Our Aqua Man!!!

Cannon loves bathtime. Yesterday when I turned on the water to fill the tub, he immediately started kicking and cooing. Once laid in the water, his arms and legs start going crazy. It cracks us up, especially since our little Brenna is water-phobic. So enjoy Cannon sporting a loin-cloth splashing in the tub!

Thanksgiving Weekend!

Wednesday Ryan took a half day at work, and we left for the 7+ hour drive to Houston, Texas! The last hour and a half we got caught in a huge lightening storm, then buckets of rain followed us all the way to Eric and Wendy's doorstep. Thursday, we lounged, did some light cooking (because the amazing hostess that Wendy is, she pre-cooked a lot of the food for Thanksgiving dinner! Can you imagine such a genius idea!?)

The cousins had a ball playing together. Ages ranging from 9 years old to 3 years old, all played amazingly!

And somehow, Brenna fit in a bumbo! She thought the chair was perfect for her! Dinner was so yummy, and I definitely ate my weight in goodies. Because of all the yummy appetizers (ham and spinach pin-wheels, and chips and yummy dip) I didn't know if I could eat much of the dinner. But...that didn't stop me! Thank you Wendy for the great cooking! Even the left-overs (turkey crepes) were amazing!

Friday, the kids made their way to the pond to go "fishing". It is fishing in the sense that they are casting their hooks into a body of water. But it is not a surprise that no one caught anything. It didn't last too long because surprisingly, it was freezing in Houston! So we found an indoor activity, going to see "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Imporium". It was good. The kids enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite kid movie.

Saturday, we all got ready to go to Ikea. And Ryan, being the trend-setter that he is, influenced his big brother to faux-hawk his hair. And Cannon has a natural faux-hawk (two callics in the back of his head). But the ENTIRE family made their way to Ikea. You would think it was crazy to bring all the kids to a store, but thankfully they have a kids area. To enter you had to be over 37 inches, and under 54 inches. Brenna stepped up to the 37" line, and was barely under. And that height nazi was not going to let her in. I had immediate flashbacks to all the times when I sat outisde a roller-coaster, or theme-park ride because I wasn't tall enough. And Brenna is too young to experience that. Especially since she is 4 yrs old! So we kept insiting, made her stand taller, and finally another worker gave the OK. Phew!

Sunday was picture day! Wendy is great at taking photographs, and we made the mistake of trying to take pictures of all the kids before Church. This was the best shot I could get!
Here's the Three Musketeers, the three cousins who were born 6 months of each other. I like to call them (from right to left) small, medium and large (or super-sized!)
After staying up late playing cards, we woke up Monday, the boys played Wii, we packed, and then finally head out of Houston at 2:30pm. The drive was uneventful yet long. Ryan and I had a blast playing "20 Questions". We stuck to the people version, ranging from Victoria Beckham to Lazerus. It actually made the drive much faster. I am thankful for family, and the time we could spend with Ryan's over Thanksgiving weekend. Hopefully I can spend some time with my family soon!

Living Room Movie Night

Ryan is the fun, creative, spontaneous parent that will provide many memorable moments for our family. And this was one of them. He dragged our mattress into our living room, piled on the blankets, pillows and popcorn, and we watched "Casper" (the live-action movie) with the kiddos on the living room floor. Brenna was in heaven cuddling with her dad while watching the movie of her choice. It was so much fun, and something we will all remember! (And I'm pretty sure we will repeat it probably monthly!)

Happy Turkey Day!

I love Thanksgiving. I love the food, the family and again the food! I have pretty much eaten myself sick today! Turkey, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce (not the jelly/made-with-real-cranberry kind of sauce, the canned sauce that comes out in the same shape as the can! And don't get me started on the pies! Here are some of the things I am very grateful for!
1.Ryan, Brenna and Cannon
2. Extended family (you know who you are!)
3. Friends
4. Fattening food: cookies, brownies, pies, ALL BAKED GOODS!
5. Our house
6. Our dreams (biggest one right now, FC Edmond, soccer arena)
7. Late night game playing
8. Portable DVD players that make long car trips bearable!
9. Maternity pants that you wear on Thanksgiving! (gotta have more room!)
10. Most important, knowledge of the restored gospel.
A shout out to all my peeps, Thank you for making this year amazing! If you are reading this, you are most likely one of the most important people in my life! We love you!

I love the mornings!

From about 9am-11am Cannon is one happy camper. Once he is fed and changed, he will coo and smile at you all morning. This picture was taken on Brenna's birthday, and when she would laugh really hard, he would smile. This is the best part of my job as a mom, and I could soak it in all day! When we had Brenna we were both in school full time, and I was working part time. Once we graduated, I had to work part time. I really missed out on some amazing time with her, and so I am enjoying every second with the both of them! Aren't they ADORABLE!?

Birthday Girl

Beautiful from day one!!! Born November 8th, 2003 at 11:22pm. She was 6lbs 14oz and 19 inches long. We instantly fell in love! I've included some of my favorite pictures of Brenna.This is one of the few occassions we could get her to smile during her first year! She looks like a Gerber baby doesn't she? Just keeps getting cuter!

First Birthday celebrated in Edmond Oklahoma. It took a while for her to dig in, but once she did her face, the high chair, and the floor wore the cake! And she shares her birthday with her cousin Jacob, and has celebrated with him since her 1st birthday!For her 2nd birthday we had a big party for her. It was at her Grandma and Grandpa's house, and the kids decorated their own cupcakes. One of the funniest moments was when Grandma Gene showed Brenna her frosting covered face in the mirror. She just laughed and laughed at her reflection.

Happy Birthday my beautiful, bright, spunky, independent, energetic, sweet, little girl! We love you!!!
Love, Mom and Dad and Cannon

Fake Birthday

Saturday, November 3rd we had a small brithday party for Brenna. She refers to it as her "fake birthday"! It was a Dora the Explorer theme party. As the kids arrived, they colored a picture of Dor and Boots. Then we took them to the fridge to see the cake, and Swiper stole it! He left a note. The kids then received their own "back packs" (goodie bags made to look like Back pack) that had a map inside. The first stop was the trampoline, where we played "pin the boots on Boots" and "what's in the back pack". They then went to the "singing gazebo" where they learned how to sing Happy Birthday in spanish. Then they went inside to "find" the cake! After cake and icecream, Brenna opened presents. She was so excited to get Aquadots! (Hopefully she doesn't slip into a coma after using!) Then, probably the topper! The Dickmans brought their dune buggy, and took them on "Explorer" rides in the back field. They had a blast!

Halloween 2007

Bathtime Buddies

Brenna loves taking a bath with Cannon. And I think the feeling is mutual. But they are polar opposites. He loves the water, and Brenna cries if a drop of water lands anywhere south of her eyebrows. But, bathtime is a good bonding time. The way Cannon watches her is adorable! (you see what I mean in the first picture).