Videos for Alisha

My sister has been bugging me to do new videos of Kaleb, so I finally got on it. I really need to buy a video camera because (as you'll see), my web-cam is very limited! I'm stuck using the immedite area around the computer, but it's better than nothing I guess. Here's a few quick shots of his favorite things:

Video #1 - Playing with cars (and making the sounds).

Video #2 and 3 - Puppies- Don't worry, he's not like that w/ real life puppies! (maybe)

Video #4 - Talking on the phone (he hasn't quite learned how to hold it, but gets the idea. You hold is somewhere by your head right?)

Video #5 - Books

Video #6 - Jumping and dancing

You'll just have to come see him in person to get the whole effect!

A Crabby Day

Crab season opened this past week so we headed to the Sound on Saturday morning. I'd gone once before in high school, but didn't remember how to do it really. Braydan had never gone but was more than willing to try (we're trying to be true north-westerners i guess).
After staking out our spot on the pier (in Everett somewhere), Braydan loaded the bait cage with smelly chicken parts and tried to throw the pod like a pro. I thought he did pretty good till I watched some other people :)
The flying pod about to hit the water. Good shot huh?
Crabbing is just my style cause after your lines are down, you can pretty much sit back and be lazy. Maybe that's why I like fishing too?
Well, our first catch brought in two feisty crabs, a Red-Rock and Dungeness. It must've been our lucky day (or so the guy next to us said) cause the Dungeness was huge and we got to keep him! We agreed later we were lucky cause we never got another big one after that (had to throw them all back).
Kaleb was fascinated by our crab in the bucket and snuck him goldfish crackers (very appropriate I'd say) and granola bars.
Braydan ringing a dinner bell.
Before we left, we took a tour of the nearby lighthouse. It wasn't a huge one, but still cool to climb the spiral staircase and walk around on top.
I always forget how windy it is by the water, so forgive my hair (and Kaleb's squint).

Before I end this, I just have to say cooking crab is a whole other drama, but I'll spare you the details. I kept asking Braydan how he'd like getting boiled alive. Poor thing.

Good Summer Reads

I've been on a reading kick this summer (okay, probably my whole life) but I've really had a big list lately of books to finish, so I thought I'd share some good ones if you need ideas. I'm in a book club so some come from that, but most I hear about from friends (thank you Amy!) and family. It's kinda a weird assortment, but what can I say . . . I guess I'm weird. I'm not good at writing summaries, but you can google them if ya want to know more . Let me know if you've read em' or what you thought about some of them, or if you have a good book for me!

So first up is the Big Stone Gap series by Adriana Trigiani. This first book is still my favorite of the 4, but the rest are good too. They are easy reads, I love the characters (they are all small town with lots of spunk and personality), and offer lots of life lessons. I love the love story in this first one!!!!


I read this next one in perfect time for the 4th of July. It was hard reading after the Trigiani books (lots of history!), but I'm glad I finished it and can now really appreciate and celebrate the women of the revolution era. They were so amazing. My two favorites were Abigail Adams and Martha Washington. They both had lots of faith, spunk, integrity, and wit. No wonder their husbands turned out so good!

So if you liked Harry Potter, you'll like these Bartimaeus books. I'm on the waiting list for the next two cause they're very entertaining, creative, and edge of your seat kind of reads.
I love, love this book (Tenant of Wildfell Hall if you can't see the title). I love all the Bronte books and don't know why I've never picked this one up before, but it's awesome.

So, besides my mouth watering for cake the whole time I read this book, it's pretty good, easy read. I love the recipes at the end too! (not that I'll ever be that ambitious to make them)

This is what I'm currently reading and it has lots going on. It's told through the lives of 4 generations of women and goes back to WWII. It's fascinating so far . . . but we shall see.
These next two books are on my list, and I'm waiting patiently (not really). I think they'll be good from what I hear.


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I LOVE SUMMER

Especially here in Washington. It seems like before, like in Montana, we always had to endure the summers, hiding downstairs in the afternoons to escape the heat. Maybe I'm just imagining that, but anyways I'm trying to really enjoy these nice days cause I know they won't last! I think one of my favorite things about summer is the looonnnggg days. Wednesday night at YW we played kickball and capture the flag until 9 and it was still light out. We actually got a babysitter Friday night to play tennis and we played till 10 cause it was still light! Yes!!! I also like working in the garden and getting my first vegetables.

Kaleb loves the peas! He kinda sucks them out like a vacuum.

My tomato plants are getting big too (which is a miracle with Kaleb always tromping on them) and they have all the yellow flowers on them. I'm excited to can them later this summer.

I got to can strawberry jam with Rebbecca this past week and I loved it. She got 30 lbs of strawberries in a huge bucket and I thought it would take all day to finish em', but it actually went fast. We both didn't really know what we were doing, but we had fun making a mess and finally getting the 3rd batch right :) I just needed an old apron on and I could've been my grandma in the kitchen.

This last weekend Braydan went sailing on Rodney's new sail boat at Lake Stevens. I didn't get there in time to take a real picture of them. Darn. But they had fun (and Braydan got fried like a tomato!!!). Of course he wants a sailboat now (not gonna happen).

I came up later with lunch and just played in the water.

Braydan did some flips off the dock with Sammy and Rodney.

I think they were all just trying to show off for me.

That night we played Wiffle Ball till dark with some friends and it was a blast. How can something so simple be so fun? Anyways, hope you all are enjoying this summer too!!!

Our Crazy Utah Adventure

Okay, so it wasn't crazy, but actually lots and lots of fun!!! We got to spend 10 days in Logan with Braydan's family.
(The only crazy part would be . . . . Kaleb.) Yep, this picture sums up how he was most of the time. Embarrassing, I know. He had a 103 fever the first couple days cause his 4 eye teeth coming in, and then I think it didn't help being in a new place, lots of new people, and always going somewhere. He really wore on me, but Braydan was a life-saver and dealt with his constant crying. Besides that minor downer, we did lots of fun stuff.
Almost every morning we played tennis together. We got whooped a lot by the old timers :) Very humbling, but the last day I got good and beat Braydan best of 3. YES!!! One day we went to the big outdoor aquatic center and I even did a twist off the diving board. It probably looked like I tripped off, but I was trying to be cool like the little kids in line with me.

Kaleb pretty much cried the whole time so braydan spent a lot of time under the umbrella.

Another day we went to Hyrum Dam and that was probably my favorite.

It was fun watching all the cousins play in the sand and water and on the boat.

Thursday Braydan's 89 year old Grandpa got sealed in the Logan Temple to his wife Shirley. I forgot to take pictures, but it was pretty cool, especially since the Temple Sealer was way younger than Grandpa :) We got to watch fireworks up at USU that night and I loved being back on campus at all our old spots. One day Braydan and I got to go on a date and that was a luxury. We went to our favorite place we used to eat, THE BLUEBIRD!!! I love that place. Then we went shopping for braydan shoes. Sounds boring, but at least we got to talk and be alone.

I forgot another day I got spoiled and Braydan's sister took me shopping and then she cut and highlighted my hair. We stayed up late, but it was fun. (This is my haircut and holding her new baby). Sunday we got to be there for Sym's baby blessing and that was lucky that most of us siblings were there.

I loved mostly just visiting and playing games with everyone, and holding babies. (Aren't my nieces and nephews cute?) So many pictures I couldn't resist a few.

It's so nice to have a family and be with them!!! I'm almost tearing up just thinking about it :( Wish we all lived closer.

Oh yeah, i loved going "camping" up the canyon too. (Chase, Kaleb and Grandpa B throwing rocks Logan Canyon)

Thanks family for such a fun trip. I had lots of laughs and good times. LOVE YOU!!!