Uncle Aaron's Graduation

Yeah!! Woo Hoo!! Go uncle Aaron! We are so proud of your accomplishment. BYU is sooooo cool! On Thursday we drove up to Utah and delivered Grandma back to Grandpa. On Friday we were all going to go to the Graduation, but Emma got a bad stomach ache and threw up all night. Shiloh ended up staying at my parents home with Emma and Ryan, while I ventured off to the Marriott Center with Sean. Sean was good the first hour, but we ended up wandering around for the next 90 minutes. It ended up great- and Aaron was the fourth to the last to be read! That night we all went and ate at Outback for a Congratulations dinner-- thanks man! We turned around and drove back on Saturday. These quick trips are so draining so Sunday was pretty relaxing!

San Francisco

What a rush!! Shiloh, Brett, CJ and I went to San Francisco on Thur. April 17th to Sun. April 20th. We went to watch Shiloh present his Oral Arguments on Friday and then partied the rest of the time. For those of you who don't know Brett and CJ Rigg, they are great friends of ours, and Brett is another attorney at the Ledbetter Law Firm (see picture above.) After helping Shiloh prepare, and realizing that he left his white dress shirt at home (he remembered his new suit :)) we went to Union Square to go shopping. Upon entering Brett and I bumped into a woman and apologized, she even replied. After taking a couple of steps we knew she was famous, and later realized it was Caroline Rhea. SWEET! Next- what a shopping experience, if I was rich this would be the place to shop. Macy's has a whole building (6 floors) dedicated to women's clothing. The next building over was for men. I really wanted to buy an Ipod out of the vending machine- which is the highest priced items ranging from 50 to 300 dollars in a vm I've ever seen. We ate at the Hard Rock on Pier 39 for dinner and had an enjoyable time. After Shiloh's oral arguments on Friday we headed over to Pier 39 and toured, went to the Aquarium where Shiloh got to touch a shark (see picture), Ghiradelli Square, and just had a great time. For dinner we went to Harris' a very nice steak house where CJ had the best steak of her life and I had my first prepared Venison in a restaurant- it was delicious and we were there for over 2 hours talking and relaxing. On Saturday we rented bikes from the pier and road along the beach and over the Golden Gate Bridge down into Sausalito and then went back by ferry. Besides being completely out of shape it was a very fun experience that took a good portion of the day. That night we ate at California Pizza Kitchen which was across from our hotel "Westin on Market Street."

After we got back to our room around 10:00 that night we could hear a ton of fire trucks and so I looked out our 12th floor window. What I saw took my breath away, 6 fire trucks with hoses going into our building and the High School Prom that was taking place were being evacuated into the street. I just about wet my pants. Next the hotel manager came on a huge speaker telling us to remain calm and he would give us more information later. Finally after what seemed like forever they let the kids back in, the trucks started to leave, and the manager told us that all was fine. I still struggled to sleep that night. Brett was adventurous and went down to the lobby and reported that it was in chaos. Alarms sounding, tons of people in robes walking around, and there was either a fire alarm pulled in the basement or a small fire in the basement. What a trip!

All I have to say is if you ever get the opportunity to go on a vacation or a trip with some friends (and no kids) it's definitely worth it, it's a blast, and it's refreshing! Thanks goes to my mother for watching my kids all by herself and making it possible for me to go.

A "hot" 9th Circuit

Shiloh had the opportunity to do Oral Arguments in front of the 9th circuit court in San Francisco. You get 10 minutes to present your side of the case in front of three big wig judges, and one of the three was the chief justice. With all respect it was like a three vultures ready to strike. I was a nervous wreck- but was very proud of my husband. He kept his composure very well and answered the million questions he was asked without hesitation. I had tried to help him prepare, but realized I failed to ask as many questions as the judges (when they ask a ton of questions and you are not able to present the speech you prepared it's called "hot.") It was an experience to remember! The building was beautiful and intimidating with all the marble and intricate details, even the court room had a reverence to it. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to watch my Shiloh in action! Wooo hooo

My first Wedding cake

I am on the Enrichment committee, and for one of our activities we had a wedding brag night. For the evening I made this wedding cake, with guidance from my wonderful mother. I am rather proud and learned a lot about making cakes. The night was a success; we heard many stories, saw some great pictures and learned what our love language is.

Plant Man

I was making dinner when I heard the cutest giggle. I turned around and this is what I saw. How could I say "No" to such a happy kid. I've always hated this plant- the people who lived in our house before left it to cover up a big stain and scratch on the floor. I didn't mind cleaning up the mess (which did get worse because I let him play a little longer). Ryan is the happiest baby, even when he has ear infections or is teething he is extremely happy.

The Gap

Tonight Emma lost her second tooth. She is extremely excited about the giant gap that her tongue can go in and out of. She has also begun talking with a lisp, I sure hope the adult teeth start coming in. Unfortunately we lost the tooth in the carpet somewhere and so Emma came up with the plan to write the tooth fairy a letter explaining what happened so that she would still get her dollar under the pillow. How thoughtful! I guess the saying is true that if your kids teeth come in early they will fall out early- I always thought it was a wives tale, but it's true for my 4 year old daughter.

Spring time fun

My kids love three things 1. Being outside 2. Being with their Dad, and 3. Riding in the wagons. This was a perfect Saturday afternoon for everyone involved. Kids were happy, Shiloh was getting exercise, and Mom was enjoying a quiet moment. Life is good!

Why I Scrapbook

I am not one of those people who spend hours and hours creating scrapbooks that are so beautiful that each page should be published. I spend the least amount of time as I possibly can, and none of mine should ever be published. Yet my children enjoy them and that's what matters! Shiloh got the scrapbook out, and all three of them instantly ran and crawled over to view the pages. Ahhhhh- it's worth it!

Table Surfing

OK let me explain. I was doing the never ending chore of laundry, and when I am folding all the kids clothes I enlist the help of a card table. After I was finished the one side of the table buckled and my kids saw that it had transformed into a "water slide." They proceeded to grab their wave boards (aka pillows) and go down the slide multiple times. Oh the simple fun that will last- who needs to buy the expensive toys- Ha!

Just a little further

Growing up I had only one sibling, and so it was always one on one teasing. It has been fun watching three children and the new dynamics. They are starting to play well together, and it's only been recently that Ryan can get around and join in their fun. Today Emma and Sean were building forts (out of couch pillows) for Ryan to crawl through. If he didn't want to do as he was told they took his pacifier and would put it where they wanted him to go. Even when forts collapsed or pacifiers were out of reach he continued to have a huge grin on his face. He is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen, and I feel so lucky that he is a part of my family. One of my strongest hopes is that Emma, Sean, and Ryan will be the best of friends and right now it is heading in that direction. Yeah!

Phoenix Zoo

On Monday night we decided to go to the Phoenix zoo. So we went the next morning- I just love being spontaneous. Every time we go we ride the train and then visit our favorite animals. It was Ryan's first time at the zoo, and he was grins and giggles the whole time. Emma has been begging me to ride the camels for about a year now, and so I finally gave in and let them ride. I was a nervous mother off to the side, but loved watching their faces light up. Afterwards they told everyone about the ride- people at costco, grandparents on the phone, anyone who would listen got an earfull. It was a very fun and rewarding day

Ryan's First Chocolate

One early morning Emma was learning at Preschool, and Sean was potty training in the restroom occupying his mothers complete attention. Ryan with his enhanced sense of smell caught an aroma drifting down the hall and he set out on a mission. He crept stealthily from the living room straight down the hall to the small unsuspecting chocolate bunny laying on the ground. At first glance it was a toy to be played with, but like every 7 month old- all toys proceed to the mouth. Once chocolate had been tasted the bunny lost all hope of being rescued. This picture is the final memorial to Emma's prized chocolate bunny, and a lesson that all items are to remain off the floor.