New Little Brother

While we were snowed in at my sister's house, Emma and Stevie were such good helpers with baby Johnny. They helped to feed him, talk to him, play with him, and just take care of him in general. Johnny loved them just as much. He loved playing with the two of them and especially all of their hugs and kisses. Emma let me know she didn't want him to leave and told her mom she wanted Johnny to stay forever.

Fran said, "You know he's your cousin, right?"

Emma replied, "No, my little brother. Keri said it was okay."

We had a fun little photo shoot in front of the tree. Johnny was getting tired of the flash, little Stevie had some trouble sitting still, but I think Emma could definitely pass for Johnny's big sister. He loves her and would probably be happy never having to say goodbye either.

Congratulations

We wanted to say how happy we are that Brad's brother Ryan and his wife Linda had their baby girl this morning. We're glad everything went well, and are so excited for their family.

Deep Freeze 2008

Despite the FREEZING temperatures and persistent snow, we've been enjoying our trip to Washington. Seattle has definitely become a winter wonderland this last week, and the snow has not let up since we got here. Johnny and I flew into Seattle on Thursday night and have had so much fun meeting baby Henry and seeing cousins and other family. Brad needed to finish with his finals on Friday and had a flight to join us on Saturday night, but his flight became a casualty of all these bad storms, and he was rebooked for Sunday afternoon.

My sister Fran who lives nearby, invited Johnny and I to spend the night at her house Saturday. Emma and Stevie were very excited about baby Johnny coming over, and we all had fun playing together while watching the snow pile up outside. It didn't take too long for the road to get closed, and it is still closed tonight. Unfortunately for us, that means even though Brad made it safely to my parents' house, Johnny and I were unable to head back there to meet him. We're sad we can't see him tonight, but look forward to being together again tomorrow.

We're just glad this wasn't us:

Yes, that really happened in Seattle the day Brad was supposed to fly here. Yes, most of Seattle is comprised of hills which have now turned into icy dooms of death, and yes, that is why I am staying safe and not trying to head back to my parents house tonight. Sorry again Brad, but it's just making us more excited to see you!

I Knew He Would Do It

Remember how Brad had to take the FE test in October? Well, we found out some wonderful news:

HE PASSED

We're proud of you Brad. Let's celebrate.

Laughing Baby

Johnny loves laughing. I promise he is not crying, even though it kind of sounds like he is. He was laughing his head off until I started taping him and he got a little camera-shy. We love this little guy and are grateful for the joy he brings to our family.

The Lanster

She lived a long and happy life. Her favorite things included: watching out the living room window, laying in the sun, begging for food at the table, and waking my dad up in the middle of the night. Lani loo, you will be missed.

Sweet Ride

Growing up, we weren't a minivan family, an SUV family, we were a station-wagon family.

Picture this beauty in white, and you get my mom's sweet ride she drove until I was in Junior High. I love it. I miss it. I'm sure my mom doesn't.

Brad's Favorite Place

When it comes to restaurants, one of Brad's favorites is Tucanos. We went there a few weeks ago to eat and claimed it was because Stephen was in town and to celebrate Johnny turning 6 months old, but really we'd just use any excuse to eat there. It was lots of fun and of course very delicious. Baby Johnny seemed really excited to be there too, as you can see in the picture. He did get a little sad when Brad told him he was too little to eat the food. He didn't even want to let go when Brad tried to take the menu away from him:

He quickly got over the disappointment and he was all smiles when Dad pulled him onto his lap to play. He's always such a happy baby, we love him so much!

We Love Uncle Stevie

Stephen came to visit us again and we were all so excited to see him. We had lots of fun with him, but somehow I ended up with just one good picture of Stephen and Johnny during the visit.


Thanks for visiting Stevie, and we look forward to seeing you at Christmas!

He's Growing Up

Six months ago we welcomed our sweet baby Johnny into the world. After much anticipation and excitement he decided to make his appearance on May 15 in the afternoon. We checked into the hospital just before noon and, long story short, about 45 minutes later we found out I needed a c-section. Brad took this picture with my phone of himself in his get-up he had to wear in the operating room. He did very well with all of the blood and needles, I was so proud of him. After I woke up from the surgery and asked where the baby was, Brad told me he was in the NICU because he had a few breathing problems. This meant if I wanted to see the baby, I'd have to get up and go to him. It took two nurses to help get me out of bed and into the wheelchair. Man alive, even with pain medi- cation, surgery hurts, that is all I have to say on that. But it was worth it to get to hold our little baby for the first time. We can't believe how much he has grown and changed in just the first six months. He is such a fun little guy and we love him now even more than we did the day he was born.

Go BYU

Brad and Baby Johnny are all ready for the big BYU game today! They looked so cute in their BYU shirts I couldn't resist taking a picture. And Baby Johnny wants to say thanks to Aunt Cori for the hat, he loves it. And I love it because he looks so adorable in it and it keeps him warm.

Seriously?

Sometimes too much of a good thing is really just too much. At many state fairs you can purchase the delicacy pictured above: chocolate-covered bacon. I think it's a bit much, but Brad is pretty excited to discover its existence and can't wait to give it a try!

Too Cute

These two just can't get enough of each other. Whether they're playing together or taking a well-deserved nap, I think they're both adorable.

All About Me

My friend Mitzi tagged me, so I'm going to share five things about myself that you may or may not already know:

1. I have always loved reading, to the point where when I was younger, my parents had to restrict me from my books so that I'd get other things done. I'd even go into the bathroom, turn the water on, and pretend like I was in the shower so I could read for a few more minutes. When someone would knock on the door and accuse me of reading, I'd toss the book out the window into the backyard and then just wait to retrieve it later.

2. Since I was four, I had a cat named Timmy, may she (yes, she was a girl) rest in peace. She died about three years ago and I was very devastated. She was the best cat ever. Hands down.

3. I have been to both jail and prison, and let me tell you that I do not ever want to go back. It was for a Crime and Justice class at school, a class where we went on some very interesting field trips.

4. I love McDonald's soft serve. Brad knows I can always be cheered up after a rough day if we stop for a cone.

5. I am a twin. My brother Stephen is older than me by a minute. I love and miss him very much as he is living in Washington now. And, contrary to popular belief, he named Timmy, not me. This picture pretty much sums up Stephen, he's laid back and likes to take it easy. I love you Stevie.

Who Doesn't Love Yoda?

Happy Halloween! Happy Nevada Day! Baby Johnny was very excited for his first Halloween ever, even though he wasn't going to be eating any candy. Doesn't he look so cute in his pumpkin onesie? (photo courtesy of Brad) Brad was excited about the fact that the onesie is glow-in-the-dark. But he was even more excited for the megamix of candy we bought from the store this week, and has been sneaking Snickers and Butterfingers for the past few days.
Neither Brad or I dressed up for Halloween, but it got me thinking about my costumes from when I was younger. I've been a witch, a ghost, a bag lady, a gypsy, and many other fun things. I do remember being jealous the year I was ghost, because it was just the sheet with cut-out eyes, while Stephen was a pirate. I was mostly jealous because he had a cool sword. Brad said his favorite was going as Zorro, coincidentally enough, because of the sword. Maybe that's why we're so perfect for each other. Baby Johnny sure looked adorable in his first Halloween costume. My sister lent us the costume that little Stevie wore last Halloween, and it fit him perfectly. We think he makes the cutest little Yoda. Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

The Giant Bat

This post is dedicated to Samantha. Who doesn't love a giant bat and a cauldron of candy. I miss you Sam, and I hope you have fun this Halloween. It's just not the same without Spidey. And a special shout-out to Kayleen, the accomplice, for taking the picture.

Who Knew?

A while back I started getting random unsolicited texts on my phone. They don't happen very often, and I've never gotten anything objectionable or worth getting worked up over, but I still find it annoying. How are these people getting my number? Is this even legal? Is there some sort of "Do Not Text" registry I can sign up for so I can stop getting messages about rapid weight loss and tips on stock market investing. On the bright side, I did get a text today from getcash@yahoo.com telling me I was pre-qualified for up to $200K to expand my business. Unfortunately for me, I don't even have a business.

It's Called the FE and I Don't Like It

Today my husband is spending the entire day here:

This is the Salt Palace Convention Center up in Salt Lake. He is taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam along with many other engineering students. I think I was more nervous about it last night than he was. I had trouble falling asleep, and woke up a little after 3am. And stayed awake until my husband woke up sometime after 5am. I made him breakfast, and packed a lunch for him to take with him to Salt Lake. Johnny also woke up and wanted to join the party, so the three of us were having a little early-morning family time.

We wished Brad luck on his test, and have now been anxiously waiting for him to come home. Johnny and I have decided we do not like 8-hour tests that keep Brad away on Saturdays. Or any other day for that matter. Thankfully he only has to take it one time, because let's be honest here, he's going to pass.

Thanks for working so hard for our family Brad. Johnny and I both love you very much.

My Secret Love

I'll be honest, I have quite a few secret loves, but the one I am sharing with you today is the Cannon Center at BYU. My freshman year I lived in Helaman Halls which was a great experience for me my first year away from home. It also allowed me the joys of cafeteria food. Now fortunately for me I had Dining Plus so I did not have to eat every meal in the Cannon Center and usually only ate breakfast there. I love the options: waffles, french toast, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, breakfast casserole, french toast sticks, bacon, sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, boiled eggs, omelets, fresh fruit, tons of cereals, three different kinds of milk, orange juice, apple juice, passion orange guava juice, oatmeal, toast,donuts, bagels, and the list goes on.

The place had a lot of history. I say "had" specifically, because BYU recently TORE IT DOWN. I was devastated to say the least. I will admit that I have frequented the Cannon Center even as recently as this past year. It has a special place in my heart. I appreciated that Brad did not judge me for this secret love of mine. Which probably wasn't too secret for anyone who knows me very well.

We decided that we had to try out the new Commons at the Cannon Center that replaced the original cafeteria. We went for breakfast on a Saturday in September and really enjoyed ourselves. Well, Brad and I did, Johnny hung out in his stroller. And yes, people did look at us wondering if we lived in the dorms or what our story was. Even though I still love the original, this new Cannon Center is definitely an improvement from my freshmen year. So if you're ever in Provo and want a fun and family-friendly dining experience, I would suggest heading over to the Cannon Center.

And I promise I was trying to get Johnny to not make the fish-face and smile, but as you can see, he won.

The Hiatus Is Over

I am back in the blogging world. Let's be honest here, I doubt that many people actually read this blog besides a few family members and friends, but I myself have missed writing and sharing pictures about what's going on in our lives, so hopefully I'll get back in the habit again.

There are many things I haven't blogged about, and I'm not sure how much I want to go back in detail or even how exciting it would be to describe. But there are a few notable events, that I would like to share so I might break those up into a few posts depending on how much I end up sharing.

I did want to share two pictures with everyone though. Let me preface their appearance on the blog with the fact that I am actually quite an animal lover. But there is just something wrong with this picture. It's a picture of Gus, the 2008 winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.


Now, I was a bit taken aback by Gus's picture. That is, until I saw last year's winner, Elwood:

Brad's Little Football Player

My baby boy is huge, and Brad is very pleased that he is well on his way to becoming a star football player for BYU. We went to his check-up appointment yesterday morning, and after waiting for a while baby Johnny got weighed and measured. For those of you who do not remember (let's be honest here, who remembers everyone else's baby stats) Johnny was 8 lb. 9 oz. when he was born and 20.5 in long. He is now, drumroll please, a whopping 16 pounds and 25 inches long!!! That means he's over 2 feet tall, when he stands up that is. He's in the 75th percentile for height, and 90th percentile for weight. He's definitely our chunky monkey. The doctor said he's developing just beautifully, and has great neck support and strong legs. We love our precious baby, but it is crazy to see how fast he is growing. Brad always teases me about how I'm going to cry when he leaves for his mission. I told him I'll probably cry when he graduates nursery and goes into Sunbeams.

Part Two

Friday was our last full day in Washington and we tried to fill every minute of it with fun. My friends Amanda and Dennis came over and met Johnny for the first time and then we headed over to Southcenter to eat lunch. I definitely got lost in that mall, it's completely different than when I used to live here. Fran laughed at me because I got so disoriented.




Later on we watched Emma and Stevie play on the toys at the mall and headed back home so they could take a dip in their little wading pool. I'll have to post some video of Uncle Stevie joining in on the fun. He couldn't stay in for too long though, because he and Brad headed downtown to go to the Mariners game. Brad had never been to Safeco field before, and even though the Mariners are having a rough season, they won their game.



Brad said he and Stephen had a great time and he would love to go back. Especially if the Mariners happen to play the Cubs in an interleague game. He probably just would not get the chilli nachos again. Maybe next time we'll go to a game together.


Johnny loved meeting his Uncle Stevie for the first time as well, and I think Stephen liked meeting his new little nephew too. Stephen thanks again for being such a great baby-sitter. I'm sure it was probably not just your favorite hour, but also Johnny's. He can just tell when someone feels very comfortable with a baby. He wants you to hurry up and come to Utah so you can watch him again real soon.
We had so much fun visiting and were sad to say good-bye, but we hope to see everyone again soon. We also just want to give a special thanks to Johnny, for being the best baby ever and not crying at all on either flight. He's a keeper.

Anniversary Fun

We headed out to Snoqualmie Falls with Fran and her kids on Thursday morning. It was lots of fun watching her kids run around and it also made me very grateful that my kid can't walk yet.

Brad was very pleased Johnny had on his "little engineer" onesie, and took a picture in front of the engineering landmark plaque at the observation deck

Brad liked the waterfall, and the kids loved stomping in the puddles. Since it was our anniversary, Emma was sweet enough to agree to baby-sit for us. Such a little helper that girl is. With Johnny in such great hands (ok, so Fran helped Emma) Brad and I were free to enjoy the evening together. We went to our first session together at the Seattle Temple, and then headed over to Maggiano's for some delicious dinner and dessert. Our reception in Washington was held here, and Brad really liked the food. He especially enjoyed the cheesecake and was grateful for the chance to eat it once again. I didn't get a picture of it before we chowed down, but here is the empty plate in all of its glory:

It was such a great night to celebrate a wonderful occasion. Thanks for such a great date Brad!

Wow

Does a year really go by this fast?

Isn't he so cute? This was taken on our wedding day exactly one year ago today. Happy anniversary handsome!! You have brought me so much happiness. You've made me laugh, you've been thoughtful, sweet, kind, patient, and understanding. You'd have to be, I was pregnant for 9 of the first 12 months of our marriage. I can honestly say you are the best husband I have ever had!!!

I love you handsome. We've made so many wonderful memories together already. Now with Johnny I can't wait to see where our life takes us. You are amazing. I love you. I hope you have a wonderful anniversary.

I love you Bradley

Our Week in Washington - Part One

My little baby is growing up!! Johnny loved this toy of my sister's so much while we were visiting. He was working his way in a circle, trying out all the toys, making noises, smiling at the sunshine, and even getting the music to play all by himself. I can't believe it. We're going to look for one of these for him to play with at home because he loved it so much. Emma and Stevie must have remembered it used to be theirs, or they just liked it so much, that they jumped in and played with it (or tried to) when Johnny was taking a rest. Those kids are too much fun.

Saturday Johnny met his Great Grandpa and Grandma Goodrich for the first time. He was very smiley and let them both hold him for as long as they liked. We had so much visiting and hope we'll be able to come back again soon. Afterward, Brad and I baby-sat for my sister. Okay, so I love my sister and her kids too, but with that crazy heat wave her house was literally like an oven. With Brad, Johnny, me, Emma, and little Stevie cooking inside. The kids jumped at the chance to cool down in the bath. All I can say is those kids sure know how to splash.

My Dad took me, Brad, and Stephen for a drive down-town on Sunday. He made sure to show Brad lots of fun things, and especially to stop at Kerry Park so we could take a picture. I love this place so much, it's such a beautiful view of the city and the water, especially at nighttime with the water and the lights. Brad said he loved seeing the city and especially loved walking downtown with Stephen and going to the Mariners game with him on Friday. I just loved being able to share with him so many of the places I loved while growing up in Washington.

Stephen, Brad, and I went to see the new Batman movie at the IMAX theater downtown on Monday. I saw Batman Begins on the same screen and thought Brad would like seeing this one at an IMAX theater too. The screen was over six stories tall, and the sound is really amazing. The ticket price is a little more than I'd like to spend, but let's be honest here, with a little baby, we don't get out much. Thanks to my Mom for baby-sitting Johnny for us.