Stealing Pictures

So this last weekend we had a lot of fun as a family and I forgot to bring my camera. So thanks to those that were there at some of the same activities I have (stolen) borrowed their pictures for my blog.

Brad Paisley

On Thursday night Andy took me to the Brad Paisley concert. We went with our good friends Melissa and Joel. We went to dinner at Fiddler's Elbow. I had not been their since I was pregnant with Etta because it is a private club for members and you have to be 21 and older. It has great food and tons of TVs everywhere. Melissa and I kept looking at the clock to make sure we weren't going to miss any of the show. We arrived just as the first singer "Chuck Wicks" was performing. I had never heard of him before but he did sing a song that made me cry, "Stealing Cinderella". Of course it reminded me of Etta. All daughter and son songs remind me of my children.
Next was Rodney Atkins. He has some really good songs but doesn't play the guitar. He had the guitar as a prop the whole time.
And finally the best part Brad himself. Now that boy can play. I loved everyone of his songs. Andy even knew about 10 of them. I loved being there with Andy. In the past when I had attended country concerts with my sisters and mom we would look at the couples and wish our husbands would, hold our hands, wrap their arm around us and sway with the music. And MY Andy did that with me.

Thanks Sweetie!

Hockey

On Friday we took Etta's friend Anni and her Mom and Dad(Kalai) to the Hockey game. They grew up in Alaska and like Hockey. Right when we got their the game started. The referee dropped the puck and all the players left the circle except two. One guy called the other guy out and off went the helmet and they started fighting. Crazy!
We enjoyed the game and had some yummy nachos. Etta and Anni shared some dip in dots "Ice cream of the future". It is always fun hanging out with other families.

Saturday

We had a busy day on Saturday. We headed out the door at 8:45a m. We needed to drop Andy off down town for Outdoor Retail Show and then head down to Pleasant Grove. We also needed to make a stop at the store for some wrapping paper and bows for our Baby shower and Birthday party we were going to.
We went to Nalani's baby shower. They had a ton of great food and friends. Nalani received a ton of fun baby items that should keep her well stocked up for when her little boy comes.
After the baby shower we went over to Amy and Rylee's house to help get cupcakes ready for the birthday party. Amy had made cupcakes to put on top of ice cream cones for little microphones. They went perfectly with the "High School Musical" theme party.

Etta got invited to Rylee's 5th birthday party at Kangaroo Zoo and that is all she talked about all week. So when we finally got to the Party she was off and running and jumping everywhere.

We All had a ton of fun.

And Gibson LOVED the microphone cupcakes.

We ended the night at Golden Corral for my Grandmother's 84th Birthday Dinner. With family and food we all had a great time. We even sang "Happy Birthday to you" an extra time to my grandma. My sisters just wanted to make sure she heard it in case she missed it the first time.

Etta's Play date

Etta had her little friend Anni come over a play for a couple of hours last week. They had a tea party, played baby dolls, pretended they were a singing group, ate tons of spaghetti, played indoor bowling and finished off the play date with some play dough.

A great little tea party, wants some tea?

Spaghetti faces

Get a strike! OK, I will try for the spare.

Get some microphones, ready to hear us sing?

La,la, do, da, yeah yeah yeah

Oh, fishies did you like our singing?

It was so much fun having the two girls together. But being toddlers you have to keep them entertained or they start wanting what the other one has and you get a little fight. They kept me laughing and taking tons of pictures. I even managed to take some video clips.


When Gibson woke up from his morning nap he was happy to have another person to give him attention. The girls would find toys to give him so they could take the other toys he was playing with. He just laughed and thought it was a game.


But he enjoyed eating his feet instead of playing with the toys.


Etta has a few friends and I will have to set up more play dates with them all.

First Tooth and First Dentist Visit

First Tooth

Gibson got his first tooth on Wednesday. Him and Etta have been sick this last weekend and on Tuesday they both still had a little cough. Well we came home from a play date at Jen's and Gibby had a fever of 103. I gave him some medicine and feed him and an hour later it was up to 104.2. So I got a ice cube and smashed it in a wet washcloth and put it on his head. 10 minutes later it was down below 103. I felt awful taking my sick kids to Jen's and them being around all the other smaller children. I let them know so hopefully their kids wouldn't get sick.
That night was just terrible with Gibson up 4 times and one time he through up all over me, himself and our bed. Wednesday morning his temperature was 99 and he was moving his pacifier back and forth in his mouth. I felt inside and low and behold a tiny little tooth was there. Those little teeth do a number on these little babies.

Can you see it?

You would think that I would have remembered about the fever because of Etta. I think each child takes a little piece of your memory away.

Happy to have a new tooth!

Not happy being on his stomach. He always just lays his head down. Not to anxious to crawl.


The Dentist

Etta went to her first Dentist check-up on Thursday. All last week when I would brush her teeth I made she to tell her the Dentist was going to be putting his hands in her mouth to check her teeth. I would rub my fingers along her gums and in the back and ask her to "open wide". We also practiced taking x-rays and being really still.
Thursday morning came, we bushed our teeth and headed to the Dentist. She sat really still and watched closely when I was getting my teeth cleaned. Then when it was her turn she wanted to get up on the big chair "all myself". She was awesome. They cleaned, flossed and counted her teeth. The whole staff was so surprise and just kept saying that she was the best little patient ever. She had great clean teeth so she slide down the chair, grabbed a toy and said "see ya next time".

Getting ready for the Dentist

Sitting really good during her cleaning

She even liked the sucker vac.

Best patient ever!

Gibby slept most of the time and when he did wake up they gave him this really cool teether with tooth brush bristles on the end. He loves it.

Potty Trained

I have been slowly working on potty training Etta. I didn't want to stress her out or make her scared to go potty. I started about at the first of November. When ever she would pee in the toilet she would get a lemon head even if her diaper was wet. After about 2 weeks she then would have dry diapers and would now pee and poop in the toilet. She still had many accidents and so I held off on panties. She wasn't in panties until Christmas when she got princess underwear in her stockings. She loved those. She only had a few accidents in them and was really sad when she peed on her princesses. I didn't want to use pull-up so it was a clean break from diapers to panties.

I can honestly say she is now potty trained. She tells me when she has to go pee or poop and hasn't had an accident. Last night at 12:30am she woke up and told me she needed to pee.

The deal we have been talking to her about is a tricycle. Ever since November it has always been "daddy buy tricycle when I pee in toilet". Every time she saw a bike she would say this over and over again. This last week we put up a picture on the fridge with 7 boxes that she colored in each day she didn't have an accident or if she had just one small accident. Well last night she colored her last box. Andy pulled out the tricycle and put it together for her. She now says "my tricycle pedal, pedal, pedal".

One square left, now no more squares! yeah!


Daddy and Etta putting her tricycle together. Gibby helping with the seat.


Etta potty trained and riding her new tricycle.


I am glad to have one child out of diapers! yeah!

Our Family Celebrating the New Year

Our little family set out to celebrate the New Year at 5:00pm when daddy got home from work. We drove to our Hotel dropped off the Truck and loaded up the Chariot. We hit the Tracks station and ended up at Energy Solutions Arena just in time to watch tip off. We were in the lower bowl on row 13 it's fun to watch the game that close. Etta loved being close enough to find the Jazz Bear, Gibby just liked looking at everything, and Andy, of course, loved just watching the game.

Gibby just chilling and Etta has just spotted the Jazz Bear. She has the biggest grin on her little face.


After a great game we headed out into the cold and went to the Gallivan Center for first night. The kids were bundled up and feel asleep on the walk over. We listened to music, watched fun snowboarding clips and weird dancers dancing with fire. The kids woke up around 10:30pm and we headed to the kids tent. We made fun masks and Gibby got to eat. An hour later they were asleep again.

Making fun little masks that had glow-in-the-dark everything on them.

Gibby glad to be out of the Chariot to eat.


Andy and I headed out to where they were going to drop a big ball that looked like the earth. Funny thing is we had both seen it earlier and didn't know that it was "the ball" they were going to drop. We thought it was odd we had never seen a big earth hanging down town before. Then 5,4,3,2,1 Happy New Years and lots of fireworks. It was cold but fun being with my family that I love.

Etta and Gibby asleep during the New Year. Me and Andy loving being together as a family.

Then we walked back to our Hotel. Etta and Gibby got dressing in their pj's and played around on the big bed for a bit before we all fell asleep around 1:30am. Daddy was the first to fall asleep and mommy was the last.

Wide awake and playing at 1:00am. They made no room for mommy.

We woke up to Daddy bringing us breakfast in bed and watching the Rose Parade. NBC only aired one hour of the Parade so we switched over to a Spanish channel and watched the last half in Spanish. Very interesting.

Eating breakfast and watching the Rose Parade.


What a wonderful year 2007 was and I am excited for 2008.

Fun pictures before heading out to celebrate 2008

Etta playing on her "Computer". She loves hearing the letters and telling me what is in the picture.


Gibby getting in a good nap before he tries to Celebrate the New Year. Hatcher is always a nice pillow to use

The last weekend activites for 2007

Zoo Lights:
Friday we went to the Hogle Zoo and saw the "Zoo Lights". They were amazing! What a wonderful activity. Monkeys swinging through vines, penguins sliding into puddles, spiders catching flies and many more animals displayed in fun lights and actions. Etta throughly enjoyed them and never stoped saying "Christmas Lights" the whole time.

All bundled up to enjoy fun "Christmas lights"

Mommy liked the spider catching the fly. Daddy liked the Train.



Bowling:
On Saturday we took the kids bowling. Etta had so much fun and Gibby liked watching everyone and every thing. It took us about 2 hours to bowl 2 games each. Etta's ball went so slow. You may notice in the top picture Etta has on camo pants and in the bottom picture she has cream pants on. She had a big accident. I had an extra pair of underwear and pants but no socks and of course her pee went all over her sock and in her shoes. We managed to change pants and underwear and remove her lined crocs. It didn't seem to ruin the evening and at the end of the night we all had a great time.

It was funny when Etta bowled she would lay on her tummy and wait for the ball to hit the pins. (It took a long time)

She very rarely poses , so cute.

Gibby all excited for bowling, but got tuckered out cheering us on.