Escape to San Francisco

Tyler and I were able to escape to San Fransisco for 4 nights in January.  This trip was all because Tyler is such a hard worker.  His company recognized the top 5% of managers in their company and Tyler was one of the 5%.  Only 3 managers were sent from the Draper office.  There were 12 couples total. The company refers to this trip as "The Circle of Champions."  No expense was spared and everything was top notch. We were spoiled the entire time!

Getting out of Salt Lake was the hardest part of the trip.  We kept getting delayed an hour at a time. Our total delay turned into 6 hours.  At one point the flight was canceled and then they changed their minds.  We eventually got to San Fransisco at 9:00 pm. 

We were anticipating that we would miss the reception welcome dinner but they extended it an hour so that we could attend.  It was held in the pent house of the hotel.  They had dinner buffet style.  I felt so under-dressed.  The dress was supposed to be business casual which means no Levis.  I had to go shopping before the trip because I didn't have anything besides Levis.  Because the dinner had been extended for us we had to hurry straight upstairs.  I was wearing nothing dressy.  I didn't have any jewelry and I was wearing tennis shoes!!  I felt so silly.  It turned out OK and we still had fun and no one cared that we were all casual.

This was the few from the open patio of the pent house.  It was a beautiful night. 

Here we are in our all casual attire!

DAY 1

The first full day in California was the group activity day.  We went to Benzinger Winery for a tour.  It was pretty neat to see how you go from grapes to wine.  The vineyards were so pretty and very meticulous.  The group activity was a lot more fun than we expected.  We broke up into groups (we were on different teams) and had to mix 3 different types of wine to make a master wine.  Then we had to design a label and make a marketing pitch that incorporated the things we learned about the winery and principles from Tyler's work. The majority of the group loved the wine mixing because they had to taste it to make sure it tasted good.  Here we are at the entrance of Benzinger Farms.

We were served lunch in the cave were the wine sits in huge barrels to age.  It was pretty cool.

After we ate lunch we went to the tasting room so that anyone who wanted to could purchase wine. 

After that we went to Sonoma for some shopping.  We just walked around and got some ice cream.  Then we got on the bus for our 2 hour drive back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. 

For dinner we went to one of Tyler Lawrence's restaurants.  They took us in and up these narrow steps to a private room.  We had amazing food and had a good time.  Here we are all gussied up to go out on the town.

I sum up day 1 of the trip as the booze day.  The group drank wine all day.  The drinking started with the mixing, then at lunch, then while tasting to purchase, then on the bus trip back, then at dinner and then to top it off they had a open bar social hour when we got back to the hotel.  I was amazed at how much some people could drink.

DAY 2

On the second day we could pick between a couple activities.  We chose to go to Alcatrez.  We rode the ferry across to the island.  Here we are on the boat.

We were able to walk around and go on a self guided tour of the jail.  It was pretty cool.   This is a picture of the island from the ferry. The weather was pretty foggy this day so we weren't able to see the Golden Gate Bridge or much of the Bay.

I had to keep reminding myself that the prisoners had put themselves there and that I shouldn't feel bad that they were locked up in there. Here's Tyler in front of one of the itty-bitty cells with his head phones on.

For dinner we went to this restaurant right off the ocean.  They served cocktails and appetizers outside on a patio then we moved inside for dinner.  It was so yummy!

Today was great. I was starting to relax about the kids being home and away from us. I wasn't so worried about them and I began to enjoy myself.

DAY 3

On the last full day we were there we chose to have a day of leisure and figure out San Fransisco for ourselves.  We finally figured out how to get on the right cable car to take us where we wanted to go.  We went down to the Warf.  We just enjoyed being together and doing a little shopping.   Here I am on the cable car (far right).

The thing that amazed us about San Fransisco was how steep the streets were. This picture doesn't do it justice. They were so steep that they were tough to walk up.

We went to Ghirardelli Square.  We were too cheap to buy any chocolate.

We went right down by the ocean.  Although there wasn't much of a beach.  The Golden Gate Bridge is behind me. You can see the orange post right above my right ear.  Ha, that's pretty tiny.

We saw the Sea Lions at Pier 39.  We tried to do a little shopping for the boys and ended up with some T-shirts and some dinosaurs for them.  We went to China Town and to Little Italy.  The funny thing about day 3 was that we had to figure out where to eat.  After being catered to for a few days we felt a little lost.  We finally decided on a little bistro and got a sandwich and pizza to share. 

In the afternoon, Tyler had to attend a presentation and I was able to stay at the hotel for a little R&R.  I got advantage of my alone time and got a pedicure.  I love pedicures.  Then we were off to dinner.  For dinner they rented a fine art museum just for our small group.  It was a beautiful place to have dinner.  We didn't really get into the sculptures of naked men but I guess its still considered art. 

This is our table before they served us dinner.  The waiters were in tuxedos. It was pretty fancy.

Here we are enjoying the last night of our trip.

Day 3 was relaxing and we had a great time.  The other couples were a little jealous that we had a day of leisure and wish they would have chosen to do the same.

All in all, the trip was amazing. I enjoyed getting dressed up and going out with Tyler.  We got home without any problems and we were both anxious to see the kiddos.  They did good. Thank you to all those who made it possible for us to come on this trip. 

Thank you Tyler for your hard work and for taking us to San Fransisco!

Fisher and his Dinosaur

Fisher LOVES his dinosaur!  He is so attached to it. 

He brings it to breakfast EVERY morning.  If he isn't holding it, he wants it on the counter right next to his bowl.

The dinosuar has naps with Fisher...no matter the location of the nap.  Fisher likes to tuck the dinosaurs neck right against his neck. Every night Fisher gets into bed he snuggles with his dinosaur.  Fisher is a dream when it comes to sleeping. 

I even caught Fisher feeding the dinosaur his dinner.  It was the cutest thing ever.  He kept saying "MMM" while trying to spoon feed him.

This poor dinosaur has been through the washing machine so many times.  It wouldnt be that big of a deal but it is a singing dinosuar.  Every time dinosaur gets a "bath" (aka washing machine) I have to bang his head on my hand until he starts singing and then I know he is ok.  One of these times he wont start singing again and then I will really be in trouble. 

We all love the Dinosaur!!

Hunter's eating progress

Hunter has been doing so good with his eating. We are constantly working on getting him to tolerate mixed textures. He has a super sensitive gag reflex so when he eats mixed textures he gags and will often times throw up everything in his tummy.

Currently, everything Hunter eats in mixed in the blender.  I call it a blender party when I get the blender out and stock the fridge with what he will eat over the next several days.  He is improving.  He LOVES Cheetos!  They melt in his mouth quickly and they taste so good!  Hunter has to learn to tolerate mixed textures so that he can actually chew them in order to build enough muscle in his mouth/jaw to start talking.  We are working on this together.  I have learned so much from his speech therapist.  I had no idea that speech therapy was so heavily involved with feeding.

This is what the fridge looks like after a blender party.

An easy way to add texture to the puree is to add cracker crumbs.

Hunter has Dyspesia, which is a problem with his stomach motility.  Since about 4 months old he has been on an antibiotic called Erythromycin to aid in stomach motility.  This medication is used for the side effects.  It helps move food through his body.  Basically, that means he poops ALOT.  His original dose was taken 3 times a day; we are slowly weaning him off of it and he is now down to 1 dose a day!!  Hooray.  We are anxious to get him off of this.  If we can get him off the erythromycin then that means that his stomach has enough motility to do what it needs to do.

Keep up the good work Hunter! 

Hunter

Hunter will be 2 1/2 years old next month.  He is working on standing, walking, and eating solids.  He is doing great in his therapy and are so happy with the things that he is doing.

We have been so busy that I am a little behind in posting pictures and fun facts about the boys.  These pictures are a few months old but better late than never!

This picture was taken in October 2011.  Hunter started to cruise the furniture.  Here he is playing with Fisher.  He walked right out of his pants.



October 2011. Hunter is always so happy to just play.

For Hunter's birthday we got him some fridge magnets. The magnets were to encourage him to stand up against a smooth surface. We put "Farmer Tad" just high enough on the fridge that he would have to stand up to reach him. It didn't take long before he was standing up to get "Farmer Tad". Good Job Hunter!  October 2011.

Hunter loves to swing.  Here he is swinging at Motor Class (Kids on the Move).  November 2011.

In November 2011, Hunter did something that I was so excited about. I came into the TV room and saw him playing with the car garage! He was taking cars out of the bucket and putting them on the red slide of the car garage! I was so happy that was imitating the brothers!! This is a big step!

Hunter also cruises along the stair rail. He is getting so brave. December 2011.

One of Hunter's favorite places to play is in the pantry. He holds on to the shelf and just loves it. February 2012.

This picture of Hunter is one of my favorites right now. It was taken February 2, 2012.

We love you Hunter!

Fisher

Fisher is such a speedball. He is 6 weeks away from being 2 1/2 years old.  He is full of energy and we love it.

Here are a few pictures of our Fisher.  Most of these pictures are a couple of months old but better late than never.....

Fisher loves to play in the pantry with the food on the bottom shelf.  Here he is with the slivered almonds all over the floor.  October 2011.

Fisher loves to go bye-bye but he does not like to be restrained in the car seat.  He is getting better now that he knows he will get out when we get to where ever we are going.  There Hunter is just kicked back and holding his toes.  October 2011.

Here Fisher is playing with the train.  October 2011.

 

Not potty trained yet...who was on diaper duty this day?  November 2011.

Here Fisher is working on the ABC puzzle. He is getting so smart. He is pretty independent though and doesn't want any help with it. November 2011.

This picture doesn't do the hole in his tongue justice.  One night at dinner Fisher fell off the bar stool.  He got up and blood just dripped from him mouth.  I could not figure out where it was coming from and it eventually stopped bleeding.  I assumed he bit his lip or something but when I brushed Fisher's teeth that night I discovered a gaping hole in his tongue.  It was super sore for several days but after about a week it was healed right up. December 2012.

Everyday Justin leaves for school Fisher is so sad.  Some days he gets Justin's old back pack on and thinks he is going to school too.  He looks so big here. Before we know it Fisher will be going to preschool too.  December 2011.

Fisher is in that stage where he doesn't think he needs a nap. He feel asleep on the couch waiting for a snack. He woke up as sweaty as can be. You can really see how cute he is when he is holding still. January 2012.

Fisher was a little sad one morning...so I called Tyler and let him talk to him. Fisher is a daddy's boy. He gets so excited when daddy comes home. February 2012.

We love our Fisher!

Justin

Justin is getting so big.  He is growing up.  He is very inquisitive and wants to know the answer to everything.  He is a little over 4 1/2 years old. 

Here are a few pictures of the things Justin enjoys doing.  These pictures are a few months old (yes, I am behind but better late than never.)

He loves doing anything with his dad.  He likes to play Lego's, wrestle and play the IPAD with dad.  Building Lego's in October 2011.

 

Justin looked so handsome for his primary program in November 2011.  His part: "I can follow God's plan by choosing the right each day."  Justin loves primary. 

Every night before bed Justin tries to talk us into letting him play anything just so he can stay up longer.  He likes to play Lincoln Logs before bed because Fisher is not awake to bug him.  He likes to play while drinking his nightly chocolate-strawberry milk. November 2011.

December 2011. Justin and Wyatt made a gingerbread train during Christmas break. Choo Choo!

Smarty Pants Preschool class - Back row: Justin, Halle, MacKay, Easton. Front row: Colter, Johnny, Maya, Jackson, and Kierra. December 2012.

 

This is Justin  ready to sing in the preschool Christmas program. He loves Smarty Pants Preschool and Miss Marci.  December 2011.

January 2012.  Justin and his buddies, Ryker and Cameron, having hot cocoa after playing outside in the sandbox (yes, playing outside in January).

He is a great sleeper once he gets to sleep. He lays awake in bed trying to fall asleep. He has learned to make lots of different animal shadows with his fingers in the light from his night light. Tyler and I are so amazed at his imagination. He is very attached to his animals - blue bear, pink bunny, brown monkey and CJ the giraffe (his pillow pet) and they sleep with Justin every night. January 2012.

Justin is such a fun boy and an amazing brother.  We love him to pieces.

Outside in January

This winter has been so mild that the boys have enjoyed playing outside.

Fisher and Justin really like jumping on the tramp.  So I bundled them up and out they went.  They looked so cute with their beenie hats on.

Riding bikes is another favorite.  This day Hunter went out too. He looks so cute with his sunglasses on.

Fisher loved riding his four-wheeler on the bike ramp backwards!  He was so happy to be outside.  He just kept smiling and giggling.

Justin is so good on his bike even after being off of it for a while during the winter break.  He can't wait for summer.

Brothers

I just love the things the boys do together.  They are the best little boys a mom could ask for and they are such good friends.

Hunter and Fisher having an afternoon chocolate milk watching cartoons.  (This picture is a little old cause Fisher doesn't have a bottle anymore.)

Justin and Fisher LOVE to wrestle with Dad when he gets home from work. Lately, Hunter has been joining in with them.  Justin and Fisher are so good to be a little softer with him.

All my boys having snacks on the couch.

One day Justin wanted an ice cream.  So I gave him one and when I came back into the kitchen this is the conversation I heard.

Justin: "One lick for you, one lick for me.  How about a new pattern.  One lick for you, two licks for me." 

I just loved that.  Thanks for sharing Justin.

Justin is so interested in the geographical location of places that I bought him a map of the United States. Here he is showing Fisher all the places that he knows. Justin knows that Jahde is on his mission in Florida, Disneyland is in California, Benjamin lives in Nevada (a friend that moved from our ward), and we live in Utah.

Hunter loves to play Pat-a-Cake and Justin is good to play with him.

The boys love playing Lego's together. Making towers is their favorite.

One afternoon Justin and Fisher built a train in the kitchen.  They took all the chairs from the bar and from the table and made this train.  They played for about 45 minutes on this.

Good morning boys.  They love their cartoons before breakfast.

One of Hunter's favorite things to do is jump in his bed with his brothers.  He still needs help from mom to do this but he always gets the biggest smile on his face.  In this picture they were ready for bed and they got all hyped up to go to bed.  It is worth it though because they love it so much.

Justin is such a good big brother.  He likes to get all 3 of them on his bed to read books.  Fisher has started to look at his own book while Justin reads to Hunter.

Justin loves to hold Hunter and give him loves.

 

I just love that all three of my boys - Justin, Fisher and Hunter - are such good friends!