Thompson Family Adventures

Happy 1st Birthday Ryan!

2012-01-21T11:36:00.001-08:00

Birthday bubble bath

2012-01-21T11:16:00.001-08:00

Mad for Madrid

2011-12-21T03:54:00.001-08:00

We’re enjoying our time so far here in Madrid. It’s a bit colder than we expected, but we’ve had fun going to the zoo, the botanical gardens, taking the train to the old city of Toledo, checking out the street markets and, of course, taking advantage of plenty of good eats! Here are a few pics from the first few days:

Having Thai food…hmmmmm!

Out on the streets with the crowds.

Ryan enjoying a little stroll at the botanical gardens.

Ryan and Dadda

Family pic overlooking the old city of Toledo.

Checking out one of the flea markets.

Mr Monkeyman in front of the Palacio Real.

Momma and her boys.

Ryan sportin’ his gear from the flea market.

Brothers – no need to say more!

International Day

2011-11-19T10:29:00.001-08:00

We went to International Day at Nicholas’ school. There were about 20 different countries represented and each had a booth for info and food. We loved the Indian food, and I, of course, loved trying the desserts from several of the countries. I worked the American booth for awhile where we were serving chili, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. The kids were in a parade and did some performances.

Here we are at the Angolan booth. Nicholas tried their national fruits’ popsicle and I got some yummy coconut dessert : ) Ryan loved looking at all the people and colors. Of course he loved the food too…three cookies : ) The Indonesian booth gave me a cool hand fan!!

Nicholas and I enjoyed getting shortbread cookies from the Scottish booth and we picked up some cool trinkets at the England booth.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T03:36:00.001-07:00

We had our Halloween carnival at the complex on Saturday. It was so much fun!! Nicholas was a toucan and Ryan was a monkey. I was sad that I didn’t get to do my usual dress up this year, but our shipment still hasn’t arrived. I was in charge of the cupcake walk and all the kids had a blast hunting for eyeballs, bowling, picking up spiders, and, of course, eating. I hear I’m in charge of the carnival next year…yikes!! But I love Halloween. Hope you had a fun one!!

Ready for Church

2011-10-30T01:07:00.001-07:00

African Treasures

2011-10-30T01:04:00.001-07:00

During our trip to Johannesburg we visited several markets that were selling traditional hand-crafted items. Carrie went around finding the things she liked and then sent me behind to “bargain” for them. She doesn’t like that part.

Below is a wooden salad or fruit bowl with Zebras painted on it.

The round thing is a painted ostrich egg. Next to it is a necklace Carrie liked that is made of what looks like to us little acorns strung together with beads.

Our favorite…and perhaps you can quickly tell why. This is carved from stone and represents our family, eternally linked together as one.

Up Close and Personal

2011-10-26T12:44:00.001-07:00

The animal experiences available in South Africa are amazing. We visited the Lion Park and the Croc Farm in Johannesburg and got to touch and interact with lion cubs, a baby crocodile, a couple different pythons, a corn snake, a turtle, and a bearded lizards. We passed on the tarantulas. The boys LOVED it! Carrie even surprised me by letting the guy put the yellow python around her neck – this is a girl that hates snakes, but she also says she needs to surprise me every now and then.

Around the House

2011-10-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

Our Angolan Family

2011-09-19T05:10:00.001-07:00

We couldn’t make it without help from our great “team” here.

Felipe, our driver. Beatrice, Ryan’s nanny. Mize, our maid.

Carlos, our gardener.

A Regular Zoo

2011-09-19T05:02:00.001-07:00

One of our neighbors gave us this great banana tree last week. It should produce next year.

Okay, Mike gave in and said we could get a chicken for Nicholas. So here it is…all I can say is it’d better produce or it’s outta here. Produce eggs that is, not chicks : )

Here’s Feather… Cheerio’s inspiration! Cheerio wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t seen Feather 8 years ago in Scotland. And to think we met up again in Angola. It’s a small world!!

Life so far in Angola

2011-09-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry no pictures this time. I thought I'd just post a little bit about life here in Angola. We've only been here two weeks, but we feel like we've adjusted pretty well so far. Here's the pros and cons : )

Pros:
1) The boys are doing well...Nicholas likes school and is slowly adjusting to the all-day time schedule. Ryan is growing like a weed and has started sitting up now - Yay!!
2) The church is more organized and populated than we expected. In fact, it's amazing, but there was a family we met in Scotland 8 years ago when we were there for a summer. It was this family that introduced us to Westies. Well, guess where they are now? Here!!! And their Westie is still with them. In fact, we're going to be exchanging dog sitting. How amazing is that...Cheerio's inspiration in Angola...what a small world. There is a primary with about 40-50 kids in it. And there's even a nursery....yippee!! Since there a 3 or 4 expat families here, we're thinking about having Sunday school in English for the kids and then joining the Portugese kids for singing and sharing time. I was called to be the pianist so I'm excited to get everyone singing!!
3) The recreation center here in the compound just opened...it's beautiful!! A nice fitness center, pool, two playgrounds, tennis courts, soccor field. I went swimming this morning and it was so nice!!
4) Having a maid, nanny, gardener, and driver. And cook : ) I talked my maid into cooking dinner 3 times a week :)
5) Great neighbors. There are 80 homes here and most families have kids. So it's great for the children as they have lots of playmates. Plus everyone looks out for each other and there's lots of social activities.

Cons
1) Having a maid, nanny, driver, and gardener : ) You're probably thinking...come on, how spoiled is she. Well folks, it is hard work keeping everyone happy, working hard, on time, fed, etc. You'd think I'd have lots more free time right? Well, half the time I spend getting stuff for each of them to do (plants to plant, food to cook, cleaning products to use, etc). And you're never alone in your own house. But I can't complain...I've been blessed to find good help and I literally could not do it alone. I always griped about how tiny our house was in CA, but it's overwhelming have a big house. There's no way I could keep it clean with Nicholas and Ryan needing lots of attention.
2) Most things are spotty and of poor quality. We have a 2.2 million dollar house, but something's always breaking. Plus, the telephone service isn't great and internet comes and goes. The electricity goes off several times a day here.
3) Having to use cash for everything. No credit cards here so I'm constantly paranoid someone's going to steal my purse.
4) The malaria risk. Enough said!

Well, Nicholas is about to arrive on the bus so gotta run! We'll post some pictures soon!!! Gotta show you the banana tree we planted last week!

Nicholas’ First Day at LIS

2011-09-05T06:36:00.001-07:00

We caught the bus early this morning at 7:20 to get to the international school. This is what I got of Nicholas. He was a real trooper and told me he wanted to stay all day (until 3:00) on the first day. It took him just 5 minutes to warm up to the classroom and find the trains : ) Looks like he likes school like his mama : )

Saturday at the Beach

2011-09-03T10:46:00.001-07:00

Chevron has some beach areas on a small island near Luanda. It takes about 15 min drive and then 20 min boat ride to get there. They have umbrellas, picnic tables, BBQ and a few beach houses with ping pong, pool tables, and areas to rest. It’s pretty typical for the expat families to spend their Saturdays here on a nice day. One of our neighbors went with us today, and we had the place to ourselves. It wasn’t sunny, so that may have deterred some folks, but I didn’t mind (since me and the sun should not be seeing each other much), and the kids especially had tons of fun playing in the sand and finding shells and coconuts. Ryan got fussy because he skipped his naps, but he loved the wind blowing in his face on the boat rides and smiled the whole way. If I were him, though, I’d be fussy too if I had to wear the blubber vest (infant life vest), which is pretty restrictive.

Looking out our front window

2011-09-03T10:34:00.001-07:00

This is the view out of our front window. This will almost certainly become Cheerio’s favorite spot in the house. You can see Nicholas riding his bike, chasing after some other kids on their bikes and scooters. Carrie is chatting with one of the neighbors. They have welcomed us warmly. Almost everyone on our street has just recently arrived, and most have little kids.

Angolan dog

2011-09-02T02:19:00.001-07:00

We made it safely. All went about as smoothly as we could have expected. The boys were good on the plane, and all 31 bags arrived. I was worried about managing the bags once we got here and passing through customs, but it didn't take long before we had many airport workers offering to help. There were no big carts, so we ended up with 4 guys each with 2 carts in tow. It was quite a caravan passing through customs. I made sure the 4 guys knew they were the ones getting paid, so there wouldn't be others jumping in trying to help with a bag or two to get a part of the tip. To my surprise no issues with customs, until a lady came up and wheeled Cheerio off and asked for his paperwork. About an hour later, we got him back for a whopping $35. They joked with us that he is now considered an Angolan dog...I guess he's got dual citizenship! Our driver's name is Filipe. The house is great. We already met some of the neighbors. There's a 3 yr old boy next store that Nicholas has already been running around with. A guy came by last night and said hi. He took me with him to the shopping center to get internet access set up. Another lady stopped by this morning to say hi and took Carrie with her to do some grocery shopping. Then one of the maids from another house came by and left her name and number in case we're looking for some household help. The welcome has been tremendous! Also, we accepted an offer on the house in California. More later.

Luanda House

2011-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well, this post is mostly for my mom who loves pictures, but if anyone else is interested in where we'll be for the next three years, here's our house. I uploaded the images out of order and am too tired to rearrange them so here's what you get.

Backyard

New rec center that opens on Sept 6th...behind our across-the-street neighbors'. NICE!!!!

Front of house

Our house is first one on the right.

Ryan - 7 mos

2011-08-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Catching Up Is Great

2011-08-06T15:45:00.001-07:00

We met up with the Berryhill’s and Metheny’s (who went to Duke with us) for one last catch up before we move. We had so much fun seeing the new babies…Victoria, Luke, and Ryan, and the older kids couldn’t get enough of the pool. We love you all and will miss you while we’re gone. But great friends always see each other again!!!

Bubbles, Grass, and Grammie

2011-08-06T15:33:00.001-07:00

When our treadmill arrived, it was covered in bubble wrap so you can imagine the fun the boys had with it. Yes, I let my baby touch plastic…oh no : ) He didn’t eat it and he didn’t die.

Here’s Ryan enjoying the grass. We kept trying to keep him on a blanket, but he’s mobile now. So I got tired of putting him back on it and just let him be. It’s amazing how babies are fascinated by the simple things in life.

Kisses from Nicholas and Grammie. Life doesn’t get much better!

Happy 6 Months!!!

2011-07-19T09:11:00.001-07:00

Happy 1/2 Birthday to our sweet angel!!! We can’t believe how fast time has flown. Ryan is such a happy little guy and is now rolling, reaching, and eating. He’s such a joy to have in our family…we love you baby Ryan!!!

Brothers

2011-07-10T19:52:00.001-07:00

Nicholas and Ryan love being brothers. Nicholas is very patient and loving with Ryan and seems to understand that he’s just a baby. Ryan doesn’t think he’s just a baby and wants to do everything Nicholas does. At a recent family picture we were trying hard to get Ryan to smile. While he typically smiles at almost anyone, in this moment, only Nicholas’ silly antics could get him to smile. It’s fabulous to see the brotherly bond forming between them!

Still the love of my life…

2011-07-10T19:43:00.001-07:00

Carrie is still the love of my life. Even after 2.5 kids (yes, Cheerio counts as 1/2 a kid to her), she is as beautiful and perfect as ever. I love that she sets an example for our boys by going out and running a 10-K early on a Saturday morning. The boys loved the outing, and I think these are the kinds of things they’ll remember, maybe not the specific events, but I’m sure they will remember their mother running races to stay in shape.

Rainy Day

2011-06-29T17:08:00.001-07:00

It normally doesn’t rain during the summer, but yesterday it did. So Nicholas and I got out the Lincoln Logs and did some building. Yes, he’s in his swim suit (no, I didn’t make him swim in the rain, luckily his swimming class is indoors : )

Legoland

2011-06-29T17:00:00.001-07:00

I completely forgot about these pictures from our trip to Legoland earlier this month.

NIcholas loved the ball hut where he got to throw and shoot as many balls as he wanted. I got pegged a few times, but I was just glad Nicholas was having fun.

I must have been back at the hotel with Ryan for this one, but it looks like Nicholas is trying to hit Lego frogs with a water gun : )

Check out all my boys checking out the aquarium at Legoland. Ryan didn’t get much enjoyment out of Legoland, but he did love the aquarium. He would watch the fish go by and follow them with his eyes.

Yes, almost everything was made out of Legos. Pretty neat, but it also made me wonder if some people had too much time on their hands : )

Happy 5 Months!!

2011-06-19T16:46:00.001-07:00

Our little angel is 5 months today and is growing up so quickly. He’s such a joy to have in our family. We love his coos, smiles, and innocence. We love you baby Ryan!!!

Happy Father’s Day

2011-06-19T16:41:00.001-07:00

Happy Father’s Day to a wonderful husband and father!! Thanks Dad for all that you do for us. For all the wrestling, walks, advice, hugs, kisses, diaper changes, bottle feedings, and overall patience with us…Thanks a million!! We love you Dad and want you to know that you’re the best!!

P90X

2011-06-10T10:27:00.001-07:00

Well, Mike and I are on to our next fitness challenge. We made it through the first week of P90X, a fitness/diet program. It lasts for 90 days and is a 3 phase diet program with an hour-hour 1/2 exercise everyday. It incorporates yoga, martial arts, strength training, cardio, stretching, basically everything. We're not too sore, which is great. We think it will be a good change up to what we're used to doing and will get us back into shape after having Ryan. Of course, some of the exercises I'm not a fan of (like Kenpo or plyometrics), but sometimes I figured I'd just do what I like instead of those...like running and swimming. I've signed up for a 10K race in July so I'm excited to get back to running. And yay...Mike ordered a nice treadmill for us. So we're getting back in the game. It took us about a year to get back after we had Nicholas so we're doing good if we can get back into shape by the time Ryan's six months old in July : ) We won't terrify you with the before pictures we took, but we'll post the after pictures once we finish P90X. And then we'll have to find a new routine again once we move to Angola.

Play Time!

2011-05-30T14:22:00.001-07:00

We got our first Canon SLR camera and enjoyed testing it out while the boys were playing. We figured if we’re going to go on safaris we better have a nice camera to capture the moments.

Hmmm, is this frog ever going to do anything??? Not much else to do on a rainy day.

Happy 4th Birthday Nicholas!!!

2011-05-22T16:08:00.001-07:00

Nicholas turned four this year, we can hardly believe how fast the time has gone.

We didn’t have a party this year, but we still had a fantastic day. We took Nicholas to Chuck E. Cheese’s for dinner. He loved playing all the ball games with Dada.

Nicholas is a pro at opening presents and had a blast opening all his birthday gifts. Mama and Dada went old school and got him a Lite Bright (I remember loving those when I was a kid : )

Every year I think I’m going to buy a cake, and then I never do. This year Nicholas wanted a “crab” cake so he got one. It was pretty fun to make and Nicholas loved it.

Hope all your birthday wishes come true, sweetheart!! Don’t think the bird wish is going to happen though : ) We love you Nicholas and are so happy that you’ve made our family happy these past four years.

My pride and joy before church today. Nicholas found my stash of jewelry and Ryan’s working hard on rolling over. I love you both, you’re such sweethearts!!!

Happy 4 Months!!

2011-05-19T16:20:00.001-07:00

Ryan is four months old today and growing up so quickly. He’s such a sweet baby, we’re so happy he’s joined our family. We love you Ryan!!!

Our Dinosaur

2011-05-16T15:52:00.001-07:00

Thanks Grammie for the cute costume you sent Nicholas. He tried it on immediately and wore it for hours…even to the neighbor’s house to play. It’s a hit!!!

Our Sweet Baby

2011-05-16T15:49:00.001-07:00

He looked so peaceful sleeping there…yes, on his stomach : ) What can I say, he likes naps on his stomach and nighttime on his back. I don’t mind as long as he’s sleeping : )

He’s reaching for things now and is so amazed when he gets a toy that he can pull (bonus if it makes noise).

First time in the high chair. But sad to say, no food yet. We just thought he’d like to join us at the dinner table instead of sitting on Mama’s lap all the time (and getting food dropped on his head when he’s there : ) I’m sure he’ll be happy for the food in a couple of months and I’ll have to break out the floor cover for all the mess : )

Easter

2011-05-16T15:42:00.001-07:00

Nicholas had fun searching for all the eggs at the ward Easter egg hunt.

Yum, we finally got a cupcake at the cake walk. Hard earned reward : )

The Easter Bunny didn’t forget baby Ryan. Instead of candy, he got a basket full of clothes.

Say Aaahh!

2011-05-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Nicholas and I went to the dentist today (Ryan escaped since he doesn't have any teeth yet : ). I was a little nervous because it was a new dentist office, but Nicholas was beyond perfect. He let the hygienist scrape, polish, and put flouride on his teeth without even a wince. The only thing we have to work on is the thumb sucking : ) But overall, we're thrilled to be cavity-free. Thanks for being such a brave boy, Nicholas!!!

Touching the Temple

2011-05-08T21:21:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, for a family home evening we drove up to Oakland to let the boys touch the temple. We went to a little park to play, had pizza, and then went walking around the temple grounds. The boys literally got to touch the temple and it touched us as we talked about how families can be sealed together forever within those walls. We explained to Nicholas that one day he’ll get to go inside. It was a wonderful family outing.

Expat Physicals – Nicholas & Ryan

2011-05-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

These two just cracked me up acting funny in their little blue and green outfits.

Sexy!

Oh Happy Day!

2011-04-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Mike and I woke up this morning around 7:15 (he had a day off from seminary) and I asked him what time he'd fed Ryan last night. He said he didn't. So we both looked at each other and said..."whoa, he went from 7:30pm to 7:30am." What a great boy! Of course, we know he'll still have nights when he gets up, but what a trooper he is!! We have two amazing boys...we can put them in bed at night, walk out and shut the door, and they go right to sleep and stay asleep. What a blessing from the Lord (and I have to say I train it into them right from the start). So all were happy campers in our house this morning.

Way to go baby Ryan...thanks for being such an angel!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Multi Tasking

2011-04-22T11:52:00.001-07:00

Sometimes Mike asks me how I get things done with two kids at home. Here’s just one example : )….The other day Nicholas woke up itching (because I let him take a bath in the sink and he’d used regular soap and didn’t wash it all off—I was feeding Ryan in the other room and Nicholas insisted he needed a bath). Anyway, Ryan was crying for his milk and Nicholas wanted his itchies off. And I’d just gotten out of the shower and wasn’t even dressed yet. So I put Ryan in his tub, propped his bottle up, and gave Nicholas a quick bath. Here’s the after picture as Nicholas is helping while I get dressed. Poor kiddos, especially poor Ryan who sometimes is stuck in the carseat or bouncy with a blankie propping up his bottle. Thank heavens for formula…I don’t know how you nurse with more kids in the house. There’s no way I’d have time to sit down for 30 minutes every few hours – I think I get to sit down for a max of 5 minutes at a time. But you do what you have to do to survive. Needless to say, we will all be happy when Dada is done working late. For now, we’re surviving : ) And thanks to my two sweet boys who make it all worth it!!!

Happy 3 months Ryan

2011-04-17T17:54:00.001-07:00

We can’t believe our little sweetheart will be 3 months old on Tuesday, April 19th. He’s such a joy and a happy little guy. He’s sleeping well (now he’s going from 7:30pm to 6am – yippee!!) Nicholas is great with him. And we threw a picture of Cheerio in the mix just to show that we haven’t forgotten about our “little white poofer.” Oh, how I love my boys!!

I just had to take this picture. Ryan was just hangin’ out in the backyard in his bouncy seat. Enjoying the nice weather and the leaves on the trees : )

WE LOVE YOU BABY RYAN!!! You’re such a sweetheart!!!

Happy 2-months Ryan!!

2011-03-19T19:54:00.001-07:00

Happy 2 months to our sweet baby Ryan!! He’s a wonderful boy and we’re thrilled he’s joined our family. Nicholas is an awesome older brother and even Cheerio gives his approval (until Ryan’s old enough to pull his hair at least : )

First Trip to the ER

2011-03-18T14:21:00.001-07:00

I was coming out of Nicholas’ room while we were at Grammie’s in Oklahoma when I heard a thud and then Nicholas crying. I went back in and found Nicholas on the floor with blood everywhere. He’d rolled off the bed and hit his head on the nightstand. I immediately called my mom who was upstairs with Ryan and we went off to the ER. Luckily, Nicholas didn’t need stitches; they used a skin glue. Nicholas was a brave boy and I think he was excited to have a story to tell. Plus, he got to sleep in Mama’s bed that night so I could keep an eye on him (his first time…and a real treat for him). I’m sure with two boys it won’t be the last trip to the ER, but I was thankful it wasn’t more serious.

Cousins

2011-03-18T14:14:00.001-07:00

Nicholas and Ryan had a blast with some of their cousins when the Simms came up for Ryan’s baby blessing. Nicholas loves the crocodile he received from them…THANKS!!

We got to see Kirsten, Colton, and the newest cousin, Max, when we were at my mom’s in Oklahoma. I could never get a good picture of Colton…he wanted to be off and playing…I don’t blame him.

Blessing

2011-03-18T14:09:00.001-07:00

Ryan had a big day a few weeks ago when Daddy blessed him. We’re so glad Heavenly Father sent him to our family. He’s such a sweetheart!!

One Big Family

2011-03-02T16:06:00.001-08:00

“One big family!” That’s what Nicholas said when he insisted we all sit on the couch together like this. Have you ever seen a boy so happy!?! While the last month or so has been one of the hardest times we’ve had since we’ve been married, it has also been full of precious moments.

Whoever said men can’t multi-task hasn’t met Nicholas. He worked pretty hard to get positioned just so to keep the plug in Ryan’s mouth and his thumb in his own.

This is just one pic to honor rabbit binkie. He’s been Nicholas’ most trusted friend for a long time. We always wondered what we’d do if Nicholas ever lost it. Well one day, he thought it was lost. I asked him when he was going to bed where it was, and he said it was “long gone”. He seemed ready and content to move ahead without it, so when it turned up we hid it away in the closet. Maybe one day it will make an appearance again.

Ryan ready for church. Church time is sleeping time for him – it is supposed to be a day of rest, right?

We took back the Diego bike Nicholas got for Christmas since the pedal kept falling off. The one we traded for did the same thing. We finally found him a used Schwinn Tiger on Craigslist. Turns out it matches the helmet he already had – bright orange with blue accents - pretty cool! Him and the neighbor boy Thomas are mobile now!

Carrie thought this was cute. I was using Grammy’s iPad with Nicholas looking over my shoulder and putting his arm around me. He says he likes me now. It does help when Dadda is around a little bit.

Ryan – 1 mos

2011-02-19T21:29:00.001-08:00

Well we survived the first month – time does fly! Ryan is such a sweet boy!

One Month Old

2011-02-18T15:24:00.001-08:00

How time flies!!! Our sweet little Ryan is a month old tomorrow. He’s been such a sweet baby so far and we are blessed to have him in our family.

Happy Valentine’s Day Sweetheart!

2011-02-13T19:10:00.001-08:00

Here’s a tribute to my sweet husband. Thanks for all that you do. For all the late nights you work, the early mornings you teach seminary, and all the moments in between you’re always taking good care of us. Thank you for being the kind of dad who cares whether his son eats his veggies or not, the kind that will feed his newborn in the sand, and the kind that is a good example of honesty, responsibility, and thoughtfulness. Thanks for being my best friend, biggest supporter, and loyal companion. When we first got married, I thought I was the luckiest person in the whole world, and 12 years later, I still feel that way. You’re my better half and I love our life together. Happy Valentine’s Day…. I LOVE YOU!!!

Escape (from Alcatraz?)!

2011-02-12T21:04:00.001-08:00

Hey bro, let’s get outta here!

Hmmm, I think I like Filoli Gardens. Let’s go see if there’s any fish in the pond.

One of the most beautiful things we saw…this single flower tucked away in a shady grove, with the rays of sunlight coming through and illuminating its edges.

Nicholas: “follow me, dadda!”

Smile big!

Who needs toys?

Bonding time

Off to Half Moon Bay – first things first though.

Then first feet in the sand.

Nicholas racing the waves.

Happy campers – amazing what a change of scenery can do!

After one of the toughest weeks on record for us, Carrie’s got her groove back. Maybe this was all a preconceived plan to lose that baby weight really fast :)

Carrie’s mom has been a tremendous help – we’re glad she’s here!

Ryan

2011-02-07T10:06:00.001-08:00

For those who didn't see this on Facebook, here's a pic of Ryan from this week-end. I was so happy not to be working and got to spend quite a bit of time bonding with him. He's such a nice boy!

Happy Family

2011-01-26T21:35:00.001-08:00

I can’t say enough about how Heavenly Father has blessed us! Here’s a few pics of the boys.

Nicholas’ visit to the hospital to meet his brother.

Our lil’ burrito. Everybody gets a food nickname. Nut (Mike), Fruit (Carrie), Pickle (Nicholas), lil’ Burrito (Ryan) plus the lil’ stinker (Cheerio). Ryan got this nickname because of how he likes to be wrapped up in his blanket or swaddle for sleeping/napping.

Bonding with Dadda.

All my boys! Rarely does this happen, either. It’s usually Momma that all the boys are stuck on.

The two boys – I can’t wait until they grow up. Well I don’t want them to grow up too fast. But there’s plenty of basketball games, amusement parks, camping, fishing and skiing trips in our future. And the best of all – Momma’s night out while we’re out doing boy stuff.

The perfect big brother. He even shares his precious rabbit binkie with him.

Ryan's birth story

2011-01-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

For those interested in a few details, here's how things went. Carrie started having regular mild contractions around 6pm last night. I got 'the call' at work and headed home. The contractions came every 5-7 minutes and lasted most of the night (these were accompanied by tons of peeing). Around 3 am, we got tired of waiting for things to progress, so Carrie went on a walk with Cheerio. I think he thought that was pretty cool. That helped to bring on more frequent contractions that finally hit the 3-4 minute interval.

Around 5 am, Carrie called the doctor and they told her to come in. Our neighbor kindly agreed to come to stay with Nicholas. Just when we arrived at the nurse triage station, Carrie's water broke. That was interesting, since they asked if it had broken, and she said it just had. They clarified, "so what, 30 minutes ago, an hour ago etc?" She was like, "no just now." They admitted her to the hospital and got us set up in a delivery room. She was just a little over 1 cm dilated at this point.

Over the next 4 hours not much changed, just those same mild contractions. At some points they even slowed down. The midwife finally sent her on a walk for an hour. She lasted 45 min. That helped to move things along. If it hadn't, they were going to recommend starting petocin. When the midwife checked next she was 4 cm, and she noticed one water bag that hadn't broken yet. After a short while, she suggested breaking it. That really moved things along, although we didn't really realize it. Things got a little blurred for me at this point, but she got the epidural in, endured continuing contractions, most of which weren't too painful. After a couple more hours, we thought not much progress had been made, but were surprised when they reported she was nearly to that magic 10 cm dilated. They let her rest for about an hour, as the epidural was in full effect. Then she started the pushing. It took about 30 min for Ryan to come out. All went pretty smoothly.

Carrie was really proud to have done it, especially since it was a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean). Since it was a normal delivery, it was nice that they immediately put Ryan on Carrie's chest to clean him and cut the cord. I got to do that - at least that made me feel somewhat useful. Also, I wasn't ever woozy, mostly I just watched in awe. They wouldn't let me watch the epidural, though, saying they've had too many men faint on them. The whole thing is a miracle, and I'll never forget watching him come out. I thought it was nice for him to immediately start bonding with Carrie. The name came down to wire. We had liked Ryan during most of the pregnancy, but nearly changed our minds to our 2nd choice, Andrew, during the last week. In the end, we both felt like it was going to be a Ryan, so Ryan it was.

Ryan Michael Thompson Pics

2011-01-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

First Bike Ride

2011-01-01T19:15:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick pic commemorating Nicholas' first ride on his new bike. (caught with my new iPhone - got a letter from AT&T saying I had to trade in my 2G phone for a 3G phone of my choice. They gave me an iPhone for free with no service commitment - can't beat that!)

Happy New Year!!!!

2010-12-31T20:06:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a great time in Las Vegas with all of Mike's family. It was nice to see everyone and meet the newest cousin, Dallin. Nicholas had a blast playing with all his cousins and Mike and I were glad the baby cooperated and didn't come early. We checked out the strip, went to a show, saw all the animal habitats at the different hotels, and went the aquarium. While we had to bail on the Hoover dam trip (traffic was too terrible), we did get in plenty of family time together and were so happy we decided to make the trip. Now we're just anticipating our little boy's arrival sometime in January. We'll keep you posted. Happy New Year!!!!

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T21:16:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas at our house. Mike and I loved seeing the joy on Nicholas’ face as he found his Santa presents and then opened up all his other ones. Cheerio didn’t like wearing his Santa suit but he enjoyed getting a Christmas crocodile. We were so blessed to be together as a family and can’t wait until next Christmas when we will have another boy joining in all the holiday activities. Now off to Vegas to see Mike’s family (and hoping little one will stay put until January…don’t want any surprises on our trip : ) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Have a Beary Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T13:01:00.001-08:00

Carrie’s latest creation – polar bear cupcakes! Merry Christmas!

Cake Time

2010-12-10T21:18:00.001-08:00

I finished up the last course in cake decorating last week (3 1-month courses in total) and have put some of what I’ve learned to use. The top cake is the final cake I made for my fondant/gum paste class and I was happy my mom was here to share it with us (her favorite color is yellow so that’s why I chose that design). It was a lemon cake with raspberry mousse filling. The bottom cake is what I made for our ward Christmas party. It was chocolate with peppermint filling and icing. Thanks to my sweetheart for supporting me in this learning process…he does admit the end products are yummy : ) For me I’m taking a little break (the baby doesn’t need any more fat and I’m tired…each cake probably takes about 12-15 hours). All fun though!

Temple Hill

2010-12-10T21:11:00.001-08:00

When my mom was here, we decided to go see the Christmas lights at the Oakland Temple. Nicholas loved running around the grounds looking at everything and we enjoyed going in the visitors’ center to see some wonderful pictures and listen to some great music.

Now I Know My ABCs

2010-12-05T20:27:00.001-08:00

Last week, Nicholas passed the ABC test he and Mike had been working on since September. He had to correctly identify and say each of his letters..and he did!!! Mike motivated him with the promise of a good toy, and Nicholas worked his way to getting it. Of course, we upped the motivation the last week by buying the toy and leaving it in the garage until he could do all his letters. We’re so proud of him!!! The next step is to work on numbers and then work on the lower case letters. Thanks sweetheart for all the time you spent working with him and yeah Nicholas….you’re such a good student already : ) We love you!!!

He’s A Thinker Already : )

2010-11-28T20:28:00.001-08:00

Here’s our little boy thinking in the womb. We went to a 4D ultrasound yesterday and got to see lots of pictures of him. He must be thinking “how do I get out of here?” because he’s a week ahead of schedule. We can’t wait to meet him and welcome another sweet boy into our family!

Thanksgiving Feast

2010-11-21T20:13:00.001-08:00

Grammie and I went to Nicholas’ Thanksgiving Feast at his preschool this week. They got all the traditional foods and then made some pilgram hats and turkey placemats. We had fun listening to them sing songs and read a Thanksgiving story. Nicholas loves school : )

My Boys!!

2010-11-07T19:21:00.001-08:00

I’m so proud of my boys and can’t wait until our next one arrives! Mike would say this is a rare shot since Nicholas and Cheerio are definitely “mama’s boys.” But this goes to show that Dada is important too- check out those smiles (Cheerio’s smiling in spirit). I love you to pieces mices boys, you make my life the best!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-11-01T08:44:00.001-07:00

Our friend, Mary, has a much better camera than we do so she sent us this picture she snapped of us trick or treating. Mike and I finally got to wear the outfits we bought while we were in Egypt and Nicholas got to be a great white shark. We had a great time dressing up. We hope you all had a fabulous Halloween!!!

Trick Or Treat

2010-10-31T21:28:00.001-07:00

We had great weather on Halloween and Nicholas couldn’t wait to go out trick or treating with his friend Thomas.

Let’s just say Cheerio does not share my love of Halloween, but he’s a good sport. We took him around with us and everyone got a kick out his hot dog costume.

Thomas and Nicholas couldn’t contain themselves…they were laughing and running from house to house like crazy.

Is your pumpkin getting heavy? Mine sure is!

We had such a fun time going around our neighborhood. Sigh, another Halloween is over. Next year I’ll get to dress up 4 boys (Mike, Nicholas, baby, and Cheerio)….couldn’t get any better. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Halloween Treats

2010-10-31T21:20:00.001-07:00

Every year, I always make Halloween theme foods. Mike must’ve caught the spirit because when Nicholas and I woke up this morning, we found these cute faces waiting for us at breakfast. Even Cheerio got a few bites of waffle and whipped cream in his bowl : ) Yummy!

When I asked Mike and Nicholas what kind of cake they wanted, they both agreed on lemon. Nicholas wanted the piece with the spider on it.

I got this idea online to make meatloaf rats. Doesn’t sound appetizing, but they turned out pretty tasty. The meatloaf was wrapped around a cube of cheese so when you cut into them, it oozed out.

Meatloaf “rat” on “lice rice” and spaghetti squash “guts”. I know, I know…but the boys loved it.

Hmmm, this looks weird but tastes okay, what is mama up to today? I used every dish in the house, but I had fun making a Halloween meal for my boys.

Halloween Parties

2010-10-31T21:08:00.001-07:00

I dropped Nicholas off at school on Thursday and he didn’t want to wear his costume. When I picked him up later, he was in his costume (peer pressure starts early : ) and had a bag full of treats to take home.

At our church Halloween carnival, Nicholas loved playing all the games. He and Dada made a good golfing duo. They knocked over most of the targets.

Nicholas’ favorite…the duck pond (anything with water). He loved fishing for his prize.

We saw our friends, the Berryhills, at the carnival and great minds must think alike because both our boys were dressed as sharks. And check out what a cute mermaid Kate made.

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-31T21:00:00.001-07:00

Nicholas picked out our pumpkin face this year and had a blast helping carve it. Dada was working late but made it home just in time for the eyes. And we have to say our pumpkin was the sweetest smelling on the block because Nicholas picked out scented candles to put inside : )

School Carnival

2010-10-23T19:56:00.001-07:00

Nicholas had a Halloween carnival at his preschool today. It was perfect since it was rainy outside…good day to be inside playing games.

Picking out a prize from the duck pond game…good catch Nicholas!!

Dada had to help him during the cake walk, but they landed on the right mat the first time. Imagine those odds….thanks Mister N.

Much happier with the results of the cake walk than actually doing it : )

At the craft table, Nicholas put this turkey together all by himself. Mike and I were so impressed by how well he did with no help. What a smart boy!!

Halloween Is Coming

2010-10-17T20:01:00.001-07:00

Well, you all know that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love decorating, making all the goodies, and finding costumes for my boys. We started early this year by making some spider cookies. Nicholas was a great helper and he didn’t even sneak any m&m “eyes” while we were making them : ) I’m not a fan of black licorice, but we pulled the “legs” off the spiders when it was time to eat them. Fun times with my boys (Mike was in charge of the legs : )

Tri Pics

2010-10-09T16:23:00.001-07:00

On Top of the World

2010-09-26T20:14:00.001-07:00

Well, is this the picture of a happy boy or what? We put the finishing touches on Nicholas’ bunk bed this weekend and bought some new mattresses for it. Now we’ll see if Nicholas can adhere to the rule of no climbing up there when we’re not around. We may have to take the ladder back off until we get over our paranoia of falls : ) For now though, Nicholas is happy to put all his stuffed animals up there and “rest".

We Love Mail

2010-09-22T19:50:00.001-07:00

My mom sent a package this past week with the robe that she made for Nicholas. As soon as we opened the box, Nicholas had me put it on him. Thanks Grammie, it will keep him cozy on chilly days!

What Nicholas thought about school...

2010-09-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

yep it was a great day! I did the daddy thing and asked Nicholas about his day at school - he proudly reported they had a shark and two crocodiles. I couldn't get much else out of him, but that seemed satisfactory to him...cracks me up.

First Day of School

2010-09-07T20:13:00.001-07:00

Nicholas finally got to start preschool today. He was excited to go and had no problem running in and saying hi to his teachers : )

He spotted this bulldozer right away and I don’t think he even heard me when I said goodbye.

He was still smiling when I picked him up so it was a great first day. He’s already got homework, which he did without any fuss. It’s going to be a fun year!! Yeah for school!!!

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-05T21:13:00.001-07:00

Luckily Nicholas’ cold got better so we could drive down to Santa Barbara this weekend to see Mike’s sister and her family.

With four boy cousins, Nicholas was in seventh heaven. I don’t think we hardly saw him all weekend….he just ran in the house and starting playing : )

Here’s Nicholas and me with the newest cousin. We were so glad we got to be there for his baby blessing on Sunday. And looks like Nicholas is going to enjoy being an older brother come January.

After dinner on Saturday, we drove to the nearest beach (only 2 minutes away) where the boys had a blast throwing rocks in the ocean and we got to see a beautiful sunset.

Look at all those wonderful future missionaries!

We had a great time, and Nicholas was so sad to say goodbye to his cousins…but we’re glad they live closer by now.

The BIG Day!!

2010-09-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Well, today was supposed to be a big day on two accounts. First, Nicholas was supposed to start preschool today but he started to get sick yesterday. And then last night he woke up at 1 am throwing up. So I had to keep him home today. That led to a hiccup with the second big thing...the ultrasound. After making some last minute calls, my dad was able to drive down and stay with Nicholas while Mike and I went to my appt. That's our son for you...never sick except for the first day of school (oh well, his teacher was nice when I talked to her and said he wouldn't miss anything).

So for our next big news...we did make it to my appt and got to see our next baby for the next hour or so onscreen. While we waited to find out the sex with Nicholas, we knew we couldn't do that again so we were definitely ready for the ultrasound today. And we got lots of good views : )...it's a boy!!! YEAH!! We're so excited and deep down in our hearts (while we would've been happy either way) we really wanted a boy. A brother for Nicholas and what we can say, boys are so fun!! So we're thrilled that another sweet boy will be joining our family in January. I'm outnumbered for sure now, but I couldn't be more thrilled : ) Heavenly Father has blessed us with such sweet spirits.

PS.
I will post pics of Nicholas' "first day" next week!!

Fun Day Out

2010-08-27T16:31:00.001-07:00

Mike’s sister Alison and her husband, Micah, came to visit a few days this week. On Wednesday we braved the traffic and drove to San Francisco and then Sausalito for the day.

Mike, NIcholas, and I in front of the famous sea lion population at Pier 39. Unfortunately, most of them left for the season so we only saw a few of them.

All of us at Pier 39 in the city. Two pregnant ladies, a toddler, and two good sports. Nicholas has a new best friend in Micah – notice he’s looking for him in this picture.

NIcholas checking out seagulls and the skyline in Sausalito where we went for ice cream after driving over the Golden Gate bridge. Notice the sharks sitting next to Nicholas – we went to the aquarium at Pier 39 and he couldn’t forget about getting more sharks to add to his collection.

The seagulls in Sausalito were hungry….for ice cream. They didn’t even mind eating off a spoon. They preferred Nicholas’ flavor (strawberry), which was pretty good. One seagull even gulped down a big piece of waffle cone. We cringed as we watched it go down his throat—he’ll have a sore one later on.

Miscellaneous

2010-08-27T09:00:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed touring the Jelly Belly factory one Saturday. Nicholas kept asking for cherry jelly beans, which turns out to be their best-selling flavor. So we got lots of cherry jelly beans and even tried some of the new flavors like peppermint and apple pie. Pure sugar but lots of fun.

Our neighbors loaned NIcholas a Buzz LIghtyear sleeping bag and he’s been sleeping in it every night lately. Of course, whenever I go in to check on him, he’s managed to unzip it and crawl out. Too hot : )

I had my hair done last weekend for Stake Conference since I was accompanying a musical number. I thought the stylist did a great job, and it was fun to feel like a princess for a weekend.

Day Out With Thomas

2010-08-27T08:52:00.001-07:00

We took Nicholas to see the real Thomas the Train a few weeks ago.

Mike and Nicholas in front of a blow-up Percy. Nicholas was a trooper since it was a little chilly that day.

Nicholas has his own train table at home, but that never stops him from playing on any other ones.

Mama and Nicholas getting ready to board Thomas.

Mike and Nicholas in a front row seat behind Thomas’ engine. We rode the train through a beautiful redwood forest and Nicholas loved meeting Thomas’ conductor.

Happy Anniversary!!

2010-08-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful sweetheart!! Mike sent me a sweet email today that compared our life in 2003 (I asked him why he picked that year and he said he wanted a year that we were living in Oklahoma City) to now. I was touched by how much we've accomplished and grown since then. And while we were happy in 2003, after reading his comparison, I can see how much we've been blessed and how our happiness together continues to increase. I'm so grateful to Mike for his patience, support, and love. When we first got married 11 years ago, I had to pinch myself all the time, I considered myself that lucky. And I still do. I couldn't imagine a better life, a better family, and a better husband. We're so blessed and I'm beyond thrilled to be able to spend not only this lifetime but eternity with my best friend and companion. Thanks for the best 11 years of my life sweetheart!! I LOVE YOU!!

A good lesson

2010-08-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight as we were sitting around for family night (something we do every Monday night), we were talking about Jesus and how one of his names is the Good Shepherd. So to relate it to Nicholas, I said that we were all sheep (he loved saying baa) and that Jesus was our shepherd. He was so cute when he piped up and said "Cheerio's a sheep too." Of course, we can't forget Cheerio. I was just impressed that he thought to include Cheerio in the conversation. He's going to be a great older brother since he already tries to be a brother to Cheerio. Anyway, we worked with him on learning the other names Jesus goes by like Messiah and Holy One, and later on after his bath and books Mike was asking him about what we'd talked about earlier. While he didn't quite remember the Messiah and Holy One, he got the Good Shepherd with no help. So goes to show they pay attention more than we think (which can be kind of scary too). We're so glad to have such a sweet boy who reminds us to be more like Jesus every day.

Aquarium Fun

2010-08-01T21:15:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Mike and I took Nicholas down to Monterey to the aquarium there. He loved seeing the sharks and sea otters, but he especially loved the kid zone.

Here’s my “noodler” (anybody from OK would know what that is) grabbing eels out of their hiding places.

Nicholas LOVES water so we tried to protect him from getting totally soaked at the fish pond. But I had to run for the change of clothes anyway.

Pure glee!! I’m going to miss the times when he’s this little and easily entertained. We love our boy!!!

Can We Build It?

2010-08-01T21:10:00.001-07:00

My neighbor, Grace, and I took our boys down to Gilroy Gardens so they could ride the kiddie rides and burn off some energy. We went to see the Bob the Builder show, but when it came time to actually meet Bob, Nicholas ran off and I was left alone to greet the star : )

First Bike Ride

2010-08-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Nicholas had his first bike ride at Grammie's house this summer. He was pretty proud of himself...and we were too!

Day of Fun

2010-08-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

Well, it’s been awhile, but I found some pictures I took of Nicholas last month when we were in Oklahoma for my grandma’s funeral. One day my mom and I took Nicholas and his friend, Jasper, down to Seminole to the Children’s museum. He had a blast being an archeologist, mechanic, and bubble maker.

I couldn’t keep him away from this car exhibit. I think he changed that tire about 20 times.

Wow, what a huge bubble. I’m glad I didn’t have to blow that one out.

01-25-2011

2010-07-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, the waiting period is up and we can finally announce that we are expecting another baby in January (our blog title is my due date). Nicholas wants a baby brother (which means we'll probably have a girl : ) We'll find out the sex in early September and then we can work on finding a name. Mike has already gotten the baby room ready, although I will have to decorate once I find out what we're having. As you can imagine, we're thrilled, excited, terrified, and everything in between. Here we go again with the sleepless nights, crying, and diapers, but we can't believe how fast time flies and how those moments go by quickly. Of course we get the sweet smiles and "first" moments along with everything else. It's a cliche, but they do grow up so fast. We just feel blessed that Heavenly Father is sending us another one of His children to raise...what a responsibility. We'll keep you posted!!

Farewell Grams!

2010-07-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

My sweet grandma passed away July 3rd, and we are so happy she is reunited with my grandpa (they were married 66 years and he passed away on Jan 1 of this year so at least they weren't separated for long). My Grams taught me lots of things as she helped raise me and my brother. Here's just a few things.
1) Love of reading...my grandma read to us every night for years and always took us to the library every week. When I was in elementary school she would write down every book I read, sometimes the list was hundreds of books long. I still love to read, and I thank her for teaching me the power of good books.
2) Being grateful...there was never a birthday or Christmas that went by that my grandma did not sit me down afterwards and have me write thank you cards for each of my gifts. She always reminded us of the importance of being thankful and grateful for what you receive.
3) Being frugal...when I was still young my grandma took me to the bank and opened an account for me. She and I would go to the bank every month and put my allowance in and I saw my account get bigger and bigger. I always say she was the biggest penny pincher there was, but I believe it was because of her that she and my grandpa lived debt free and could always pay cash for everything, even their homes and cars.
4) Loving your husband...my grandma was always talking about my grandpa or doing things for him. I remember when I was five and I said "I hate grandpa when he comes home" (I think I was jealous because my grandma always wanted to spend time with him when he got home from work). Well, she marched me inside and washed out my mouth with soap and taught me how important it was to respect my grandpa. She made my grandpa's lunch for him every day for the 50+ years he worked and never ever complained about his jobs. In old age, they never left each others' side, and even when she was in her late Alzheimer's stage, she recognized my grandpa. It's no surprise that she passed away so soon after he died...they were best friends and soulmates.
5) Hard work...my grandma taught us at a young age to appreciate work. I still remember the stars she gave us on our chore charts.
6) Being smart...my grandma strongly emphasized good grades at school. Every report card was scrutinized and if we made less than an A she wanted to know why and how come we hadn't done better. I know it was her insistence on the best that I went through high school, college, and graduate school never making anything but As.
7) Love of music, theater, and art... My grandma always took my brother and I to the theater to see plays, ballets, and musicals. She took us to art museums and she and I took oil painting classes together. I'll always love those paintings that we painted together. She played gospel music for us every night before we went to bed, and I still remember falling asleep to "Amazing Grace"
8) Being honest...when I was 4 I took a piece of bubble gum from the local grocery store. As we were driving home, my grandma noticed me chewing it. She turned right back around, made me go in the store, apologize to the store owner, and pay for it. Well, I never stole anything ever again.
9) Good treats...my grandma made the best pies, lemon bars, and Reese's peanut butter cup cookies. She always gave me a tin of cookies every time I came home from college. She didn't cook much when she got older, and I never felt Christmas was the same without her sugared pecans, orange balls, or fruit cake bites. I'm glad I learned how to make a pie crust from her.
10) Loving the Lord...my grandma took us to church every Sunday, bought us own Bibles, and could be found every morning in her room reading her Bible. I knew she loved the Savior, and I'm glad she's with Him now.

I'll always remember going to the duck pond to feed the ducks and taste the honeysuckle, picking peaches every summer in the Oklahoma heat, playing hide and seek (she'd hide a plastic strawberry container somewhere in the house and my brother and I would just love trying to find it), having her roll my hair in curlers every week, and making the best roast beef gravy every Sunday (I told her I wanted a swimming pool full of her gravy so I could put my rice in it and eat all day).

My grandma was a special lady, and most of who I am is due to her influence in my life. She sacrificed a lot to help raise my brother and I, and I consider myself so blessed to have had such a great example. I'll miss her and will always thank her for all the many wonderful things she taught me and the memories we made. I love you Grams!!

Whose Bed?

2010-07-01T21:47:00.001-07:00

When I was at Costco today, I decided to get Cheerio a new bed. Nicholas claimed it as his and wanted to take it into his room for nap time. Looks like it did the trick, he was passed out when I went in to check on him. I hope Cheerio likes the bed as much as Nicholas does (if Cheerio can ever get it away from him : )

Got him!

2010-06-29T20:56:00.001-07:00

Carrie didn’t want me to post this, but I couldn’t resist. I was just too proud of myself. A little over a week ago a little varmint moved in and started tearing up our back lawn by leaving little mounds. I started researching it and decided we had a mole, so I ordered a pair of traps that many people seemed to like. After a few days of observing the activity and patterns to identify where the tunnels were, I made the little excavation shown. At the bottom of either end of the hole are entrances to a main tunnel. I put the traps there and plugged it back up with the piece I carved out. Two days later I had my mole…well it turned out to be a pocket gopher instead but the trap worked brilliantly. It’s fairly simple…just two prongs that snap closed if the plate is knocked forward. No bait. It works because the animal has an insatiable desire to keep his tunnels clear, but he knocks forward the release instead and gets caught. The poor dude was about 6 inches long. Don’t feel bad for him, either. He caused a lot of damage during his middle-of-the- night digging escapades. Carrie thought this post would make this sound like the backwoods, especially after my raccoon trapping adventures. She says I’m getting pretty good at trapping varmints. I think I must have a little something in my genes. Of our forebears, the Thompson’s, Slaughter’s, and McCoun’s were likely some of the earliest settlers in Kentucky (think Daniel Boone), so I’m sure they were good trappers. Ha ha!

Reflections on being Mr. Mom

2010-06-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

I'm just entering day 2 of my 3 days as Mr. Mom. I'm surviving, but have definitely had to scale back my aspirations for these 3 days. We were going to go here and there and do all these fun things, but honestly, by the time I take care of the basics: meals, dishes, laundry, walking Cheerio, and trying to keep things picked up, I'm pooped. I don't think I fully appreciated how much energy it takes to do those things - I certainly appreciate Carrie a lot more now and will be much more empathetic and appreciative when she's tired after a long day. I hardly believe how well she keeps the house picked up and usually has dinner ready when I get home from work. While I think I'm doing okay, she would probably walk in and classify this place as a pit. There have been small victories. I took Nicholas to his 2nd swim class. He basically cried through his entire 1st class, and I was wondering whether things were going to work out. He did really well yesterday - of course, I did bribe him with going out to ice cream afterwards if he was good during his class. Then we managed to take our old camera in, that was still under a warranty plan, and see if they could fix a problem with the battery compartment. Turns out they couldn't and gave me a new camera instead. We had 6 days left on the 2 year warranty. That was a stroke of luck. I just happened to come across the warranty yesterday while sorting through a pile of papers. Well the boys are about to drive me crazy. Cheerio needs a walk and Nicholas really can't leave me alone for 10 min unless he's watching a show. He just destroyed the pile of laundry I just folded up. Now, I also understand why Carrie just wants to have a little peace and quiet sometimes without Cheerio staring at her and Nicholas climbing on her. I'm off to try and walk off a little of their pent-up energy.

Happy Father’s Day!!

2010-06-20T20:40:00.001-07:00

Nicholas wanted to wish Dad a Happy Father’s Day!! He says thanks for all the giggles, wrestling, baths, books, and more. Thanks Dad for loving, teaching, and taking care of me. You’re the best example to me of a wonderful husband, a patient father, and an obedient servant of the Lord. I couldn’t ask for a better Dad. I love you!!!

Thanks sweetheart for all that you do! Nicholas is the luckiest boy to have such an awesome Dad!

Vacation!!!

2010-06-07T20:49:00.001-07:00

The next three posts are from our vacation this past week. We started it out by staying in LA, where Mike and I ran a half marathon on Memorial Day. We went to Disneyland the next day and then drove down to San Diego for a week. We hit all the great spots like SeaWorld, Wild Animal Park, the San Diego zoo, the beach, and historic sites.

Checking out the map at SeaWorld. Notice the hat…Nicholas spent every day in it (and everyone we met thought it was so cute). It must’ve done it’s job because while Mike and I got burned a few times, NIcholas never did.

Mike and Nicholas riding Oscar’s Rockin’ Eel at SeaWorld. I was worried that it would be too scary for him, but he held on and had a great time!

Nicholas loved the Elmo’s Flyin’ Fish ride and piloted his fish up and down the whole time.

Ever since Nicholas learned to jump, he’s been thrilled to be in bouncy houses like this one.

These turtles were actually very fast, and Nicholas kept putting his arm up to the glass because he thought they were going to climb on him : )

Eating dessert at an authentic Mexican restaurant in Old Town, San Diego. The food was delicious and we even got serenaded by some mariachis. Mmm, the tortillas were to die for.

Thanks for a fun time…I love my family and the memories we make together!!

Incredible Animals

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MIke did such a great job capturing all the great animals we saw at SeaWorld and San Diego zoo so I couldn’t resist posting that part of our vacation.

What beautiful creatures, and we were so lucky to see them!!

Fun Times

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While we were in San Diego we met up with a friend of Mike’s from Duke, who lives there.

Before meeting Denise, we stopped at La Jolla shores and walked around the coast.

The outfit that Nicholas is wearing is special to us. Denise gave it to Nicholas the week he was born in NC, and can you believe he’s old enough to wear it now. Looks pretty good as a Chinaman.

We met Denise for ice cream and had a fun time catching up. Nicholas couldn’t get enough of her (and her ice cream : ) It was so nice to see her, it brought back great memories from our time at Duke.

Nicholas Turns 3!

2010-05-25T20:34:00.001-07:00

Nicholas turned 3 on Friday, and we had a party for him on Saturday. We were happy to celebrate with great friends and family!

NIcholas had been asking for Cranky the Crane for a few months, and Grandpa and Grandma Cummings came through. He was so excited about it, he hid it in his room so no one else would run off with it : )

I decided to put my cake decorating class to use and made Nicholas a train cake. It turned out pretty cool, and everyone said it tasted good.

Here are most of the party goers!

Our friends, the Woofters, gave Nicholas an electric car that he can drive around. Do they give out driver’s licenses this young? : ) Thank you Ken, Mary, Conor, and Meghan!!!

One of his other favorite toys that he got was Buzz Lightyear from the movie Toy Story. He takes Buzz everywhere and you can see he even dresses him.

I can’t believe our little boy is 3!!! He’s growing up too quickly. Happy Birthday Nicholas. We love you!!

Happy Birthday!!!

2010-05-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

Nicholas turned 3 on May 21st and we celebrated by taking him to ChuckECheese’s (he’d never been before). He had a blast!!! Of course, he had a big kid playing right along beside him (Dada).

Father & Son Campout

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Mike and Nicholas had a boys’ night out on Friday with the ward. According to Mike, Nicholas had a blast.

Of course you know Nicholas had to take some of his trains with him.

Our boy is a big meat lover so Mike said he ate all of his sausage at the breakfast the next morning plus a piece of Mike’s. Looks like we’ve got a camper on our hands. Hey, I’m all for it. I had a Fantastic evening renting a girlie movie, reading books, and sleeping in peace. They should have father/son outings more often : )

Pleasanton Ridge

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On Friday, we took the boys on a hike up Pleasanton Ridge and got some great views. Cheerio tried to chase a few cows, but they just gave him the evil eye. And we took turns pushing Nicholas in his stroller up hill for 45 minutes (we tried to get him to walk but he was all for taking the easy ride). The view at the top was great and it was much faster coming down, although Mike said his forearms got a big workout holding on to the stroller all the way down. Thanks for a good day, boys!

Fun, Fun, Fun

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We went to Gilroy Gardens (a little kids amusement park) yesterday, and Nicholas had a blast.

Twirling around on the strawberry sundae ride.

Riding the train around the park. Our friends Andrew, Grace, and Thomas were there too, and the boys loved the train ride.

NIcholas riding the goldfish ride. Pure glee!!

His face says it all : )

A good day’s fun and a well-earned nap on the way home. What a great day!!