Customer Service

I'm so irritated right now that I have to voice my frustration!!! We were scheduled to fly out West for the Holidays this morning. Due to a last minute gate change we missed our flight!!!! Not only was it extremely frustrating that we were never notified of the change or that from 200 feet away from the new gate we never heard them page us, but when we addressed the situation with the Delta supervisor she was extremely rude and abrasive!!!! Oh yea and did I mention that she raised her voice at us in front of Tayeson and then tried to tell us that we would have to pay for three additional tickets!!!!! Through all of this she never even apologized once for the mix-up!!! Needless to say, I am slightly less than impressed with Delta Airlines and the treatment that we received today. You would think that in today's economy airlines would make sure that they take care of their customers. Apparently, that is not one of Delta's main concerns.

Mommies In Manhattan

A couple of weeks ago some of the girls and I went to Manhattan for the day. We had a great time walking around and shopping. Thanks for a great day girls.

From left to right: Jessica, Janet, Me, Julie, and Kay in front with poor Sage buried in the stroller.

Radio City Music Hall.

We found this fabulous little Mexican restaurant.

Here is a shot inside of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was huge and so beautiful.

There was a couple getting married when we went in. I think it would be weird to have tons of random people filing in and out during your wedding ceremony.

HaPPy TuRKeY DaY!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!! It seems to have come too fast most days. We have so many things to be thankful for this year. We're so thankful for each other and the joy and love that we share. Eric and I are so thankful for Tayeson and for everything that he teaches us each and every day. We're grateful for wonderful friends and family and for all of the love and support that they give us. We're truly blessed to have a warm home and food to eat. We are also very grateful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His atoning sacrifice and the opportunity it allows us to be together forever. We owe all of our wonderful blessings to our loving Heavenly Father who always seems to know what's best. We hope that you all have as many things to be thankful for this Holiday Season.

The Phone Call

This morning Tayeson kept begging to call Marlee. When we were finally able to get her on the phone T was so excited. It was soooo sweet!!! He has never asked to call his friends before. Here is a little clip of their conversation. I don't know what T would do without Marlee.

Once & This Is What He Got From It

While eating dinner tonight T just dove, literally, right into his rice!!! He started making pig noises as he gobbled his rice up. Seriously, he has seen A Christmas Story once in his life and this is what he got from it!!!

He thought he was so funny!

Though it is totally not acceptable, I couldn't help but laugh at him. He was pretty proud of himself. It's a good thing he's cute.

The Christmas Chain

So for about a month now T has been telling us that he wants to ride on the gray airplane. This was in response to us telling him that we're going to spend Christmas with our families out west this year. This was obviously a mistake on our part. Every time we tell him to put on his shoes and coat he assumes that we're going on the airplane. Since Christmas is obviously not coming fast enough for him, we made this chain so that he can see how much longer he has until we leave. It has helped some, but he still constantly lets us know that he wants to go on the gray airplane to see the Grandpas and Grandmas and Uncle Tommy, Uncle Brett, Uncle Ryan, and Uncle "Trabis" (in this exact order). Yes, he does have aunts, but none of them have made it out to see him so far. I guess, in his mind, this excludes them?

Can you tell he's excited that it's getting shorter?

On a random side note, we bought him this $15 camera off of Ebay. As you can tell it is practically part of him. We'll have to post some of his pics one of these days.

Jumping the Gun

Yes, we already put up our Christmas tree. I know, I know, Thanksgiving isn't even over. But I figured that since we are traveling for the first time this holiday season and since I have been listening to Christmas music for the past month that I should get to put my tree up early and enjoy it while I can. Plus, T wouldn't quit bugging me about it.

T was so excited to finally put the tree up. He did such a good job clustering the ornaments on one section of the tree. :)

You just can't tell him no when he looks this cute and excited about something. I'm not sure who wanted to put the tree up more, me or him.

Here we are fine tuning and thinning out the clustered section. With Mom's help, T was able to find quite a few bare spots on the tree. He seemed quite surprised that he had missed such a large section (the other 90% of the tree).

They're stuck Mom.

And here is the finished product. Not too bad. May I say I love that shatter proof ornaments have come such a long way!!! (Kay, I hope that this helps your plight some.)

$5 Tickets

Yesterday we found $5 tickets to go see the 76ers play the Oklahoma Thunder. We went with one of our good friends and we all had a great time. It was surprisingly kid friendly and T absolutely loved it. We even won 110-85.

T intently watching the game. He was even brave enough to get the basketball painted on his face. The problem was he wouldn't wash it off for church so....

T and Daddy enjoying the game.

Here we are with our friends Charlton and Jessica. Thanks for coming guys we had a blast!

Here is a view of the Wachovia Center. T loved watching all the lights.

National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month and I just wanted to share my support and testimony of adoption. I know that adoption has amazing benefits for all involved. It allows children to grow up in a loving, two-parent home where their needs will be met, it allows their birthmother the opportunity to complete her education and have the opportunity to provide her future children with a better life, and it also allows adoptive parents to fulfill their dream of having a family. In honor of National Adoption Month I thought I would share the names of some famous people who were adopted. I think some of these may surprise you.

Aristotle-Philosopher
Bo Diddley-Musician
Charlotte Ann Lopez-Miss Teen USA 1993
Crazy Horse-Lakota War Chief
Dan O'Brien-Decathlete
Daunte Culpepper-Football Player
Dave Thomas-Founder of Wendy's
D.M.C.-Hip Hop Artist
Edgar Allen Poe-Poet & Writer
Eleanor Roosevelt-First Lady
Eric Dickerson-Athlete
Faith Daniels- News Anchor
Faith Hill-Country Singer
George Washington Carver-Inventor
Greg Louganis-Athlete
James Michener-Author
Jean Jacques Rousseau-Philosopher
Jesse Jackson-Minister
Jesus-My Savior
Jim Palmer-Athlete
John Audubon-Naturalist
John Hancock-Politician
John Lennon-Musician
Langston Hughes-Poet & Writer
Larry Ellison-Chief Executive of Oracle
Leo Tolstoy-Writer
Lynette Cole-Miss USA 2000
Malcolm X-Civil Rights Leader
Melissa Gilbert-Actress
Michael Reagan-Author & Talk Show Host
Moses-Biblical Leader
Nancy Reagan-First Lady
Nat King Cole-Singer
Nelson Mandela-Politician
Peter & Kitty Carruthers-Figure Skaters
President Gerald Ford-Politician
President William Clinton-Politician
Priscilla Presley-Actress
Ray Liotta-Actor
Reno-Performance Artist & Comedian
Sarah McLachlan-Singer
Scott Hamilton-Figure Skater
Steve Jobs-Co-Founder of the Apple Computer
Tim Green-Football Player & Commentator
Tim McGraw-Country Singer
Thomas Monaghan-Founder of Domino's Pizza
Tommy Davidson-Comedian
Victoria Rowell-Actress
Wilson Riles-Educator

And here is a quick list of some that have placed a child for adoption:

Andy Kaufman-Actor
Clark Gable-Actor
Faith Ireland-Judge
Hank Williams, Sr.-Country Music Legend
Kate Mulgrew-Actress
Joni Mitchell-Singer
Roseanne Barr-Actress
Mercedes Ruehl-Actress
Strom Thurmond-Politician

We're so excited to bring another child into our family through adoption. We really need everyone's help to spread the word. If you know of anyone who is pregnant and considering adoption please feel free to share our information with them. We know that our birthmother is out there somewhere and we would love for you to be a part of bringing our family together.

My Experiences

I have done the things in red.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run . 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie or on a TV show 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt. 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee

Alright everyone it's your turn. Let's see what you've done. I want all of the dirty little secrets. I know some of you have done #26. :)

BSU Pride!!!

After hearing the score of the BSU vs Utah State game (it was 49-14 in case you were wondering) I was reminded why I love BSU football so much. They are such an amazing team that never cease to amaze. Let us not forget the fabulous 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Oh, and did I mention that we're currently undefeated and ranked #9 in the BCS standings? I say it's time to get rid of the BCS system and let the Broncos show everyone what they're capable of!!!

GO BRONCOS!!!!!

Happy Anniversary To Us!!!

Wow! I can't believe its been six years!!! Time has just flown by. Who knew that six years would find us here in Philly completing PA school with our sweet four-year-old and anxiously waiting for another one!!! It has been a great six years and I am looking forward to seeing what the next six will hold for us. Here are a few pics of us six years ago.

I bet you're wondering why everything is so pretty and green if we were married in November aren't you? Well, since November rarely provides much in the way of beautiful scenery in Idaho, we had our pics taken in August. That is definitely one decision I'm glad we made.

I love this pic. It's definitely one of my favorites.

Look how young we are.

I love this pic because Cinderella is my absolute favorite. It's six years later and he still puts my shoes on for me. :)

And here we are six years later and still going strong. I love you Eric and I can't wait to grow old with you (although Eric is already old).

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!

Yesterday was Eric's birthday. I just wanted to say how thankful I am for him. He is such a wonderful husband and an amazing, loving father. I love to see T's face light up when he comes home each day. I am so thankful for all of the hard work he does for our family. I'm so excited to be able to grow old with him (not that I'm ready to be old yet). Thank you Daddy and we love you so much.

With all of those candles to blow out, Daddy enlisted T's help.

We love you Daddy!!! Below are some of the reasons we love him so much.

Where Did You Learn That?

While we were at H&M the other day T started break dancing in the middle of the aisle. I'm pretty sure that he has never seen anyone break dance before, but he was totally going for it. Everyone in the store was totally cracking up. He is such a goofball. We were able to catch him breaking to music from his Thomas the Train book on Sunday. Check it out.

Halloween Night

We went trick or treating with a group of our good friends and their kids. We had a great time watching the kids load up on candy. Philly is the best for trick or treating because it is made up of row homes so there are a million homes on each block. Additionally, everyone that is handing out candy sits out on their front porch so the kids don't have to knock or wait. All of this makes for some serious candy. We had a great time taking T around and topped the night off by watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.


Aren't they so cute?

TrIcK OR TrEAt

HaPPy HaLLoWeEN!!!!

#1!!!!!

WE WON!!!! THE CURSE IS OVER!!!

Ewww, It's Gross!!!

Tonight we carved our pumpkin. T wasn't too excited about it because it was slimy. Dad cleaned out the pumpkin while T and I picked out the seeds so we can toast them later. We had a great time watching the disgusted looks on Tayeson's face throughout the process. Now we're officially ready for Halloween!!!
When T pulled off the top he couldn't stop laughing because he thought it was so gross. What a goofball.

He absolutely refused to help clean out the pumpkin. He wouldn't even help hold the spoon while Daddy did it.

He actually helped pick out two seeds before he was too grossed out to help anymore. :)

The finished product. Not bad huh? Thanks Dad.

Here it is in all its "glowry". (Eric made me say it.)

He huffed.....

And he puffed.....

And after about 20 tries he finally blew the pumpkin out!!!!

Sesame Place

Saturday we went to Sesame Place. Our apartment manager gave us four free tickets!!! We took T's friend Marlee with us so we could use the extra ticket. We had a great time even though it rained off and on throughout the day. The kids got to ride all of the rides (yes, T did eventually get brave enough to ride a few of them) and see a couple of different shows. The definite highlight though was getting to meet all of the characters. Thanks again for the tickets, Avra.

Picture Tag

Here is the fourth picture in our fourth file. This was T's first Thanksgiving (sniff, sniff). We were at my parents' house and my Dad took a little bit of my Mom's jello salad and put it on T's binkie. After he tried it the first time he couldn't get enough!!! Every time my Dad would put more on T would lunge for it. It was too cute.

T's First Field Trip

Wednesday was T's field trip to Linvilla Orchards. He was more excited about the bus trip there than he was about anything else. He talked about the school bus for days!!! While we were there we were able to take another hayride, play at the playground, see some huge pumpkins, and freeze to death. With the exception of the wind and subsequent dust we had a great time.

Here is T on the school bus. As we were getting ready for school Monday, I told him that he was going to ride the bus on Wednesday. After he got his coat and shoes on he started unlocking the front door. When I asked him what he was doing he told me that he was going to go outside and ride the school bus that picks the kids up just outside our house. He was not exactly happy when I told him that he had a couple of days until his trip. After a few tears, that's all he talked about for days. Can you tell he's excited?

Here are some of the rather large pumpkins that we got to see. T loved to see all of the different kinds of pumpkins they had at the farm.

They had a little maze for the kids that T decided to try out. After we both had been wandering through it for some time we were able to find our way back out the entrance. Better than nothing I guess.

T driving a semi-truck. They have a great playground for the kids with tons of awesome toys to play on.

T atop the castle that he couldn't get down from.

Notice that he is walking in between the wooden slats. He refuses to walk on anything that is slightly unstable. He lost his shoe a couple of times on the way up.

Here is a shot of the cool stuff they have built at the playground. How fun is that?