Christmas Joy

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Our's was good. We stayed at my parents' for the week so we could go to a couple of parties. On Christmas Eve we went out to dinner with my family, then to see the temple lights for a bit. Then it was home to make cookies for Santa...



On Christmas morning we saw that Santa had brought Brailyn a rocking horse and some play doh.


Then we had a pancake breakfast and opened presents. Brailyn got a new American Girl Ity Bity Baby, some puzzles, a book, and some cute clothes. Momma got some great cooking supplies (a new mixer!) and some running shoes. Daddy got some cool gadgets (an ipod dvd player) some Academy gear, an electric razor and 2 Ken Burns dvds. Oh, momma also got a trip with the girls to shop in Palm Springs next week.


After lunch we went to Clint's family's to open presents. Brailyn got a tickle me Elmo, which was a bigger hit for the adults watching her reaction. We ate dinner therre and had fun playing with everyone's new toys (including Daddy's remote control car...)




MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The New Adventures of Brailyn

Here's a funny short story. The other day we all went to the store, and as we were unloading the groceries, Brailyn climbed into the front seat to "drive" (okay, okay, so maybe this isn't a good idea to let her do, but it's funny). She tried to put the keys in the ignition (unsafe, I know), and turns the wheel. I closed the door so I could go around and get her, and of course, she locked the doors!! Luckily we had a spare set in the house, but we had to get some pictures before we set her free. She loved it!

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We Miss You, Sierra!

Brailyn's friend, Sierra, just moved to Reno, Nevada, and we miss her already. When we go to nursery or music class, Brailyn asks if Sierra will be there. They played really well together, and we're so glad we got to know the Forbush Family. We'll miss them!!

Halloween

Okay, since Brailyn was sick, we didn't go trick or treating, and she didn't even get to wear her costume! So, before I packed it away we took some pictures. I succumbed to the Tom Arma peer pressure (thanks Jen! j/k) and bought the turtle on Ebay for more than I was going to pay for the Disney Minnie Mouse costume (which I REALLY wanted). Anyway, I wasn't thrilled about it, but she loves turtles and it was definitely unique, albeit a little big on my sweet girl!

What did she say?!?

When Clint is letting Momma sleep in, the house gets turned upside down. Brailyn loves to build forts, and Daddy is pretty good at building them. Now that she is learning new words everyday, she learned the word "fort". The catch- it doesn't really sound like "fort"...it sounds like the "mother of all swear words". So this morning, while I was doing the dishes, I hear Brailyn yelling at Clint. She keeps repeating this word, and Clint isn't understanding her. Finally, he asks, "Malia, what does the f-word mean again??" We both get a good laugh, and Brailyn is happy and stops swearing when he starts to build her a fort with the couch. What next??

Funny Farm

Brailyn and Sierra


Going through the Mini Maze






3 Little Pigs' House


Driving the Tractor


Picking the Pumpkin

We visited Tolmachoff Farms this weekend, and had a blast. It's a family farm that has animals, a corn maze and some fun things for kids to do. The Tolmachoffs know my Grandpa Treguboff. Both families immigrated from Russia and settled the Glendale area as farmers. So it was fun to meet people who know my family and remembered my Uncle Dana. We went with Craig, Lynette, and Sierra Forbush, our T-bird friends, and had a great time. We ended the night with some yummy pizza at their house. What a great day!

Sunday Morning

We had a fun time this morning. First, Brailyn decided to walk around in Momma's slippers (which she could actually do). She just needed "hap" or help from me to step into them.

We also got to wear our new dress that Grandma got us at her baby shower (she can FINALLY wear it) and her shoes match perfectly. Too cute!!

Fun with the Turtles

Yesterday we took the turtles (I know, I know, they're tortoises) outside to eat some grass. They loved it, and we loved how excited Brailyn got watching them and trying to feed them. She sure loves them!

Our friend Sierra Forbush

Brailyn's best bud, Sierra

Hugs!!


We just moved back to Glendale from our summer in Tampa and are excited to play with our friend Sierra again!!

It's a Date

Today Brailyn had a playdate with Jaxon (Dave and Ashley Rogers) at the zoo. She had a lot of fun playing in the water and looking at the animals. I think she was still a little wary of Jaxon and his headlocks (which he put her in on Saturday at the Wyeth's) so she kept her distance. But they still had a blast and were tuckered out on the ride home. Thank you Ashley!!!

Oh, Freedom!

We decided to let Brailyn run around a little before we put her diaper on, and well, let's just say she was quite happy without all that extra baggage. She kept running away from us! Luckily Grandma has tile floors, so it wasn't too bad when she'd tinkle a little. But aren't naked babies too funny??

Going Shopping

Thank you Grandma for the new shopping cart. Brailyn loves it and pushes it all around the house. And she likes to put Pooh Bear in the baby seat. Too cute!!

Super Carl

This is Super Carl, or "Caw" to Brailyn. His alias is Carl Crawford, Devil Rays outfielder, but to us, he's a super hero, protecting the game of baseball and the American way. We got him at a D-Rays game in Tampa, and Brailyn loves to play with him. She makes him fly, points to his body parts, and just likes to have him around. It's great. And we're breaking gender stereotypes at the same time!!

Good Bye, Tampa

We leave Tampa tomorrow, and we're all a little sad. We really have enjoyed our summer here, and although the time was short, we feel we can call it a home. Brailyn will surely miss our evening walks to go see the ducks and turtles in the pond, and hopefully she'll remember our trip to Sea World to see Elmo. But we are excited to go back home and to see our family and friends. Clint is anxious to be busy with school again (and so is Momma), and soon we'll be looking for a new job and possibly a new home again. But it will hopefully be the last move for a couple of years...

Fountain Park

Today we went to a park here in Tampa that has a fountain playground. Brailyn had a blast getting soaked. And she did pretty well with a bunch of bigger kids running around. She even tried to shoot some of the water canons. Someone at church had told me about it, and I'm glad we finally made the trip!

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Visiting Uncle Ben

We went to visit Ben at the Naval Academy in August and there was a group of Asian tourists that wanted to take pictures of Brailyn. I mean like 12 young Asian women swarming around a 19 month old and taking hundreds of pictures of her. It was funny, and a little weird. Brailyn was standing a little away from us by a wall, and she kinda did a little pose with one hand on the wall...I wish I had a picture of it. The little celebrity. Anyway, it's one of those funny moments that you'd never expect, and probably won't forget.






This past weekend we went to Annapolis, MD to see my brother, Ben, at the end of Plebe Summer (boot camp for the Naval Academy). I have to admit, I cried when we we first saw him after they did formation. Maybe it was the pageantry, or maybe it was because I'm so darn proud of him. Whatever the reason, I love my brother and am proud to tell everyone that he's going to the Naval Academy. He looked so handsome in his uniform, and we had such a fun time seeing the Academy and walking around the city. We are so proud of him, and we were so grateful that we were able to go visit him. We'll miss him. GO NAVY!!