Salt Lake City Trip Continued

Our second day in Salt Lake was also a blast.  My parents joined us that morning at Gardner Villiage where we fulfilled a Halloween tradition by seeing the witches.

Makayla loves to pose for pictures.  Of course she had to pose with Grandma for this one.

Emma wasn't so sure about all these witches and James really couldn't care less :)

Emma hates her picture taken so I have to take what I can get.  She really loved this pond and the very large coi swimming in it.

This sign is priceless.  There are all these boutique shops here and this sign was outside one of them.

This is a shout out to my wonderful parents -- Don't they look cute :)

After Gardner Villiage we headed out for some "Barnyard Boo" fun at Thanksgiving Point

James' favorite part of the trip was this cool fountain they had to wash your hands in before you went to touch the animals -- James was fasinated.

Again catching Emma on the sly playing in the little villiage

The pony rides were a must and the girls wonderful daddy and grandpa spent most of the time waiting in line.  Emma who loves ponies suprised us by being terrified of getting on. . .

After 1 turn around she came around a loved it like we thought she would.

And of course Makayla loved every minute of it.

Overall the trip was a win.  We loved the time spent together and the fun things we got to do.

October Salt Lake City Trip

This last year has been a hard one, medically speaking, for Makayla. She has a condition called Vesicoureteral Reflux (I just call it bladder reflux, as I can neither pronounce nor remember the word).  In small words it means that her bladder refluxes back up to her kidney.  This is scary because she gets bladder infections very easily, and because of the relux the infection can get into her kidney's really easy.  Makayla has had about 6 infections in the last 2 months, and last year it landed her a 2 night stay in the hospital hooked up to IV's and eating a straight liquid diet.  Our wonderful doctor from Primary Children's Urology Department got us onto a daily antibiotic last January, which helped for the first few months, but in the last 2 months things have seemed to get worse culminating in an ER visit.  So, back to Primary Children's we went for some very invasive and painful tests.  We found that Makayla is actually growing out of the condition, which is what they thought she would do when we had the tests done last January, but this doesn't explain why she is getting so many infections now :(  So as of right now we are still waiting to see what happens and hoping that the new daily antibiotic the doctor prescribed us will help, while hoping she continues to grow out of it -- if not it means surgery (thankfully it's a pretty lowkey surgery -- just an outpatient one).  So after that rundown now we can get to the fun of it all.  Because we had to go to Salt Lake for the tests, we decided to make it an overnight thing and have some fun too.  We bribed (yes sometimes it works - especially when you have to make your daughter go through some pretty nasty tests) Makayla with Chuck E Cheese if she would be good through the tests and it worked (sort of - but those tests are pretty bad).

Of course the horse was the best ride of the day

Suprisingly Emma did not think it was a great ride

This ones for Grandma Hare (she loves all things Halloween)

This was Emma's favorite -- these ponies didn't buck her around :)

James was just James -- always happy
He's in pajamas because he has just thrown up his whole bottle all over his daddy (yes right in the middle of Chuck E Cheese)

After Chuck E Cheese we went to Logan to stay with Richard's brother Matt, and had a blast going to the North Logan Pumpkin Walk.  All the scenes are created using pumpkins and guords :)

Angry Birds

Melting Witch from Wizard of Oz

Witch with cauldren

"Despicable Me" - My second favorite

"Despicable Me" Henchmen

Football Game - Reminded me of my little brother and his senior (last) year playing highschool football

And my personal favorite - Gilligan's Island

The guys from Gilligan's Island

The girls from Gilligan's Island

Calvin and Hobbes - Snowmen Scenes

Tigger

Poodle

Waterfall with fish in pond

Bambi

Of course Makayla's Favorite - Rapunzel (I loved the little camaeleon)

"A Christmas Story" - Tongue on pole

"A Christmas Story" - Soap in mouth

Frogs -- These were too cute

Witch

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

The Great Growing James

Little James is growing so fast.  He is doing so many new things and making us laugh everyday.  We love having him in our home, and the girls are so cute with him.

First 2 Teeth

James started sitting up at 5 mths and by 6 mths he is a pro

Since he is sitting up we decided to put him in the "big boy tub", and he loves it

The girls love to "hat" James.  I am constantly finding him wearing a different hat.

Emma put this pink cowboy hat on him

Makayla tried this firemans hat that she got at school on him

Of course I think James always looks cute, but he looked especially cute in this little chinese outfit that his Aunt Megan gave to mommy before Makayla was born.  I was so glad to finally get to use it.

And last, but definitly not least, James is finally sleeping better.  In fact he is falling asleep all over the place!!!

Of course, falling asleep while eating is a norm, but how he manages to sleep while being burped we will never know.

Falling asleep in his jumper has become normal too.  We havn't quite decided if this is because it is truly comfortable in there or if it is just because he wants to spend so much time jumping in it and then wears himself out.

And again asleep in the jumper



Curse You Fingernail Polish

My girls love to paint their fingernails, but misshaps seem to happen easily when paint and children are involved.  I now have fingernail polish in some obvious places in my home, i.e. the kitchen table!!  This next episode takes the cake though.  Emma was being really quiet (never a good sign with her) and this is what I found . . .

My Coat Hanger

Since we pulled the entryway closet out of the living room I have needed to make a coat hanger so we have somewhere to put our coats other than the back of the couch.  The cold spell last week made us pull out our coats and made me quit procrastinating and get it done.  I was so excited with the idea that I had and more excited with how it turned out.

Maple Grove General Conference Trip

We love to go to Maple Grove to listen to the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference in Oct every year.  It is so beautiful up there this time of year, and it helps us feel closer to our Heavenly Father.  It is so fun to explore after the session is over and enjoy some family time together.

I love this picture on so many levels -- The face on each person is so expressionful, and little Maddi Moo's just sums it all up!

Only in the mountains can you ride shotgun with Daddy at 6 mths old

This tree swing is a favorite pass time

Uncle Chicken on the tree swing

James wanted to swing too

Catch me if you can

It she going to fall?

 There is always beautiful scenery at Maple Grove -- Especially in the fall!!!



Do you see the deer????