pictures".

Nick had fun smashing into little kids on the bumper cars which unfortunately Ty was not tall enough for even with a grownup. Like carnival rides are properly regulated anyways...you take your chances anytime you get on them.

This was from the top of the ferris wheel. Ben, Ty and I rode on it. I used to love all of the spin around and upset down fair/carnival rides when i was younger. But now, maybe it was just having a little kid that wanted to jump around at the top of the ferris wheel, Ben and I were both not thrilled to be stuck at the top. Not scared just ready to get off.

I didn't realize Ben was taking my picture when he came around in front of us while riding a little train with Ty whom i was trying to get to smile...

....because when he came aroune looked like this. Ty has this habit of always falling asleep and sleeping through wherever we go. So we woke him up so he could experience the carnival. He had just got woken up and put on this ride.

We tried to win a goldfish, no luck. Those games are totally rigged. I got so annoyed that we spent so much money trying to get a lame fish. I boycotted the rest of the games. No bearded lady could talk me into shooting baskets for a stuffed animal.

Everyone just hanging out.

We have pictures of Ty all over sound asleep in the stroller from NYC to DC. He always sleeps through vacations so we have to snag a pic.

My sweet little Tate and I

Hangin With The Farnsworths

2010-07-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

I'm going back to Memorial Day to give a shout out to our peeps Kirby, Tara and their cutie little girl Annaka. We had a fun weekend at their family cabin in Pine Valley, outside of St. George. It was so great to spend time with them!

Ty loved riding on the four wheelers

Get ready for some pics of me without make up... Our kids had so much fun together. Ty played so cute with Annaka and would make her laugh.

I snagged this from Tara's blog. Us posing in front of the historic church. Which, by the way, was the coolest church service I have ever been to. The chapel is very small and they get a large congregation from all the vacationers so they set up a TV outside and you get to just relax on blankets and watch sacrament meeting. I could totally do that every week.

Ben's Graduation

2010-05-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

On May 7, 2010 Ben graduated from the University of Utah with a Masters in Real Estate Development. What an awesome accomplishment...Way to go babe!

As the graduates filed in Ben was in about the 3rd or 4th row from the back on the far side of the stadium floor. Of course he sat on the opposite side of the stadium from where I was.
So while I was waiting for his name to be called I ran around with two kids trying to get to a good spot to get some pictures of him.

Ben is going to love all of the pictures of him...

So studious

This was him giving his wise speech as a college graduate. More like "No more pictures'. Haha Ben loves when I put dorky captions.

Random Cute Pictures

2010-05-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Too much time has lapsed with my slacking on blogging so instead of trying to catch up I just wanted to post some cute pics. Hey why else do people check out blogs anyways.

I got my exercise pushing and pulling them all around in the laundry basket but then it was all worth it to have them "trapped" for some pictures together.

Ty acts so silly. He loves to take pictures but doesn't love to get his picture taken. Usually when he cooperates we get big cheese smiles.

Pics of the boys at Ben's graduation. We were waiting for things to get started and the boys looked so cute in their outfits. Great photo opportunity.

Brothers

2010-05-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

I was going through pictures to put on the blog because I haven't posted in awhile and I found pics of Ty when he was the same age as Tate. It's so fun to see their similarities and differences. Cute little brothers.

And...

Tate

8 months old

My Cute Boys

2009-11-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in awhile so I thought I would catch up today...wow it takes awhile to go through 2 months of pics... Here's some cute ones of my favorite guys...

Tate 3 weeks old

He doesn't love his carseat but he usually ends up falling asleep

Tate looks so little...I can't believe how fast they grow

Tate 1 month old

He is such a content little baby!

On a warm day at the beginning of October we took the boys to the zoo. Tate was hidden in his stroller and carseat the whole time. Ty loved the animals

Ty would rather walk than ride in a stroller or wagon but sometimes I think it would be nice to have a double stroller when his legs get tired; although Ben is the one who gets to carry him.

Ty loved the giraffes. He has a small toy giraffe that he pretends to ride around on.

Ty will be 3 at the end of December. He's such a big kid and so much fun. He is definately all boy...He loves to play rough. We are definately signing him up for peewee football when he is old enough. We are thinking he'd be great on defense...he's got a mean tackle. And yes that tough one does still love to cook..hence the toy kitchen in the background. Hey his future wife will appreciate it.

Halloween

I couldn't find a cute newborn costume and Tate wasn't going to go trick-or-treating anyways so he just got a halloween outfit.

Ty, true to his nature, was a boxer. He enjoyed trick-or-treating until he realized we were close to the park and then he just wanted to play. He doesn't even like candy so he just played with it and chucked it all over the living room and stomped on it. I guess it's a good thing that he would rather smash chocolate than eat it.

It was pretty chilly on halloween so yes that is a red sweatshirt under his "chest"

Tate 2 mo.nths old

He likes not having his clothes on, he kicks and throws his arms around

Ty still loves his blanket. Luckily we have gotten to wear he only has it at home or in the car. We had to put our feet down about taking it into stores.

It's cute because he will feel around for his blanket in his sleep. It's definately his comfort object.

Tate makes the cutest facial expressions.

I love how babies faces scrunch up when they cry.

He likes to sit up now as opposed to just being held laying down. He gets to be propped up supervised on the couch.

He likes to sit in his bouncer which I move from room to room and he watches me make dinner or clean up.
Tate's blessing day

4 generations of Lubbers' boys

Ben's parents and my parents (who flew in from PA)

Tate's little white outfit had shortsleeves so I put on a little sweater which I realized was quite University of Utah festive.

Ty playing with his cousin Zeke

My wonderful boys. I'm outnumbered 3-1 but I love it!

Everytime we tell Ty to smile for a picture he points at the camera

When we told him to sit still he pulled a "church pose" with his arms folded

Tate's used to Ty kisses by now

Tate loves chillin with his daddy

Ty was sitting at the computer playing on PBSkids.org. He is getting pretty skilled maneauvering with the mouse. I could not get a pic that wasn't silly. Ty holding his baby brother They are the cutest brothers and best friends. Tate looks at Ty so adoringly and Ty is so sweet and gives Tate so much attention.
Tate has been rolling over pretty consistently from his belly to his back for about a month now and we finally got it on film.

Our Cute Little Addition...

2009-09-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Tate Colten Lubbers

Tate was born on 9/14/09 which was about 3 weeks early but he is healthy and doing great and we are so excited to have him here!

6 lbs 10.8 oz

Ty hung out at the hospital most of our stay which was fun and he did really well.

Ty loves babies so we weren't too nervous about how he would react to his new little brother. He is so gentle with him. Everytime Tate would cry at the hospital Ty would run right over to see what was wrong.
It was nice to finally go home and get everyone settled in. Ty is such a big helper.

They are already best buddies!

5 Year Anniversary!

2009-08-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

On August 13, Ben and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary.
I can't believe it's been 5 years already yet it seems like we have been together forever...
Here's a couple of flashback pics from our wedding day

I love the way Ben's standing and you get a glimpse of my cute shoes!

I had to put this pic on here. I made Ben promise that he wouldn't smash cake in my face and then for some reason I ummm didn't return the favor.

We look so young! I don't know how Ben still looked good because this was obviously the end of the picture-taking portion because my smile is totally forced.

And what everyone wants to see...some make out action

Ultrasound pics...

2009-05-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had 2 ultrasounds so multiple pics. They are so fun. I thought I would post just a couple of them. We also got a DVD of the one entire ultrasound, pretty cool! Still not set on this little boy's name though...

IT'S A.........BOY!!!!

2009-05-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

We had our ultrasound today. We told the radiology tech the second we were in there just to let us know the sex of the baby first. We're so excited for Ty to be a big brother. He and his little brother will be best buddies! Now on to the next challenge.....picking a name!

We'll have cute ultrasound pics to come. They are mailing us a CD of pics; how lame is that.

Ben & I when we were dating. We look hot tan...

2009-03-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Random cute pics

2009-03-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

He loves to empty the clothes out of his drawers...fun when he figured out he could fit in there.

He loves to help me bake chocolate chip cookies.

Yeah, we make him lick his plate clean after every meal

Ute Parade. FOR OUR FOOTBALL TEAM. dang bball couldn't even make it through the first round

2009-03-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Ty's birthday #2 back in Utah with Ben's Fam

2009-03-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

The happy birthday boy

The cake.

Yay! His own vacuum. Which FYI has collected a gigantor dust ball!

Yay...almost done with my catch up pics and then on to faithful current blogging...hopefully!

2009-03-22T13:32:00.001-07:00

Ben, Ty, my Grandma Miller, my Dad and I
Ty and my Mom

I was just thinking about some cool things about this time of year in PA that we don't have here in Utah. My favorite kind of weather...long, loud thunder/lightning storms; hard rain pounding on the roof, crack of lightnigh and big booms of thunder. So fun and soothing to go to sleep to. Lightning bugs! I can't wait for our next summer trip out East with Ty being older so we can take him outside at night to catch them.

Scranton Pennsylvania!! Home of THE OFFICE

2009-03-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

Road Trip! We took a 2-1/2 hour car ride to Scranton just to say we've been there and take some pics. We took clips that are in the real Office opening credits. Lake Scranton, if you are a devoted fan you'll know it is the body of water Michael Scott drove his car into.

Happy Birthday Ty!!

2009-03-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

In the evening on Christmas, we celebrated Ty's birthday after Christmas dinner. He still loves his Buzz Lightyear. He's a big 2-year-old boy!

Christmas Morning

2009-03-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

I need to get caught up on my posts! Ty is taking a nap and Ben is out showing houses...my time!

So here's a couple of pics from Christmas morning at my parents. It was nice to not have to go anywhere, just stay in PJs, play with toys and watch movies.

Ty got so many fun things. He loves to sing and make music.

He loved playing in his ballpit; especially when Ben stuffed every ball he could in Ty's shirt. Ty just chilled and eventually fell asleep in it.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we went to my Grandma Miller's. Ty was so spoiled. He is the first grandchild and the first great-grandchild. It was fun being with everyone!

Our Christmas Eve tradition is for everyone to get new pajamas from Mrs. Claus to wear on Christmas morning.

Cookie Decorating

2009-01-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

A couple of days before Christmas I wanted to bake and decorate sugar cookies. I forced everyone to help; they had fun in the end!

Ashley and Andy concentrating very hard...they look happy

My bro Nick and I

Someone couldn't get their lazy bum off the couch...haha joking courtney, you look cute

...still grumpy-faced

Oh Courtney, don't smile...

Vacay in PA

2009-01-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

We had a nice long vacation in Pennsylvania with my family. We left on Dec 17th; much to my parents surprise, we told them they would need to pick us up at the airport on the 18th but on the 17th we flew in and picked up a rental car and drove to their house. They loved it!
We did most of our shopping when we got there so we wouldn't have to transport all of our presents both ways so that's how we spent our first couple of days. We hung out and saw all of my extended family. Ty did really well warming up to everyone.

Ty one of the first morning's in PA...He looks like he had a rough nights sleep but woke up with a smile :)

Our Christmas Tree Tradition

2009-01-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

We were going out of town over Christmas but wanted to set up a tree and decorations to enjoy. I had been listening to Christmas music as soon as it started playing on the radio which now for some stations is right after Halloween so it wasn't too early to get our tree right after Thanksgiving. We started a tradition that we cut down our own tree.

At the beginning of November the forest service sets a day and sells permits which I must add are only $10. We drove up to Heber and got our permit and then the Saturday after Thanksgiving we ventured up into the mountains to find a tree. We had on all of our snow gear and Ty got to break in his new snowsuit. After picking out the right tree, that actually looked the right size but we ended up cutting off a lot to get it to fit in our apartment, Ben got to drag it down the mountain and tie it to the car. It actually was a whole day adventure.

By the time we set it up and decorated we were all in the Christmas spirit.

Thanksgiving and lights at Temple Square

2009-01-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving we went to Ben's Aunt and Uncle's house. They have a fun crowd every year. Ty loved playing with the older kids. Over that week Ben's brother John came down to visit with his wife Bonnie and their adorable girls Aleyah and Lexie.

Before they went back to Washington, we went downtown to see all the beautiful Christmas lights at Temple Square.

John, Bonnie, Aleyah, and Lexie. Aleyah is making the cutest face!

Ty had fun just running around

The lights looked spectacular.... it was a chilly night but so worth it!

Not so lame

2009-01-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

So my lack of blogging should be representative of the fact that we do actually have a life and everytime I want to sit down and tackle my catching up I hesitate cuz I know there is a lot of fun stuff to post...

Well the last time I posted, I put up fun pics of Halloween so since then we've had Thanksgiving, Ben Graduated from the University of Utah (ceremony to be held in the spring but he's got his diploma so on to the next chapter of excitement, Congrats babe!), Ty's big second birthday, Christmas, the Utes dominate the season and end with an amazing victory over Alabama...i have a ton of cute stuff to post...

HALLOWEEN!!!

2008-11-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

Halloween is so much fun; I've always loved it and now it's more fun being able to celebrate with Ty...or should I say KUNG FU PANDA!

As you can see, he was thrilled to wear the head portion of his costume. He looked awesome and didn't mind the big belly but hated the hat.

He felt we were probably torturing him while we were laughing a snapping pics of him crying and trying to take the hat off.

It was Ty's first time trick-or-treating. He caught on pretty fast and though it was pretty funny that everyone wanted to give him treats. As soon as he got the candy he would quickly shut everyone's door for them.

His favorite and parent-friendly halloween treat was a bag of teddy grahams. Now that was a smart granny!
(Hey courtney I know you check out my blog...I put this on for you hehe)

We just used one of his little toy buckets and once that was full after going through one street in our neighborhood we were done! The bucket was full and we weren't overloaded with candy. Ty like going through all his goodies.

He was excited to show what he got!

Barnyard Boo!

2008-11-02T14:42:00.001-08:00

Posing in front of a sign...Ty is making a funny face because to get him to sit there I had to bribe him with treats, so he is chewing...

A couple of weeks before Halloween, Ty and I with our friends Mele and Naomi went to Barnyard Boo, an outdoor activity at Thanksgiving Point. We had so much fun! The kids favorite part was the petting zoo. Ty loved the big black sheep; but the white sheep with the black face he just spat at and told to go away.

There were cute games for the kids, pony rides, haunted carriage ride and cookie decorating (which consisted of white icing to be spread around by a popsicle stick, corny but they loved it!).

I was trying to take a fallish/Halloween pic of Ty with the straw and pumpkins but he kept throwing the pumpkin off!

Beautiful Fall Foliage

2008-10-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Friday evening Ben, Ty and I took a long scenic drive up through the canyon and down Guardsman's Pass to enjoy the majestic sites of Utah's moutain landscapes.

Playtime!

2008-10-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ty and his cute little friend Naomi are so adorable when they play together. They share so nice and make eachother laugh.

By then end of the morning, they are both tired out!

Kennecott Copper Mine

2008-10-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

One Friday afternoon we went to Kennecott Copper Mine to check it out. I have never been there before and it's one of those sites you have to see while living in Utah. We had a lot of fun! It's amazing how huge the machinery is, especially the trucks!

Fun Pics...

2008-10-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ty's just checkin out the food ads

Lagoon

2008-09-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ty riding on the carousel at Lagoon. He LOVED it! So much so that when the ride stopped, he cried for 20 minutes...

Ty's First Happy Meal!

2008-09-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

Okay this may not seem like a momentous occasion. Well maybe it does when your kid is almost 2 and hasn't had one...I would hope he is not considered deprived.
Ben and I will not claim to never eat fast food or to never drink soda but we have tried very hard to swear off it; but McDonalds is one joint we could honestly say we did not eat at.

We were on a little car trip and Ty was starving! Goldfish and raisins were not cutting it after awhile. The only fast food that carried nuggets in the small town we were driving through was McDonalds. He ate the chicken nuggets pretty good but wasn't even over-joyed by the toy. Like all tots his age it was the box that kept him entertained!

Ute tribute!

2008-09-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Could not ask for a better start to the 2008 season...
University of Utah is undefeated!
Now let's just end the season laying smackdown on BYU!

Ty is sporting his Utah apparel with a Brian Johnson jersey

Fun on the Lake!

2008-09-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ben and Rob showed off their wakeboarding skills! The boys went swimming and then we were just hanging out on the boat!

Ty swimming in the lake

2008-09-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

We took a fun long weekend and went to Vernal to visit Rob, Tevia and Traylor!
Saturday morning we went out on the lake. The water was a little chilly so I didn't venture in. I enjoyed just hanging out and being the official photographer. Ty did smile...I promise! He tolerated the nippy water well!

More pics of my growing boy!

2008-09-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast he is growing up! He is just about 21 months old. Wow the time has flown by. I think he's ready for a baby brother or sister :)

Just chillin...eating snacks...wondering why his mom snaps pictures like the paparazzi of him doing the simplest little tasks
So we haven't stressed to be big enforcers of a routine nap time. When he is sleepy during the day he lays down and puts himself to sleep. Sometimes it's once a day, sometimes twice. He sleeps good through the night regardless and that is what matters to me. When he is tired though he just wraps up with his blanket and lays down anywhere... And yes, I do usually just leave him there if that ensures he stays asleep. See I am chillaxed about some things!
Ty loves his car seat and I normally just put him in the car and tell him to climb in his seat and he'll climb up into his car seat. I strap him in then of course! But he has realized there is a more fun place to sit and as soon as I put him in the car he hops right up there.
I let him play with the steering wheel thinking that it will help when I need to put him in his own seat. No, It doesn't..no matter how long he sits up front, he'll still be ticked when you move him.

This naked boy I guess is not cold when we take him out of the tub because right when you lift him out and set him on the rug to wrap him in a towel, he takes off running. This silly face was him not caring that he didn't get dryed off and me not wanting an accident on the floor.

Wow! It's already the middle of September...

2008-09-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have so many pics to post and we've been having a lot of fun. I have finally decided to tackle The Blog!
Fun random pics from the past month...Ty sporting a flashy Christmas dish towel. As I go through pictures, I realize that I tend not to put pants back on my child. Must be laziness after I change a diaper.
I look back at this adorable pic from a month ago and do not miss the red sauce splatter over that cute smile. Ty has become quite skilled with a spoon. He actually is preferring it now. He even has mastered eating raisens one at a time with a spoon. Gogurt...sometimes a little tricky to work it up to your mouth
An hour of enjoyment from the simplest object. The top of the popcorn popper makes a great mask. (Again, no pants :))
Horse rides have evolved from him holding on and us "galloping" around. Now the trick is trying to keep him on as he tries to do a back flip over your bum or a forward roll off over your head.

2008-08-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Fairview

2008-08-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

The first couple of weeks in August Ben's family has a timeshare on a cabin in Fairview. We always try to make it down for several days.

The highlight was being able to spend time with Ben's brother Rob and his cute kids who are growing like crazy, Tevia and Traylor! Ty loved trying to keep up with his big cousins.

Ty started dancing like crazy when we put on his favorite movie, noneother than old school "The Aristocats". Who doesn't enjoy singing cats? During the last song of the movie "Everybody wants to be a cat..." He gets excited and dances around.
(Note: he does own other t-shirts, it just so happens that the one day that I took cute pics in Fairview he was wearing the same shirt as at the parade)

Ty ended up sleeping in our bed with us. I just have yet to understand how the smallest person takes up the most room.
There is a fun public pool right across from the cabin; however it is a little...umm...retro...
Ty due to the fact that he still wears a swim diaper was quarantined to a plastic pool. Amidst my gripe session which included the fact that other kids who aren't wearing diapers pee in the big pool every single day, atleast Ty's stuff is contained and he never poops while he is swimming, I did entertain the fact of just taking off his diaper and saying that he is completely potty trained...go ahead and try to prove me wrong! The last straw was the fact that when Ben just sat in the kiddy pool with Ty he had to shower before entering the regular pool. Okay okay so I am aware of cryptospiridium but come on...
Luckily, for the most part Ty enjoyed downsizing to a pool filled with barely an inch of water. I felt mean when he would stand on the edge of the big pool and want to jump in and I had to deny him.

Ben's entire reason for even going to Fairview...The Infamous Waterslide!

Location of Ben's childhood accident which lost him most of his front tooth. He hit his mouth at the top of the slide which resulted in the fracture of one of his front teeth which required a root canal. He's never been able to enjoy biting corn off the cob.

Pioneer Day, July 24th 2008

2008-08-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

What would pioneer day be without starting our festivities the night before...

Pioneer Day Eve we went down to our family spot in the evening and hung out. In the past, we have been wild and slept on the sidewalk, which is a blast! This year we opted to shack up in the back of the Tahoe since we have Ty. He slept surprisingly well amidst the hoops and hollers throughout the night.

Ty enjoying our deluxe seating.

He was still a little sleepy...

...But he got excited once the parade started. He loved the marching bands!

(Ty and I and Ty's "super" cousin Zeke!)

The parade was a ton of fun and sleeping out is definately a tradition we will continue!

After the parade, we headed up the canyon for some KFC and chillin in the outdoors.

That evening we enjoyed Murray's firework display. We were going to try to get a little closer and go to the park but decided that, due to a little boy who had had a long day and was a tad cranky, we would be content watching them from Rachel and Mark's backyard and getting a little crazy lighting off some of our own.

Ty and Zeke in their front row seats for our own fireworks. Zeke got cozy on his blankets while Ty opted to park his bum in his car seat. He loves to sit in it so why deny him...hopefully he never gets tired of it :)

Popcorn and fireworks...how can you go wrong?

By the end of the evening he was not tired at all (wink wink)

A very fun milestone

2008-08-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I took down the highchair and gave it a good scrub, surprisingly removing any red marinara sauce stains from the tray. Looks brand new! Ready to hold another little lubbers :). But, for now it has been retired...

Ty is loving solely eating from his hot little booster. Sitting up to the table like a big boy or using the cool little detachable tray.

He's becoming skilled in eating with a spoon. Obviously some foods end up in his hair, ears, face, chest...
Hence the reason he is pictured eating practically naked. Bibs are only 50% effective...half the time he wears it, half the time he pulls it off and throws it on the floor.

Hiatus...

2008-08-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't blogged in awhile...
I actually have quite a few fun posts to add.
The end of July through beginning of August was quite eventful as life goes for us. We had July 24th festivities, the annual Fairview retreat. Plenty of photo ops!
Let me catch up...

Everyday Joys

2008-07-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Mommy's helper or Cinderella??
Ty seriously loves to do the chores that he sees us doing! We must make it look fun ;)

He loves running the vacuum. As soon as he hears it running, he'll stop whatever he is doing and wants a turn. I just let him push it around the living room. Hey, if he goes over the same spot multiple times I guess it will just be extra clean. When he's sitting in the bathtub, he'll take his wash rag and wipe down every inch of the bathtub that he can reach. Perfect cure to stop a temper tantrum?--Currently, all you have to do his hand him the broom! He doesn't sweep up his dirt into the dustpan but he has to have it. And then he is content going all around the kitchen.

Our Little Chef on Kitchen Duty
Ty loves to cook, whether it's playing or helping.

When he was a baby I would sit him in his high chair and put on a very animated cooking performance; Julia Child-syle, haha.

Ty and I love to make dessert together. Our specialty?? Our secret chocolate chip cookies...delicious! So simple, the All-American cookie but we give it our special touch and the become the chewiest, yummiest cookies.

Ty helps pour in ingredients, hand mix and with parental supervision and assistance can even operate the mixer. When Ty is having his own pretend cooking fun he loves to share. All you have to ask is "can I try some" and he'll hold out the utensil with a huge grin for you to taste and he makes sure he gets it in your mouth and you don't just pretend.

Comic Relief of the Day...

So yesterday I was at work talking to Ben on the phone. Ty was playing and Ben realized that he was being suspiciously quiet. All I hear on the other end is Ben laughing and then he quickly states "gotta go and take a picture", click! I waited anxiously for his phone call to see what silly thing Ty was up to. When he finally called me back, apparently Ty had stripped off his clothes including his diaper (this has become a regular occurance with our little streaker) and climbed up on our bed and was doing his little version of a head stand...bent over with his head on the ground between his legs with his naked bum high in the air!

A New Direction??

2008-07-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

So my blog began with cute pictures of Ty and what has it turned into now? ... My own opinionated column, a gripe session if you will... I don't mean to be offensive. I guess my saying rings true..."be who you are and say what you feel"... I didn't realize when I posted that quote that I would immediately act on it!

Just a word of advise...
Don't say you will never...(insert your own words here)!

When I first created my blog I even said outloud, "I'm not going to turn this into my diary or write my innermost feelings".

Don't expect a lot of that but dang that actually felt good to get off my chest (haha!). I shouldn't even open the newspaper, I'd probably start writing a letter to the editor every week!

Common Sense is not very common...

2008-07-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

I am really starting to believe that what I argue in my own thought process as being common sense shouldn't be categorized as "common" or realistic natural thinking of others.
The inspiration for my blog today? A news article on KSL.com entitled " Leaving Kids in Car with AC Running Isn't Safe Either". Am I to be surprised by this new information? Shockingly, many ----- people are (I couldn't find a descriptive enough word to tactfully define parents with no...common sense!). A couple was cited for leaving a toddler in a hot car while they went shopping in a department store. I am starting to see that people do not naturally possess the instinct to foresee danger. When I envision this scenerio, I can play it out to numerous tragic endings. The investigative reporter also spoke to a couple with a young infant. The father first portrayed himself as "normal" saying his infant was too young to be left in the car alone; however he shouldn't have continued to run his mouth because he concluded by saying that he thought 2 to 2-1/2 years of age was a good age to start leaving your kid alone in a car. ...Wrong! If other children our like mine, they will easily be pushing buttons and playing with anything "cool" they can get their hands on if left out of their seat, unlocking the doors and jumping out. And, do we live in a world where child abduction is rare? There are freaks who look for opportunities, why make the temptation greater with your own child as bate? The article sympathizes and notes that it is more challenging taking a child into the store with you. ...Hello! That's called being a parent. Of course it takes 10 times longer sometimes to go through the grocery store and your kid has a meltdown while your waiting in a check out line behind 3 other people with full shopping carts and the cashier is talking to their friends and lazily scanning items so slow you think you want to just jump over and do it yourself (yes, we have all been in this situation)! Parenting isn't always convenient! But maybe I just possess what I considered to be common sense but this is pretty much what I signed up for when I decided to have a child. I knew it wouldn't be easy but it would be worth it to have this wonderful little person in my life who brings so much joy and happiness.
I am uptight about a lot of things as a parent and sometimes I get frustrated when I feel that people don't foresee danger the way I do in regards to my own child. But I'd like to think that I can't be that bad of a mom if everything that I deem important and a "stickler" about when it comes to raising Ty is because I love him and I am just looking out for his best interest as his parent. It's my responsibility that I am happy to have the pleasure of taking on.

The Finest Tried and Tested Recipes...

2008-07-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

My latest project is compiling a cookbook of all of our family favorite recipes. I have several sources that I create from and so I have decided to fabricate my own collection.

It's fun to go through all my recipes and organize them but it seriously makes me hungry. I have been reminded of dishes that I haven't made in awhile that I need to resurect.

My newest addition to the collection is a deluctable peanut butter truffle brownie...
A layer of brownie, peanut butter frosting and then a chocolate sauce to top it off...
How can you go wrong??

Swimming!

2008-07-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

We are definately a swimming family!
Ty was ready to jump right in the water.

Ty was a little unsure about the boogie board at first...haha he looks very concerned...
...But it didn't take long for him to love it!
Ty's new thing is saying "D'OH!" like Homer Simpson, not because he watches that show - he just started mildly saying "doe" and then we would laugh and say it more exaggeratingly. Now he says it to be funny and he thinks it is hilarious when he can get you to do it.
See the mischievous smiles when he's hitting me in the face with dive sticks to try and make me say "D'OH!"...

Ty loves to play with daddy in the pool cuz he'll throw him up and down!

He keeps his eyes closed tight but holds his breath with his mouth open... I think he is actually just yelling/laughing in this pic though :)

Ty actually started blowing bubbles in the bathtub several months ago. He got mad at me because I wouldn't let him fill up his rinse cup with water and chuck it across the bathroom floor...I'm tough, I know haha. So he started "blowing raspberries" at me and then he put his face in the water and blew out. Now he's transitioned to being a good bubble blower while swimming.

" 1...2...3..." and Ty squeezes his eyes shut and holds his breath ready to be dunked under the water for a second. I think the pictures say it all: he has a huge smile the second he pops back up...

...and just like that he's ready for more!
This is Ty singing "The wise man built his house upon a rock..." It's his favorite song right now and he does the hand motions really well.

2008-07-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

July 4th (My Birthday!) We spent the morning at Hogle Zoo...

Ty looks stylish in his patriotic apparel!
I think someone is winding down...

Don't let his facial expression fool you, Ty loved the giant snake slide! Ty's favorite animal was the leopard who stalked back in forth in front him licking his lips. Ty just laughed and thought the "big kitty" was funny.

It was a fun day! I got a new camera for my birthday; which I have to admit motivated me to start a blog to post all of my pics!

We spent the afternoon-evening swimming and ended with fireworks.

Welcome...

2008-07-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

So, here it is! I have avidly avoided the heinous trend of facebook and myspace; but now I am totally justifying being a "blogger".