A Few Things I Missed

Noodle's 6th Birthday On May 7th



I can't let this one slip bye, especially since he's aged more this year than all the other ones put together. Do you think it has something to do with the above ear pulling? We really do our best to teach River the meaning of the word gentle, but he's fast and easily excitable, so I am very thankful Noodle is patient with him. He takes it out on me later in the night, but River is bite/scratch free, so all is well. We love you Noodle Battlecat Bear.


Bear's Father's Day Gift and Picture On Father's Day




I did a couple Father's Day posts, but I wanted to share Bear's cute gift. If you can't tell, it is a tee shirt and it says, "I am this happy, because my dad is that awesome!" I just love these father/son pictures. They are both so handsome and Bear could be a hair model in this picture.


Our Day In The Mountains






We haven't braved an overnight camping trip with River yet. I know a lot of people do it, but River did not take to sleeping naturally, so I am gun shy of anything that keeps him from taking a nap. We did get to fake camp and spend the whole evening up in the mountains. It was nice to get out of the city, see the milky way and then go sleep in our beds.


River and Rocky





River has a best friend named Rocky. I love when these two play together. They are very similar in their temperments, so a lot of sharing, hugging and niceness goes on. Plus Rocky has a fun pool and if you haven't noticed, it is HOTT up in here.

This Is The Place






Our fertility clinic sponsored a free day at This Is The Place. It was so fun. We had an awesome catered lunch, got to see the sights and River rode a horse for the first time. He did great, but was more interested in the "fan" that the horses were tethered to, so they would walk in a circle. What can I say, the boy spots fans everywhere. I am so glad I could experience this Utah monument on a crowd free day. Crowds, heat and babies do not mix... but you can't stay locked in your house either, so I love when adventures work out. Thanks RRC and if anyone needs help having a baby, this is the place... get it?

Thirty, Flirty and Fabulous

My little sister wasn't the only one turning thirty this year. Brooke J. Brandt celebrated her Dirty Thirty on April 15th and her awesome boyfriend Gareth thought it would be fun to fly her to Salt Lake for a party. Yes please!






This post was going to be longer, but blogger has been fighting me all night. I'll wrap up by letting all of my girls husbands/boyfriends know... it is always a good idea to fly them to see me. No special occasion required.

Go Crazy

I'll admit it. I was catching up on So You Think You Can Dance and put this post off to the very last second. It was so worth it! I was sad to see two of my favorite guy dancers go, but who are you going to pick, when they are all amazing. Even if you are not super into dance, your heart has to be made of stone not to enjoy the Napoleon and Tabitha number about a soldier returning home from Afghanistan and reuniting with his wife. Do yourself a favor and watch it twice. The dance was so joyful, but I couldn't help but feel bittersweet for Matt and Tiff, who didn't get to reunite here on earth. In an equally stunning, albeit, less technical piece... you can watch River "Go Crazy" below. Thank you and good night.

Signing Time

I've made it my mission to not let my family be big tv watchers. I hate, HATE the tv on, unless there is a specific show or game to be viewed. Many people can have it on for background noise, but I get sucked into the dumbest show, so off is better for me. I can't wait to have a house, where the tv won't have to be in the main room. I also can't wait to have a dining room, so we won't be tempted to eat our meals with the tv on. These are the things I dream of.
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My only exception to my general dislike of daytime tv viewing is Signing Time. Granted the songs get stuck in my head on a never-ending repeat cycle, but River loves it and he is learning signs faster than I can keep up. The day finally came this past week, when he was doing a sign I didn't know. It was happy. In my defense, happy and bath look a lot alike.
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I think he likes the show so much, because he understands what they are saying. I like it, because I feel like my baby is a genius when I ask him what he wants and he can let me know. When he starts to get frustrated, I say, use your signs and he does. I know he'll be talking my ear off soon, but I am thankful for this earlier form of communication. Plus it's just so darn cute watching him sign more, more, more to the Deacons as they pass the Sacrament. Sorry buddy, you only get one piece of bread.
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He really can sign more than just more, but at the time these videos were taken, it was my favorite sign. Now my favorite signs are stop, go and mosquito. For the sake of River's biggest video fan, Pops, I'll work on getting those too.

A Good Brushing

(Photo By Marianne Wiest Photography)

This is another what works for me post. When River got his first couple teeth, brushing them was a nightmare. I would hold him down, kicking and screaming, while trying to pry open his mouth, for maybe... 3 seconds worth of brushing. My sister in law recommended an electric toothbrush and we haven't looked back sense. The vibrating and noise intrigued him and it became a little game. I don't think we quite get the suggested 3 minutes of brushing, twice a day, but we get a lot more than 3 seconds and it involves no more tears. We bought the electric toothbrush from Wal-Mart that is $4.99 and comes with stickers to personalize it. That was a bonus as it provided 15 minutes of entertainment and you Moms know, we live our lives 15 minutes at a time. I hope this message reaches the right person and I'd love to hear any of your bed, bath and brushing tips.