Ryan and Becky

Birthday girl with toast.

2012-02-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

Ellie had her birthday a couple weeks ago. She is now two! Her favorite present was of course, the balloon!

A new favorite for breakfast is cinnamon toast. Does she actually eat the toast? No. She just licks it.

I made a try at making play dough. It worked out great! Even better is that Ellie loves it. She has been playing with it and hour and a half now, and is still playing as we speak. I think it might be all dried out by the time she stops!

Sunglasses and Flowers

2012-01-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know who showed her to wear sunglasses like this, but she loves doing it.

I found the key to getting your kids to smile for the camera is to tickle them right as you take the picture. Too bad I will always have to be in the picture to make this work.

So Ellie came up to me, and handed me this paper with a pink cup in it, and exclaimed "Flower!".

I was in awe. She made it all herself, and it looks like a bouquet of flowers! Her creative juices are already flowing.

We got this dollhouse for Ellie. I wasn't going to get it because I didn't know if she would really care about it. Well, the first day she played with it for 7 hours, with a nap break. She played with it for a week, almost continuously, and it still remains a daily toy. I think she probably likes it... Sorry about her grimace. Every time I said smile, she did this face.

Counting and Dress

2011-12-15T08:59:00.000-08:00

Ellie can count to 10! She only goes to 9 in the video, I think she was teasing us.

Here is the dress Grandma Barlow made Ellie. She loves wearing it. Thanks mom!

Poor Sicky

2011-11-22T18:06:00.000-08:00

Poor Ellie was just sick too long and got dehydrated so she had to spend the night in the hospital. These pics are in the ER before we were moved to a room. I have never seen her hold so still! She is much better now though.

Below is faithful Ryan, trying to study and take care of a sick baby at the same time. Luckily his school is very understanding and let him reschedule his test.

Snow Snow Snow

2011-11-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

I kept hearing about snow in Utah, and I was thankful I wasn't there. But then one morning not so long ago, I woke up to 5 inches or so. It was the perfect packing snow so I couldn't complain! The snow was a little heavy though so an upright snowman wasn't working well. Ellie helped by eating my snow and then deserting me to the cold while she watched from the warm window.

I love seeing Ellie learn new things. We have been working on counting for awhile. She would do up to 3 in order but that was it. Today as I was reading, she was talking and it took me a second to realize what she was saying. ...5...6...7...8..9..10. I cheered her which she thought was great so she did it two more times for me, the whole 10!

Grandparents/parents/fun

2011-11-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Guess who came to visit?
Papa introduced Ellie to Curious George. She then kept asking him for "monkey".

We went and saw several Des Moines attractions. The Bodyworld exhibit. The Capital Building. And a few malls. I felt like I was on vacation myself getting to be a tourist! We loved it!

My two loves, with Ellie's only true love...the lion. Papa bought it for her and she carries it everywhere.

Thank you for your visit! We sure had fun!

Orange

2011-09-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Ellie found an orange shirt that was in the "get rid of" pile. She LOVES it. She has worn it every day since she found it, until today since it was Sunday. But as you can see, she tried to persuade me.

So, what is going on in my life:
I have been getting into nutrition and being healthy. I am reading a book called "The Ultramind Solution". I really recommend it. Especially if you have depression, or anxiety. It is really hard to get into exercise though. I still only give half efforts. Any suggestions on how to pump up my efforts?

Ellie and action songs

2011-08-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ellie has really gotten good at action songs. Here are a couple of her favorites.

Balloon Festival

2011-08-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Each year here there is a Balloon Festival where you get close to lots of hot air balloons and watch them fill up and take off. It was really neat! We went with several friends which always makes things fun.

Several balloons were not just round. There was a bald eagle, a beaver, and a panda bear.

Catch-up and mustard

2011-08-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I have finally gotten the motivation to post again. Actually, a lot of these pictures are pretty old, but I still wanted to post them. We will begin at our summer vacation in Utah.
This is Ellie's first sprinkler experience, which she loved. I tried to join her but it was so cold I didn't even last 3 seconds.
The two bruises on her cheek is from a fight with Atticus. He bit her cheek. Luckily it missed her eye. We don't know what caused the fight except that she had him backed in a corner when we found them. It didn't ruin their friendship however. Minutes later and they were back at play.

Back in Iowa:
This is a common look for Ellie. She is a collector of things, mainly weeds and rocks. Each hand will have at least one thing, but usually it is 3 each hand or however many she can manage to hold without having to put down the others.
Who knew a glove could double as a sock?

This tiny thing is our frog friend Ryan and I found on our walk. Isn't he tiny? That is marshmellow mateys next to it to compare.

Disneyland and beyond

2011-07-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

Exodus 20: 12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Mom said update. So I am obeying.
Here is the classic Disneyland picture. Thank you Mom and Dad for such a fun trip! We all loved it!

Ellie's highlight of the whole trip was this balloon. She held on to it for dear life and just licked it. Why? I don't know.
We got to spend time at both grandparents house which Ellie LOVED (and we did too).
The Allen family came back to Iowa with us and we made a trip to Nauvoo. Here is most of the clan. We ended up at Carthage Jail on the anniversary of Joseph's martyrdom and got to attend a little program for it. It was so great to play with family! Thanks everyone for making it a fantastic vacation.

Family Pics

2011-05-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

My very talented uncle Alan Honey took these pics for us. See his website here.

These others however, were by me.I introduced Ellie to graham crackers dipped in chocolate pudding.

What to say?

2011-04-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

Nothing new is happening, but I figured it was time to post again. So here are just a couple of pics I liked. On a good note though, it is warming up! We have gone out almost every day for a week or more and it has been lovely. Actually, we go out 2 or 3 times a day, to make up for being indoors all winter.

Spring Break

2011-03-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

These pics are from my phone, thus low quality. I forgot the camera.
Ryan and I went to Kansas for our spring break. We got to visit Lauren's family in Kansas City, and Alan's family in Manhattan. On the way to Lauren's was Adam-Ondi-Ahman (we pass through Missouri).

While at Lauren's, we got to see the Kansas temple that is being built. We were able to be there when they put Angel Moroni on top! That was fun to see! We also went to Liberty Jail which was only a few miles from the temple. We enjoyed Lauren and her family, and Ellie loved all the new toys to play with, plus other kids!
Ellie loved this chair at Alan's. We had a great visit with Alan's family. It has been a long time since I have seen Peggy, and Ryan had only met Alan before.
On the way home, we stopped at the Mormon Trail Center, and Ellie got to experience being a pioneer first hand by pulling her very own handcart! She gave up really quickly. Such hard work for delicate hands.
And this was a random pic on my phone that I thought was funny so I threw it in with this post.We really enjoyed getting to see family, and see some sites.

Flowers and Sunsets

2011-03-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Ryan got me beautiful flowers for Valentines Day. I am not a romantic, except when it comes to flowers.

Ellie loves having various items put on her. She is always bringing me something to put on her head, foot, or hand. My friend just gave us a baby fanny pack, and Ellie brings it to me every day to put on.

Gotta have a spaghetti face picture. Requirement for baby book.

We had a gorgeous sunset the other night. Of course, pictures never do it justice. But it was deep vibrant colors. This is our backyard.

One!

2011-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? My baby is 1. Time flew so quickly! We had a combined birthday party with a friend last week. It was funny to watch them eat the cupcakes. Ellie didn't seem to care much about it. She enjoyed watching the other baby more.

One of our good friends made the girls these awesome tutus with matching bows. I love them!

These three babies all turned one within 10 days of each other. They were all over each other all night, fighting for the toys and space around them. Quite entertaining.

The fight against depression

2011-01-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

It seems like depression is an increasing problem in our world. I know I have struggled with it many times, as have many of you. The problem stems from many things. One main reason I believe our society struggles, is because of the focus we have on "having fun", vacations, doing what we want to, being lazy, etc. It is so ironic how our search for ease and enjoyment brings unhappiness, and doing things we should be doing bring us happiness. And yet, knowing this, I seem to never really learn it. I still try and do things my way, or the easy way, fall in depression, finally come out of it as I try to do what I should, only to get lazy again and follow the same pattern. I have once again broken out of my funk, with a slightly different understanding. You see, we are told if we follow the gospel, we will have peace and happiness. I thought I was following it, and I was still unhappy. But there is more than the commandments. I reviewed the Word of Wisdom, and part of section 88. The counsel there is for our physical bodies. I always put all my focus on trying to increase spiritually, but everything is connected and needs to be balanced. If we take care of our bodies, we will be able to have the strength to do what we need. We will have a clear mind to focus on increasing our spirituality. The counsel to go to bed early and rise early is something I know is vital for me if I want to be happy. When Ryan and I started doing this, I no longer was exhausted all day. I had a clearer mind, and it was easier to be happy about my situation. When we started eating more healthy, I felt better about myself. After a few months, I no longer even desired junk. And exercise. I hate exercise. But when I do it, I love myself. And funny thing, even though I hate it, my body craves it, and the more I do it, the more it wants me to keep doing it. Hmmm, maybe I should listen to my body sometimes.
Then there is the mind. We have to take care of it. In President Uchtdorf's talk "Happiness, Your Heritage" he says we need to create. Do we not feel so much happier and better about ourselves when we create? When we use our talents, use our brains?
If only I can keep this motivation, and knowledge, and stop fighting against myself. This week is my experiment week. I am going to balance all three things: Mind Body and Spirit, and see how it goes. So far today, I am feeling really great.

No words

2010-12-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

Uno Dos Tres

2010-11-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

Aw. My one-socked cutie.

Ellie is getting some curl in back! It is really cute!

Look at this killer hand Ryan beat me with. All but the 6 is his. He is a vicious Uno player so watch out if he offers to play with you...

Topic needs to be addressed

2010-11-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Some of you may have received an e-mail like I did about KSL's video on pornography. It was a good video about how pornography is an issue and that people need to talk about it. I have put a button for the group who did the video, on my blog. You will find it on the right side. Called "Out in the Light". I think it is a good thing to spread around since this really has become a serious issue in our world.

No one told me...

2010-10-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

No one told me that:
-It isn't just the first several months of a baby's life that you don't get good sleep. There is teething, sickness, etc. to keep you up until they move out.
-It doesn't get easier to raise kids as they get older, it gets harder
-It is stressful just trying to get your baby to learn to eat other foods
-You have to break your heart over and over in order to teach your kids what they need to learn
-You don't have any idea what you are doing with a kid, and have to pray constantly that they can survive your bad attempts to teach them
-The only "love" you may receive back for awhile is a bite on the shoulder.

But they did tell me that it would be worth it,

and they were right.

For the grandparents

2010-10-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry the quality isn't better. I had to shrink the files.

Pumpkins and baby

2010-10-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I painted a pumpkin. We pained two faces. Below is "Deppy"
And this one is "Prozac"

Ellie is sharing her favorite toy with her friend. She loves the door stops.

Sometimes I think my baby is crazy...

Getting big

2010-10-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ryan found these two pictures of Ellie in his phone from when she was new. Sooo cute!

Here is my baby today, learning to clap. Her top front teeth just broke through on Sunday so now she has 4 teeth! Such a big girl.
I seem to have forgotten to post that my baby can crawl now. Life has become a whole new adventure.

Moisturizing cream, or Daily face renewal?

2010-10-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the store to buy face moisturizer. I haven't bought any for awhile, so I wasn't expecting the enormity of such a decision. Face moisturizer is apparently a rare thing. Instead, there is moisturizing serum, daily serum, night serum, face cream, Daily renewal cream, beauty lotion blah blah blah. Who came up with all these names for the same thing? But that is not all. If you decide on a type, then you have to decide do you want it for sensitive skin, dry skin, normal, or oily. And then, which brand of the 30 brands do you want? Do you want it with sunscreen? Do you want anti-wrinkle and aging? Do you want the name brand or equate? Is equate good enough? Do you want it soy based, or oil free? Do you want vitamin E? Etc. for forever. I went with the one that seemed closest to the normal name so I could be more sure of what I am getting. I realized that my shopping experiences would be so much easier and faster if there weren't so many choices. This is with EVERYTHING. For instance, try to buy bread. There are so many brands you don't know where to start. Try to buy string cheese. Do you want organic, low fat, skim milk, colby jack, mozzarella, large package, medium package, single, squares, shapes, or the usual form? I just want string cheese dang it! Even super glue. I thought that would be an easy one. Nope.
My new method of coping with the overwhelment: I will chant "I am capable of making choices, I am capable of making choices" as I march down the aisle. So if you hear me, no I am not crazy.

Not so glam shots and a little fun

2010-09-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

You can't tell from this grumpy face, but Ellie actually likes the swing. She looks so small in it though.
Sticky traps are for bugs right? Well, not in my family. It has caught more people here than bugs I think. Sadly, I lost my slipper to it. It is so stuck on, that even if I somehow get it unstuck, it will come with a 1/4" of glue.

I wanted a few pictures of Ellie and I. NONE of them turned out normal. So this is the best you get. While taking pictures, Ellie suddenly grabbed my nose, and just left her hand there. I kept waiting for her to do something with it, but no. She just needed a handle for her hand.

Coolest bed head ever

2010-09-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

Must have been a rough nap!

What to do on a Saturday?

2010-08-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is the world's ugliest toy, and also my Saturday morning project. I was making soft blocks for Ellie to play with, and got the idea to make a texture toy for her. So I grabbed whatever scraps I had, whether the colors matched or not, and made this. We have lace, elastic, zipper, silky ribbon, rough ribbon, ribbed ribbon, and more.
The big question was whether Ellie was going to like it. And she did. (Whew)

And, another mile mark made, Ellie can sit up all by herself!

Cute, or cute?

2010-08-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

My doll is such a doll, and I am such a sucker for her. I never thought I would be the bragging mommy, but who can resist with that face?

We took Ellie swimming for the first time. She was really unsure at first, but then she started realizing just how awesome a pool is.
We didn't have any swim diapers. Her diaper was literally 10 lbs by the time we were done.

Just some pics

2010-08-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

I love how she always uses Ryan's arm as her own arm rest.

She still hasn't been good about taking naps, and on this day she was so tired that she dozed off on Dad.
Ryan gave Ellie a new hair do. Ellie wasn't as thrilled about it and used her crib mattress to rub it back to normal. Ryan was sad.

Ellie doesn't like carrots

2010-08-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

What is this?

2010-07-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know what Ellie is thinking in these pictures but it sure made me laugh. I was trying to take a picture of her new teeth. Yes that's right, Ellie has two bottom teeth that came in a couple of weeks ago! Too soon Ellie, too soon!

This girl provides constant entertainment. If you ever need a laugh, come on over.

A bit delayed

2010-07-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

We went and visited Mom and Dad Barlow a few weeks ago and we took these pictures that I forgot to post! It was really fun to get pictures with Grandma Honey too. Ellie and I spent several days there before Ryan joined us. It was nice to spend more than a quick 1-2 day trip. We had time to actually visit and relax.

Not so fast little miss!

2010-07-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ellie thinks she is a big girl now. She wants to stand, not sit. She has been very interested in what we are eating and drinking, so we let her try. She drinks water out of sippy cups, and likes it. We gave her rice cereal and we were so excited to see her reaction. The result? Nothing. She ate it like she had been doing it for years. No excitement. No funny faces. Just resignation that we were putting yet another thing in her mouth.
This is not the only thing she thinks big girls do. She also thinks they don't take naps! Sorry Ellie, you aren't old enough yet to skip those. I must keep my sanity! She has to be forced now. Why are kids so silly? We as adults would LOVE to nap. But kids? They cry like you just told them you don't love them anymore. You would think I was torturing her the way she acts. But the honest truth...her face when I make her go to bed is so darn cute!

Friends

2010-07-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

Our friends Mark and JanaLee came to visit us. We got to spend a couple of great days with them! We hiked up to the lovely wind caves. The trail is such a nice one. Mostly shaded, not too steep, and you get to see cool caves at the end. If you recall last time Ryan and I went, we almost stepped on a rattler. This time, no rattlers. We did however see several other kinds of snakes. There is something so refreshing about a hike. You are just away from everything crazy and distracting. You feel like you can breathe. You forget what you were worried about earlier, or the long list of things to do.
I think I am going to take the dogs up there...and leave them...so I can't hear them barking...dumb dogs. Does that make me a horrible person?

Laughs

2010-06-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Bread!

2010-06-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Two of Ryan's cousins and I have been making bread on Wednesdays! We wanted to learn how to make different types.
The two babies were playing while we baked. Believe it or not, these two are within 3 weeks of each other. The one on the left weights 22 lbs!

And the end result of the bread......eaten!....haha, whoops. I forgot to get a picture. We have so far made two kinds of wheat bread, and a potato bread.

Ellie just being cute.
We like to give Ellie funny hairdo's after her bath. Here is our favorite, the spike.

Volunteer Pet

2010-06-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

This big guy was found in the window well of my Sis-in-law's room. He is a rock chuck. Did you know they chirp? We all thought we were hearing a loud bird, but no. It was fun to see him in there because it was like the zoo! We called animal control to get him out and apparently this is a fairly common thing. He was the 3rd or 4th one they had pulled from window wells that week. Come visit us again!

Crazy in Love

2010-05-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

I know, you are thinking, "not another sleeping picture". But this is not any sleeping picture, this is a special one. This is a baby who has been asleep for 8 hours straight, and slept for another hour! It was a HUGE blessing from Heavenly Father because I was so exhausted that night. She has now done that 3 times (not in a row though). It is so nice to see hope of sleeping through the night again.
I love seeing her and her Dad play together. She loves it too.

Sleepy with Grandma Allen.

Do you know how you know you are crazy in love? It is when your daughter talks to you her baby talk, and you are enthralled....even though she has done it every day for hours. It is when your baby rolls over and you think it is right up there with climbing mount Everest. It is when your baby plays with her tongue and you think it is so cute you have to record it and take 20 or so pictures. It is when your baby does ANYTHING new, you feel the need to tell anyone who will listen, including strangers. Yeah, we are so wrapped around her chubby hand. We have become the annoying parents who just talk about their kid and you want to tell them you don't care, or that a poopy diaper isn't really that exciting.

We went to Iowa last week to look for an apartment. Des Moines is beautiful! Very green, lots of trees, good areas. We are excited now to move and start our new adventure.

Leon Honey

2010-05-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

To my Grandpa:

Even though you are not here, I want to express my thoughts and gratitude to you.
You taught me to love music. Remember how you took me to your concerts? I would sit in the balcony right above the piano and watch the pianist's fingers. After wards I would join you on the stage and feel so proud that my grandpa was in the orchestra. You also taught me to play the flute, tune, and repair pianos. I loved that summer of learning with you!
More than teaching me music, you taught me how important families are with all the genealogy work you did. You bore a testimony to me about families when you told me how happy you were that I was married in the temple. It was not a casual comment, but a sincere expression of joy that moved you, and me. You have been there for me, come to my recitals, and always been happy to see me.
You showed me what it is to endure to the end, with your good attitude when you still had control during your trial.
I love you very much! We will miss you, but are blessed with the knowledge that we will see you again in a better place.

Until then,
Becky

Games and babies

2010-05-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I played 10,000 the other day. He got to 7450 before I even got on the board!!! By that point we were both hoping I wouldn't get on, to see if he could get all the way to 10,000 without me scoring. He came close.

My cute baby. No more needs to be said.

For Mom

2010-04-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Ellie doesn't usually like the sling but occasionally she complies and I get to actually do my hair. Mmmm...drool...Ellie is in the stage where she eats her fists almost constantly and I think it is so cute! She often tries for both at once.

I keep trying to get a video of Ellie talking but she stops when I have the camera out! This is as good as it gets, not really her talking, but she does make cute noises!

Interesting...

2010-04-22T09:49:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered why crackers go soft when stale, as opposed to bread which gets hard? I have, often. I finally looked up the answer and thought I would share my new knowledge with you. When bread goes stale, the water molecules migrate to a different part of the bread. They don't evaporate like I thought, which is why you can get it soft again by heating it up. But crackers have a high salt content, and salt is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air. Thus the crackers gain moisture and soften up. Another interesting fact, bread goes stale faster in the fridge! The only advantage of putting bread in the fridge is to slow down molding. I have noticed my bread not seeming as fresh within a day of putting it in the fridge but I just thought it was the brand of bread. Oh well, now I know!

Smiles

2010-04-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Ellie loves her dad and smiles at him all the time! I had to capture it.

2010-03-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ellie has a few tricks up her sleeve. One of our favorites that we never tire of, is the above. She NEVER fails to open her eyes really wide when someone makes motor sounds. We do it over and over and over and....

Want to see more?

2010-03-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is a cute little outfit that Linda and her girls bought for Ellie. The shoes are gold ballet shoes! So adorable!
My baby and me. Ignore my horrible posture...
Who wouldn't love to be a mom when they see something like this? Look at that smile! I love it. Today Ellie was smiling at her daddy when he talked to her and was holding eye contact with him.

Yuck!

2010-03-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

Ryan sent me this text yesterday from work: "I hate when I'm picking up lumps of flesh, and then I look down and see a hole in my glove..."

Just thought I would share!

My two loves

2010-03-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

I love seeing Ryan and Ellie together. They are both so cute!

Here is our family. Ellie always pulls funny expressions but at least her eyes are open.

1 Month

2010-03-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

My baby is 1 month today! I can't believe it. She is looking a lot less like a newborn and a lot more like a baby. It is sad! That stage went so quick.
This is our little burrito. It really helps when she is fussy to wrap her in this snuggle me...so basically she is almost always wrapped in it!
We are really enjoying our Ellie. She is so cute and is starting to react more to what we do. She likes to do sit-ups with her Grandma and Daddy. She is looking at us more. She recognizes her Daddy's voice and will turn to find him when she hears it.

love at 22045th sight

2010-02-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

Well folks, I hope you like baby pictures because pretty much all my posts are going to be about Ellie from now on. These two pictures are her in some outfits her great-aunt bought her and I thought were cute. They are the baby bag outfits (the bottom is like a sleeping bag) which are convenient. Ellie has so many cute clothes from different people it is hard to choose what to put her in each day! If only she liked changing clothes, I would do it more often. Alas, she hates her clothes changed so I avoid it if possible. Yesterday though, she had poop leak after poop leak and we went through 4 different outfits!

Can't get enough of my valentine

2010-02-14T12:49:00.001-08:00

This dress was mine when I was a baby. It is perfect for Valentines Day! I couldn't get a good picture though because one hand was trying to keep her calm.

And this picture is just cute.

Being a mom

2010-02-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

I have a completely new respect for moms. Wow. It is hard. But despite the hard, I love much of it. I love Ellie's sweet face as she sleeps. I love her shriek when she is hungry. I love her chubby cheeks. I love how she looks when she nurses. I love watching her daddy dote on her. I don't do much besides just look at her. She is not going to be a newborn for much longer and it makes me sad. I will miss that little newborn face.
This first week has been overwhelming, but I am surrounded by great people to help. My mom came up for a week to help me which I really appreciated! She was very helpful and it was hard to have her leave. Ryan has been so wonderful too. Very helpful and loving and patient. It makes all the difference to have people around who love you.
That's all for now. I think I need a nap!

Elizabeth Jo

2010-02-03T10:59:00.001-08:00

She's here! 7 pounds, 13 ounces. She was 19 and a half inches long. She's beautiful. Seems happy and loves to look around.Here she is being wiped down by the nurse right after being pulled out of mom. She's angry. Such a rough awakening.
Now she is opening her eyes, checking out the world.

Here she is with mom. Just looking around some more.

We'll post more later.

Do you need a doctor?

2010-02-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

Hooray!!!! Hooray!!! Hooray!!!! Guess what! My smarty husband got into Med school!!! He was accepted at Des Moines University which is a great school! Yay!!!!!!!!! We are so excited. Congrats Ryan!!!

Ready?

2010-02-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, life is going to change.

Mother

2010-01-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Great things about Mom:
1. She cares about everyone and is generous
2. She is self motivated
3. She is talented in many ways : music, art, cooking, learning
4. She has a fun laugh
5. She is positive despite trials

Hope you have a great birthday!

Pickle whom I love

2010-01-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

For those who have not heard, my baby is breech and they tried to turn her this morning and were unsuccessful. There is still a small chance she will turn on her own, but not too likely at this point. So I have a scheduled C-section for Feb 3! I have mixed feelings about it, but really I just want her here safe, so even if it isn't how I planned, I am still ok with it. That is coming up soon folks! Only 2 weeks and 2 days and my bundle of joy will be here!!

BAby?

2010-01-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Ryan's interpretation of the birthing process. Done using Flipnote Studio DS. Notice the face when the baby cries... He is a great artist and is quite proud.

Baking goods

2010-01-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

I felt like being brave today and trying something new to bake. I have never made rolls, so that was the winner. I even tried a new way of tying them, instead of just making balls. They turned out perfect! Nice and soft with a lightly browned crust.

Umm...where did my feet go?

Bump!

2009-12-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

I guess I am behind in posting monthly bump pictures! Time has just started speeding by! This is my 33 1/2 week picture. Baby is alive and kickin'. She says hi (or she would if she was awake).

Des Moines, Iowa

2009-12-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

Update on Ryan's medical school applications:
He has received a request for secondary applications from all of the schools he applied for. One school however, Des Moines University, sent him an e-mail stating that he was qualified enough and impressive enough to set up an interview now before they receive his secondary application! He is flying there Jan 14th. It is a pretty good D.O. school so he would be happy to go there. I didn't know anything about Des Moines so I did a bit of research. The city is about the same population as Salt Lake City, but 300,000 less in the Metro areas. It is smaller in area, about 72 sq miles, where SLC is over 100 sq miles. The school is small too: USU main campus is 500 acres. Des Moines' is 22! But I have no objections to small schools. I learned much better at Snow College because it was smaller. In fact, the smaller the better!
We are pretty excited that things are finally moving along. Wish us luck!

Christopher!

2009-12-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Chris's birthday. Here are things about Chris:

1. He has amazing woodworking skills
2. He is easy to joke with
3. He cares about other people
4. He is willing to help people, going the extra mile to do so
5. He loves skunks (thus the picture above, except he would have a de-gassed one).

Hope your birthday was fantastic!

James

2009-12-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

Lonna has such a good list of things about James, I am tempted to just say Dido! But, here is my 5 things about James:

1. He is so talented! His art and movies are amazing.
2. He has determination- learning programs in one night
3. He always wins at games, and yet is still fun to play with
4. He is self-motivating
5. He is a sucker for candy- Reeses, Peanut M&M's, peanut butter chew, etc.

Happy Birthday James, we think you are great!

Yes it is that time again

2009-12-05T15:45:00.001-08:00

It is winter, and the time I always seem to want to cut my hair. Here is the new do. I didn't do a frontal shot because it doesn't ever look right when I try to capture it on camera.

Cuties at Thanksgiving

2009-12-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

Here are a few cuties I spied at Thanksgiving.

How did it go?

2009-11-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! How did your week challenge go? I know some of you aren't done yet, just post when your week is up.
As for my challenge:
I had some great conversations with Mom! It was fun to get to know her more as a person (not just as my mom), and learn more about her growing up years. I like being able to understand her better, what things she needs and likes, and challenges she has faced.
I had wanted to do this interview with others, but I dropped the ball. At least the first step has been taken, and there is always this week!

Happy Birthday!!!!

2009-11-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Dad's birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!

About Dad:
1. Loves chocolate
2. Has incredible patience
3. Genius (even titled "cube meister")
4. Very kind
5. Pretty much the best dad you could ever have. I would say that even if he wasn't my dad.

Super Powers!!!

2009-11-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Do you have superpowers? Do you want superpowers?

I had to rewrite this post. I had a VERY long essay. But I don't think people are so willing to read an essay. I have re-written this to be shorter and to the point. This is a call for you try something different. We have all said "I wish...", and yet, we continue with our lives just the same. Well we have two choices. We can:

1. Not do anything and therefore stay how we are for forever.
2. Try something new (which personally makes me feel like I have superpowers of sorts).

So here is the challenge. Choose one thing, and one thing only, that you don't do but always wished you could, or have just been interested in. For one week, you are going to try it. At the end of your week, you are going to tell us what you did and what you thought (I will have a post up you can comment on). If you don't want to tell all of us, tell someone else or write it down.

Examples:
1. You have always been shy of people and don't have many friends. You always wished you weren't so scared of them! Your challenge could be : meet one person each day. At the store, park, wherever, start a conversation with one person a day.

2. You think it would be cool to learn another language but have never made the steps to do so. Your challenge : Pick a language and for 1/2-1hr each day, learn the alphabet, pronunciation, and some vocabulary.

Can you do it? Or rather, will you?

Post your challenge in the comments to help you start, unless you don't want others to know. I will post mine there to start us off. You start your challenge as soon as you make it.

2009-11-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

I got the chance to go to lunch with one of my best friends - Megan! It was so fun to see her again and visit. We used to do everything together and I guess you could still say we do! We got married within 5 weeks of eachother, and are now going to have babies within 5 weeks of eachother! We'll see if this trend continues.

Winter has arrived

2009-11-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

We had some snow last week. It was really pretty actually with the mix of the fall colors and the white snow.

My Sister-in-Law and her two girls came for a visit. Emma has the curliest hair!!
And Sadie is just cute. Her eyes are so big!

Update

2009-10-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

My bump is slowly starting to get a bit bigger. It changes every day, sometimes it is sticking out far, other days you can hardly tell it is there. But I love it anyway.

2009-10-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

It looks like Ryan and I are going to be taking care of kids sooner than we thought. We got called to the Nursery! I admit, I am nervous. I don't know what to do with little kids. I guess this will be a great learning opportunity to help prepare me for my own kids. Anyone have great advice for us?

Fun music video

2009-10-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Rene

2009-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

About Rene:

1. She has awesome musical talent (french horn and piano!)
2. She always seems to be optimistic
3. She makes Chris happy
4. She is willing to try new adventures
5. She has a confident personality

Have a Happy Birthday Rene!

Golf

2009-09-29T15:16:00.001-07:00

What better way to spend a weekend than to play golf with your siblings? David Chris and I played on Saturday. It is hard to say who won overall. See, David won point wise, but I lost the least amount of balls. And we played miniature golf also which I won point wise, but David got some cool hole-in-ones. Chris kinda hung out in the middle. David was playing miniature golf with a really small club and I had to get his picture.
Despite a few minor accidents (David got in the way of a club) it was an awesome afternoon, especially because we finished it off with some Swedish Meatballs at Ikea!

What is it like to be pregnant?

2009-09-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

What better way to share my pregnancy with Ryan than to make him pregnant too? (Hehehe)
My computer with my Adobe programs is finally working again so Ryan I and decided to play around a little... If you are an artist, yes I know this is a horrible photoshop job. Too bad.

Baby is....

2009-09-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!! Sorry you boy guessers, you were wrong.
She(I love that I can say that now) has all her baby parts, and is looking healthy as possible.

Now we get into the fun list of things to do:

1. Pick a name or 10
2. Buy cute clothes
3. Call it more than "it" or "baby"
4. Bond, bond, bond (as she kicks me).

Alien?

2009-09-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Is this growth in me an Alien? Or a puppy? Or a baby? Sometimes I am not sure. I feel the baby often now and I go back and forth between thinking how cool it is, to "it's really weird that something is moving inside me". Not to mention it already is trying to move in spots it shouldn't be in. Or stretching out and trying to bring my organs with it. Overall I am pretty excited it is there. It gave me a nice excuse for a new wardrobe! Come back Thursday to find out what is really growing inside me...
And don't miss your chance to guess at the poll!

Birthday Time!

2009-09-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Great things about Jen:

1. Her eyes twinkle when she smiles
2. She is a patient mom!
3. She plays piano and sings angelically
4. She does things even when it is hard
5. She makes me laugh and is enthusiastic

Happy Birthday Jen!!!

So close

2009-09-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Article V - Amendment
The Congress can make amendments to the Constitution with 2/3 of both Houses vote and 2/3 of States. (other ways given to make amendments, but haven't been used). The President cannot veto amendments and has no say in them.

Article VI - Debts, Supremacy, Oaths
Any debts or engagements made before the Constitution was accepted, will be valid as if made while under the constitution.
The Constitution and Laws of the United States, and also treaties, will be the Law of the Land and every state will honor it above their own laws.
The Senators and representatives and members of State Legislature will be bound by Oath to support the Constitution. No religious test will be required as a qualification to any office under the United States.

Article VII - Ratification
The Ratification (approving of) of the Constitution by the States will be sufficient to establish the Constitution.

Great Job everyone!!! You only have the Bill of Rights left!

Happy Birthday!!!!

2009-08-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday David!!

David:

1. Very talented with computers
2. One of the most generous people I know
3. Has a carefree attitude and takes things as they come
4. Loves to read!
5. Does well in every job he has/had

Isn't he great?

Anniversary

2009-08-28T10:32:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary and went to Salt Lake for a couple of days.

This is Ryan's idea of a vacation

The canoe said "sit here for pictures" so what could we do but obey?

This was a really crazy fish and it makes me laugh. It seems like it is all dressed up in a silly costume for a play.

Seahorses are just cool. They had quite a variety of colors. It was fun to see what kinds of things they would hang onto with their tails.

Jellyfish are by far my favorite sea animal to look at! Their movements are just so smooth! They had a great display of 3 different kinds of jellies, and all decent sized. This one in the picture is probably 7 inches across the top.

What we did not pictured:
1. Went to the Salt Lake Temple to do a session. We wanted to see the inside and experience it. It was neat, but I still like Manti better. We were really lucky though because we barely made the session and it was a small one (baby + bladder = no good), so it wasn't an extra long one like we were told. I enjoyed seeing the inside finally.
2. Eat (Pizza, Chilies, Sweet tomatoes)
3. Ryan took me shopping for my birthday (he hates shopping so it was a big sacrifice). We found some new shoes!
4. You don't really think I am going to tell you EVERYTHING do you?

Happy 2nd Ryan!

Updates

2009-08-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

If you used to follow my paint blog, and have given up looking for updates, give up no more! I have updated it and I am starting a new project today which I will post as I work on it (weekdays only).

MiniFuzz

2009-08-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ryan, Ross, and I went on a bike ride the other day, and we picked up a friend! The poor thing was being blown away by the wind, and trying to cross a LONG stretch of road. We couldn't leave him there, so we helped him on his way (hopefully we didn't put him back where he had just journeyed from). Isn't he cute? The picture is fuzzy, but that is a fuzzy caterpillar. I believe it is called a woolly bear caterpillar.

2009-08-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

ARTICLE IV - THE STATES

Section 1 - Each State to Honor all others
"Full Faith and Credit clause". States are to recognize judgments in other states. (There is a difference between judgments and laws, keep that in mind). A state does not necessarily have to accept a law made in another state if it conflicts with their own laws. Example : recognizing same sex marriages. States that do no allow that, do not have to recognize those unions that were okayed in other states.

Section 2 - State citizens, Extradition
Citizens of each State are entitled to privileges of citizens in other States (protection, right to travel through the state, own property, etc).
If someone commits a crime and flees to another state, that state has to deliver up the person to the state where the crime was committed.

Section 3 - New States
New states are approved by Congress. No new states can be formed within the jurisdiction of another state, or a state formed by combining all or parts of two or more states, unless the Legislature of those states approve it and also the Congress.
Congress has power to get rid of or make rules about property belonging to the U.S.

Section 4 - Republican Government
The United States guarantees every State a Republican Government (no monarchs, ruled by peoples vote). The U.S. will protect states from Invasion and domestic violence.

ARTICLE III

2009-08-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, we are getting pretty close to being done. Hang in there!

Judicial Branch:

Section 1 - Judicial Powers
There will be one Supreme Court, and some inferior courts that the Congress can make. The judges of both the Supreme and inferior courts will hold their offices during good behavior (does that sound like little kids?). They will be paid for their work, and their pay cannot be cut during their service.

Section 2 - Trial by Jury, Original Jurisdiction, Jury trials
The Judicial power is to be used for cases of law made under the constitution, and cases of jurisdiction and controversies. The controversies are specifically between either : states; a state and citizen of a different state; between citizens of different states; citizens of the same state claiming lands granted by a different state; and between a state or citizen and a foreign state or citizen. Amendment 11 says : Judicial power isn't to be used by a foreign person against a person (or state) of the United States.
In cases between ambassadors ( and other public ministers) and a State, the Supreme Court will have jurisdiction (the right to apply the law). In all other cases, the Supreme Court has the power to review the decisions of the lesser courts ( unless Congress makes an exception).
The trial for all crimes, except with impeachment, will be by Jury and held in the State where the crimes were committed. When not committed in any State, the trial will be a place that Congress decides.

Section 3 - Treason
Treason is when you declare war against the United States, or help the enemies. No person can be convicted of Treason unless there are two witnesses to the same act, or with confession in open court. Congress has the power to declare punishment of Treason. The treasonous person's family still has the right to inherit the person's things.

Sections 3 & 4

2009-08-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

Section 3 - State of the Union, Convening Congress
The President has to give Congress information once in a while on how the country is doing (usually yearly). The President also gives his agenda and priorities for the Nation.
The President can call a special session of Congress. If the 2 houses can't agree on a date to meet, the President can choose the time.
The President is to receive foreign Ambassadors.
The President is responsible for making sure that laws are faithfully executed.
The President commissions the officers of the United States such as military and Foreign Service.

Section 4 - Disqualification
If the President, Vice President, or other civil officers of the U.S. are convicted of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, they will be removed from office on Impeachment.

Speed bump?

2009-08-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Look! There is a baby bump! Proof! Actually, the pic makes it look a bit bigger than it is, but still, I am excited to finally have something to show for my efforts. Stay tuned for "bigger" updates.

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

2009-08-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

So my smarty pants Ryan got his MCAT score back and got a whopping 33!! That means he is above average and will have an easier time getting into Med schools! He is really happy with his score, and I am pretty proud of him. To try to make that number make more sense to you, that is like getting a 90%. For a 5 hour test, that isn't too shabby. Not too shabby at all. Congratulations Ryan!

PETS, Pets, pets

2009-08-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I love animals and I have about a gazillion that I want for a pet. Here is a few of the smaller pets I would like to have someday.

Article II continued

2009-08-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Section 2 : Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments
The President is the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy and the Militia of the states when called into service. He can ask the opinion of his cabinet (people he chooses from various departments) on how to do things. He can grant pardons for offenses against the US, except with impeachment.
He has the power to make Treaties, if 2/3 of the Senators present agree. Also with the consent of the Senate, he can appoint ambassadors, other public Ministers and consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the U.S. whose positions are unfilled. The Congress by law may appoint inferior officers. The President has the power to fill vacancies that occur during the recess of the Senate, but their commission expires the the end of the next session of Congress.

This is a long one

2009-07-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Article II - The Executive Branch

Section 1 - The President
The President and Vice President stay in office for 4 years.
Election: Each state appoints Electors. The number of Electors is equal to the number of Senators and Representatives of that state. A person who has an "office of trust"(Representative, Senate, etc) cannot be an Elector. The Electors vote by ballot for two people (who can't be both in the same states as the Electors). They then make a list of everyone voted for and the number of votes for each and send it to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate opens the lists and counts the votes in front of the Senate and House of Representatives. The person with the most votes becomes President. If more than one person has a majority and equal votes, then the House of Representatives chooses by ballot one of them to be President. If no one has a majority, then the top five are voted on again by the House. (Previously, the Vice President was whoever came in second place for President. Now, the Vice President is voted for separately.) If the House does not choose the President when they need to before march 4th of the following year, then the Vice President acts as President. If the vote of the Vice President doesn't have a clear winner, the Senate votes for who will be Vice President.
Congress can choose what day is voting day, but it has to be the same through the USA. You have to be a natural born citizen, 35 years old, and lived in the US for 14 years to be President. The terms of the Office of President and Vice President end at noon on Jan 20th and the Senators and Representatives at noon on Jan 3. Congress meets once a year at noon on Jan 3 unless by law they appoint a different day. If the President Elect dies before starting his term, the Vice President Elect becomes President. The Congress can declare who shall act as President if neither the President or the Vice President qualify. If the Vice President's spot becomes vacant, the President can nominate a Vice President who then is confirmed by a majority vote by both Houses of Congress.
A President can write to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives and say he is unable to do his duties. Unless he writes another statement to the contrary, the Vice President becomes Acting President. If the Vice President and a majority of the principal officers of the executive departments write a declaration to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House that the President is unable to do his duties, the Vice President becomes Acting President. But if the President then writes a declaration that says he can do his duties, he resumes his powers unless the Vice President and majority within 4 days again write to say he can't do his duties. Then, the congress will decide the issue. They must meet within 48 hours. They have 21 days to determine by 2/3 vote of both Houses that the President is unable to do his duties. the Vice President then continues to be Acting President otherwise the President keeps his office.
The President will receive a paycheck, but that cannot be increased or decreased during his term, and he can't receive any other pay from the US.
When he is sworn into office he must say "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, Preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States."

We the states...

2009-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Section 10 : Powers prohibited of states

No state can enter a treaty, alliance, or confederation.
States can't grant letters of Marque (allows you to get revenge on a country)
No making other bills of credit (money). Only can make gold or silver.
No ex post facto law (increasing the punishment on a crime and then applying that to people who have already committed it).
No granting titles of Nobility.
No law can be made that stops people from fulfilling their contracts.
States cannot put any duties and taxes on imports and exports unless approved by congress or it is necessary for doing their inspection laws. The produce of the duties and taxes shall be for the use of the Treasury of the United States.
All laws can be revised and controlled by congress.
No state can tax ship cargo, keep troops or ships of War in times of Peace, can't enter into a compact with another State or foreign power, and can't engage in war unless invaded or in such danger that no delay can be made.

Bad pics = sorry

2009-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Look!!! I have a baby!!!! Isn't it sooo cute!! I never understood what I was looking at with other people's ultrasounds, but I can see it on mine and it is awesome!! I decided I could never tell because they were all probably bad copies like this. It is pretty clear in the original picture. You can see it's fat belly and everything, so you will just have to come over if you want to see it. Proof there really is something in there growing! It is almost 2 inches long now. Oh yes...for you who did not know...I am pregnant!

Communication

2009-07-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have a little trouble remembering to communicate my thoughts to others, I just assume they know my intentions. (Seriously, how come you don't just know?). I got several comments about how Ryan didn't get a birthday post. The idea was that spouses of my siblings get a blog post, and siblings get a phone call. I guess that isn't good enough though...so I will do both. Here is a late one for Ryan, and to make up for it's lateness he will get 10 things listed.

RYAN BARLOW (also known as Henry)

1. He has the arguing power to convince anyone of anything...and make them do what he wants.
2. He is really talented at art
3. He is really talented with the guitar
4. He is very creative and is always thinking up new ideas with James
5. He is fun to be around
6. He kicks everyone's butts at Mario Kart (and basically anything else if you give him the chance)
7. He is a good husband
8. He has beautiful girls
9. He is pretty smart
10. He is patient and understanding

And yet another birthday....

2009-07-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Garrett, you get the scary clown picture. Happy Birthday!

5 great things about Garrett:
1. He is a tease
2. He is very handy at fixing things
3. He is great to his wife
4. He is very knowledgeable about cars (and drives them very fast. Watch out if he offers to give you a fun ride)
5. He is fun to be around

Happy Birthday!!!!

2009-07-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Lonna!

Here are 5 great things about Lonna:

1. She is a problem solver.
2. She is always thinking of others.
3. She is very patient.
4. She is stylistic.
5. She is very beautiful especially with her elegant face.

I hope your day is great Lonna and full of relaxing things!

Section 9

2009-07-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Section 9 - Limits on Congress

Before the year 1808, Congress could not stop states from allowing migration, or importation. But Congress could put a tax on importation (no more than $10 per person).
Congress cannot stop Habeas Corpus (meaning you cannot be imprisoned without reason and they are required to give a reason if you ask) except in cases of rebellion or invasion.
Congress cannot pass bills to make a crime already committed more punishable (Ex. a person who robbed a store, and afterward a law is passed for the death sentence for robbery, that person cannot be punished accordingly because the crime was committed before the bill was passed).
No Bill of Attainder can be passed (this takes away a person's civil rights, without a real trial).
Previously, taxes could not be made unless in proportion to the number of people, but that has been changed to where taxes can be laid without doing so proportionally.
No taxes can be made on exported material. No duties to be paid between states. States should not favor one state over another in regulation of commerce or revenue of ports.
Money cannot be taken from the Treasury unless needed to because of laws. A record must be kept of expenditures and it should be published.
No titles of Nobility will be granted and no person in office can accept a present, salary, office, or title from any king or prince unless Congress says it is ok.

Section 8

2009-06-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

I need to bring to your attention a correction. In section 2 & 3 of Article 1, I had wrong information. I have now fixed it. The correction is that the Senator or Representative have to be a resident of the State they are to represent when elected.

Next:

Section 8 - Powers of Congress
Congress can impose taxes, and collect taxes. The taxes must be the same(uniform) through the United States.
Congress pays the debts, and provides for the common defense. They also provide for our general welfare(the meaning of this word as used in the constitution is our well-being and happiness).
Congress regulates trade with Nations, States, and Indian Tribes.
They can borrow money on the Credit of the United States.
They say how an immigrant can become a citizen.
They also make the bankruptcy laws.
They print the money and regulate its value. They punish those who counterfeit money.
They Establish post offices and the roads they use.
They secure copyright for artists and authors.
They set up tribunals(judges) who are lesser than the supreme court.
They punish pirates and punish offenders of the Law of Nations (foreigners).
They declare war and make rules of what to do with captured prisoners.
They raise and support armies, but the money assigned for that purpose cannot be used for more than two years. They provide the navy, and militia, and govern them and provide for them.
They can make any law necessary to help them carry out the powers given to them.
They also can use exclusive law of a District that they have (like the seat of the Government), but no bigger than 10 miles square, and to exercise authority over the places they have purchased. (This part about exclusive law didn't quite make sense to me. Can someone explain it?)

What did you do Sunday?

2009-06-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...nothing like a Sunday afternoon spent making a lego house! Here is a tour through our creation. Above you will see the general layout. First is the entryway. You walk in through the arch and on your right is the bedroom and bathroom (complete with faucet for the tub!). Walking a few steps more, you will see the dining room to your left. This cannot be seen from this picture because there is a second story in the way. Then, farther on, is the living room with the Dad drinking his silver canned drink, watching his red tv, and in the kitchen is his wife.

Above is the view of the outside, and Ryan's blue bay window in the dinning room. Quite fancy.
Below, you see the upstairs, which is the play room. There are two ways to access this level. There are stairs by the bedroom, or there is a fire escape on the far left side. This room is complete with a surf board, rocket, cannon, treasure chest of gold, treasure chest of weapons, and of course, the pet monkey and parrot.

We know, we are geeks, but we have fun.