Water Fun

We have had a lot of fun playing in the water the last few weeks! It all started with Garrett's first experience at a "real pool". Colin chose the activity for FHE to go to our rec center that is just right by our house! WE had a great time! We chose the indoor pool with all the fun toys and no sun! Garrett especially loved the falling water. He would grab it just like he loves to do in the bath tub! We also had fun in the whirlpool and Garrett loved the bubbles that would "get him"!

On the 24th we went down to Uncle Mike's for a BBQ! They also have a great pool in their backyard. I didn't bring my suit, but wish I had later after watching everyone have so much fun! Garrett found a toy to play with and had a great time kicking and splashing with Colin and his sisters. The most fun part was when Colin swam under water and came up and "scared" him! Garrett thought it was hilarious and laughed after the initial shock of the surprise! We had some great food there including Danielle's amazing baklava (spelling?) dessert and the boy cousins homemade firework show!

This last weekend we had a great time with the Anderson family! WE went to a special place to have some fun at my favorite water park....Cherry Hill! Many know the story, but when I was 9 we LIVED at Cherry Hill. After the lease was up at our home, we needed to find a new place and weren't able to. We didn't have any place to go, and so we borrowed my aunt's trailer, put everything in storage and moved to Cherry Hill. It was a great summer....sleeping in a tent, playing at the park, swimming, doing the arcades, and going on the water slides! Well it was just one summer, but I will never forget that time! We have visited there since that experience and I was definitely excited to take Garrett for the first time! We played at Pirate's Cove and the Lazy River! My mom was nice enough to watch Garrett while he was sleeping so we could go on the water slides and Cardiac Canyon River Run! It was especially fun that my brother and his family came too! Lindsay and Karston loved the water! We were glad that Lindsay and Dane and Dad could join us for lunch too! It was a great time for everyone and we can't wait to go back next year..I think we have started a new family tradition. WE look forward to next year when we hope more of our family can be there and Garrett can have even more fun in the water and maybe even take a ride on the water slides! WE LOVE CHERRY HILL! Enjoy all these cute pictures of our water adventures!

Road Trip

July is one of the busiest months of the year. It is time for the Fourth of July, food (bbq's), fireworks, fun in the sun, and family! It is time to update everyone on our crazy July! Colin, Garrett and I had our first road trip together! WE survived almost 30 hours in a motorhome! Colin's grandparents were sweet enough to let us hitch a ride with them in their 20 year old RV to travel to California for a family reunion to Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park.! Colin said that it was part of his growing up (riding in the motor home) and that he wanted me to "experience it". That vehicle has many miles on it and even more memories in it! So, this was definitely a first for me and Garrett and maybe the last. Grandma said that was last "long trip" it was going to take! I was impressed for being so old how well it did! It wasn't easy sitting there in the heat with not A/C through the boring Nevada desert, but we made it! Check out this video to see how we kept Garrett and ourselves cool!




We were sad that more of our family couldn't make it! We felt lucky that Colin's mom and brother came! Garrett sure loves his cousins, Ty and Mara! Ty loves to tickle Garrett's toes and Mara loves to kiss Garrett's bald head! It sure was fun to play with them! Colin brought an airplane for he and Ty to play with ! That thing probably had more crashes than actual flying time, but with a little duct tape from Grandpa, it provided hours of fun!

We also enjoyed the scenic views of old volcanoes, clear lakes, beautiful waterfalls, boiling pots, big rocks, and tall trees. It was a beautiful park and we had a lot of fun exploring and hiking all around! We purchased a hiking backpack that Garrett could sit in! It was great to have and he even fell asleep on one of the hikes! Even though he was only six months old, we wanted him to be able to enjoy the outdoors just as much as we did. On one of our hikes to King's Creek Falls, Garrett was being fussy! We didn't know what to do to help him, but wanted to continue on the hike. Nate, Erica, and Mara were very patient as we tried to help him be more comfortable by getting his leg unstuck in his pack, but he still continued to cry! It didn't help that it was close to his nap time! Anyway, as soon as we saw the waterfalls, Garrett stopped fussing! He was mesmorized by the falling water! He wouldn't take his eyes off of it and was perfect the rest of the way! We really couldn't ask for a better little traveler! I am so grateful to my strong husband who carried him in the pack the whole time...without complaining! Way to go! He made it possible for all of us to enjoy our trip! Thanks sweetie!

The hardest part of the trip was that Garrett threw up a lot! We don't know what was wrong, but we found ourselves covered in vomit 5 or 6 times! I felt bad that it happened in the motor home several times, but was grateful that Grandma and Grandpa Card were relaxed about it seeing that it just added to the character of the motor home and all the rest of the "memories" from over the years! It was nice not to have to stop and feed Garrett, but just get him out of his car seat and feed him while we were moving! I have to thank Colin for his patience with me and our son! He was a big help and even got covered in vomit a few times too! He got to experience a little bit of what it is like....not so fun fighting a 6 month old to eat!

Speaking of eating, we did a lot of it. Our favorites were the desserts! Aunt Bev brought the best carrott cake, brownie bites, and chocolate chunk cookies...all from Costco! I think a membership there would be worth those alone! Also, I can't forget the marshmallows that Uncle Howard brought...strawberry and chocolate vanilla flavored! They were delicious and I was lucky to have Ty to roast one for me! Let's just say that when my marshmallow was "done" it was 15 minutes later and covered in dirt! Thanks Ty, they were yummy!

We are sad that more family wasn't there to have fun with us this year, but we look forward to next year's family reunion and are excited that it is a little closer... Jordanelle, here we come! Here are some favorite photos from our time in California!

6 months down!

So, this post is a little late (Garrett's almost 7 months now!!!), but we want to show you how cute these monkey photos are! WE can't believe how big he is getting. He is 18 and 1/2 pounds and 28 inches long! He has just steadily gone up the charts, not too chunky (75th percentile) and is going to be tall like his dad (95th percentile). One of the saddest things is that he is growing out of everything! Just last week we put away all of us 3-6 month clothing! He is barely fitting into 6 month clothing and fits comfortably in 9 month clothes! WOW! We just love our roly poly! These photos were fun to take this month with the monkey because Garrett sits up.....all by himself! In this photo, Garrett thinks it's hilarious that the monkey fell down and he is still sitting up! Way to go baby boy! Gotta love that smile!




These two photos remind me of ballet! I knew that Garrett was going to
take after his mom somehow! It looks like Garrett is teaching the monkey
some stretching moves!













Who has the cutest monkey face???












Shh.....they're telling secrets again!

"So Big!"

We all know the little phrase that we say with babies, helping them reach their hands up above their head as we say, "So Big!" Well, Garrett definitely is getting "so big." He's 6 months old now and doing some fun things.

Take a look at what he has been up to lately:

Feeding himself and holding his own bottle...


Well, sometimes he can hold it upright.
You can also see that he is sitting in his new high chair!

Sitting up (and still spitting up) and playing with toys.


Playing with Maggie, pulling her hair, and watching her go everywhere (hey, that rhymes).


Eating rice cereal. He gobbled it up the first time we tried it,
but hasn't wanted to eat much since.

Holding his own spoon (but not able to get it in his mouth yet).
Here you can see a little applesauce, more on the face and tray than in his mouth.

Garrett just keeps getting cuter and more fun to interact with. He is still the smiliest little guy and loves to wiggle and make noises. He has been laughing more lately too, can play a little hide and seek with a burp cloth over his face, and loves to grab things and stick them in his mouth. You probably can't tell from the pictures, but it seems like his hair is starting to come in a little.

Some of Garrett's other favorite things to do are:

• Take walks around the neighborhood, either in the stroller or the Baby Bjorn. He just loves to look around at the sky and trees.
• Have bath time and play in the water. He used to scream a little, but now he just makes cute noises, tries to grab the water, splashes a bit, and stuffs the washcloth in his mouth (more bath and swimming photos later).
• Kick and wiggle in his bouncer. I think I have video of him doing this, but he can just sit in that bouncer and entertain himself for hours! Not that we've left him in there that long... :)
• Eat his own toes when you change his diaper.
• Toss his binkie around the room. He threw one today that I couldn't find for about 10 minutes because it went so far and ended up underneath a kitchen shelf.
• Spit and do raspberries with his mouth. He blows, he motorboats, he just loves making sounds with his mouth in many different ways.
• Play with his mom. I catch the two of them laughing together sometimes and just think I've witnessed a small slice of heaven. They get my vote for cutest couple. He really loves his mommy, despite the difficult eating sessions he puts her through sometimes. She is really good to him too.
  

Family Photos - June 2008

FUN in the SUN (or SHADE!!)

Summer time is so fun. It is even more fun to have a baby to share it with. I am trying to get out at least once a day to feel the sunshine! Little Garrett loves to be outside too. Besides our walks everyday (sometimes two, if daddy goes with us at night!), our favorite thing to do is to find a big tree and sit under it and relax. We have to be very careful about him in the sun.....so we like to find SHADE to play in! We especially need to keep that beautiful BALD head protected! He has had some cute hats that he has already grown out of! Luckily we still have a few that fit including his cute swimming hat! Garrett got his pool and all his water accessories for Easter a few months ago! We were excited to get it out a couple of weeks ago and play in it in our very own backyard! He loved it except for the part where we layed him down and mom would splash him! Summer is going by way to fast! We hope to keep having more fun and enjoying our summer together as a tiny family making new memories! Here are some cute photos of our family enjoying summer!

"I'm ready to hit the waves, Mom!"

"This water is a little cold, Dad!"

"Is this supposed to be fun?"

"This isn't that bad! I love playing with toys and think
it is pretty cool to pour water out of my cup!"


"Here I am just chillin' at the park with my puppy!


"It is fun sitting (or stretching) under the tree to just relax!"

My first REAL soccer game! I especially liked the fireworks at the end!

The West Jordan City Parade
July 4, 2008

My mom caught me lots of candy!

The family photo at the park after some good fair food!

"My cousins Ty and Mara told us about how fun Liberty Park was! We fed the "BIRDS!" I thought I would see more ducks, but didn't know there were so many geese and seagulls that would like my bread too!"

"Mom woke me up from my nap to see these birds! They were loud and wouldn't let me sleep when I was at the park!"

WE LOVE COUSINS (PART 2) !!!

We would like to welcome the newest addition to our family: Dane Brock Anderson! My brother and his wife Lindsay had their baby last Thursday, June 19th! We have been sooo excited for little Dane to come! It was fun being pregnant together with Lindsay for a few short months and to now have a cousin so close to Garrett! Garrett seemed excited to see little Dane when they met last Friday! Lindsay has commented before on how they hung out together before they came to earth, so they are already friends! We are glad that Dane is here and can't wait for all the adventures that await these two cute cousins! WE are glad that mom and dad are doing well too and hope that you enjoy being parents! Congratulations to the Anderson Family!

The group photo! It is hard to believe that Garrett is not a newborn anymore!

"Meet your new cousin!"

Two cousins!

It looks like they are already sharing secrets! Either that or Garrett is trying to nibble on his ears!

Dane Brock Anderson
June 19, 2008

4:34 pm
7 lbs. 12 oz.
21.5 inches

The cute new Anderson Family!
Brock, Lindsay and Dane!

WE LOVE YOU!