Family Update

Well I have to say it has been quite the few months since I last did a family update, so grab a snack and get comfy because this will be a long one! We have been traveling, remodeling, sick, and raising a very busy little girl which has kept our family busier than ever.

We started May off with a much needed vacation planned but had to cancel than rescheduled. I was supposed to head to Cancun with my mom, step dad, and brother to celebrate mothers day, my birthday, and my little brother's graduation. To my disappointment we had to rearrange plans due to the flu outbreak, but luckily my Uncle came to the rescue and instead we headed for sunny San Diego and Palm Springs. It turned out to be a nice relaxing trip which is what I had hoped for. Though we didn't get to lay on a tropical beach, sip smoothies, and swim with the dolphins, we did get to spend some time with the family and had a huge pool surrounded by palm trees practically to ourselves. We started our trip with a tour of San Diego, which included a trip to the beautiful beaches, some yummy restaurants on the bay, and a view of the most massive homes I have ever seen including one worth 75 million...why would you ever build a house that big is beyond me. Most were pretty amazing. We ended our first day with a visit to Old Town for the Cinco De Mayo Celebrations. We ate some pretty good Mexican food and were entertained by the best street band I have ever heard. They sang hits from Def Leopard, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, and a few others. They sounded exactly like the originals. We were in awe. Unfortunately my mom had to hang back home sick with flu/cold like symptoms and by the next morning we had to take her to the ER. The good news was she didn't have the Swine Flu, which by the way is the worst test I have ever seen. They stick long Q-tip swabs up your nose (one on each side) until they reach your sinuses, very painful and hard to watch someone go through. Just hope you never have to be tested. Anyway the bad news was she had Pneumonia in one of her lungs. So for the rest of the 3 days we were there, she spent most of her time in bed. On the last day she was able to catch a few sun rays when she felt better. On Monday we headed to Palm Springs were my uncle has his condo. An absolutely beautiful place, I am so sad they are selling it. We had our own little oasis by the pool which is where we spent most of our time. It was very relaxing but I have to say I really missed my little girl. This was the first time I had been away from her for more than a day. Luckily she still remembered me when I got home. The flights were horrible as usual. I hate flying! I used to love it. The smell of the airports and planes remind me of my dad (who flies) so I always felt comfortable. Until my honeymoon when I was sure we were going to die. The plane kept making funny noises and the turbulence was horrible, it was the worst flight EVER!! Ever since then I hate take off and I hate landing. But once we arrive to our destination the torture is always worth it.

We also took Peyton to the Evergreen Space Museum to meet my dad and brother Alec for lunch. Peyton had a blast running around to all the exhibits. They have two simulators that allow you to fly the lunar lander and the air shuttle which my little brother and I did flawlessly, give or take a few rough landings.

We also went to Pump it Up Junior for a little play date with little Peyton and Ashton. This place was by far my most favorite that Peyton and I have been to for a play date. They have 2 large rooms filled with air filled play structures and slides so little ones cant hurt themselves when they fall...totally beats any playground I have ever been to. We were even lucky enough to have a visit from Elmo. Peyton was in awe but was sure to keep her distance from the furry giant. Which was pretty funny to watch because she is usually fearless. Eventually she got up the courage to walk over to him and say hello. She even gave him a high five. The rest of the time we were there she made sure to keep a close eye on Elmo's where abouts while she played. It was so much fun!!

Speachless

That afternoon we were off to Bend for my little brothers graduation. I still cant believe he is a graduate. I cried nearly the whole ceremony, in fact I cant help but get a little teary just now. He was so adorable in his gown. Its hard to see your siblings grow up so fast, and it makes me feel old...grrr!! The ceremony was great. They had some great speakers with a lot of good wisdom, though half the graduates were busy texting during the lectures. Then it was time to hand out the diplomas. Dane was up and of course they pronounced his last name wrong but he gracefully walked the stage, shook hands with the faculty, and got his photo taken with out faltering. We got pictures and video. The next day we had a grad party filled with lots of yummy food, cake, and a few hands of Canasta. Trevor is not to fond of the card game. Infact we call it a different name just to spare him. It's pretty funny. Oh yeah, and for those of you who know me well, know that I hate guns, despise them, think they are horrible and scary and to powerful. But I figured it was time to put it behind me, now that I have a child I feel I should know how to protect myself when Trevor is gone. So putting my fears behind me I went with the boys out to learn to shoot. The first time I held a shot gun I could literally feel my body freeze and I had chills and goose bumps and the shakes. But after much encouragement from my husband, dad, and uncles I shot a gun for the first time. It was pretty exhilarating actually. After that I wanted to try each gun they had. I did pretty well if i do say so myself. I hit 5 targets with in 1-3 tries each. Which is pretty good considering how far away I was, and the targets were somewhat concealed by shrubs and bark. I shot a 22, a hand gun (have no idea what its called), and a shot gun. I was pretty impressed, as was my husband who believed he would probably never get me to hold a gun in this lifetime. We had a great time as always and dreaded having to make the 3 hour drive home. I cant wait until the day when we may live just down the street from them.

We have also been busy with our home. we did a ton of yard work, laid bark dust, tore down another wall because someone didn't know how to vent a dryer correctly when they built the house...ugh, and rebuilt our deck with the help of my step dad, Jerry (Trevor's dad) and uncles Darrel and Mike. I'll post pictures soon. It looks wonderful!

As for a Peyton update. She is as busy and sassy as ever. We have started timeouts as of her 1st birthday. She gets the meaning of it which is good and it seems to work really well so far. We are also working on potty training, I have to say she is so cute sitting on that little potty with her pull-ups around her ankles. I will post a picture later of course. As for teeth, she just got in her upper incisors so that makes 14 teeth so far. She is also finally getting hair!!! Not enough to do anything with yet but soon enough she'll have pigtails and braids I hope. We have added the words tree, baby, mimi (another name for mommy) , cat (well she says tttt), and occasionally umpa for grandpa. She also said Darren once who is Trevor's younger brother. She is running and climbing and twirling. She loves to give high fives, kisses and hugs (luvs). She spend a lot of time playing with her best friend, our cat Woody who is so great with her and puts up with so much. She looks forward to getting the mail together everyday. I hand her our mail key, which is on a neck string, and she puts it over her head and around her neck, grabs my hand and takes me to the front door. When I tell her to get her shoes, she'll go grab the closest pair in the entry, sit down next to me, and put her feet out. It's so adorable!! Occasionally she grabs mine or Trevor's shoes, but hey she gets the idea. She has been such a joy and is starting to become a little daddy's girl more and more every day. There is no doubt she already has him wrapped around her finger.