Puppies and Sleeping

Pa's little dog, Trixie, had puppies. There are 5 of them. The girls loved to play with them. They would hold one for a whole 3 seconds before they wanted to trade it in for a new one. In truth, I felt kinda bad for the puppies, but at least they were being socialized a bit. Lets just say that Pa doesn't exactly have any "close" neighbors.

Kari and mommy dog Trixie. She also has a puppy in her lap. You just can't tell :)

I always look in on the girls before I go to bed. This night I found that Kari had tucked her cuddle toys into her bed, and decided she was going to sleep on the side. Silly girl :)

And this wasn't at Pa's, but since I had a picture of Kari sleeping, why not have one of Dylan? He's so cute :)

Flat Hayley

Hayley is my cousin. And, she isn't so much flat, as kinda bumpy, and last I remember, tall for her age. Anyway, her school is doing a pretty cool project to help them learn geography. They wrote to someone they knew in a different state (and I just happen to be the super cool cousin she chose to write to) and sent them a drawing of themselves. A flat person, a "Flat Hayley" if you will. Then, they ask that you take Flat Hayley to some cool places or do cool things in your state, so Flat Hayley can then be sent back with said pictures, and tell the class all about her cool travelling adventures. I was out of town (again. I know, right... what is wrong with her home that makes her so she is never there. Nothing.... Really, nothing....) and didn't receive Flat Hayley with as much time as I would have liked to have had. However, I think Flat Hayley and I got to do some pretty cool stuff. Just look:

We started out the day with some breakfast. We ate some wonderful Conecuh sausage (made in Conecuh county, down here in good ol' Alabamy). And, lest you not catch my previous praise, this stuff is dang good. Flat Hayley can tell you. For a flat person, she sure has a large appetite. She ate 3 peices. Also, notice that the sausage is being cooked in a cast iron skillet. Alabama is a large producer of cast iron. Betcha didn't know that, didja?!?! (And for all you non-Alabama residents, its pronounced Cuh-Neck-Ah).

Then, we went outside to climb some trees. Alabama is also a producer of pine trees. My grandfather in law is a pine tree farmer. True, it may take more than 25 years to get a good harvest, but the trees are used for things like telephone poles, furniture, or pulp wood for paper. See, you are learning things every day.

Flat Hayley is a good climber. See, she is having so much fun!

Then, we drove a bit to go and visit our local university. Auburn and anyone out west will never have the chance to play each other at football most likely, but that is better for you people out west. Auburn would kill you! WAR EAGLE! But, Flat Hayley got a tour of the campus and decided she wants to come back and go to veterinary school when she gets older ;)

That is Samford Hall. It has the clock tower in it. It still rings. It was one of the original buildings on campus before it got huge. I think it is a pretty building. So did Flat Hayley.

We were going to do so much more, but the rain clouds started to roll in, and we had to call it a day. Alabama gets a lot of rain, and is known for its humidity. Humidity, lets face it, kids out in Utah don't really know what that is, so I felt like it was my job to educate them. Theres a storm a comin' Flat Hayley. Lets get you home.

That pretty much ended our day. I didn't get the chance to take her to Montgomery where Martin Luther King, Jr. was, or by the statue of Rosa Parks. I guess we will just have to plan a vacation together again someday. Bye for now Flat Hayley. Enjoy your trip back!

3 words

So. Not. Interested.

I know that I am constantly saying how big Dylan is. And I want you all to know he has been on nothing but breast milk. Well, that is, until about 2 weeks ago. I will reiterate the 3 words that I formerly mentioned in context now. How does Dylan like solids? So. Not. Interested.

I know, I know. It could take a while for him to get used to. I thought he was ready, since he watches us eat all the time, holds his head up, and yes, lets see... he has doubled his birth weight. In truth, I felt like I could have started him earlier, but I didn't want to have to try to either start or continue while on vacation. So, oh well. I wonder in my statistician's mind, since he has been my best nurser, if there is a correlation between acceptability of solids and nursing ability...

Oops... gagging and choking a bit...

Don't worry. Even if he doesn't catch on right away, I'm not really worried he will starve to death... ;)

Meet Karley

This is related to our vacation, but it doesn't count. There was a week in between :)

After we flew back into TN, we luckily had Labor Day to recover. And boy, did we need it. Then, we stayed up in TN for the rest of the week. When we left for vacation, my lovely Sister in Law was pregnant, and was having a baby shower on Sept 12. The hubby kindly said I could go and said that he would watch the girls (yes, he volunteered before I even suggested it). So Dylan and I flew up to Norfolk. Dylan did wonderfully on the plane rides again, and wow was it interesting to have just one child to watch. Especially with all the help from Nana and Pop, it was pretty nice :)

However, Karley decided she didn't want to wait for her original due date. She decided that coming a bit early was more her style. So, debut Karley Addison:

Born at 33 weeks, she was a tiny thing weighing in at 4 lbs 12 oz and just 18 inches long. Actually, for her gestational age, she was on the large side, but since I have never seen any of my children weighing less than 8 lbs, it was a bit of a shocker for me.

Karley was able be at her own baby shower, making faces and just being cute the whole time. It was a great weekend with my in-laws (yes, I know I am lucky that I really do love the other side of my family), and a bit of a break for me.

And, being the expert that I am in this area, I think it is natural for all mothers to compare their children to others. Lets just say that for most of the weekend, the differences between cousins (who are also about 5 months apart, coincidentally) was pretty obvious.

I like this one. They are looking right at each other. Yes, Dylan. You were supposedly that small. I can't prove it, but I have been told....

And I think this is a pretty great picture. It was my idea *toot my own horn* but I still think it is pretty sweet.

Last one... I promise

This post will pretty much be a photo dump... What?!?! Are you insinuating the others were too?!? I never!!!


Well, ok, so they might have been, but, this one doesn't even have a story with it, so... So There! Saturday, the last day of our vacation, we spent the day getting ready to leave. We did laundry, repacked, and hung out... It is always sad when you know a trip is coming to the end... As I stated before, this post is just pictures of us hanging out. Lots of cute pictures of the kids, that don't really have anything to do with one specific thing, so they ended up here... Enjoy!

Kaitlyn hanging out in the car. I am not sure why,

but she always puts sunglasses on upside down...

Cute Dylan :)
Making eyes at Uncle Jonamon.

"Vacation-ing is hard." Poor kid... we really wore her out ;)

On the road on of the days, Dylan was kinda fussy. He wouldn't suck on

his pacifier, but he would suck on the medicine dropper... Who knows?!?!

Danny Boy, McKenna and Kaitlyn hanging out and playing on the floor. And no...

Grandma didn't steal that from her doctors office. But it is cool.

You know that was what you thought of when you saw it. Now, if you want the epitome of cool, check out these hawt mommas!

Ay Chihuahua!!! As part of our tour of the factory there is a part where

hair nets and hard hats are required. What can I say, we are babes!

Grandpa was super nice and took us out to Olive Garden for lunch before we left.

My mom's parents (my grandparents) drove over from Utah to spend a whole

8 hours with us before we had to leave. That is them on the bottom left.

Playing Settlers in the hotel room.

Brings a new meaning to kissing cousins, don't it?

Kaitlyn: "Lets see... where is a good place for these stickers that I

stole off the table? Oh, I know... Right there....."

Grandpa and his 2 newest grandbabies... I admit it, I love this picture.... :)

Cousins Dylan and McKenna. 5 months apart.

I am pretty sure he out weighs her at this point.

I wanted a video of the 2 babies kicking together. As you can see,

it didn't work out so hotly, but at least it is still cute...

What can I say other than he has to compete with his 2 sisters...

Bear with me on this one. I know it is a bit jumpy because I am walking behind her. But one of the things my family noticed while I was out there, is how much Kaitlyn's personality shows that she just doesn't give a darn that other people might be watching her :) I love this walk! :)

Happy Burfday!

I might have failed to mention that Friday, the 4th, was the hubby's birthday. I had planned to do a small surprise party when we got home from our vacation with a few decorations, cake, and a few presents. However, after spending the majority of the day doing the (awesome)
canopy tours, eating dinner and ice cream, and then driving home for 4 hours (and arriving later than we planned), we got as far as decorations and wishing happy birthday. If you notice the date on the pictures, we actually had cake and presents the following day. However, hubby is getting older all the same, and I am so glad he is around :)

This is the cute cake one of my mom's friends made. Are you sensing a theme?

See the car driving through the tree? So creative....

Quick! Call the fire department!
All with one blow... I always knew he was full of hot air :)

You can't tell it from the picture, but I got him a radar detector... I thought it might be smart for our insurance with all the travelling he is doing ;)

And Grandma got him Horse-opoly... A horsey version of Monopoly.

And, I love Kaitlyn's face in this picture :)

Vacation: The End is in Sight

And we kinda saved the best for last. I found this place online that did something called "Canopy Tours." The description said you would climb a redwood tree, zip line, and repel. Sounded just like what this adventurer ordered. We convinced everyone to join us (we even convinced Grandpa that it would be fun. He came up the night before, actually, just as I was unlocking the door to the room to find it flooded) to hang out with us and maybe do the tour. He didn't end up going, because he stayed to help Grandma with all 4 grand kids. But, the 4 siblings and 2 spouses went. It was fun!!! Our tour guide (shout out Adam!!!) was fabulous. His approach was to teach us everything and practice it on the ground, and then he would be more hands off while we were up in the trees.

First things first: Get geared up. I am sure Danny Boy would be the first to tell you these harnesses were the most comfortable things ever.... *wink*

Pickle was still getting geared up at this point.

All 4 siblings, suited up and ready to go.

Pickle, Jonamon, Me, and Wah-Lah.

This was ground school. We had several verbal commands, as well as a partner, so our tour guide would always know what we were doing, what we were going to do next, and that we were safe. We practiced going through the whole drill on the ground several times through before we went up into the trees.

"Pulley on. Keeper coming off."

"Lobster claw 1 on. Lobster claw 2 on. Pulley off."

Partner saying "Check. Check. Check." as they observe the safety measures being met.

"Ready to Zip. Zip on!!!"

Our turn to practice. Yes, we do look Hawt :)

I will forever be thankful to hubby for taking this picture.

This one too. Hey. Don't laugh! It was hard to get that lobster claw up to the pulley.

Me, climbing up a redwood tree. See the first platform right up in the top, left corner?

Me climbing, ever so gracefully, onto the second platform. I am now 70 feet in the air.

Me, going across the first zip line to the second tree.

A bit closer. Check out that cute hiney!

Waiting on the platform until I am clear to go. This was the hardest part for me.

I didn't think I was scared of heights. Maybe I was wrong.

There I go!!!

Wah-lah took this picture. I look terrified and happy at the same time!

BIL Danny Boy.

All 4 siblings on a platform, 60 feet up.

Turn around and take a picture of the people on the ground. Look how small they are.

Close up. I labeled them. I know. I am a geek.
Hubby was so patient. He was the last to go, and ended up having to wait for almost 2 hours.

Up the tree.

1st Platform.

2nd platform.

Hubby on the longest Zip Line.

Now that I have done it, I can say I did it. However, this one was really hard for me. I have jumped out of planes, SCUBA dived, para glided... This was fun. I am glad I did it. I won't do it again.

Also, I bruise like a peach (as Pickle says). The results:

I took the liberty of numbering them (that is what the red numbers are...)

The numbers are kinda small. So, I will count for you. There are 12 ;)

After this little excursion, we ate dinner, got some ice cream (for Kari. Yeah sure. That's what they all say) and started the drive back to Grandma's and Grandpas. Our vacation within a vacation was complete. But we weren't done quite yet. We still had a day left at the 'rents...